Fun fast read follow up to the first book. It was very easy to slip into the world and writing style of the author. While you don't necessarily have to have read the 1st book, it fleshed out your overall experience if you do read the first one. Looking forward to the next book by the author.

#NETGALLEY #RIPLEYJONES #THEOTHERLOLA

The Other Lola brings us back to Cam and Blair from the author's "Missing Clarissa". After what happened with the podcast and the trouble they found themselves in, the girls decided they needed to stay away from that kind of stuff in the future. But when a girl comes to them and says that her sister Lola disappeared five years ago and suddenly returned, they're intrigued. Even more so when the girl says she doesn't believe it's really her sister. Nobody believes her, but she wants Cam and Blair to help her find the truth.

All the original players are back - the teachers, Cam, Blair, Irene, Sophie... It was a great sequel. It could also be used as a stand-alone story. Just know that it will ruin the first book. However, the plot of this one is fully separate, as Missing Clarissa fully wrapped itself up.

I'd recommend this for anyone who enjoyed the first book in the series. I'd be willing to read another one, but I'm not sure if there's really a way to make it work.

The last thing that Cam Munoz and Blair Johnson expected was for their investigative podcast into the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell to not only put them in mortal danger, but also to earn them the sometimes irrational ire of numerous people, many of them anonymous online trolls. Now that the case is closed and their notoriety has mostly died down, the high school seniors are focusing on their futures. Brilliant, eccentric Cam fully intends to study physics at MIT, joining her girlfriend on the East Coast. Blair’s goals, however, are hazier. She’s always been the good, perfectly average girl her parents have long expected her to be, but she chafes at their assumption that it was Cam who dragged her out of her comfort zone and into trouble in the first place:

QUOTE
[S]omething stings about her family’s willingness to attribute everything the podcast accomplished to someone else.

Because, though the podcast was Cam’s idea, Cam could never have pulled it off without Blair. Blair’s the one who got Clarissa’s family and friends to talk. Blair’s the one who steered the madcap engine of Cam’s brain. Blair’s the one who figured out what was really going on with Clarissa and her teacher, and Blair’s the one who came to the rescue when Cam got herself imprisoned in a basement and almost murdered.

She doesn’t want her parents to hate her. She doesn’t want anyone to hate her. But she sure would like some credit.
END QUOTE

When young Mattie Brosillard approaches the duo with another potential investigation, Cam has zero interest in accepting. Cam is still pretty traumatized from what happened last time, but Blair is both intrigued by Mattie’s plea and tired of being seen as the sidekick. Besides, all Mattie wants them to do, at least initially, is attend a party.

Five years ago, Mattie’s older sister Lola disappeared. Their mother Ruth insisted that troubled young Lola had just run away again, but Mattie knew that Lola would never just leave without saying goodbye to them. Now, someone claiming to be Lola has reappeared in the Brosillard’s lives. The new Lola says that she spent the last five years kidnapped and constantly moved from place to place, and that her memories otherwise are hazy. Ruth is thrilled to welcome her prodigal daughter home, but Mattie is convinced that this other Lola is a fake, and wants Cam and Blair to help them prove it.

With varying degrees of reluctance, Cam and Blair agree to attend Lola’s homecoming party. Despite their misgivings – as Lola seems to genuinely be who she claims – the high schoolers can’t help but be drawn to Mattie’s genuine need for emotional support. The more they investigate though, the more unsettling truths they learn about the Brosillard family, and about the new Lola, who is certainly not as innocent as she seems:

QUOTE
It’s easy enough to come back. To walk into this house and see where the old Lola failed. Where her edges didn’t fit. To smooth herself into a shape that slots into the void the old Lola left, and then remake it. A gentler, more pliable version of the girl who left for good all those years ago. A light, gentle Lola whose mother will want to keep her, not hide her away in shame.

The new Lola has valuable skills. She can feign softness, hiding what’s hard beneath. She can smile sweetly. She can ask for nothing in a way that makes other people want to give, and give, and give.

