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The Reappearance of Rachel Price
A new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.
Lights. Camera. Lies.
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .
From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.
Lights. Camera. Lies.
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.
But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.
Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .
From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
About the author
Holly Jackson
14 books49k followersHolly Jackson was born in 1992. She grew up in Buckinghamshire and started writing stories from a young age, completing her first (poor) attempt at a book aged fifteen.
'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.
'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder' is a YA Mystery Thriller and her debut novel. She lives in London and aside from reading and writing, she enjoys binge-playing video games and pointing out grammatical errors in street signs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,929 reviews
April 28, 2024
★ 3.25 stars
The Reappearance of Rachel Price revolves around Annabel “Bel” Price — a young girl whose mother, Rachel, vanished without a trace 16 years ago and nobody knows what happened to her. Bel was the sole witness and she could’ve been the one with answers as she was with Rachel when she disappeared, but she was too young to have any recollection of anything so it remained a mystery to everyone, including herself. when a documentary about Rachel’s disappearance is being made, she suddenly reappears leaving everyone shocked. Bel should be relieved that her mom is back and surprisingly alive, but she has a gut feeling that something is wrong and she suspects that Rachel is not telling the truth about where she was all those years.
it’s for sure an interesting and intriguing premise written by the one and only ✨ Holly Jackson ✨ and that’s why my expectations were extremely high. however, this story didn’t quite live up to my expectations and, unfortunately, i ended up feeling kind of disappointed.
*this review will be somewhat all over the place because i personally feel like i couldn’t gather my thoughts properly, so please bear with me.
first of all, let’s talk about the protagonist: Annabel Price.
i don’t like reading books where the main character is too perfect, too nice and doesn’t have any flaws. that’s boring to me. i prefer to read books with main characters that are imperfect and have flaws because that makes them realistic and easy to relate with. Bel checks all the boxes (sort of); she is not perfect, she is flawed and, in some way, she is relatable. on top of that, she is also sarcastic, headstrong, cynical and sharp tongued, which are things that i truly enjoy to see in a female protagonist because it can be entertaining. however, it was not entertaining here, not at all. it was actually unpleasant. for the majority of the book, Bel was an extremely unlikeable, selfish, disrespectful and arrogant character. i think there’s a huge difference between being a headstrong person who’s not afraid of speak their mind and being an annoying person who’s just plainly rude to everyone, even to those that don’t deserve. having a strong personality has nothing to do with being rude or disrespectful, let’s keep that in mind. sure, Bel had traumas that made her be the way she is and act the way she does and i can’t blame her for that, but i personally don’t think it justify some of her actions, sorry. don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying she’s the most terrible character out there, because she is not. she was... tolerable and funny at times, i’ll admit. but in general, i was just not particularly fond of Bel and her personality, which made it difficult for me to deeply connect with her and really understand her. Bel’s character could’ve been written better and a bit differently.
the only characters i liked to an extent were Rachel & Ash i felt pretty indifferent about the others. and let’s be honest, most of them weren’t even that likeable to begin with.
as i said earlier, the premise of this book is interesting and intriguing, there’s no doubt about it. but the execution? eh, definitely not perfect.
the story started off great and very promising. at the beginning, i was truly believing that this had potential to be a five star read as i was absolutely loving it and having the highest of hopes for the rest of the book. now, looking back, i realize how delusional i was. not 100 pages in and i was already thinking i would rate this book five stars... a bit early to make that assumption, isn’t it? yeah, i’m aware. but that shows how much i trust Holly Jackson (or used to trust, at least).
as i got further into the story, i realized that this book, in fact, did not deserve a five star rating.
i am not saying i didn’t enjoy reading this, i would be a liar if i said that — even with its flaws, this managed to keep me hooked from beginning to end and i did like some aspects of it, but obviously, i disliked others.
like i said earlier, i didn’t like Bel; disliking the protagonist is the major problem for obvious reasons. but Bel was not the only problem here, i also had issues with other things that largely prevented me from giving this novel a higher rating.
━ ‼ hidden spoilers below. don’t click on them if you haven’t read the book yet.
↳ 1. i wasn’t a fan of the way Holly handled Bel and Rachel’s relationship.
