A quick read… not bad, just has been done before… “The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.” copy basically.

If you loved the AGGGTM series by Holly Jackson I definitely recommend this book! I couldn’t put it down

Received a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

I selected to read this book as a lover of true crime-I know this category has gotten a lot of hype in the last few years. I haven’t gotten into podcasts yet, but the way Henry portrays the fictional, true crime narrative makes me want to listen to them.

I read in one sitting. I like that this step-mom/siblings are not painted as an evil villains like most stories try to do. The suspect is not someone I considered when trying to piece the story together myself.

I was very excited to read this book however, that excitement faded when I realized the writing was just subpar and really did not give me much emotion nor excitement. I felt as if the character development was very slow and I did not have an attachment to any of the characters. The mystery was bland and not well thought out. This book was extremely hard to get through.

April Henry always crafts a great mystery. I couldn't stop reading this one and finished it in one day. Piper Gray starts her senior year in a new town after moving in with her father. A senior passion project turns into a life changing experience for her and many of the people living in her small town. Who would have thought that her love of a murder podcast would inspire her to host one that will lead to many mysteries being solved.

This book was such a fun, quick read. With A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes, it’s what drew me into it and kept me reading. I always love a podcast in a book and this was no exception. I so enjoyed the podcast part sprinkled throughout the story along with the newspaper articles. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of how to actually do a podcast and everything that goes into making it. I enjoyed Piper’s character and loved her love for thrifting. I did guess who the killer was and you could tell it was a YA book at some parts, but it didn’t ruin the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this super quick, podcast YA thriller. With the super short chapters you’ll fly through it.

Piper Gray, working on a podcast investigating a cold-case, encounters push-back and threats along the way.

I generally enjoy everything April Henry writes. This book was good, but heavily reminiscent of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. If AGGGTM is too heavy for a young person you would love to recommend it to, this is a great alternative.

Unfortunately this book fell far short of my expectations. The idea of the story was good but the execution was not good. The chapter breaks were awkwardly placed and jarring for the connectivity of the story. The writing was simplistic like the author thought she had to dumb things down for a younger audience but it made the writing chunky and pieced together awkwardly. Overall, the twist was pretty obvious and I couldn't get over how dumbed down the writing and main character were.

I did not see that coming at all, the plot twist was definitely a twist. I loved the idea of a podcast telling the story of a murdered girl and it was definitely interesting. While I enjoyed the story of Piper and Layla, it was not my favorite April Henry book. But her Books definitely have the intrigue.

As a lover of true crime podcasts and YA books that incorporate them, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to read Girl Forgotten. While many a reader will go into this wondering how Henry has taken a specific genre that has become quite popular in recent years and made it her own, I’m happy to say that what Henry does that I haven’t seen in any of the other true-crime podcast books like Sadie and the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder trilogy, is that in Girl Forgotten Henry shows readers the behind the scenes work of setting up and creating a podcast. I found that I loved seeing Piper learn about how to make a podcast just as much as I did when it came to learning about who Layla had been and watching events unfold.

With short chapters and great character development in Piper and Jonas, this was a fast and engaging read. Along with the insight into creating a podcast, I found that I also enjoyed getting to read the podcast transcripts because they made the idea that a high schooler was the one behind the podcast all the more believable due to the language and way of speaking not coming off as being over the top or like they’d been written by an adult pretending to be a high schooler. I will say that while I did figure out who the murderer was before Piper, I thankfully didn’t figure it out too soon and was so involved in the story that I kept reading and was surprised as to the motive behind Layla’s murder since that was something I had not figured out.

If you’ve read and loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I can’t recommend this book enough.

This was a fantastic true crime style book, complete with its own riveting podcast and cold case mystery slowly being uncovered. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, particularly for how Henry delved into the ethics of this true crime boom. It brilliantly blends true crime, small town secrets and an unforgettable mystery that will keep you glued to the page.

The rest of my review came through as an interview with April, which I was incredibly lucky enough to conduct.

