Holly does it again! I love her other books and was nervous that this one would fall short. I was wrong, while reading I kept trying to guess the ending although I was right about some things there were amazing twists that blew my mind. Easily one of my favorite reads this year!

What an ending, Ms. Jackson! After a crew comes in to interview Bel, and her family, about her mom's disappearance 16 years before, things turn interesting. Bel was only two years old when her mom disappeared, and Bel was the only witness. When her mom reappears, Bel just cannot believe her story. She goes out to prove her mom is lying. But in true Holly Jackson form, there are many twists to this story. You will want to keep reading until the end. Thank you to Ms. Jackson and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is definitely one that I will be buying for our high school classroom library.

This story will grip you and not let go until the very end as Holly Jacksons writing always does. Though there were a few plot holes this is still one of the best YA releases this year so far. If you love mystery, tension, well developed plot, and amazing characters you're not going to want to miss out on reading this story.

This is how you write a mystery book! This was my first book from Ms. Jackson, and she didn't disappoint AT ALL! The writing was I see why everyone was hyped about her last book series! I can see a TV show for real because of the way the chapters were lowkey a cliffhanger! I'm buying this book for my shelf at home because it was that damn good!

Super stoked to receive this ARC bc let's be real, "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" was an absolute banger! In this latest thriller, Rachel Price returns after disappearing 16 years ago, leaving her family to grapple with the mystery of where she's been and what she's hiding. We're talking family secrets, lies, red herrings, and enough suspense to keep you flipping pages.

One of the standout characters for me was Bel, Rachel's daughter. She gave me major Pip vibes from AGGGTM—genuine, ruthless, and like a dog with a bone when it comes to finding out the truth and protecting her family. Bel's determination and grit added a layer of depth to the story that I really appreciated. However, I could've done without the weird romance on the side. It felt a bit forced and didn't really add much to the overall plot.

Now, it's worth noting that Holly Jackson is primarily a YA writer, and that shines through in "The Reappearance of Rachel Price." But don't let that deter you—I thoroughly enjoyed the story, even if it did have some YA vibes. However, I did find the plot to be a bit predictable and, let's be honest, a tad unrealistic towards the end. But hey, when you're reading a thriller, sometimes you've gotta suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride.

In the end, despite its flaws, I'm still a massive fan of HoJack, and her books will always go straight to the top of my TBR pile. If you're looking for a twisty, suspenseful read with a YA flair, "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" might just be your next page-turner.

Rating – 3.5 stars rounded off to 4

A maze of disappearance and reappearance.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for the ARC.

Synopsis-

Bel, 18, has been overshadowed by her mother Rachel Price’s disappearance her whole life. But when her family has to film a true crime documentary about it, which Bel is keen to get over with, Rachel is back miraculously, literally out of thin air. Bel is suddenly obsessed and can’t think about anything except where her mother was all these years, whether she’s lying or even dangerous. Can she trust the one person who is meant to be her ultimate protector when all she’s known and loved is her father?

Review -

Having loved #AGoodGirlsGuideToMurder I went into this with high expectations and ended up with somewhat of an underwhelming/mixed feelings.

Will list what worked and didn’t for me –

👍

➡️The premise – so unique and instantly grabs our attention
➡️Bel’s characterization and realistic portrayal of her-
˃ struggles growing up the way she did
˃ utter shock when her mother is back in her life
˃ dilemmas and internal battle about trusting her
˃ guileless innocence and blind faith in her father
➡️Bel’s determination and smart thinking were admirable. I could really feel her burning need for answers and truth.
➡️Bel and Carter’s friendship – so crucial for the plot
➡️The conceptualization of the documentary 🎬 – the kindle that sets everything in motion
➡️Plenty of gasp worthy twists
➡️Clever misdirection
➡️Complex multi-layered plotting
➡️Wonderful side characters – especially the filming crew

👎

➡️Inadequate justification behind the hook of the plot
➡️Execution and conclusion of the documentary – I expected so much more and a better ending
➡️The ending went too far with dramatics and included super human elements for the characters
➡️Too neatly tied up – I understood the need for it, but was there a better way?

With that said, although this is not my favorite from Jackson, I’d still look forward to reading her next books!

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson is a young adult mystery thriller novel that I tore through. I was desperate to know how this story was going to end. While there are parts of the story I was able to deduce, nothing happened in the order or the manner that I expected it.

I really appreciated the difficulties and complexities of the relationships in this story, as well as the documentary element, which felt unique.

However, the ending felt too unbelievable for me.