↳ 2. most of the plot twists were sort of easy to predict for me and they weren’t as mind-blowing as i thought they would be.
generally speaking, the twists, while predictable for me, weren’t necessarily bad. but the author should’ve worked a bit harder to deliver more insane and crazy twists and turns.
↳ 3. a few things that happened in this book were not realistic at all. some stuff that happened were just too hard to believe. like for example: the conclusion. i just couldn’t get past how unrealistic the whole thing was and i can't really say it left me satisfied. it’s not news that Holly’s books require suspension of belief and i personally never had a problem with that (sometimes all we need is to turn off our brains and have a little fun), but this time i have to admit that i got a bit bothered.
↳ 4. the writing was repetitive every so often. i literally lost count of how many times the knot in Bel’s gut was mentioned. what was the point of mentioning that every two seconds?
↳ 5. the pacing was super slow in the middle and the storyline became repetitive. not a lot of relevant or interesting stuff was happening which made me come to the conclusion that this book didn’t need to be over 400 pages long, completely unnecessary in my view. it could’ve easily been 100-150 pages shorter and i stand by that.
fortunately, the pacing picked up towards the end; more specifically, in the last 25% and i liked that. the amount of things happening made me feel invested and i couldn’t put the book down for the life of me, literally finished in one sitting.
aside from all the flaws, i still could enjoy this book. as i mentioned, i was hooked from beginning to end so, overall, i can’t say i regret reading it. but of course, i expected much more from it and perhaps it’s my partially fault for having over the top expectations — but i also think that Holly Jackson could’ve delivered something far more better. i’m the biggest enthusiast of the AGGGTM series and it hurts to say that her new books (this one and Five Survive) weren’t capable me of giving the same feels. such a letdown...
all in all, The Reappearance of Rachel Price didn’t live up to its full potential and might not be one of the greatest thrillers i’ve ever read, but it’s not a terrible story and it has its entertaining and enjoyable parts. i believe (or rather hope) that other people might like it way more than i did so of course i recommend it to anyone. just don’t expect something as a amazing as the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series (like i did) and you won’t be disappointed.
─────────────────────
﹙ ➷ pre–read: ﹚
i haven’t had a single 5 star read yet this year(*cries*)
but i feel like this will be the one because in holly jackson we trust! 🤭 i’m just SO excited to read it. <3
The Reappearance of Rachel Price revolves around Annabel “Bel” Price — a young girl whose mother, Rachel, vanished without a trace 16 years ago and nobody knows what happened to her. Bel was the sole witness and she could’ve been the one with answers as she was with Rachel when she disappeared, but she was too young to have any recollection of anything so it remained a mystery to everyone, including herself. when a documentary about Rachel’s disappearance is being made, she suddenly reappears leaving everyone shocked. Bel should be relieved that her mom is back and surprisingly alive, but she has a gut feeling that something is wrong and she suspects that Rachel is not telling the truth about where she was all those years.
it’s for sure an interesting and intriguing premise written by the one and only ✨ Holly Jackson ✨ and that’s why my expectations were extremely high. however, this story didn’t quite live up to my expectations and, unfortunately, i ended up feeling kind of disappointed.
*this review will be somewhat all over the place because i personally feel like i couldn’t gather my thoughts properly, so please bear with me.
first of all, let’s talk about the protagonist: Annabel Price.
i don’t like reading books where the main character is too perfect, too nice and doesn’t have any flaws. that’s boring to me. i prefer to read books with main characters that are imperfect and have flaws because that makes them realistic and easy to relate with. Bel checks all the boxes (sort of); she is not perfect, she is flawed and, in some way, she is relatable. on top of that, she is also sarcastic, headstrong, cynical and sharp tongued, which are things that i truly enjoy to see in a female protagonist because it can be entertaining. however, it was not entertaining here, not at all. it was actually unpleasant. for the majority of the book, Bel was an extremely unlikeable, selfish, disrespectful and arrogant character. i think there’s a huge difference between being a headstrong person who’s not afraid of speak their mind and being an annoying person who’s just plainly rude to everyone, even to those that don’t deserve. having a strong personality has nothing to do with being rude or disrespectful, let’s keep that in mind. sure, Bel had traumas that made her be the way she is and act the way she does and i can’t blame her for that, but i personally don’t think it justify some of her actions, sorry. don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying she’s the most terrible character out there, because she is not. she was... tolerable and funny at times, i’ll admit. but in general, i was just not particularly fond of Bel and her personality, which made it difficult for me to deeply connect with her and really understand her. Bel’s character could’ve been written better and a bit differently.