I think this book is a great spin on the YA Podcast Mystery subgenre. This book is on the shorter end and I think that it serves the story well. There is more sticking to the podcast plot than the greater world around it and the main character's choices do a lot to push the story forward. It doesn't have a lot of filler so the reveals pack a good punch. If you enjoyed AGGGTM or I Killed Zoe Spanos, you'll probably enjoy this one!

A fantastic mystery that will keep readers guessing until the big reveal, GIRL FORGOTTEN by April Henry is the story of 17 y/o Piper who starts a true-crime podcast exploring the death of a student a number of years ago. She’s visiting her mother’s grave when the grave of Layla Trello catches her eye. Around the same age as Piper is now, she can’t help wondering who Layla was, what happened to her, under what circumstances led her to die so young. ⁣
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This was an exciting book from start to finish and I was so wrapped up in the mystery of what happened to Layla. As you might imagine, it was tragedy that took Layla’s life, and Piper discovers heartbreaking secret after secret as she investigates both Layla’s short life and tragic death. Through the course of the investigation, Piper finds some similarities between her own life and Layla’s, and I loved how that spurred Piper on even more to figure it all out. ⁣
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Bottom line - an immersive page-turner that I couldn’t put down. The characters are all well-drawn and relatable, the mystery was well crafted, and the pacing was quick and exciting. Definitely pick this one up if you’re a fan of mysteries, thrillers, and amateur detective stories. Many thanks to TBR and Beyond Tours and @TheNovl for providing a digital arc for the tour!

When Piper Gray is forced to move in with her father, stepmother and step-siblings right before senior year of high school, she’s realistic enough to expect a lot of adjustments. She’d grown up poor in California after all, the daughter of a woman too proud to take what she saw as handouts from her ex. Even as Piper is getting used to her new family and home in Oregon – where her dad and his wife’s successful careers as lawyers provide them with an income far exceeding Piper’s own experience – she’s trying to figure out her new school, where all seniors are expected to complete a year-long passion project as part of getting ready for college.

Piper honestly isn’t even sure what she’s passionate about, until she remembers not only a podcast that she faithfully listens to but also a weird story she’d stumbled across while wandering around town not too long ago. Her interest in true crime had led her to do a little research on an odd grave marker she’d encountered shortly before the school year began. Piper soon learned that local teenager Layla Trello had been shot to death almost seventeen years earlier. The case remains unsolved. Perhaps, Piper thinks, if she starts a podcast on the subject, she might be able to shake loose people’s memories and unearth some clues as to what really happened all that time ago.

Of course, it would help if Piper had the slightest idea how to build a podcast. To begin, she turns to her own favorite show, taking notes on both it and the host’s style:

QUOTE
I listen to more <i>Dead, Deader, Deadest</i> but with completely different ears. It must be like how an architect looks at a building and sees the structure’s details. [...]

She always starts with the crime. That’s the hook. Then she moves back in time to talk about the victim. After that, she discusses various suspects. Toward the end, Kelley touches on some possibly related crimes as well as various theories about what happened. Along the way she interviews friends, enemies, and law enforcement. But she’s Kelley McBain, and I’m just me, a high school student. Who will even want to talk to me?
END QUOTE

Her teacher-advisor greenlights the project but recommends she consult with Jonas Shortridge, another senior who’s also producing a podcast, though his is about sports. Jonas is prickly, but knows that mentoring Piper will boost his own college transcripts, so guides her through the setup process willingly enough. As they work together, their defenses thaw, even if Jonas still has reservations about turning the death of a real person into what’s essentially voyeuristic entertainment.

Piper, of course, doesn’t see it that way, but she’s decidedly in the minority. In fairness, she does expect to get pushback from people who don’t want their own dirty laundry aired in her pursuit of the truth. But when Layla’s sister confronts her about what she’s doing, her determination falters:

QUOTE
I try to make my voice strong, but it comes out wispy. “Do you really think it’s better Layla is forgotten and her killer’s free?”

Aubrey draws herself up until she looms over me. “Oh like you’re going to solve it by rehashing years-old news stories. If the police couldn’t find the killer back then, some teenager is not going to solve it now. You’re just turning our family’s tragedy into a commodity.” She speaks through gritted teeth. “You’ve started it all up again. Ripped the scabs off. Turned scars back into bleeding wounds.”
END QUOTE

Despite the resistance, Piper finds support from unexpected corners. But when someone else dies, likely due to her unearthing buried secrets, will she be able to persevere, both mentally and emotionally? And what will she do when it looks like someone wants to silence her for good?

