This is the story of a Puerto Rican family living in Staten Island, whose lives have been affected by their sister Ruthy's disappearance. This book is a general fiction read with a mystery embedded within it. If you think you are reading a solid mystery you are not. This is more about how all the characters developed throughout, and after, Ruthy goes missing. Yes, they are still trying to figure out what happened , but that is not the heart of the story. The Ramirez girls are the heart.

I absolutely loved the messiness of the Ramirez sisters as they navigated what it is like to be female, both in middle school and now as young women. And especially looking at how they develop in relation to other females, even though men have clearly impacted who they are, that's not really the story here. The book is told from alternating perspectives between the sisters and the mother. And similar to the girl's experiences in school it is interesting to read the mothers perspective, especially as she navigates her experience with the church and God.

This book brought me heartache and tears, as well as laughter at some of the ridiculousness, but I think it's a very important read with a lot of great discussion points. I hope readers aren't put off by the profanity throughout because I think this book has so much to say. It reminds me of similar complaints about The Hate U Give. I think it's a worthwhile question, are we judging the language or the actual characters and community.? I believe judgement was a theme throughout this book and that alone makes for a great discussion.

Wow. What an incredible debut. Claire Jimenez is on my radar now. This is a heartbreaking yet often humorous story. The scenes set in middle school were particularly well done (have taught MS for over 20 years). How teachers and classmates were portrayed was excellent. The heartbreak of MS friendships was developed nicely as well.

A 13 year old vanishes, and her family is left to wonder what happened. Then, years later, it looks like she is alive and on a reality show. This plot was intriguing, and the characters were very engaging. Truly, I could picture each person, their settings/scenes and dialogue were all so well written.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Format: eBook ARC on Kindle

I am overwhelmed by the sense of homesickness as I finish this book. I expected to see myself in one member of the family yet I found myself in pieces of all of them.

The author's ability to weave in laughter in a book where you're not sure if this will ever have a happy ending, while also digging into the depths of grief experienced by the women in this family. It's masterful weaving of the weight family dynamics have.

Despite the laughs, this is not a light read but the pacing of the book is well done and the multiple POVs blend well into each other while maintaining a cohesive story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Claire, and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity.

This is such a great debut. Amazing character voices that take you on an extremely satisfying emotional rollercoaster. I love a book that can make me laugh and cry in a single chapter, and this one definitely does. I really enjoyed it.

From page one, I was completely engrossed in the novel, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez' by Claire Jimenez. The novel follows the story of a Puerto Rican family from after their teenage daughter goes missing to the moment when they believe they spot her on a reality television show and what they decide to do as a result (no spoilers!). The narrator varies between chapters such that they are told by the (missing) Ruthy, her sisters Jessica or Nina, and her mother Dolores, and they jump in time tracing the events from the days leading up to Ruthy's disappearance to the present. This book made me laugh out loud at points, both at some of the witty dialogues and interactions between characters ("She'd shake her head no with each syllable, as if she were the one and only gatekeeper of good judgement") but also some of the juxtapositions that the characters find themselves in (e.g. the entirety of Jessica visiting church with her mom Dolores, as well as a chapter that opens with a hilarious prayer from Dolores that is concurrently a subtle critique on performative Catholicism). However, I would be hesitant to call What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez a humorous or lighthearted novel. The novel depicts a deeply grieving family, one that has never recovered and maybe has never accepted or come to terms with the gravity of their missing love one, and their deep-seated grief is evident in many of the memories they share and in their musings. Along with the clever quips, the book was also glimmering with wisdoms ("When people think you're nobody they'll say all sorts of stupid shit in front of you as if you aren't there.") and social observations ("The way that white folks talk about the disasters that happen to Black and Brown people for entertainment and applause"). Part of what I think made this novel so enjoyable is that mixed in with the storyline was a thoughtful social commentary on race, American culture (esp. the seedier sides) trauma, identity, and memory. As I am sure is clear, I do not have enough good things to say -- I could go on and on. Already pre-ordered and looking forward to reading through a second time. Looking forward to more from Claire Jimenez.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great debut! The ending breaks your heart.