It’s easier than you think to be a girl everyone wants to love.

All you have to do is lie.
END QUOTE

Meditating on the themes of self-invention and the strength of chosen family, The Other Lola is both thoughtful and surprisingly fast-paced, as the secrets our characters are keeping from one another emerge with devastating effect into the light of day. It’s hard not to sympathize with both Mattie and the new Lola, even as they’re seemingly at odds. Similarly, Cam and Blair each have their own angle on this investigation that neither fully wants to share with anyone at all, much less with each other. The ways in which these relationships dovetail present a striking, nuanced vision of the many different ways in which modern young American women and non-binary people have to adapt in order to survive.

All of this is wrapped up in a healthy dose of social consciousness, with witty banter to help leaven the occasionally somber mood. While slighter than its predecessor, the excellent <a href=”https://www.criminalelement.com/book-review-missing-clarissa-by-ripley-jones/”>Missing Clarissa</a>, this is still a terrific Young Adult mystery novel that isn’t afraid to tackle the real challenges facing young people of good conscience today.

{3.5 stars}

Cam and Blair are back and after their last mystery, they have sworn of podcasting. They are enjoying their senior year and planning for their futures. Their investigation healed some serious wounds in the town. But Clarissa isn't the only girl to have gone missing and an underclassman wants them to investigate the disappearance and subsequent return of Lola. Mattie is non-binary, so there's some new pronouns to get used to, and is suspicious of their miraculously returned sister. Lola is different but no one seems willing to say it or find out where she was. Mattie can't rest and eventually drags Cam and Blair into it and ultimately danger once again.

I missed the podcasting aspect in this one. Here we get letters as a device to provide us information that isn't readily available in the dialog. I like the different mediums but much preferred the podcasting style. I enjoyed seeing some of the characters from the last one have evolved into new roles in this story. The mystery itself didn't compel me as much and the reveal was a little underwhelming. I would still read another story with these two though.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I enjoyed meeting Blair and Cam in the previous book and looked forward to a sequel. We see the characters about a year later, dealing with the fall out of their fame after the case, as well as some PTSD and trauma. Cam wants to move forward with her life, go to college, and reunite with her girlfriend. Blair is trying to capitalize on the success to help her with a future career.

I thought this was a bit slow moving and didn't have as many twists and revelations as the first installment. Cam has become a Sophie clone and constantly goes off about social justice, racism, capitalism, and anything else she thinks is unfair and it got old. I get putting a bit of awareness in this, but how many causes do you need to go on about, especially when it doesn't relate to the plot?

The ending did surprise me, but I wasn't the biggest fan of how some of it played out. I did think it wrapped up fairly well though and showed where the characters were heading.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the copy.

In this book, the two girl's roles are reversed from the previous book. Cam is the cautious reluctant one, and Blair is the headstrong one who rushes in without thinking. The supporting characters involved in the mystery are much less cliched and predictable and much more interesting than in the previous book. The resolution of the story is much more satisfying as well. Even though the initial premise of the story might not seem like it makes sense, in the end, it all does.

However, at the heart of this book and what makes it so special are the great relationships between the characters. Not only is there the deep bond of a true and caring friendship between Cam and Blair but there are sweet relationships between each of the girls and Cam's mother too as well as the touching relationship that develops between the girls and Mattie, and more.

Thank you Netgalley & St Martin's Press for an eARC of The Other Lola by Ripley Jones. I was excited to see a follow-up to Missing Clarissa, following teen podcasters Blair & Cam. This one is definitely a YA novel but with serious themes throughout. Loved the LGBTQA+ and non-binary representation in this one - It's well done by Jones!

Cam & Blair are still reeling from the fallout of their podcast re: Missing Clarissa when Mattie approaches them, begging for help. Her sister Lola disappeared mysteriously 5 years ago and is now back - But Mattie is convinced that this Lola, is not her sister.

Great narration on this one if you go with the audiobook, easy to binge!

