I love most of Holly Jackson’s books, and this one did not disappoint in most aspects. I’m afraid nothing can match The Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, but this one is intriguing and held my attention. The main character Bel struggles still (understandably) with the disappearance of her mother Rachel 16 years earlier, when she was only 2 years old and left in the backseat of her mother’s running vehicle. The Price family is filming a documentary about her disappearance when, out of the blue, her mother reappears with the story of being held captive in a basement all this time. Bel is happy to see her but increasingly suspicious of her mother’s story. The book takes many twists and turns that held my attention. As is often the case for me, there were points that were so hard to believe, but that wouldn’t deter me from reading this and other books by Jackson. It’s worth your time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I want to thank Netgalley, Random House Children's and Holly Jackson for my ARC in exchange for my honest review of The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I raced through this book. I desperately wanted to skip to the end to figure out the mystery so I would not miss the clues BUT I resisted the urge and just kept reading. Just like Gone Girl, I first side with one character, then the next character as clues are revealed. With this said, once I finished, I felt Ms. Jackson did not set up enough of a reason for reason at the middle of the mystery. Frankly, I just wanted more with scenes with Ash. I already preordered a copy and will place it in my classroom library once it is published.

Magic. This book is just unputdownable magic. Jackson’s latest is a tour de force that further cements her as the reigning queen of YA mystery. Featuring perfectly imperfect characters you can’t help but fall for and a puzzling plot that will keep you guessing through the very end, this is a story that reels you in and refuses to let go. I loved each and every last bit of it.

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.)

“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson is a story filled with numerous twists and turns. At some times, the choices made by the characters stretch the limits of believability in that people could make the decisions that were made. While the book does well to avoid plot holes and maintain clarity, more work could have been built in for character development, especially in the relationship between Bel and her father. Overall, I would recommend it as it was a genuinely entertaining book, it did seem to arrive at various plot points without fully earning it through believable character actions and interactions.

Some of those twists got me sooo good! This was a longer one, but I just had to devour it in one day. Bel was such a fun, no-nonsense character and I loved all of the family drama that unfolded. I was honestly as entertained by their bickering as I was by the mystery. The many tricks and traps Bel thought of were also lots of fun to watch play out, too. I've only read AGGGTM by this author in the past, but I think fans of that would definitely also like this one. As well as fans of true crime, unsolved cases, and complicated families.

What happened to Rachel Price?
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Bel has lived her whole life hearing about her mother’s disappearance when she was a baby. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished into thin air, leaving a 22-month-old Bel behind in the back seat of their car late at night on the side of the road. Now her and her dad are allowing a documentary crew to film their thoughts on what could have happened...and then Rachel returns. She has an unbelievable story about where she’s been the last sixteen years. Too unbelievable for Bel to buy so she makes it her mission to find out what really happened to her long-lost mother.
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This is @hojay92 best YA thriller to date and that’s me saying this—the biggest fan of the AGGGTM series & Five Survive. Jackson just seems to get better and better. This was so crafty and clever—almost like I was reading an adult thriller. Huge props! This book releases April 2!

CW: death, murder, blood, alcohol, dementia, held in captivity, kidnapping, gaslighting, death of a parent, illegal adoption

This was my first Holly Jackson read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were many twists, turns, and genuine surprises. The only thing I would have liked more of was insight into the character of the villain. Recommended for teens and/or adults who enjoy suspenseful, plot-driven books. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Okay, so first, a little of my history with Holly Jackson. I *loved* A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, liked Good Girl, Bad Blood, and really hated As Good as Dead. Five Survive was okay, but a totally different kind of thing. I was hoping that this would give me a similar experience to the first book in the Good Girl's trilogy, and it did to a certain extent. The story here is that Annabel (Bel) Price and her family are participating in a documentary about Bel's mother's disappearance 16 years prior. Bel was found in the backseat of a car alone as a 2 year old, and all her life people have been fascinated with the mysterious disappearance of her mother, with people constantly trying to get her to "remember" what happened on that day. While the documentary is being filmed, Bel's mother, Rachel Price, shows up again in their small New Hampshire town, claiming to have been held captive in a basement for the last 16 years by someone she didn't know. Bel, who has gotten used to things just being her and her dad (after he eventually was found not guilty of Rachel's murder), is really suspicious of Rachel's return and works with Ash, the young production assistant on the documentary to try to figure out what really happened. I liked a lot of things here - the cold case aspect, the fact that Bel is a total grump who unapologetically hates almost everyone, and the mystery itself. What didn't totally land for me was the resolution - it happened too quickly, and the reasoning for the original crime was kind of glossed over when it could have been explained more. Content warnings for emotional abuse, kidnapping, disordered eating, and just a touch of murder.

This is not one of my favorites of Holly Jackson. It was an interesting concept, and it did keep me guessing. But the ending lost it for me. Still pretty solid, though!

This is one of my favorite authors and I'm glad I got to read this new book. It has a disappearance, a reappearance, twist and turns and some romance. Holly Jackson doesn't disappoint with this book. I just wish there hadn't been so many bad words, but it was fun to read this book either way.