the only characters i liked to an extent were Rachel & Ash i felt pretty indifferent about the others. and let’s be honest, most of them weren’t even that likeable to begin with.
as i said earlier, the premise of this book is interesting and intriguing, there’s no doubt about it. but the execution? eh, definitely not perfect.
the story started off great and very promising. at the beginning, i was truly believing that this had potential to be a five star read as i was absolutely loving it and having the highest of hopes for the rest of the book. now, looking back, i realize how delusional i was. not 100 pages in and i was already thinking i would rate this book five stars... a bit early to make that assumption, isn’t it? yeah, i’m aware. but that shows how much i trust Holly Jackson (or used to trust, at least).
as i got further into the story, i realized that this book, in fact, did not deserve a five star rating.
i am not saying i didn’t enjoy reading this, i would be a liar if i said that — even with its flaws, this managed to keep me hooked from beginning to end and i did like some aspects of it, but obviously, i disliked others.
like i said earlier, i didn’t like Bel; disliking the protagonist is the major problem for obvious reasons. but Bel was not the only problem here, i also had issues with other things that largely prevented me from giving this novel a higher rating.
━ ‼ hidden spoilers below. don’t click on them if you haven’t read the book yet.
↳ 1. i wasn’t a fan of the way Holly handled Bel and Rachel’s relationship.
↳ 2. most of the plot twists were sort of easy to predict for me and they weren’t as mind-blowing as i thought they would be.
generally speaking, the twists, while predictable for me, weren’t necessarily bad. but the author should’ve worked a bit harder to deliver more insane and crazy twists and turns.
↳ 3. a few things that happened in this book were not realistic at all. some stuff that happened were just too hard to believe. like for example: the conclusion. i just couldn’t get past how unrealistic the whole thing was and i can't really say it left me satisfied. it’s not news that Holly’s books require suspension of belief and i personally never had a problem with that (sometimes all we need is to turn off our brains and have a little fun), but this time i have to admit that i got a bit bothered.
↳ 4. the writing was repetitive every so often. i literally lost count of how many times the knot in Bel’s gut was mentioned. what was the point of mentioning that every two seconds?
↳ 5. the pacing was super slow in the middle and the storyline became repetitive. not a lot of relevant or interesting stuff was happening which made me come to the conclusion that this book didn’t need to be over 400 pages long, completely unnecessary in my view. it could’ve easily been 100-150 pages shorter and i stand by that.
fortunately, the pacing picked up towards the end; more specifically, in the last 25% and i liked that. the amount of things happening made me feel invested and i couldn’t put the book down for the life of me, literally finished in one sitting.
aside from all the flaws, i still could enjoy this book. as i mentioned, i was hooked from beginning to end so, overall, i can’t say i regret reading it. but of course, i expected much more from it and perhaps it’s my partially fault for having over the top expectations — but i also think that Holly Jackson could’ve delivered something far more better. i’m the biggest enthusiast of the AGGGTM series and it hurts to say that her new books (this one and Five Survive) weren’t capable me of giving the same feels. such a letdown...
all in all, The Reappearance of Rachel Price didn’t live up to its full potential and might not be one of the greatest thrillers i’ve ever read, but it’s not a terrible story and it has its entertaining and enjoyable parts. i believe (or rather hope) that other people might like it way more than i did so of course i recommend it to anyone. just don’t expect something as a amazing as the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series (like i did) and you won’t be disappointed.
─────────────────────
﹙ ➷ pre–read: ﹚
i haven’t had a single 5 star read yet this year
May 21, 2024
Holly Jackson does it again! I loveddd the ending of this book. It was so fast-paced and I didn't see it coming. Also the concept of Rachel Price disappearing and then reappearing had me hooked!