<b>Trigger warning: Not described in detail but discussion of rape and molestation. </b>

Full review: Wow. I just don't even know what to say. I have never read anything by Claire Jimenez before, but definitely want to seek her out in the future. This book was heartbreaking. Following three of the Ramirez women (Dolores, the mother, Jessica, the oldest sister, and then Nina, the younger sister) they have been left to pick up the pieces after middle sister, Ruthy Ramirez disappeared when she was 13 years old. Taking place in 2008, the book follows the Dolores, Jessica, and Nina after Jessica sees a woman in a reality competition who she claims has to be her long lost sister, Ruthy. Now going by Ruby, Jessica is determined to find her and bring her back.

Yeah so that's a lot right? I mean at first I was like, um what is going on. But the book lures you in and you feel nothing but sympathy for everyone involved. I honestly liked Dolores and Jessica the most (and I still liked Nina) but those two right there really become the primary focus of the book. We also get points of view following Ruthy (told in the first person) on the day she disappeared.

Dolores I really enjoyed reading. She's old school, like my mom was. Also like my mom, I wasn't allowed to go to sleep overs. She was constantly thinking about keeping me safe. But sometimes the way she went about it, does mess you up. Dolores blames herself for Ruthy being gone, but she's telling herself she has kept her other two daughters safe.

Jessica feels caught I think. She's great at her job and I think wonders if she should want something else. A recent new mother she's scrambling to deal with that and with the guilt she feels about keeping a secret that could have something to do with Ruthy's disappearance.

I thought Nina read as oblivious as anything. I really don't know what was happening with her til we get to a turning point in her story as well. Ruthy's disappearance and then her father's death and her mother's reaction to all definitely affected her.

The writing was really good and so was the flow. Though the book bounces between all four women, it works.

The setting of New York in 2008, ah the memories.


The ending is a gut punch. You do find out what happened to Ruthy. It sat with me a long time after I finished.

This novel was headed in the right direction but completely disappointed me with where it went. I was sitting there rooting for Ruthy’s family to finally find her and then was let down. However, I did appreciate the plot twist. The book was a good read but I feel like it could have used even more details about what happened to Ruthy instead of being so focused on her family’s plight to find her.

3.5 stars

This is a compelling debut from Jimenez, whose future work I'm already excited to read.

The titular Ruthy Ramirez went missing in the distant past, so it's shocking when she maybe appears on a reality show. Her sisters, mother, and readers wonder if this is really her or if her appearance is more a manifestation of desire than reality. Structurally, readers journey between each sister's perspective, the mother's perspective, and even Ruthy's perspective as we all hope to get closer to the truth about, well, 'What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez.'

I was instantly engaged based on the first couple of chapters. The fast pacing and the intriguing characters immerse readers in not only Ruthy's story but in how each of her family members has been impacted by those events (and how their own lives are unfolding in general). I did feel the pacing slow a bit after the initial jumpstart. For me, one of the sisters is far more interesting than the others, and I wondered if one less sister or a bit more focus on the central notes about Ruthy might have kept me more engaged all the way through. That noted, I did enjoy this read overall.

When I recommend this to folks, I'll likely give them more of a primer on the structure. For some, this will be the standout feature of the novel. For others, it might be a bit off-putting along with the slight misdirection from the title. Either way, I know I'll be back more from this author whose perspective is fresh and gripping.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I Liked It. The story was much more about the family of Ruthy who disappeared and that was a pleasant surprise, the sisters were great. Still a good bit of mystery, humor and some reality TV too

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is the story of a Puerto Rican family living in Staten Island, NY. I liked Claire Jimenez's easy-to-read writing style and that the story was told in muliple voices - mother Dolores and daughters Jessica, Nina, and even the missing Ruthy. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and unfortunately this story did not have one; I felt like the last chapter was rushed and depressing. All in all, though, I would like to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

{Bleeeep}

I lost track of the number of times that the word f*ck ( or a derivative of it) was used. If you find bad language or references to bodily fluids or functions funny, than you might enjoy this book more than I did.

OUTLIER 🚨 ALERT!

In 1996, Ruthy Ramirez, a thirteen year old girl with long red hair, and a beauty mark beneath her left eye, failed to come home after track practice one day.

There were no clues in the diary she left.

