Wow this book was a ride! I figured out a few of the twists but there were also a lot of surprises. This book was set in New Hampshire close to where I grew up. I was very ready to nitpick parts of the setting as the author is from England. However her research was excellent and I didn't find any glaring issues. The main character could be very whiney and somewhat annoying and the book was a little bit longer than it needed to be. However, overall a very good story. Holly Jackson hasn't let me down yet. This is my third novel by her and I love her style of thrillers. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read the ARC of this novel.

I am A GOOD GIRLS GUIDE TO MURDER STANNN! IF AGGGTM has zero fans, I am dead. SO I was BEYONDDD excited to get an ARC of this, even though I am the absolute WORST and still posted my review a month later!

This was SUCH a fun read. Honestly everything I loved about AGGGTM was still in this story, but with all new characters and an all new premise that made this SUCH a fun read. What would you do if your mother who disappeared without a trace, only to REAPPEAR years later, all during you filming a documentary about her disappearance?? I loved the documentary background of this story, it put a ton of pressure on the characters in an already emotional situation and it was fun to see how they acted on camera vs behind the scenes. The true icing on the cake for this story was the characters! Our FMC Bel, Rachel Price’s daughter, was so normal in the best way. Like typical high school girl dealing with heavy stuff but at the same time being SO SMART. I loved her interactions with the documentary’s assistant, it was fun to have a lil Pip and Ravi inspired romance in there.

Overall, I only have amazing things to say about this book. It may be YA but it is so fast paced and fun and TWISTY and you could binge this in two sittings. Also after you read this, please read AGGGTM if you haven’t already!!

So disappointed. I loved AGGGTM and AGAD. I hated GGBB. I hoped that this book would recapture what I loved about Jackson’s first two books. Instead, it helped me to decide that maybe this author isn’t for me. I have so much to say, so prepare for a stream of consciousness style review:

The writing was awkward. A editor who actually catches missing words & other mistakes would be very beneficial. The story was boring, completely unbelievable, and yet cliche all at the same time. The book was too long. I hate short, choppy fragments as sentences. The repeated use of w-writing d-dialog l-like t-this was annoying. Once or twice I get. Over and over, especially by two different characters during a conversation is too much. Speaking of the characters, I hated Bel. She’s so irritating, rude, nasty, and just plain unlikable for no reason. The other characters weren’t likable either, other than Ash, who was done dirty, in my opinion. The character “development” and changes from beginning to end were also jarring and had no real buildup (looking at you, mom, dad, & grandpa). The end made me mad. I understand morally gray areas. But the blatant disregard for truth, justice, honor, integrity, etc. is becoming a theme I don’t agree with. I didn’t find this book thrilling. I didn’t even find it particularly mysterious, given the subject. I wanted to give it a chance and only finished it out of stubbornness.

1 star.

Holly Jackson masterfully writes YA suspense fiction with mass appeal, and with each hit novel that she puts out, she further cements herself as an author that you can count on to deliver a page-turner. Jackson’s new novel, The Reappearance of Rachel Price, a departure from her popular A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, is a standalone story that integrates the multimedia aspects that made Good Girl so appealing. In this case, it’s a documentary being filmed about the disappearance of a teenage girl’s mother sixteen years ago instead of a podcast, and if you were hoping for candid, voyeuristic vibes, they’re all here!

Bel was with her mother Rachel when she disappeared 16 years ago. Essentially, Bel holds the secrets as to who kidnapped her mother from their car while they were out doing some shopping, but the only problem is Bel was a baby and of course, doesn’t remember. That doesn’t stop a film crew from interviewing her and the rest of her family about Rachel’s disappearance, however, as they explore possible theories as to what happened to her.

The documentary takes a plot twist that no one saw coming, however, when Rachel reappears out of thin air one day. Rachel has an incredible story about where she has been the past 16 years, but can she be believed? As Bel tries to adjust to now having her mother back in her life, she also has to grapple with all of the things that don’t add up with Rachel’s story. Is she telling the truth, or is it all lies?

The Reappearance of Rachel Price is a multi-layered, suspenseful whodunnit. I had so many theories as I tore through this book, going back and forth trying to figure out the truth about Rachel’s dubious story. This novel is a lot of fun to read, and is even better enjoyed with a friend - buddy read, anyone?! Trust me, you’re going to need someone to bounce those theories off of! However, I will say that speculating about the truth was more fun than discovering the truth, as the end of the novel was admittedly my least favorite part of the book.

Holly Jackson consistently ranks as one of my top read and recommended YA authors based on her ability to create absorbing, compelling thrillers. Jackson turns the suspense genre on its head, writing engaging, relatable mysteries for young adults who are not yet ready to transition to adult thrillers. Her books certainly serve as a gateway for teens on the verge of crossing over, and can even be read and enjoyed by adult readers, as well.

Wow. Lots of twists and turns near the end. The clues are all there. Even the ones you may not realize are clues until the end. If you liked her other books, you'll definitely enjoy this one. Though I think I may like this one more.

I thought this was a really good mystery. I sat down to start reading it and next thing I knew; I had finished it in one sitting. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time with this book. However, I enjoyed Holly Jackson's other books more, especially regarding the main character. There was something about the way that Bel acted at times that frustrated me, I also struggled with there being a small romance in the book, feeling as though it was not quite necessary.

Despite the little issues I had, I still felt like the mystery was struggle. There were plenty of clues to steer the reader into a bunch of different directions. The reveals about what actually happened to Rachel were incredible.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers.