This was a solid Young Adult mystery that will likely serve as a great entry point for readers looking to explore the thriller genre. Piper’s journey not only through solving the case but also through navigating her own personal pain and turmoil are handled with intelligence and empathy. The mechanics of creating a podcast are also demystified for those of us readers unfamiliar with the process, as the ethics of true crime as entertainment are sensitively considered. This is a fast read that packs a lot into its pages, and is a perfect gateway book for readers starting their journey in contemporary mysteries and thrillers.

If you are looking for a new crime podcast mystery, then look no further than this amazing new release from April Henry!

For those who may not know, April Henry is one of my favourite mystery writers, and I think I own almost all of her work 🙈 so when I saw the launch for this book tour, I knew that I had to jump at the opportunity! Also, being an avid true crime podcast listener, this book was just calling my name 🎧

Piper Gras is new to town after her mom is no longer in the picture, so when she finds herself wandering the graveyard for some peace, she stumbles upon the grave of a teen named Layla Trello. Lo and behold, this is a cold case, and the girl had attended the school that Piper was starting at.

Flash forward to the announcement that all seniors need to pick a Senior Project, and what could be more perfect than starting a crime podcast with the hopes of solving the town’s cold case? Sure, it might not end well, but when Piper is inspired by HER favourite crime podcast, she wants to try her hand at it.

Now, we also have Jonas, who is unwilling to help due to secrets that this could drag up (both the town’s and his own), but Piper will do anything to learn more.

This was full of twists and turns, with the different suspects all pointing fingers at one another. Heck, even when there was VIDEO EVIDENCE, and I thought I knew who the killer would be, I was totally off, and it was not who I was expecting 😱

Overall this was such a fun, and quick read and perfect for all you “armchair detectives,” as Piper so lovingly puts it. Without giving away too much, this is one that you will definitely want to add to your TBR 😉

Piper has recently moved in with her father, his wife, and two young kids. She’s not sure how this new life is going to be like living in a new town and a new family dynamic. When she’s out for a walk Piper bumps into a gravestone, literally, and uncovers the unsolved murder of seventeen year old Layla.

Piper uses her school project to create a podcast and bring life back to the unsolved murder case but as she uncovers each clue she starts to wonder whether the killer was actually a stranger or someone much closer to Layla than everyone thought.

Oh man! This was a wild ride. I enjoy YA thrillers and this one definitely put me in the mood for more! This is my third or fourth April Henry YA thriller and they’ve become some of my favorites. They keep you wanting to follow the clues all the way to the end, without stopping, and the endings will surprise you.

April Henry has written this book at the exact right time! Podcast + Murder = YA thriller that keeps you reading! Piper moves to a new town and decides to look deeper into a murder she discovered after walking through the cemetery. The first part of this book had me a bit frustrated because the plot falls victim to several YA pitfalls that personally drive me nuts. Where are the parents? This stuff is way more dangerous than a teenager should be dealing with? Where are the police or the other professionals? BUT! The main character has to face all of these in the second half of the book, which by principle alone brings me joy. And then the actual story is well done and the characters are relatable. There is a bit in the middle where the pacing is a bit slow, but overall this is a really nice read that will suck you in!
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

One of the things I really loved about this book was how it jumped straight into the action. We encounter Layla’s grave within the first chapter, and as soon as Piper finds out about the school passion project objective, she knows what she’s going to focus on. There’s no hesitation on her behalf, and while she hints at her motivations, we don’t get the full picture of her until a large way into the book. In some ways, she is a classic unreliable narrator, with a twist.

While the family she has been forced to fit into feel strange and unusual to her, they again make great background characters. Piper is largely left to her own devices, all while adapting to new rules and settings. These classic character isolation techniques mean we have a teen who can dive into the deep end with her investigation without anything holding her back, and as a reader, this works wonderfully.

