Holly Jackson knows how to write a mystery and make you love the not knowing. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for granting me early access to this book.

“They’d chosen for Bel, that tiny babbling girl, picked the way that hurt less for them but ruined her.”

women ❤️‍🩹 mommy issues 🍼 anxiety 🪢abandonment issues 🌮 family drama 📸

suspend a lil’ disbelief, remember that cops are notoriously shit at solving missing persons cases, and have FUN with this YA mystery thriller that follows Bel, a teenage girl whose mother mysteriously disappeared when she was a baby. when they begin filming a Netflix series about what happened, Bel discovers new information and things begin to unravel.

the first 60% is a slow burn build up of all the details, but that last 40% is a WILD RIDE.

docking 1 star because i wish we had better romantic development.
if you are a pipravi stan from aggtm and you are going into this wanting romance, you will likely be disappointed. the romance subplot has great potential but is a bit rocky.
apparently the author mentioned that she didn’t necessarily want to write the romance subplot but was encouraged by her publisher (which is a GOOD take imo, tho i cant confirm if true) which definitely shows. the bits of romance development we *do* get isn’t much farther than sarcastic wit and general kindness.
spoiler-ish thoughts ahead ??? ⬇️
i think the way things occurred between them in chapter 48 was appropriate and such an important lesson for Bel to learn, but that ‘ending’ wasn’t as impactful as it could have been if there were more sprinkles of that romance buildup throughout. the first kiss felt a bit abrupt. we need mooooore tension! even if it added 50 pages to the book. id happily gobble gobble.
(oh also aunt sherry might have been a bitch but i dont think she deserved that lol)

The Reappearance of Rachel Price had a slow beginning, but give it a chance and the rest will take you by storm! So many different plot twists that will have your head spinning. That being said, there was a lot of family drama and underdeveloped characters throughout. I have to say, the ending was a little underwhelming.

Overall a decent story, but wish there could have been better pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub date: 02 April 2024

Literally my favorite book of 2024 thus far. I couldn’t put this down & the audiobook is incredible as well!

Loved it. The storyline felt unique, and it was hard to know who exactly to be truly suspicious of. Some of the wrap up felt a little phoned in, but it was still satisfying.

The same issues I had with Five Survive, are some of the same issues I had with this book. It's just a fine YA mystery book that was pretty unbelievable with how many of the characters acted. I had a hard time keeping focused on the plotline and thought it was just too long for what the book was.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC

Holly Jackson is back again with another amazing mystery!! She is now becoming one of my favorite ya mystery authors, everything she writes is so amazing. The premise was super interesting. A true crime documentary is being filmed about Bel's mom, but when filming starts, her mom returns after sixteen years. There were so many twists and turns throughout the novel, I could never predict anything, but at the same time, all the twists made sense.

It was definitely not my favorite Holly Jackson book, but I still enjoyed reading it a lot!

Sixteen years ago, Bel Price witnessed her mother's disappearance at the age of 2. Unable to remember anything, Bel has been haunted by the disappearance for the past 16 years, and wishes that everyone would move on.

Unfortunately, a true crime documentary is covering the disappearance of Rachel price, so Bel and her family are forced to face the past once again. Bel just wants her life to be normal again, but the Rachel returns how, shocking everyone.

Bel's mom has an unbelievable story about her time away and Bel questions if it's actually read. With cameras filming Bel works to learn the truth about her mother's disappearance. Where was Rachel the past 16 years? Why is she back now? Bel doesn't know, but is determined to find the answers.

I really enjoyed The Reappearance of Rachel Price from start to finish. This was my first book by Holly Jackson and I can definitely say it won't be my last.

Jackson does a fantastic job of keeping me on my toes throughout the whole book. The Reappearance of Rachel Price was like an onion. Once you think you've hit the big reveal another layer more jaw dropping than the last is revealed. I never guessed the majority of what was going on and I loved it!

This was truly a fun read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a twisty thriller.

This YA thriller is one for the record books. It was fantastic, I loved it. From the first page I was sucked in and could not stop turning the pages. It was full of twists and turns

The documentary of her mom was such a cool plot to a book. I really enjoyed the story line, it held my attention and was a fast read.

Holly Jackson is back, and this time with another incredible YA thriller to add to your collections! I flew through this one in one afternoon -- perfect if you're in a reading slump or looking for something fast-paced.

“So, Bel, you’re saying you think the most likely scenario is that your mother is dead?”

How would you feel if your mom disappeared 16 years ago & seemingly out of the blue someone wants to do a documentary on her, constantly dredging up old feelings and trying to pry info out of you that you just don’t have?

“The gray-blue eyes that matched her own. Delicate, pointed chin. Ashen skin that was paler than she’s known it, more lined, sixteen more years of wear. The small tan birthmark on the top of her forehead. The woman stared back at her like she knew something too. She was Rachel Price. Reappeared.”