How do you solve the mystery of a re-appearance, not just a disappearance? A true crime documentary team is investigating a mother who went missing sixteen years ago when she suddenly reappears with no idea of where she has been kept or who is responsible. Her daughter Bel and husband Charlie aren’t entirely welcoming her with open arms, there are just too many unanswered questions. So many twists, secrets, and hidden clues, but Jackson blends them all expertly and it never feels like too much. This one will keep you guessing and glued to the page!

Holly Jackson is a Auto Buy Author for me ! I love her books and this one did not disappoint first of all i love the cover but the book was great . this was a good you could read in one setting but i continued to pick it up and read! I had HIGH expectations most were met!

Holly Jackson knows 👏🏻 how 👏🏻 to 👏🏻 write 👏🏻 a 👏🏻 thriller!

Bel Price is the only witness to her mother’s disappearance - the problem is she was too young to remember. Her family agrees to a documentary about the true crime mystery and begins rehashing all the details. What she murdered? Did she go on her own?

This story is fast paced and keeps you interested throughout, which is something I think a lot of thrillers struggle with! Bel was not as likable to me as Pip in GGGTM, and to me that made it kind of a drag to read. However, I loved the ending and how everything came together!

4/5 thrilling stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This one was amazing! I could not put this book down. I had to know what happened to Rachel. It was very creepy

I'm a fan of Holly Jackson historically, and this book was no exception. A fun twist on a "Gone Girl" type story that had me questioning all the characters. A definite recommend to any fans of Jackson's previous books or YA Thrillers in general!

If you liked A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you will definitely like this! The plot was plotting! There were so many twists and turns that I couldn't see where it was going. It always kept me on my toes.
The funny banter between Bel and Ash was the cutest!
Bel's savage attitude had my heart too.

A special thank you to Random House Children’s Books for the arc of this book! I’m working on my library’s next school-wide reading event, and Holly Jackson is one of my library’s most popular authors. I know students will find the premise of this one interesting! I can appreciate how far Holly Jackson has come in her writing. This book, more so than her last few, has a well-executed twist that is both surprising and substantial.

3 stars. ARC Review! I really enjoyed the first 50% of this story. The last 50% wasn't as strong in my opinion. I did predict a couple of the reveals. Overall, it was a fun time and I def enjoyed more than Holly Jackson's most recent release but not nearly as much as the Good Girl's Guide to Murder series.

Thank you so much to Netgalley & Delacorte Press for approving me for this ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024 and boy, it did not disappoint. Holly Jackson does it again by having you hooked from the first page until you turn the last page 448 pages later. I don't even know where to begin with my review because I loved everything about this book. From the main characters to the very ending of this book, I loved it. Obviously, Rachel Price has reappeared, but her daughter, Bel, is not buying it. She immediately realizes something is up and she will stop at nothing Bel is such a bad-ass. Her interactions with other people come off rude and bitch, but it's understandable. It has been only her and her dad her whole life and she has many walls up to protect herself and the people she loves. She's strong and resilient and would do anything to figure out what happened with her mom, even though she was very weary of her at first. Holly Jackson is truly the queen of YA mystery and thrillers. With every page you turn, it will have you second-guessing what your theory first was, and I must say I didn't guess any of the twists and turns that we experienced in this book. It's an absolute wild ride and I will definitely be going and picking up a copy for myself. To finish this review off, your family may not seem who you think they are...

What does Holly Jackson put in these books?? I couldn’t stop reading this, and when I HAD to stop, I was still thinking about it.

This is very different from AGGGTM, although it has similarities. The short-named girl who could almost be a manic pixie dream detective, except that she can be mean and make mistakes and, of course, she has a whole deep emotional life. (I know some people don’t like close third person, but I love it, and it works so well here.)

This is just full of so much dread, even though you know Rachel is going to reappear from the title. You’d think there wouldn’t be much tension in a reappearance story, but there is, SO much. I couldn’t put it down.
I predicted some things, but I did NOT predict the kidnapper. There were like, 10 twists. Highly recommend. I don’t think it was quite as good as AGGGTM, and the ending felt a tiny bit like a copy of one of the books from that series, but overall still a 5 star YA mystery. She is really the peak of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley for the earc!

Holly has once again shown why she is the queen of YA mystery/thrillers. I was hooked from page one, and the twists and turns never end. Found myself reading at 4am still wanting to know what would happen. I hope this one gets as big as AGGGTM!

Holly Jackson is the BEST of the best of YA thriller/mystery. The Reapparance of Rachel Price is no exception. The documentary aspect was SO FUN. And while this is a bit of a trope now, Jackson was able to add enough to make this unique and a standout. I couldn't stop turning these pages and will be widely recommending.

I was so excited for this book but I think the high of GGGTM is hard to chase. While it was a compelling plot, it felt like the author tried to throw every true crime element and red herring at the reader which got tiresome. I did enjoy it overall but it was not the same as her original work for me