What a life Bel has had. Her mom disappears and then comes back. This is a twisty story with lies and mystery and a little romance. Heads up the f word is used a lot if that is a deterrence.

I thought this was amazing and fits with a good girls guide to murder. I loved the character of Bell. I loved how curious she was and yet skeptical when Rachel price reappears, I loved the ode to Harry Styles fashion. The twists were the best. the villain was awful. This deserves all the hype.
The cons were the language as I felt that the use of the word fuck was overused, especially for it being a young adult thriller.
I couldn’t decide if it was meant to be a young adult novel or a new adult novel.
I also felt that there could’ve been more backstory for the villain- it was all of a sudden there was this side to that character that wasn’t there before and so I feel that there should’ve been more breadcrumbs leading up to that revelation.

Bel was only 2 years old when her mother went missing. When a film crew is making a documentary about her disappearance, not all goes to plan.
This YA thriller is fast paced and full of twists and turns.
Highly recommend for Holly Jackson fans!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy for review.

I’m very grateful to the author and publisher for allowing me to review this book! It’s a compelling mystery with twist and turns that I genuinely didn’t see coming. The plot follows Bel, a teenager whose life has been defined by the disappearance of her mother (the titular Rachel Price) when Bel was two. The mystery has captivated the country for 16 years and is now the focus of a documentary, starring Bel and her family. But when Rachel reappears suddenly, Bel’s world is thrown into chaos as she has to decide who she can trust and what really happened 16 years ago.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot moves quickly and ends with an intriguing and satisfying resolution. I did find the writing style a bit frustrating in a few places, especially the author’ s very frequent use of sentence fragments (especially in the dialogue). Fragments can definitely be used effectively, but they were included so often I found them really distracting. This might not bother others! For me, however, they got to the point of detracting from a really great plot.

I’ve been a fan of Holly Jackson in the past, and despite some of the style choices, I would recommend this book as a fun and engaging YA thriller!

When Rachel Price disappeared 16-years ago her daughter Annabel, age two, was the only witness, but as she was unable to talk and soon lost her memory of the day, the mystery remains. Now a documentary crew has come to dredge up the past, but the story changes when Rachel reappears. Annabel, now 18-years-old and going by the name Bel, is skeptical of Rachel's return and certain she is lying about the time she was gone. Everyone will leave her and she can only rely on her father who seems to be drifting away now that Rachel's back, operating on these principles, Bel sets out to find out the truth about Rachel Price's reappearance.

I was excited to finally dive into a Holly Jackson novel, the Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a series we absolutely cannot keep on the shelf at the library. I was initially drawn into Bel's story and was enjoying the premise, but this really didn't last beyond the first few chapters. Bel is an unlikable protagonist, but as a reader you understand why right off the bat and while difficult to like her, I could get on board for awhile, hoping there would be redeeming qualities along the way. There were some, but not enough, as it was difficult to get onboard with any of the characters and the clunky way they interacted and many bouts of nastiness. The redeeming quality could have been a truly unique spin on the mystery of Rachel's disappearance and reappearance, but as the story continued to unravel it all became to a bit to cliché.

What a way to end my reading year! Jackson really knows how to write the twists and turns and how to make you so nervous and tense! This was a great read with a plot twist you won’t see coming.

Having read all of the Good Girls Guide to Murder series, I couldn't wait to read this book! It's a compulsive read; I picked it up on Monday and couldn't put it down until I finished it on Tuesday.

The main premise is that a documentary film is being made about the disappearance of Bel Price's mother, Rachel. Rachel disappeared sixteen years ago, leaving two year old Bel alone in the backseat of the car on the side of the road, where she was later discovered. The documentary's filming gradually lets the reader in on the backstory of what happened then and since. Bel's life is flipped upside down, however, when her mother reappears one afternoon, dirty and injured, walking along the side of the road. Bel and her father, Charlie, have to deal with the sudden reappearance of mother and wife. It's not all flowers and roses.

My only criticism is that I wished there was more build-up to the big reveal, and I felt the ending was a bit rushed. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This is now my favorite Holly Jackson book! The concept of a film crew shooting a documentary about a murder is perfect for those who can’t get enough of crime shows! I enjoyed following Bel’s perspective as she attempts to figure out who was behind her mother’s disappearance. As the audience we are asking the same questions as Bel and suspicious of the same people. And just when you think you have it figured out, Jackson throws another twist. The ending will have you wanting to discuss with a friend!

I will definitely be purchasing this book for our upper school library! This is a thrilling read with several exciting plot twists. I love Holly Jackson's writing style but wished she used a few less curse words so I could loan it to my 7th and 8th grade students without feeling guilty.

Holly Jackson does it again! After loving a Good Girl's Guide to Murder but not getting super into Five Survive, The Reappearance of Rachel Price was exactly what I wanted from Jackson. While I guessed some elements early on Jackson manages to create a perfect twist. We will be recommending this book for purchase.