The Other Lola is a follow-up to the 2023-release, Missing Clarissa. These are YA-Mystery stories following two main characters: Blair and Cam. In Missing Clarissa, Cam and Blair investigate the disappearance of popular cheerleader, Clarissa Campbell, who went missing from their small town of Oreville, Washington, 20-years before. It starts as a project for their high school Journalism class and ends up being a viral podcast, as well as a life-endangering pursuit of amateur sleuthing.

At the end of the Clarissa case, Cam and Blair had sudden fame, but with it, a lot of unwanted attention. They vowed to never do it again; to stick their noses in where they don't belong, to make a podcast, none of it. Then they meet Mattie, a Freshman at their high school. Mattie shows up on the literal doorstep, begging for the girls' help with an unsettling family situation.

Mattie's sister, Lola, disappeared mysteriously five years ago. The thing is, Lola has returned. She's not talking about where she has been all these years, and Mattie is convinced she's an imposter, but no one else believes Mattie; not her mother, not her brother, Luke, no one. Blair and Cam, Blair in particular, are moved by Mattie's story. They seem so passionate about it. It couldn't hurt to help them out, could it? Look into it a little...

Before they know it, the two are neck deep in another dangerous investigation, but with secrets between them, how will they ever be able to get to the bottom of someone else's twisted family drama?

I was intrigued by this initially, and did enjoy following Cam and Blair during the investigation. For me, it wasn't quite as compelling as the first book, but yeah, still a solid story. The audiobook has great narration and I would recommend that format. I was able to fly through this story and I did find that the narrator helped to keep me engaged, even when I was rolling my eyes a little bit.

I felt like, and I could be misremembering, but for me, personal issues for Blair and Cam took much more of a front seat in this one than the first book. In a way, this almost felt like a straight YA Contemporary story, with a slight mystery happening in the background. By this I mean, the mystery almost took a back seat to Cam and Blair's interpersonal dramas. With this being said though, I do really enjoy both Cam and Blair as characters and I love their friendship.

So, it's not like I was disappointed with those aspects of the story, it just seemed more difficult to get as invested in the mystery surrounding Lola because of it.

Additionally, there were things at the end that I found unsatisfying; that just didn't make sense. I am mainly referring to the events following the big reveal, so sadly, I can't comment more without giving the ending away. Overall though, I still enjoyed Cam and Blair, their friendship and the idea of two smart high school girls taking on the world and solving mysteries. That's a fun concept, which is fairly well executed within these stories.

There are hints that there could be more with these characters in the future. I would be interested in picking up future books, if that turns out to be the case. Thank you to the publisher, Wednesday Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

The outcome of this book was not one that I expected but this is Ripley Jones style for sure. We got Cam and Blair back and the last book was one that left me on the edge of my seat, I was so fortunate to get this book not knowing I was going to be around them again, and again these girls were AWESOME! This time the mystery is a little different, we have Mattie who claims that the sister who is living with them is not her sister Lola, but an imposter. I was questioning how this was going to go and even Cam and Blair thought the same, how can that be? She is Lola just more girly and frillier, allegedly Lola was never that way.

Lola goes missing 5 years ago as a teen and recently comes back like nothing happened and this is not sitting right with Mattie. They are not having it and even though everyone around her ignores this Blair was having second thoughts, maybe Mattie is telling the truth. While the girls are going through their own things, like navigating the fact that they are about to graduate high school, off to college and careers, also relationships, and what they went through when they helped solve the case of Clarissa, they are getting into a dark world trying to solve this situation with Mattie. And I won’t lie this story gets a little dark, secrets get revealed about Lola, is the other Lola the real one? What happened!!!!!! This book was not my fave but I love Cam and Blair!!!!!

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

THE OTHER LOLA by Ripley Jones (★3.5)

Following the success of solving what happened to Clarissa Campbell, a girl who went missing in 1999, teens Cameron Muñoz and Blair Johnson are dealt the harsher negative side to true crime fame. From death threats to lawsuits, the two and their families and friends have been swimming against the current in the wake of their explosive discovery. They’ve sworn off detective work.