To randomly run into your lost/dead mother while just walking down the street, I would run too like Bel did. It seems impossible, but also highly suspect for it to happen right when there are cameras recording Bel’s every move and bringing up all the issues of the past.

“...you do know. Where was she? Where did they find her?”

People in Bel’s family are hiding secrets. What are they? And who is really the bad guy in this disaster? The truth will always come out, even if it's 16 years later…

I was a big fan of her AGGGTM series, so I was really looking forward to this one. It was a bit of a let down, if I'm being honest. I had a hard time feeling for any of the characters. The daughter was very angry and hostile towards her mother (she questioned her super early), which I get it, she's been gone pretty much her entire life and there's a lot of grief with that, but she still could have seemed to be at least a little happy her mother is back. I also didn't find there to be any shocking moments like other reviewers have said happened. I wouldn't say it's a bad book, but I also wouldn't run around recommending it to everyone.

This book kept me up until 2AM, I could not put it down. I saw a lot of people had problems with some of the plot points such as 'Why did Charlie want to kill her all of a sudden?' but he was a narcissist, he needed control and he could feel her pulling away and distancing herself, he was losing control. I don't know if you've watched any Unsolved Mysteries/Forensic Files, but women have been killed by their husbands for less. Next, I saw people complain that they said they couldn't take DNA to the police, but then threatened Sherry with taking the DNA to the police, however it was just that a threat, a calculated risk in order to convince Sherry to leave and they guessed she would, and she did.

I didn't guess the plot or the major twists although I had feelings there was more, but I was very shocked at the turn of event and from about 65%-70% I was hooked and couldn't put the book down and was so happy! This is my 3rd Holly Jackson book, and I was NOT disappointed.

This book was everything I wanted from a mystery. Holly Jackson, once again, took me on a twisty ride full of sharp turns and jaw dropping reveals. I was hooked from the first page and I was continually shocked and on the edge of my seat all the way through. This book is perfect for all mystery, true crime, and documentary lovers. 10/10 recommend!

3⭐️

Bel’s mom reappears 16 years after going missing, which coincidentally coincides with the same time that a documentary is breeding filmed about her disappearance. Bel’s entire world is flipped upside down, and she questions everything about the circumstances of her mother’s return.

This book was just okay, and I didn’t really feel all that interested in it until the end. A lot of what happened is confusing and doesn’t make a ton of sense. Bel’s teen angst is also a lot to get through, and I skipped around a lot to avoid it.

I loved a good girls guide to murder, so when i saw this I was so excited. And it did not disappoint!!! I was pulled into this story instantly and all i could do was to read and see if I could guess what was going on. And boy was I wrong. I had to quit reading many times and go back to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I ended up staying up way late so I could finish.
Bel's mom one day just disappears, leaving her in the backseat for a stranger to find. Now she's 18 and participating in a documentary about he mystery. But then she shows up and nothing is what you think. Bel is suspicious of Rachel, and Rachel is sketchy but what do you expect.
This was such a great read and I am still thinking of this books days later.

I would agree with Holly Jackson that this is her best book yet. I enjoyed a Good Girl's Guide to Murder (at least the first book in the series), but the Reappearance of Rachel Price takes what worked there and makes it sharper. In some ways, it feels tonally like it picked up where AGGGTM left off -- Bel's prickliness and single-minded commitment to her family feels similar to Pip's actions and mindset at the end of AGGGTM. While AGGGTM also played on the idea of evil hidden amongst those closest to us and the reopening of an older/cold case, I appreciated that the Reappearance of Rachel Price felt tighter, more concentrated on the mystery driving the book, showing clear restraint in the way the romance subplot was handled, still driving part of the plot but not taking it over.

I am a big fan of Holly Jackson. She does a great job keeping the reader interested. I was constantly switching out theories in my head. I enjoyed how it ended and it was not predictable.

What a trip this book was. It took me a while to get into, which is kind of funny, considering the sheer amount of stuff that happens in the beginning. The premise of the book is fabulous, and the overall plot is great. Some of the characters and the slow beginning made it harder to read quickly, but in the end, I enjoyed the twists and turns that Holly had waiting for me.

I definitely wasn't expecting the truth of what happened, which is always a good thing when it comes to mystery/suspense books.

Whether I would recommend this one is a little iffy for me. It really was too slow for me in the beginning, but was the ending enough to make up for it? I'm not sure.

Overall, an enjoyable read though. If you like mystery and twisty plots, you might enjoy this one, but be warned that you might have to persevere for a bit to get there.

Bel is so precious to me! The plot and storyline was extremely intriguing and I feel very engrossed in the book when I was reading it. It explored themes like family and trauma, and I think that it was written beautifully!