I love a good mystery, and Tom Ryan has knocked it out of the park once again. I Hope You're Listening is such an intriguing story full of twists and turns, fascinating mysteries and more than one happy ending. I love the relationship between Dee and Sarah, they're so cute together and it's so refreshing to see an f/f relationship where there's no big coming out scene or any homophobia, they're just together and it's accepted, as it should be. I really enjoyed Dee's podcast and the Laptop Detectives Agency working hard to search for missing people, the cases were really interesting. I really enjoyed reading this, as I have with all of Tom Ryan's books, and I can't wait to see what he'll write next.

I read this book because I read and loved Tom Ryan's first book, Keep This To Yourself.
I Hope You're Listening is definitely a wild ride and a great teen thriller. I found myself racing through the book to make sure everybody ended up okay and find out the ending! That said, it felt as though this book could be just a bit shorter. Until I read halfway through, I didn't realize where the story was going, and I'm still not sure how the podcast plot fell into the whole thing. It didn't add to the story, other than that we then had to remember other missing person stories and try to keep them all straight.
Overall, I'm still not sure how she solved the more recent kidnapping. It seemed like a lucky guess. But it was a good book and these are nit-picky responses from an adult reader; I think teen readers would not be so bothered by them.

Major thank you to publishers and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to review this ARC.

Trigger warnings: Child abduction, cults, kidnapping

It's been ten years since seventeen year old Delia "Dee" Skinner watched her best friend, Sibby, get kidnapped before her eyes. As a way to channel her guilt and process her feelings from being a bystander, Dee starts Radio Silent - a true crime podcast that highlights missing cases - under the pseudonym of "The Seeker". What had originally been started as a coping mechanism turned into a phenomenon; Radio Silent is the eleventh most listened to podcast, with its own fanbase called "Laptop Detectives" - a group of avid listeners who, using the clues given from the podcasts, try to help solve missing cases. When another young girl goes missing from the same house Dee lived in when she was little, the town is reminded of Sibby's disappearance - an unsolved case still to this day - and Dee has to decide between protecting her identity as The Seeker, her privacy, and herself from all the memories. After a Radio Silent listener sends a clue about Sibby's whereabouts, Dee finds herself following the words she says at the end of every Radio Silent episode- "Is there something you can do to help?
Listen up. Let's try."

I found I Hope You're Listening incredibly captivating, and had chills running down my spine after I'd finished it. While I tend not to read a lot of mystery thrillers, I really enjoyed I Hope You're Listening. As a narrator, Dee felt very well-fleshed. I found myself very sympathetic for her; We've all wondered what it was like to have something go differently, relieved moments and wondered how things would be now if something had happened. I can't even imagine how that would feel if I had watched my best friend get abducted at seven. I felt all the emotions while reading I Hope You're Listening - I found myself putting the book down at times, gasping again and again, holding my breath along with Dee. This is the first of Tom Ryan's books that I've read, and I loved the writing style. I enjoyed how easy it was to read, and the alternating chapters between what was going on in present day, Dee's flashbacks, interspersed with scripts from the podcasts.

On the other hand, I found myself really wishing that we'd found out more about the other characters. I felt like Burke and Dee had an interesting friendship, and it wasn't until near the end of the book that I found out more about it. I also wish that we'd found out more about Sarah, the love interest - I loved the way that Dee's sexuality wasn't a big part of the book, that it was just something that was normal, but I found Dee and Sarah's relationship
distracting to the plot. The same could be said about Dee's family; I wish we'd gotten to see more of them, and their dynamic. What was it like for her parents after Sibby had been abducted? What about her brothers? I had so many unanswered questions.

Overall, I would give this book 4 stars - I really enjoyed this book, and would encourage others to read it, although there were some parts I didn’t connect with. If you're a big fan of mysteries and thrillers, this one's for you! I Hope You're Listening is perfect for spooky season.