Until…a freshman at their high school shows up out of the blue to ask for their help. Five years ago, Mattie Brosillard’s older sister Lola mysteriously disappeared. Largely presumed to simply be Lola running away again, not much effort was spent looking for her. But, even more mysteriously, Lola has suddenly returned home with a story of having been kidnapped. While their mother and Lola’s twin brother accept this, Mattie is positive the girl isn’t actually Lola but rather an imposter. Hoping to reveal the fraud and figure out the fate of their sister, Mattie begs Cam and Blair to help them.

One thing that I really liked about this sequel was that Jones didn’t do the typical thing of only allowing a few months to have passed — it’s their next school year and the two are gearing up to enter the next stage in their lives: college, moving, and career paths ahead. You can feel these two at the edge of childhood.

Another element I really liked was the fact that there is a tremendous amount of self-awareness within the narrative, and exhibited by Cam and Blair, regarding audiences’ obsession with missing white girls. The two scratched at this in the previous book, but it’s more of a direct tackle here without overwhelming this story and this strange case. The only thing that really didn’t land for me was an overall lack of tension and detective work, but I think this was a conscious decision for the main characters, reflecting a realistic approach to the aftermath of their first case.

Jones again delivers a fast-paced YA thriller with an easy but intelligent narrative. In Missing Clarissa, Jones utilized a helicoptering POV, zooming in and around many of the people the detective duo met along the way. For The Other Lola, aside from a few breaks, we largely stick with Cam and Blair. This shift feels right, especially going forward into a potential third book. With hints of a young Kinsey Millhone in both Cam and Blair, and a dash of the retooling vibe the 80s and 90s gave to Nancy Drew, I’m excited to see where Jones takes these two in the future.

The Other Lola by Ripley Jones
Release Date: March 12th
Thank you to

This book caught my eye for a few reasons: I like the idea of teen sleuths (I grew up reading Nancy Drew…and no, I’m not that old! I read my mom’s old copies), loved the premise of a doppelgänger potentially taking someone’s place, and the cover was eye catching.

Lola had been missing for five years. No trace of her has ever been found, and everyone has given up the search. Not that a ton of people were searching, but still. Until one day, Lola just returns. Her vague explanations appease everyone but her little sister, Mattie, who is convinced that Lola is an imposter. With no one to turn to, she reaches out to Cam and Blair, two high school seniors who recently solved another missing girl case. With little evidence and only Mattie’s determined hunch to go on, the trio set out to find out what happened to Lola and if she really is who she says she is.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a ton. I wish I had read the first in the series, Missing Clarissa, first as this book does reference it a lot. But that didn’t deter from my enjoyment too much. I liked the main characters of Cam and Blair a lot, though I did gravitate more towards Cam if I’m being honest. It’s a slow burn this one, but that ending, it was a surprise and really kicked up towards the end. For anyone a fan of a good teen mystery, I’d recommend this one!

#TheOtherLola:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio @wednesdaybooks partner for my gifted copy!⁣
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I finished my audiobook on my walk today, so might as well take a picture to document it.⁣
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The Other Lola can be read as a standalone, but honestly, Missing Clarissa was so good, why wouldn’t you want to read it? Blair & Cam are off on another Nancy Drew mystery. This time, Mattie is convinced their sister is not who she says she is. Lola goes missing for 5ish years then just comes back up. Mattie can’t afford DNA testing, (plus mom is a little more into appearances and isn’t going to ruin this moment) so they enlist the help of B+C to get this imposter and find where the real Lola is.⁣
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Inés del Castillo is one of the best in audio, so yes, audio was fantastic. I was able to finish in about two days just listening while exercising or doing chores. Lines were delivered perfectly and really had me laughing with Irene.⁣
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I was really wondering where we were going to go. I felt like the journey to get there was a while, but the end was very abrupt, if that makes sense. I don’t feel like the dots were connected in a way that flowed. ⁣
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Overall, a bingeable read, but not as gripping as the first. Regardless, whatever these two decide to do, I’m gonna be there listening and reading.⁣
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Out tomorrow 3/12! ⁣
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QOTD: What do you do to relax/unwind?