The only 2 things I disliked that stopped it from being 5 stars for me:
1. The first half moved a bit slow and then the end moved so fast. I wish the pacing was a little more consistent and we got more concrete clues in the beginning.
2. I didn't really bond with Bel in the way I've bonded with Holly Jackson's other main characters like Pip. That could just be a personal thing as everyone is different and will relate to different characters. But Bel felt a little one-dimensional to me.
Other than that a great mystery! Definitely made me want to read more mysteries this year.
The only 2 things I disliked that stopped it from being 5 stars for me:
1. The first half moved a bit slow and then the end moved so fast. I wish the pacing was a little more consistent and we got more concrete clues in the beginning.
2. I didn't really bond with Bel in the way I've bonded with Holly Jackson's other main characters like Pip. That could just be a personal thing as everyone is different and will relate to different characters. But Bel felt a little one-dimensional to me.
Other than that a great mystery! Definitely made me want to read more mysteries this year.
June 14, 2024
pre-read.
there were no epilogues. no pipravi crumbs. not one little reference to agggtm. excuse me while i go and crawl into a hole.
rtc ☆
꒰🎞️ ᝰ.ᐟ — reading this with my partner in crime and favorite yapper juju <3 me believing that we will get an epilogue that fully details pip and ravi’s life together with two kids and four dogs in a nice suburban town even though a good girl’s guide to murder and this book have no correlation [update: i firmly believe this will happen and the urge to flip to the back of the book is real]
there were no epilogues. no pipravi crumbs. not one little reference to agggtm. excuse me while i go and crawl into a hole.
rtc ☆
꒰🎞️ ᝰ.ᐟ — reading this with my partner in crime and favorite yapper juju <3 me believing that we will get an epilogue that fully details pip and ravi’s life together with two kids and four dogs in a nice suburban town even though a good girl’s guide to murder and this book have no correlation [update: i firmly believe this will happen and the urge to flip to the back of the book is real]
April 13, 2024
4.25 stars!!! Had me binge reading and forgetting about my phone three nights in a row!!! The ending was so interesting, she always ties up every loose end and clue, but I’m still deciding how I felt about it all!
April 21, 2024
4.45!
So much happened. Expectations were high, some were met, some were not but all in all, it was a splendid experience that I know I will want to experience once again.
It is honestly something in the way that Holly writes because there is no way that I could read a book by her and not feel hooked, not feel like I have to let go of all my other reads just to finish this one. Her style of writing, her way with words are beautiful and immersive, from the moment that I read the first page I knew this was going to be a wild ride and I was not proven wrong. I swear to god if I had time, I would have read it in one sitting but even when I was not reading it and was occupied with work, this book never failed to leave my mind, it was literally etched into it. Holly Jacksons writing style is so atmospheric, suspenseful, compelling and captivating.
Annabel Price (bel) our main character through whom we experience the whole book was a pleasure to read because let me tell you there is not one character that has made me laugh, feel sad, happy and frustrated at the same time, She was so witty and smart and I loved how all the snarky retorts were at the tip of her tongue and how she spoke back because we do not see that happen in many books and I hate characters who can not stand up for themselves luckily that was not the case for Bel. Holly has the magic of writing flawed and complex characters so well and she does not hold back any chance she gets to wield it because there were so many layers to Bel's character and just so much depth. I honestly felt Bel and because she was written in such an intricate way I saw how much frustrating it must have been for her.
The plot was so well webbed and I honestly believe that authors of this genre should be praised so highly because it is not easy at all to write a plot line that engages readers, keeps them on their toes while simultaneously foreshadowing and throwing things around things which make so much sense and the fact that they have the brain to throw us off completely from what is happening and prove our theories wrong again and again is just straight up amazing, because I can write a romance and a fantasy novel but I could never write a thriller. Moving back, Under these well placed layers of clues, interviews, documentary and notes I found so much enjoyment. I experienced the sudden epiphany of unveiling the clues that were thrown at us and at times I stopped doing my work just to sit and read this. It was so well thought and so well placed. The only reason why I am not giving this a 5 is because I somewhat predicted one of the main twists which instead of giving me satisfaction, made me feel underwhelmed but I was thrown off once again with another twist that I did not see coming but should have.