TW: child abduction
I Hope Your Listening is about Dee, who was the sole witness to her best friend’s abduction ten years ago. That friend has yet to be found and Dee has lived with the guilt ever since. Since then she’s created her anonymous podcast, Radio Silent, to help find missing people across the nation. Now, another girl has gone missing from her small town.
The thing with this book is that it was just okay. I never really felt connected to any part of the story, so that took away from any deeper enjoyment of this book. It was a slow-burn mystery with a small cast of characters and it was just okay.
Apparently, the original summary included comps to SADIE, and I just want to say that while this book does have podcast transcriptions that I’m sure would be lovely on an audiobook, this didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat like SADIE. The podcast, by the way, Is very much like the TV show “America’s Most Wanted,” where a story is presented and then Dee asks armchair detectives to see if they can look more deeply into these cases. That part was an interesting take on the true crime podcast.
Dee is a flawed character and those flaws aren’t properly addressed. The biggest thing is her selfishness because she knows she could use her podcast to help the new missing girl (or even her best friend), but she doesn’t because she’s terrified of being found out that the podcast is hers. Side note, she has her other friend, Burke, set up all these firewalls and protections on her laptop to make sure no one can track the podcast to her, but then in the next breath, she’s logged into the Radio Silent social media platforms on her phone?? It seemed like a misstep in logic if she’s trying to keep her affiliation with the podcast a secret and she has very incriminating evidence on her phone.
Even at the climax, which I expected to confront this selfishness, wasn’t really what I felt the book was setting up.
Also, yes, Dee is sapphic and has a female love interest. In my opinion, I felt their relationship was rushed, but it still had its cute moments.
I rated this book 3 stars. It was a perfectly fine mystery book.

The beginning was a bit slow, but I liked the characters and I liked the way the podcast was utilized to tell the story and help us get to know Dee. The second half really picked up and I flew through it because I was so curious about where it was going to go - I definitely didn't see it coming. Also yay for queer books!

My favorite part about this book is how progressive it was.

✓ LGBTQ main character
✓ stay-at-home Dad
✓ minority representation, especially in mentioning that minorities in missing-persons cases are much more likely to be under-investigated
✓ positive light on cannabis consumption

This was a good read. It wasn't extraordinary; I think it lacked a deeper meaning. Dee was a very private main character, both as the Seeker and as the POV. There are a lot of times I wish the author had delved deeper into her psych, into what she was directly feeling as things unfolded.

I liked the incorporation of the podcast of this mystery, I thought it added a nice twist to your typical abduction-centered-teen-novel. I would recommend to pick this up for a good read!

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Albert Whitman & Company in exchange for an honest review.

This book is at risk of being called a Sadie copycat and it really deserves so much better than that. I Hope You're Listening is the story of Dee, a girl whose best friend was abducted in front of her when she was very young. As a teenager, she now secretly runs a podcast which aims to help find missing people. When another girl is taken from the house her best friend used to live in, Dee finds her worlds starting to collide as she struggles to keep the podcast a secret and find out what happened to her best friend.

This was a really enjoyable YA contemporary with some thrillery elements thrown in. Dee was a fantastic protagonist who felt very real and also very likeable. She's queer and I loved how a female/female relationship was woven effortlessly into the story. Early on I was worried the solution to the mystery was obvious, but thankfully it went in a different direction and things were not as predictable as I suspected. I actually felt the plot went in a really interesting direction and that helped distinguish it a lot from similar things. Tone-wise, it really is nothing like Sadie and has a more down-to-earth and less bleak vibe, so also be aware of that if you're interested in reading this.

Overall, I would definitely recommend checking out this book. It tells an intriguing story using characters with a lot of heart, with some nifty representation thrown in. The podcast element is a core part of the story and isn't an attempt to cash in on the trend, and I really liked the plot and writing style.

Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

I HOPE YOU"RE LISTENING gave me everything that I wanted from a YA thriller involving missing girls, a traumatized protagonist, and a podcast device. The two mysteries at hand, being what happened to present day missing girl Layla and and what happened to long missing girl Sibby, are well constructed and easy to get invested in. In part that's because of the ties they have to our protagonist Dee, who is a complicated, realistic, and likable heroine who has a lot of baggage she's trying to work through. I thought that Dee's lingering trauma was well thought out and developed, and thought that her actions (for the most part) made sense for who she is as a character. I thought that the podcast angle was also really well done, as the transcripts read like what I enjoy about my favorite true crime podcasts. I also liked Dee's interactions with the various side characters, from her love interest Sarah to her best friend Burke to her kinda quirky parents. Dee's relationship with Sarah is especially enjoyable, And I definitely was kept on the edge of my seat in regards to what happened to Sibby and Layla, and worried that Dee might be getting into something bigger than she can handle. The suspense moments were on point.

