I wanted to love this one. I* mean what's not to love about podcast and true crime. And solving an almost 3o year old murder. However the two teenage girl main characters acted younger than they were age wise.

This was one of the first books I was approved for. I don’t know what i was expecting but this was a little much for me. I was able to finish it though.

I am a fan of amateur detective stories, especially being told in an engaging way, like with podcast elements, so I was interested in the plot of this book.

The main characters, Cam and Blair, are in high school and for a school project, decide to revisit a somewhat cold case and create a podcast about a missing girl from their small town.

I found this book to move at a good pace and I was interested to see where it was going. Cam is a quirky genius who won’t let anything stand in her way, whereas Blair is the opposite, timid and self doubting but well spoken and patient. Combined, these two seemingly have the qualities to create an entertaining amateur detective story.

After Cam and Blair’s first interview, the elements here left me feeling like the situation was unsettling and I was hooked in finding out where this was going.

But as the story progressed, I felt less inclined to realistically believe these two could solve this case based on their interview skills. I know they are young, but it was a bit too much. It was admitted early on that they knew nothing about creating a podcast, yet they, Cam especially, just kept barrelling through everything thinking there is no way they won’t succeed. If the adults of this story didn’t conveniently reveal all the necessary information, I don’t think these two would have gotten as far. Cam especially did not seem to learn anything despite the impending repercussions.

Overall, I found this to be a propulsive but predictable mystery. The ending was decent, as it was tense and dramatic.

Thank you for St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did enjoy this one but it was definitely more YA than I originally thought it would be. It was a quick read that keeps you guessing. I did call the main twist but I still had fun along the way!

Missing Clarissa follows two best friends, Blair and Cameron, who decide to start a true crime podcast dedicated to solving the mystery of the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell. Clarissa Campbell disappeared in the summer of 1999, and the case surrounding her disappearance has remained unsolved. Blair and Cameron’s small town has never really recovered from the pain of Clarissa’s disappearance, and by digging into the past they stir up a lot of trouble and reveal some dark secrets. But most importantly it becomes increasingly dangerous for the girls over time as they are forced to make some very difficult decisions about how far they’ll go to solve the mystery.

I read this entire book in two hours (it wasn’t in one sitting, but it only took two hours). It was a really quick and easy read. The mystery was entertaining enough to keep my attention, so it wouldn’t be fair for me to give it one star.

I don’t know where to begin with the negatives… I’ll start with this: I didn’t like Cameron. Yes, she’s supposed to be annoying, but she’s clearly supposed to be both annoying and lovable. When I read YA books I try to remind myself that the characters are young and at an age where people make terrible decisions so I don’t get too annoyed at the characters for, well, acting like teenagers. But Cameron’s bad decision making was too much. I can’t root for a character with not a drop of intelligence (she’s academically gifted. She’s not good at anything else). Blair was fine. I did want the best for her and I liked watching her develop as a character.

I didn’t feel like Blair and Clarissa were accurately depicted teenagers. I haven’t been around high schoolers in a long time so I could be wrong about this, but they seemed more like 12-14 year olds than 16 year olds. One example of a time Cameron sounded really young is when she said “Mr. Park is seven hundred years old. Like at least 40.” Does that sound like something a high school junior or senior would think? Idk for sure, but to me that sounded like something a middle schooler would think. And is that common little joke about lesbians immediately getting a U-Haul together too “old” for a 16 year old lesbian to know about? I don’t think it is. It annoys me when adults portray children/teens in a way that doesn’t accurately represent their age.

I guessed pretty quickly what caused Clarissa’s disappearance. But I’m typically good at guessing the endings of mysteries and thrillers, so I don’t know if that was a weakness in the writing or just me.

It’s impossible to talk about Missing Clarissa without comparing it to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It has an extremely similar plot. That’s obvious from the summary, but there are even more details within the story that I didn’t cover in this review that are very very similar to the content of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is better than this. If this plot sounds appealing to you I encourage you to just read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. If you’ve already read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and you’re looking for something similar to it you can read this and get the same general vibe. But don’t expect it to be as good.