Note: There is very minimal romance, much less than AGGTM and we do get crumbs and nice moments with banter but it is definitely not the main focus and is overshadows but the development and twists.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I cant talk about these two characters without spoiling it for others.
Rachel Price, from the moment she was introduced I knew she was innocent and had been wronged, there was someone after her and at first tbh I did not expect it to be Charlie but rather the stalker but as the story progressed and things started to unravel I went like FUCK YEAH IT IS HIM
but technically I was wrong since the grandpa was the one who kidnapped her but the father was the one who orchestrated it all and truth be told the moment I heard him say "works tough" I knew he was lying and he had a role to play and I was RIGHT but OH MY GOD that Carter twist was so unexpected MY EYES WERE WIDE and I GASPED so loud.
SPOILERS END
Overall, I had the best time with this book and would definitely recommend it to everyone! y'all have to experience this.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.*
So much happened. Expectations were high, some were met, some were not but all in all, it was a splendid experience that I know I will want to experience once again.
It is honestly something in the way that Holly writes because there is no way that I could read a book by her and not feel hooked, not feel like I have to let go of all my other reads just to finish this one. Her style of writing, her way with words are beautiful and immersive, from the moment that I read the first page I knew this was going to be a wild ride and I was not proven wrong. I swear to god if I had time, I would have read it in one sitting but even when I was not reading it and was occupied with work, this book never failed to leave my mind, it was literally etched into it. Holly Jacksons writing style is so atmospheric, suspenseful, compelling and captivating.
Annabel Price (bel) our main character through whom we experience the whole book was a pleasure to read because let me tell you there is not one character that has made me laugh, feel sad, happy and frustrated at the same time, She was so witty and smart and I loved how all the snarky retorts were at the tip of her tongue and how she spoke back because we do not see that happen in many books and I hate characters who can not stand up for themselves luckily that was not the case for Bel. Holly has the magic of writing flawed and complex characters so well and she does not hold back any chance she gets to wield it because there were so many layers to Bel's character and just so much depth. I honestly felt Bel and because she was written in such an intricate way I saw how much frustrating it must have been for her.
The plot was so well webbed and I honestly believe that authors of this genre should be praised so highly because it is not easy at all to write a plot line that engages readers, keeps them on their toes while simultaneously foreshadowing and throwing things around things which make so much sense and the fact that they have the brain to throw us off completely from what is happening and prove our theories wrong again and again is just straight up amazing, because I can write a romance and a fantasy novel but I could never write a thriller. Moving back, Under these well placed layers of clues, interviews, documentary and notes I found so much enjoyment. I experienced the sudden epiphany of unveiling the clues that were thrown at us and at times I stopped doing my work just to sit and read this. It was so well thought and so well placed. The only reason why I am not giving this a 5 is because I somewhat predicted one of the main twists which instead of giving me satisfaction, made me feel underwhelmed but I was thrown off once again with another twist that I did not see coming but should have.
Note: There is very minimal romance, much less than AGGTM and we do get crumbs and nice moments with banter but it is definitely not the main focus and is overshadows but the development and twists.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!
I cant talk about these two characters without spoiling it for others.
Rachel Price, from the moment she was introduced I knew she was innocent and had been wronged, there was someone after her and at first tbh I did not expect it to be Charlie but rather the stalker but as the story progressed and things started to unravel I went like FUCK YEAH IT IS HIM
but technically I was wrong since the grandpa was the one who kidnapped her but the father was the one who orchestrated it all and truth be told the moment I heard him say "works tough" I knew he was lying and he had a role to play and I was RIGHT but OH MY GOD that Carter twist was so unexpected MY EYES WERE WIDE and I GASPED so loud.
SPOILERS END
Overall, I had the best time with this book and would definitely recommend it to everyone! y'all have to experience this.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.*
April 20, 2024
Although it had me interested, the book overall is quite underwhelming especially the way it ended. My expectations were not that high so I ultimately blame the way it was written. This is unfortunately not the best work of the author.
My main issues were- the pacing, the characters (the fmc in particular), and the poor end and execution of the story.