I HOPE YOU'RE LISTENING feels like a great autumn read and something that thriller fans and true crime podcast fans alike should look into!

This was an enjoyable fast paced mystery novel with a likeable main character and an intriguing mystery. Tom Ryan did an excellent job at drawing the reader in the mystery and making you care about it. I couldn't put this down because I needed to find out what had happened to Sibby. I liked Dee a lot and enjoyed the development of her romantic relationship, even if it felt a little rushed at times. My only objection is that I felt at times Dee could have been a better friend, but overall a very good read.

An overall and enjoyable read, I Hope You're Listening does suffer slightly from characterization and pacing. That being said, the mysteries of Dee's childhood and current life are intriguing enough to keep the story going, and the romance, while a bit rushed, is also sweet and comforting. I think this novel would actually shine as an audiobook, though I may admittedly be biased considering those are my favorite mystery/thriller novels to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy.

3.5/5 Stars. Overall a fast paced and intense YA mystery/thriller with a fun true crime podcast element, though it is a bit predictable at times.

When Dee Skinner was seven years old, her best friend was abducted from the woods while they were playing. The memory haunts Dee and inspired her to start a true crime podcast that covers recent cases in the hopes that listeners will help solve them. This book does a great job discussing the trauma of Dee's past and the pain, fear, and guilt of missing friends and family members while keeping the plot engaging and the mystery moving. There are a number of red herrings that will keep readers guessing but the big reveal is super unexpected. The last 20% is action packed but the interactions between the adults/"bad guys" seemed a bit unrealistic and contrived.

I loved the romantic relationship that was developing between Dee and the "new girl" across the street, but it felt very rushed towards the end. A few more scenes of them together connecting emotionally would have been great. I also loved Dee's relationships with her friends and family, especially her dad who cracked me up.

The e-arc had a lot of formatting issues, so hopefully those are cleared up before publication.

I thought this was super well crafted mystery thriller. I really liked how this book was had podcast element mixed with two mysteries and also a strong LGBTQ realtionship. I really was so emotionally invested in these characters. I really liked the pacing of this novel. I really liked both mysteries a lot. I thought there was alot of plots and some of them, where not fully developed as i wanted and felt some of these plots pieces wanted a bit more from some. I really enjoyed this read and loved the diversity of this read. I loved how much this mystery impacted the main character. It was super fun read and wonder if maybe a second book is in the future. Some triggers warming's for PTSD, Smoking! It was the prefect thriller to kick off halloween season!

As a fan of true crime podcasts, I was really excited to pick this title up. I will say for anyone interested in the story for the podcast angle, It is a light component of the overall plot. It's well intergrated but not in the same way the podcast in Sadie is but it does provide the reader with some insight into the main character.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I was invested in the main character and the story behind *both* missing girls' disappearances. There's definitely things I wish had of happened differently (largely with the interesting subplots and the pacing of the final third) but I think the story takes unique turns and isn't as predictable as books can be in this genre. I would recommend this to my true-crime and thriller loving friends.

I hope you're listening is a really great YA book. I love how a young girl finds a way to come out of a tragic situation to find a way to help other people even though it may just be a distraction. I loved the main character and how she's able to grow through the book. I hope you're listening is worth the read if you love YA mysteries.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and AW Teen for this ARC!

Slight spoilers, nothing too descriptive!

From the description alone, I knew that this book would be right up my alley. I love a good mystery/thriller especially one that keeps me guessing from start to finish, as this one did.