Years later, her now grown up sisters, Nina and Jessica, think that they spot her as a contestant called Ruby, on a raunchy, reality TV show called “Catfight”. (For some reason when I read the initial blurb, I thought they spotted her on “The Bachelor”- now that would have been funny!!)

They reach out to her on the show’s website but when they get no response-they decide to take a road trip along with their mom, Dolores and her friend, Irene, to the condo where the show is filming-so they can bring Ruthy/Ruby home.

This was described as hilarious and that is what I was expecting when I picked this up. I loved the premise!!

Unfortunately, the “humor” just didn’t resonate with me.

READ it if other reviews intrigue you.
SKIP it if my first paragraph convinced you that it isn’t a fit for you, either.

Expected Publication Date: March 7, 2023.

Thank You to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Engaging plot with complex characters. I enjoyed the different voices which added perspective to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC.

4.5

Ruthy Ramirez disappeared when she was 13. Over a decade later, her sisters see someone who looks just like her on a trashy reality TV show. Could it really be Ruthy? They decide to find out.

The story is told by Ruthy's sisters, Jessica and Nina; 13-year-old Ruthy, before she vanished; and their mother, Dolores. For being a story about a missing child, it is unexpectedly funny, especially Dolores's chapters, in which she's speaking to God. It was a little sad, but still a delight, and I look forward to more from Claire Jimenez.

CW: childhood sexual abuse (off page, some probably from family), child abuse, death of a parent, sexual assault, abduction, murder, physical violence.

4.5 rounded up. I loved this book and inhaled 75% of it in my second sitting. In only a bit more than 200 pages, Claire Jimenez sets up a whole world of this family and their lives. The voices and sense of place are so strong, and Jimenez clearly establishes who these women are and what their dynamics are. Around their relationships, you get a full sense of cultural, religious, economic, and generational influences, and the ways the disappearance of Ruthy has affected them over the years while they have also had to continue with their lives in their own ways. Underneath all of the humor - the dialogue and everyday observations are so funny - is sadness, quieter and longheld and coming out in different ways. The only drawback was that I felt that the ending was too abrupt, even though I hadn't expected a happy ending and it still hit me hard.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC of What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez.
While I was hoping that this book would be a true crime road trip, I was surprised that most of the book happens before they ever start looking for Ruthy. It wasn't what I was expecting but it did keep me engaged and desperate to know what happened to Ruthy Ramirez.

I read this book in one sitting! I could NOT put it down! WOW! What an incredible journey this book takes you on. Grief, laughter, anger, and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book.

A story of family secrets, young girls of color struggles through friendship challenges, hope, and loss. One finds this novel a mix of ups and downs and possibly one own family in one or more characters. Will Ruthy be found? That was the foundational hope, but instead other important things within this culturally proud family.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez
by Claire Jiminez
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
Grand Central Publishing
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!
A deeply powerful, raw debut novel that's "equal measures hilarious and haunting" (Crystal Hana Kim), of a Puerto Rican family in Staten Island who discovers their long‑missing sister is potentially alive and cast on a reality TV show, and they set out to bring her home.
I am such a sucker for sisterhood. I loved the back and forth telling between the sisters, their mom and even Ruthy.
This story is an honest tale of love and grief, Puerto Rican generational womanhood and hope. Fans of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid would like this book.
4 stars

4.5 stars rounded up.

If you love books about family dynamics (and not just the pretty parts) then this is a story for you!

I like that the story was told from different points of view: Ruthy, who went missing when she was thirteen, her sisters, Jess and Nina, and their mother, Dolores.

It gives you extra insight into everyone's individual perspective and makes the telling of their family story more powerful.

While I wouldn't say it's an uplifting book, neither would I declare it to be too depressing.

I was invested in Ruthy's family's search for her and enjoyed the dialogue between them as they dealt with love, generational trauma, struggles with religion, and childhood challenges.

Thank you to #Netgalley for this ARC of #WhatHappenedToRuthyRamirez

I recently came across this title but I'm so glad I did because it was everything I needed at the time that I read it. I enjoyed this one and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it! It was a deep read about family and different struggles. I think most people will enjoy it as well once they dig into this read. I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!