The first half is better written, I was immediately hooked and invested in unraveling the mystery surrounding Rachel Price. However, it's snail paced writing. For a book that is about picking on tiny details, there are a lot of useless ones and fillers at that. The middle got better with Bel and Ash getting more investigative and pacing picked up a tad. The second half is packed with a lot of plot twists yet little development for the main character. It's also underwhelming to find out the main culprits and what really happened to Rachel Price- mainly cause it was dragged throughout the book so long only to be a very cliche resolution. The only surprise element there was Carter.
My one and only favorite character was Ash. He lightened up the mood and definitely brought in balance to Bel's chaotic personality. Unfortunately, I did not like Bel that much. She does have her badass moments at the end but for about 85% of the book she is an annoying main character. While I understand on some levels why she is like that, it doesn't excuse how consistently rude, judgemental and has no thought for consequences. She was simply brash. She spends so much time loathing someone that once she finally accepts the reality, it comes across as a bit fake.
Some of the character arcs are a bit predictable, especially revolving Charlie and Rachel. But boy, I gotta admit what a messed up family it was.
The story is quite gripping despite its shortcomings. But there could have been more done with it, there was potential to improve. At the end of the day it was just okay.
~•~•~
So excited for this. Please be good 😩😩
My main issues were- the pacing, the characters (the fmc in particular), and the poor end and execution of the story.
The first half is better written, I was immediately hooked and invested in unraveling the mystery surrounding Rachel Price. However, it's snail paced writing. For a book that is about picking on tiny details, there are a lot of useless ones and fillers at that. The middle got better with Bel and Ash getting more investigative and pacing picked up a tad. The second half is packed with a lot of plot twists yet little development for the main character. It's also underwhelming to find out the main culprits and what really happened to Rachel Price- mainly cause it was dragged throughout the book so long only to be a very cliche resolution. The only surprise element there was Carter.
My one and only favorite character was Ash. He lightened up the mood and definitely brought in balance to Bel's chaotic personality. Unfortunately, I did not like Bel that much. She does have her badass moments at the end but for about 85% of the book she is an annoying main character. While I understand on some levels why she is like that, it doesn't excuse how consistently rude, judgemental and has no thought for consequences. She was simply brash. She spends so much time loathing someone that once she finally accepts the reality, it comes across as a bit fake.
Some of the character arcs are a bit predictable, especially revolving Charlie and Rachel. But boy, I gotta admit what a messed up family it was.
The story is quite gripping despite its shortcomings. But there could have been more done with it, there was potential to improve. At the end of the day it was just okay.
~•~•~
So excited for this. Please be good 😩😩
April 22, 2024
2 stars. (writing this through sobs)
i don’t even know where to start. very little about this book was good.
the writing was nothing like her usual work, i don’t think, but it’s been about a year since i last read a holly jackson book so idk take this with a grain of salt. most of the sentences were fragments; they couldn’t stand on their own. now, let me say that i am the biggest enthusiast of breaking grammar rules. as a writer, i often do so myself. and as a reader, i find that the prose i adore most usually involves some kind of rule bending or breaking. but this writing was odd and clunky in such a way that i couldn’t be fully immersed in the story. every few lines there would be some broken off piece of a sentence that i could kind of understand with context but at the same time, it was just so jarring to read?? like what happened between agggtm and this book?? the shift in writing styles was completely unnecessary. not to mention the million times she brought up the knot in bel’s stomach? girl idgaf about some stupid knot in her stomach. move on. cut that shit out and save us 50 pages please!!!
the characters were all insufferable, except ash, the somewhat saving grace of this book. what a sweetheart. he deserved more page time. bel pissed me off. i get that she was suspicious of rachel, i would be too. but at least give her the benefit of the doubt? and maybe don’t treat her like shit? there’s a way to be tactful and wary — no need to run around acting like she had the plague. ALSO bel’s character made no sense. she was so inconsistent it was giving me whiplash. wdym she suspected rachel then did a complete 180 when there was nothing that even justified that? like how did we get here?? what is going on?? it felt like holly jackson just didn’t take the time to fully flesh out bel as a character. she was so one dimensional, so uninteresting, and somehow also so infuriating at times. and everyone else i either flat out despised or was completely indifferent toward.