This time Blair and Cam get involved in a story that isn’t about a missing girl but about one who came back… Or did she? Maddie was close to her sister Lola who went missing five years before and now that she’s back everyone is excited except for Maddie who thinks this isn’t their sister after all. Luckily Maddie goes to the same school as Cam and Blair and tracks and follows Cam back to her home when Cam confronts them at first cam isn’t interested in helping anyone especially after what happened the year before with Clarissa and her story but something Maddie says intrigues her enough to at least tell Blair about it. She wasn’t prepared for Blair‘s instant obsession and excitement over another mystery and before she knows it Cam has agreed to at least go to one party they were invited to at Maddys home. Before the girls know it they’re all in between an ex-boyfriend who looks like a Boy Scout dysfunctional family and a girl who is not who she’s claiming to be they have a lot to unpack not to mention while all this is going on poor Cam is worried about where she fits in her relationship with Sophia we also get to see Jennifer again there’s just way too much more in the story and it is a really good story this is the second book in Oreville with Blair and Cam two characters I really enjoy I also love how it ended with Maddie because I’m not gonna lie I really felt bad for Irene having her one child go off to college and she would be left all alone not to mention everything that happened with Brad because OMG who doesn’t love Brad! This really was a great story in the more I right in this review the more I remember how much I loved it I want to thank Wednesday books and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A year after Blair and Cam cracked the missing Clarissa case, and narrowly escaped being murdered, the two have sworn of sleuthing for good. That is, until Mattie shows up begging for help to figure out what happened to her sister, Lola, who went missing five years ago, and who the mysterious girl is who just showed up claiming to be her. Blair is pretty insistent on helping, but Cam needs some convincing. In the end, they find themselves in danger again as they get closer to the truth about Lola.

Once again I loved the character development here. I loved the introduction of Mattie and frankly I was happy to see a lot less of Sophie this time around. The pacing was a little too slow for me, but overall I enjoyed the story.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THE OTHER LOLA is the follow up to Ripley Jones' 5 star MISSING CLARISSA. Featuring many of the same characters and using many references to the first book, readers will enjoy this book much more if they read Clarissa. Jones jumps straight into the aftermath of the brilliant ending of Clarissa as Blair and Cam are still reeling from their scrapes and bruises. They have sworn to each other....never again.....but we all know that means.....until the next time. The next time's name is Lola. Lola went missing 5 years ago and no trace has ever been found. But here's the twist....Lola's back, and her whole family swear, the young woman who came back....is not Lola. How can Cam and Blair turn this case down? Good thing for us they don't. It will not surprise me if Cam and Blair get their own Netflix series. They certainly deserve it!!!

I was excited to read this because I loved Missing Clarissa, but now I feel like I didn’t need a sequel at all. This lacked a lot of the things I loved about the first book.
I said in my review for book 1 that I was concerned it would feel too much like A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and it didn’t, but book two definitely felt a little like it was veering into the territory and I didn’t like that vibe.
I’m so bummed I didn’t love this more, but I did enjoy the new characters in this installment!

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title (which I was given prior to the boycott) until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book. The star rating (3.75 stars) in an accurate assessment of my thoughts on the book.

loved this romance and how the characters changed through the story. also loved the friends and all of the interesting things that happened during the story. loved the growth of the main character and all of her trials .

Rating 2.5

I felt like is I was missing a bit of information since I did not read book #1. This is NOT a standalone book series, rather it should be recommended to read in order. I felt a bit of let down, as I got the impression the first book was much intense and interesting. They kept mentioning the podcast - well I wish they would've brought it back. This felt like it was just written to give one last experience to close out the characters.

Thank you, Wednesday Books.

I loved Missing Clarissa and was looking forward to reading this but it just fell a bit flat for me. It took me awhile to get through and was not compelled to pick up. Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc of this book in exchange for my review.
2 star