I can’t say I recommend this. I don’t think it’s a terrible book, but I don’t really think it’s worth your time.

I love true crime, so I went into this book already excited to read it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more by Ripley Jones.

This is a YA murder mystery. Two best friends, Cam and Blair, decide to do a podcast about a local cold case for their high school journalism class. I liked that the book addresses people's obsession with "dead girls", but only a certain type of dead girl (pretty, popular, white). The story follows a pretty common pattern for this type of story, but it still entertains. I liked the friendship between Cam and Blair. They offer each other a level balance between their different personalities. They are also the others biggest cheerleaders. I also really liked Cam's mom Irene.

The story alternated between the two main characters, two very different girls with their own personality and goals, which I think is what made the book for me. I had solved the mystery aspect of the story already pretty early on in the book but I enjoyed the interaction between the girls and the way they bumbled through the investigation. Also, I am a sucker for the podcast type books, especially if they are done well on audio and this was another fun example.

I loved the podcast episodes at the beginning of chapters. That was different and it was fantastic!

The mystery behind the entire book was okay. It wasn't a surprise reveal of what happened to Clarissa or who was responsible, but it didn't seem like that's what the author was going for anyway. She did a good job of showing different levels of guilt, privilege and corruption which was both interesting and infuriating to read.

The characters could've been more than they were. I liked Blair, but some of her traits hit a little too close to home and I found myself hating her for things that I do. I was so freaking proud of her at the end of the book! Cam was horrible. She is easily classified under the Sheldon-syndrome (smart with no social skills). To be honest, I'm tired of this character. Genius-level IQ does NOT mean someone has no social skills. I was also furious that in the end, after everything Cam had done, there were essentially no consequences for her. A 30-page paper on journalistic ethics for a genius is a joke. I really don't like that the book made it out like, if you're right, you can escape all consequences in life, even if you break laws in the process. Terrible message for YA readers.

I was find with Missing Clarissa overall. It didn't jump off the page for me, but it wasn't bad either. This would probably be a very specific recommendation for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a digital copy for review.

This was a solid young adult mystery with interesting characters and a compelling story. Clarissa Campbell went missing in 1999 and her case quickly went cold. As the years went by she became more like a myth to the residents, especially the younger ones. More than twenty years later two teenagers, Blair and Cam, decide to use her story to start a podcast for their journalism class. Though it starts as just a project, it quickly becomes personal, and as their podcast grows in popularity, they soon gather the attention of the killer.

Overall a good read. Though it was short, I felt like it was a good length and all that the story required. I would recommend this to fans of young adult and good mysteries. Looking forward to the next book by this author.

This book just ended up not being for me right now, so it is a did-not-finish. Perhaps I will come back to it someday and update this review.

In the summer of 1999, beautiful cheerleader Clarissa Campbell goes missing without a trace in the state of Washington and is never seen again. The case grows cold after no leads and no body found. Twenty years later, Blair and Cameron (students at the same high school Clarissa attended) start a true crime podcast for their journalism class about the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell. They call the podcast "Missing Clarissa." What starts as just a school project turns into something more as the girls become invested in their interviews with Clarissa's haunted shell of a mother, her burly former boyfriend, the nerd-next-door who helped Clarissa's parents after the disappearance, and the art teacher with whom Clarissa might have had a questionable relationship. The girls dig deeper and deeper and start to unearth secrets... and real danger.

I LOVED listening to this one on audio! The format of this story - partly narrative, partly podcast episodes - was PERFECT for audio format. I loved the full-cast of narrators! The story itself was very entertaining and I loved that the girls' podcast episodes were weaved into the story. Blair and Cameron were very loveable main characters and complemented each other perfectly. They weave a narrative that is intriguing and captivating, even though they don't realize it at first. I found myself invested in all the interviews, characters, and the eventual resolution (no spoilers here!). I can honestly say I didn't see the ending coming which I LOVE in a mystery/suspense novel! Highly recommend for fans of YA mystery, Good Girls' Guide to Murder, Tell Me What Really Happened, etc.