onto the plot! the one decent thing about this book, aside from ash. the twist got me. i was sort of expecting some of it but i was also (thankfully) surprised during the reveal. it was good enough to leave me satisfied, BUT the ending was so odd? like… genuinely, what the fuck? i can’t say much without spoiling it, but i really don’t know how to feel about that. uneasy? confused? in disbelief? relief that it’s over? all of the above, apparently.
i don’t even know where to start. very little about this book was good.
the writing was nothing like her usual work, i don’t think, but it’s been about a year since i last read a holly jackson book so idk take this with a grain of salt. most of the sentences were fragments; they couldn’t stand on their own. now, let me say that i am the biggest enthusiast of breaking grammar rules. as a writer, i often do so myself. and as a reader, i find that the prose i adore most usually involves some kind of rule bending or breaking. but this writing was odd and clunky in such a way that i couldn’t be fully immersed in the story. every few lines there would be some broken off piece of a sentence that i could kind of understand with context but at the same time, it was just so jarring to read?? like what happened between agggtm and this book?? the shift in writing styles was completely unnecessary. not to mention the million times she brought up the knot in bel’s stomach? girl idgaf about some stupid knot in her stomach. move on. cut that shit out and save us 50 pages please!!!
the characters were all insufferable, except ash, the somewhat saving grace of this book. what a sweetheart. he deserved more page time. bel pissed me off. i get that she was suspicious of rachel, i would be too. but at least give her the benefit of the doubt? and maybe don’t treat her like shit? there’s a way to be tactful and wary — no need to run around acting like she had the plague. ALSO bel’s character made no sense. she was so inconsistent it was giving me whiplash. wdym she suspected rachel then did a complete 180 when there was nothing that even justified that? like how did we get here?? what is going on?? it felt like holly jackson just didn’t take the time to fully flesh out bel as a character. she was so one dimensional, so uninteresting, and somehow also so infuriating at times. and everyone else i either flat out despised or was completely indifferent toward.
onto the plot! the one decent thing about this book, aside from ash. the twist got me. i was sort of expecting some of it but i was also (thankfully) surprised during the reveal. it was good enough to leave me satisfied, BUT the ending was so odd? like… genuinely, what the fuck? i can’t say much without spoiling it, but i really don’t know how to feel about that. uneasy? confused? in disbelief? relief that it’s over? all of the above, apparently.
May 5, 2024
this was VERY DIFFERENT from a good girl's guide to murder.
alternate title proposal: a mean girl's guide to family drama and bullying the people around her.
it was a lot more dramatic, a lot less realistic, and a lot more filled with secrets and cringy moments of the meanest teenage girl you've ever encountered in your fiction-reading life making adults cry. which is...not my usual demographic.
the last third or so was a lot more enjoyable of a reading experience, but it wasn't a satisfying conclusion. instead it was really info dumpy, very unrealistic feeling.
if a good girl's guide to murder is like the first few seasons of pretty little liars, this is like the last few. unrealistic, confusing, and vaguely alarming.
but still surprising and weirdly fun.
bottom line: the real plot twist is how much i didn't expect about this book.
2.5
------------------
tbr review
a good reader's guide to adding too many books to her tbr
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
alternate title proposal: a mean girl's guide to family drama and bullying the people around her.
it was a lot more dramatic, a lot less realistic, and a lot more filled with secrets and cringy moments of the meanest teenage girl you've ever encountered in your fiction-reading life making adults cry. which is...not my usual demographic.
the last third or so was a lot more enjoyable of a reading experience, but it wasn't a satisfying conclusion. instead it was really info dumpy, very unrealistic feeling.
if a good girl's guide to murder is like the first few seasons of pretty little liars, this is like the last few. unrealistic, confusing, and vaguely alarming.
but still surprising and weirdly fun.
bottom line: the real plot twist is how much i didn't expect about this book.
2.5
------------------
tbr review
a good reader's guide to adding too many books to her tbr
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
Shelved as 'upcoming-releases'
March 16, 2024A true crime mystery thriller!?!?!?? OMG WHATTTTT!!!