Piper and Jonas develop a firm friendship – with some bumps along the way – while he teaches her the essentials of podcasting. She, in turn, teaches him about thrifting, and as someone with an interest in both these things, this exchange was great to watch. Their kindness and growing fondness for each other was really pleasing to read.

The chapters are very short, and each is dated, giving you a clear idea of how the book is progressing, which works perfectly with the approaching anniversary of Layla’s death. I nearly typed ‘Piper’ then by mistake, but maybe that’s the book talking for me, because Piper has very much set her sights on the killer… and the killer and set their sights on her.

Overall, this was a fun, easy read that could be read in one sitting if you chose to. The characters are fiercely individual and all carrying baggage that they need to learn to handle, keeping them more defined to the reader. There’s a lot to enjoy about this book as a lover of mysteries and thrillers.

I listen to podcasts so I like them being added in books. Especially when I’m listening to the audiobook – then it’s like a double feature or something 😄. I enjoy them (podcasts being added in) because they introduce another way to approach the plot, maybe introduce a character or two (though they’re more likely to be side or supporting than main character). Plus they’re also a part of the mixed media format and I do love that. I’m glad that I”m getting more into the mystery and thriller genres because they usually tend to have the mixed media format in it.

I had notes all over my Kindle because, as usual, I was making up theories and trying to figure out the mystery before Piper did. I did not figure out the entire mystery, which is interesting because usually I do so it’s good of a book to do that! I can’t figure out if I like it when I figure out the mystery before it’s revealed to us or if the mystery catches me off guard. I think I’m very much 50-50 on this and also I think it depends on the writing and if the plot twist still manages to wow me even if know I’ve guessed it.

I was pleased with the fast pace – I think that’s why I had such an easy time racing through this. I didn’t have to struggle with a slow pace, which meant I wasn’t bored either. Which is exactly what you want with a mystery/thriller book – you want the pacing to be fast or at least medium to keep you interested all the way through.

I liked Piper right from the start. It didn’t take me long to like her tenacity and drive to help. To solve this mystery of this high school girl that while people remembered her; no one wanted to solve her case. To look beyond what clues were already presented and what was really the true. What started out as a school project (the true crime podcast) turned into something much more as she discovered more of the mystery and herself too.

I know we get a glimpse of what she does after she solves the mystery but my hope is that she tackles another unsolved case somewhere in her future. Or that whatever she pursues will be because she’s passionate about it.

I will admit, it took a me a bit to like Jonas. I think it’s because I immediately liked Piper so when he was a bit cold to her at first I was cold to him 😄. But as he started being nicer to Piper then I started to like him more. Like I said, I cared a lot about it so I was defensive about her 😂.

An exciting young adult thriller that will appeal to fans of true crime podcasts!

"Girl Forgotten" by author April Henry is a fascinating young adult thriller that had me glued to its pages from the very start. The main characters have compelling backstories, and in their current lives, they are still overcoming their pasts which makes for an absolutely riveting read.

Piper Gray is new in town, now living with her biological father and his wife and children, after growing up with just her mother, a single mom who always had to work hard to make ends meet. The discovery of the senior passion project catches her off guard; she just wants to coast through this last year of high school and be on her way, free to escape the uncomfortable living situation with her father’s new family. Her father and his family are not unkind or horrible people; it’s just that Piper doesn’t really know them and feels like an outsider intruding into their established and settled lives and routines. Her grief over her mother is palpable, and I was dumbfounded when it was finally revealed what had happened to her. But throughout, Piper remains focused on uncovering Layla’s story and unmasking a murderer. Of course, she is excited and pleased by her podcast’s success, but I felt she wanted justice for Layla rather than simply using her tragedy for self-promotion.

The book is told partly in narrative and partly as transcripts of the finished podcast episodes, which really capture the essence of the events. The little details of creating a podcast and producing quality weekly content (and on a shoestring) were fascinating. The story contains some great twists that, when revealed, literally made me exclaim out loud! I think the final reveal of the killer will be a surprise to most readers, but there are clues along the way to their identity and motive. This ultimately makes for a very tense showdown and, eventually, a very satisfying ending.

I recommend GIRL FORGOTTEN to readers who enjoy young adult thrillers, true-crime podcasts, and stories set in the Pacific Northwest.