What I Liked:
- The writing style. I thought the writing was very straight forward, not too many frills or additional information that wasn't pertinent to the story being told. I also thought the author did a great job of setting the mood, for instance, the second that Dee stepped into Mrs. Rose's home, I knew that this would be important to the mystery unraveling simply from the feeling I got through the description.
- The mystery was well thought out and unraveled and a good pace. The story easily unfolded and the anticipation built as the story continued.
- The characters. I thought all of the characters were very interesting and well written, especially the main characters. There also were not many throwaway characters, there were a few but for the most part, we met characters for a specific reason and they were important to the story.
- The use of the podcast. I think the idea of the podcast was very cleverly worked into the book. I enjoyed the podcast transcript chapters, there weren't too many to disrupt the flow of the book, and they all were interesting. I also liked that the podcast followed one story until they found out what happened to the person the story was focused on.
- The WLW representation that, in my opinion, did not at all feel forced. It simply was who Dee was, it wasn't the only aspect of who she was and it wasn't a Whole Big Thing that needed to be addressed constantly

What I Didn't Like:
- While I loved the WLW rep and thought that Sarah was a perfectly fine character, I don't think the romance was really necessary and moved a little quickly
- I wanted more Burke, I thought that he was a really interesting character and would've liked to have seen more of him
- While I liked the idea of the laptop detectives, I found their involvement toward the end of the book a bit unrealistic, it happened just a bit too quickly to be believable for me.
- While there weren't many throwaway characters there were a few and Dee's family fell victim to that. Her brothers were mentioned like 3 times toward the beginning and then never mentioned again, and her parents weren't super involved which tends to be a trope amongst YA literature that kind of bothers me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and read it it almost 1 sitting. I would recommend this to any fan of mystery/thriller novels.

Ten years after witnessing her best friend's kidnapping, Dee is sucked back into the mystery of her disappearance. This thriller certainly delivers all the twists and turns a reader could hope for and, in classic Tom Ryan fashion, is impossible to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and AW Teen for the ARC of this book.

4.5 stars. This was just SO good! It was a pleasure to follow Dee's journey along with her: while searching for others, she also learned so much about herself. The dread built up throughout the story, but I was completely in the dark until the last quarter of the book, where stuff got REALLY real, REALLY fast. I was definitely on the edge of my seat. Plus, the ending is poignant and satisfying. My only real plot-related gripe is that I felt like the romance could have been more developed, but I still thought it was sweet.

(The e-ARC I got definitely needs some intense editing, so I hope that gets cleared up before final publication.)

This was a wild ride from start to finish. I knew just from the summary that this would hit all my buttons, and it really, truly delivered. I love a good mystery/suspense/thriller, and this novel had everything to keep me both on the edge of my seat and feeling oddly unsettled the more I read.

Things I loved here:
-The writing style was simple, but still descriptive. I had a really good idea of what Dee's town was like and the action scenes were exciting and fun.
-The mystery was well laid-out and unraveled at the perfect pace for me.
-I felt the snippets of Dee's podcast were laid out well enough to be interesting but not distracting. I like that it stuck to one case throughout with a solid resolution.
-Also of course love the LGBT representation and how it was there and felt natural and normal and not like it's A Whole Big Thing. This is the kind of the representation I always want.

Things I didn't love as much:
-While I love the WLW rep, the pace of the romance itself felt weird to me. I understand that the romance was not meant to be a central part of the novel, but it felt rushed and there was little to no build up between "oh the new girl is cute" and Dee telling Sarah "I love you". I felt like Sarah herself added little to the story and that honestly the story could have worked just as well without her/with Burke in her place as Dee's adventure buddy.
-Speaking of, would have loved to see more of Burke, period.
-Lots of Dee's decisions felt wildly impulsive to me. For a girl who was involved in a kidnapping scenario when she was younger, Dee sure seems to be weirdly trusting of everyone she encounters on her journey to find the truth. Sarah was a good voice of reason, but of course, Dee rarely listened to her warnings.

Overall, this is a very solid 4/5. It had me turning pages and the small problems I had with the book weren't enough to keep this from being a captivating and engaging story.

Thank you to Albert Whitman & Company as well as NetGalley for providing me a copy of this eARC!

This is the first book by Tom Ryan I have read and its great! I like books that play out like a movie in my head and thats exactly what this book does. I found myself trying to guess what would happen next throughout the book and I believe thats what makes a good thriller. The last couple of chapters I could not put down; everything was happening so fast and so well written that it continued to intrigue me.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC. I literally could not put this book down. I'm sitting here in a pontoon boat that we rented, reading this book instead of fishing and swimming. Awesome read, will definitely keep this author in my sights!