I had a good time with this one. I liked the overall premise - two kids just wanting to create a fun podcast for an assignment based on an unsolved mystery in their town and then it snowballs into something bigger.

I specifically liked the conversation they had in the middle of the book of "why are they telling us this stuff" and the response being that people had been holding onto secrets for too long. It made the podcast a little more believable and addressed why two teens might be able to solve a mystery that professionals had not.

Quick, fun, fast-paced read. Probably a great summer/beach read.

🎙🎧Book Review:
Title: Missing Clarissa
Author: Ripley Jones
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 3 stars

High school best friends, Cam and Blair, decide to start a true crime podcast for their journaling class, and the first case they choose is the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell.

Clarissa is a missing person from the same high school that the best friends attend. She disappeared over twenty years ago, and the case has gone cold. Clarissa was a popular cheerleader and yet surrounded by many secrets. What started out as a school project turns into the passion to find answers and justice for Clarissa.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book! It was a quick, easy read, and I loved the music that was incorporated into the podcast.

Published: March 7th, 2023

Thank you, @netgalley and @stmartinspress, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Overall, a fast paced read that kept me interested from start to finish but I did find it to be a bit predictable and the ending seemed super rushed.

In a small town where nothing ever happens a pretty blonde high school cheerleader disappears without a trace. 20 years later 2 junior girls in high school make a podcast about missing clarissa. This grabs you from the first page and keeps interested until the end. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and knife-sharp, Missing Clarissa is your next YA true crime favorite! Definitely for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two friends make it their mission to solve a decades old missing person’s case that’s turned into local urban legend through their journalism podcast assignment.

Heart-hammering chapters spliced with podcast interviews (mixed media writing is en vogue right now) will keep readers turning pages well into the night.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND the audiobook for the premium listening experience!

I feel like YA thrillers with a true crime podcast element are becoming increasingly more popular and trendy - thankfully, I think Missing Clarissa did this trend perfectly!

It took me a bit to get into - mostly because I felt like our two main characters were a bit off-putting and, dare I say, annoying? However, once the story really began to pick up, I was rather invested - particularly when our main characters were putting their own lives in danger and acting a bit foolishly for the sake of their project.

While I definitely was rolling my eyes at some of the choices they made, you can't deny that you get a fast-paced, book with several suspects and tense moments.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
For fans of true crime and stories told in podcast format, like Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Missing Clarissa needs to be added to your tbr.
Two best friends pick the story of an old cold case to examine for a school project for their journalism class. They throw themselves wholeheartedly into the mystery, not always skillfully or wisely but definitely with youthful enthusiasm.
This story gave you plenty of suspects, red herrings, and friendship feels. I loved the two friends they had different personalities but you could tell the long history between them, it wasn’t just told but shown. They frustrated me at times but they are also high schoolers so, on the whole, pretty accurate.

Twenty Years ago while attending a party in the woods, popular cheerleader Clarissa gets in an argument with her boyfriend, she storms off into the woods and is never seen again. The small town of Oreville Washington is devastated as her case goes cold.
Cam and Blair who are juniors in high school are taking a journalism class. When asked to pick a project they decide to create a true-crime pod cast, and the the case they choose is the infamous Clarissa. They begin by trying to interview the people who were closest to Clarissa, like her mom and boyfriend and friends. They begin to see Clarissa in a new light and realize she wasn’t that different than them. She loved art had dreams but she also had her own secrets. Did she just decide to start over and runaway? As their numbers of listeners begin to climb , it’s soon apparent that someone knows more than what they told police. The girls begin to receive threats and someone wants what happened to Clarissa to stay buried. I enjoyed this book, I don’t usually read YA but this book held my interest. I loved Cam and Blair!