Holly Jackson is truly great at what she does. There are few YA mystery writers that have the mass appeal she does, and I have loved everything I've read by her leading up to this release. Because of this, despite this book not being awful, or having anything really wrong with it, it was sort of a letdown. We follow Bel Price, whose mother, Rachel Price, disappeared 16 years ago. When a documentary crew comes to town to make a movie about her mother, Rachel reappears, with some inconsistencies in her story. The setup is cool, the family dynamic is really compelling and honestly felt very visceral at times. Most of the characters, with the exception of one underdeveloped side character and another side character (Ash you will always be famous) who did not get enough page time, were insufferable. I get that Bel and her family have been through one of the worst things imaginable, and I forgave a lot of Bel's choices, but it came to a point where her attitude was too much. And Rachel herself makes a lot of baffling choices. Also, there were some good twists, but the ultimate reveal was predictable.

This was good. Not great. It has the Holly Jackson charm I'm used to but lacks some of the character work I love. I'll continue to read and recommend her books and think this would make for some great discussions.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. It wasn't as tight and twisty as I expected. The slow reveal of the reality of Rachel's disappearance works and there are enough clues pointing in different directions to keep us guessing but the tension feels off. The stakes aren't clear. And the ultimate truth of the final chapters feels like a stretch.

I have conflicted feelings about this one. First off I thought it was a very interesting plot and I was hooked immediately.
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I enjoyed the FMC and all her negativity and trauma responses. 😅 The true crime documentary was interesting and I loved all of the twists and turns. There was action, suspense, sarcasm and some truly dark themes. (Considering it’s YA)
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But. At times the pacing seemed off. And when the truth came out it seemed too far fetched. Multiple aspects in the end just did not work for me. Some elements out of left field.
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Regardless. It was a fun read/listen and Holly Jackson sure as hell knows how to write an intense and in depth YA thriller.

Holly Jackson creates another twisty thriller. If you are a fan you will enjoy this mystery. However, the pacing was a little bit off and some characters never felt fully developed. I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Jackson's work but for those already familiar, this book will take you on quite a ride.

Holly Jackson has yet to disappoint. Each new book continues to solidify my love and appreciation for her writing. She truly understands how to grasp the ready and make you love the characters and it is no different for this book. The ending kept me second-guessing everything.

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada & Holly Jackson for gifting me an ARC of this book! 🤍

read if you like:
🤍 headstrong female lead
🤍 twists & turns
🤍 whodunnit
🤍 true crime documentaries

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It was fast-paced and filled with twists and turns!

I liked this book because it was both shocking and believable. Everything in this story had a purpose that led up to the reveal, and it was done in such a suspenseful way that had me literally holding my breath. I could not put this book down. AND THE REVEAL??? jaw on the floor.

I also loved the character development. I started out disliking Bel’s character, but you see this change in her throughout the story with her personality and relationships that is really beautiful. I had tears in my eyes by the end.

All in all, I had a super fun time reading this book and I definitely recommend it if you love fast-paced mysteries.

Loved Holly Jackson's Good Girls Guide to Murder series so when I saw she was writing a new book I immediately knew that I had to read it. While this is a very different book from Good Girls Guide it was a fun quick read for me.

Holly Jackson you did it again. I loved this book. Bel is so quirky and was fun to get to know. I enjoyed getting to know her and how she's deals with living in the shadow of her mom's disappearance. The story took some turns that I didn't see coming. I can't wait to see what else Ms. Jackson decides to write.

I absolutely loved A Good Girls Guide to Murder so when I found out about The Reappearance of Rachel Price, I couldn't wait for it and had high expectations. This book did not disappoint. It had me second guessing the whole way through.

AMAZING!!! Holly Jackson does it again with this story about a girl who’s lost her mother only to find out about the lies her family has been entangled in since her mother disappeared. Ever since AGGGTM Holly Jackson is an automatic read for me and she has yet to disappoint. I can not recommend this book enough to anyone and everyone!

If you didn't like the last book in AGGGTM you probably won't like this one. If you did, this book is defs for you! This is a strong comeback after Five Survive (which was good, but not Jackson's best work by any means). This book had me gripped. I didn't feel like I could trust ANYONE - I was even suspicious of our MC at one point. A great time was had by all. Not quite as magical as AGGGTM for me, but still another great YA thriller from Ms. Jackson and I can't wait to see what's next for her and she will continue to be an auto-buy author.

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Had me on the edge of my seat until the end! Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

I did not realize this was considered a YA title until I started to write this review. It does feature a teenage main character but it did not feel young or juvenile to me. I was thoroughly engrossed in the Price family's story before and after Rachel disappeared and reappeared. The twists and turns kept me guessing (incorrectly!) and did not disappoint.

If you love true crime podcasts and documentaries and playing armchair detective on unsolved mysteries, this is a great title. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Random House Children's | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

I was surprised with my rating of this book. The initial 60% of the book was quite slow for me and it took me two week to get through it. However, I read the last part of the book in just one day. While there were some aspects of the story that I did not enjoy, the big reveal towards the end of the book did keep me intrigued and I couldn’t put the book down. That said, I felt underwhelmed once I finished it. I’m not sure if my expectations were too high, the ending felt rushed to me or if it just wasn’t what I was looking for. The MFC Bel was not very likable in my opinion, her attitude just didn’t resonate with me. When Rachel reappeared, I was expecting a more climatic moment, but it just felt a bit weird. Although Bel has faced trauma and has had to deal with it for her entire life, I expected her reunion with her mother to more meaningful. However, I’m still a fan of Holly Jackson and will read any book she put out. Overall, while it wasn’t my favorite, I still think it’s worth a read.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Random House Children’s, Delacorte Press, for providing an eARC of The Reappearance of Rachel Price. This review is being left voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.