Also why are there so many new releases rn 😭 they are just trying to rob my bank account 😭 but whatever im so damn excited for this to come out in april 2024
Also why are there so many new releases rn 😭 they are just trying to rob my bank account 😭 but whatever im so damn excited for this to come out in april 2024
April 19, 2024
I'll be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed it and was hooked right from the beginning. The story had a fantastic and promising start. The premise of this book is undeniably captivating. However, when it comes to the execution, it fell short in my opinion.
The pacing was frustratingly sluggish, and several chapters in the middle seemed like mere fillers. Perhaps it's solely due to my expectations being different. Nonetheless, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone in search of a captivating and compelling read. Overall, it was an enjoyable read!!!
The pacing was frustratingly sluggish, and several chapters in the middle seemed like mere fillers. Perhaps it's solely due to my expectations being different. Nonetheless, I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone in search of a captivating and compelling read. Overall, it was an enjoyable read!!!
July 10, 2024
I loved the plot line but some of the decisions these characters made, made no sense on an emotional level.
3.5⭐️
3.5⭐️
April 10, 2024
holly jackson can do no wrong. except for when it comes to making my trust issues worse than they already were.
rtc and thank you so much to netgalley and random house children's for the arc!!
rtc and thank you so much to netgalley and random house children's for the arc!!
April 7, 2024
no i am not okay and yes i fear that i never will be
WHAT IN GOD’S GREEN EARTH WAS T H A T?????????????????????????????
i’m literally not okay like i’m not at all because like i was reading it and it just got BETTER and BETTER but also worse because it was sick and twisted and i was literally on edge the whole time 😭
ask eden i was messaging her as it happened literally going crazy (sorry 😔)
okay now im gonna attempt to go to bed and try formulate a review for this one when i wake up 🤞🤞
- - -
🌷 ໋֢ 𖥻 pre-read review !
oh my god. GUYSSSSSSSSSSSS I JUST GOT MINE IN THE MAIL TODAY AND SHE'S BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL (the sprayed edges are perfect) AND S I G N E D. i got the signed edition guys i'm not okay, i'm gonna start this one after i finish my cr 🤭🤭🤭 YAYAYAYAYYY
WHAT IN GOD’S GREEN EARTH WAS T H A T?????????????????????????????
i’m literally not okay like i’m not at all because like i was reading it and it just got BETTER and BETTER but also worse because it was sick and twisted and i was literally on edge the whole time 😭
ask eden i was messaging her as it happened literally going crazy (sorry 😔)
okay now im gonna attempt to go to bed and try formulate a review for this one when i wake up 🤞🤞
- - -
🌷 ໋֢ 𖥻 pre-read review !
oh my god. GUYSSSSSSSSSSSS I JUST GOT MINE IN THE MAIL TODAY AND SHE'S BEAUTIFUL AND SPECIAL (the sprayed edges are perfect) AND S I G N E D. i got the signed edition guys i'm not okay, i'm gonna start this one after i finish my cr 🤭🤭🤭 YAYAYAYAYYY
April 16, 2024
➸ 4 stars
how I felt while reading this book:🕵️♀️ how I felt after: 🤡
holly jackson, please put ash and bel in a romance novel, I beg you
I have a lot of thoughts on this one but I’ll try and keep it short; expectations were really high and honestly the book was predictable and could’ve been better in some areas but overall, I enjoyed reading this and I had so much fun I couldn’t put it down!!
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ bel price - I didn’t really like bel to be honest, she was so mean to everyone (ESPECIALLY RACHEL?!?!) around her for no reason and would say such cruel things to people who never did a single thing to deserve it and overall she was just unlikeable. I get her reasoning for it since throughout the whole book she’d say she would push people away before they had the chance to leave her but her way of doing that was just not it… I’m glad she got character development at the very end but then again that was AT THE VERY END so she wasn’t really a joy to read about in this book.
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ ash maddox - I LOVED ASH AND HIS AWKWARDNESS AND HIS FUNNY CLOTHING!! I wish we got more of him because there wasn’t nearly enough he was one of the best characters and his moments in the book were amazing but NOT ENOUGH!
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ ash and bel - I loved them I did, the moments they had together were cute, but… I feel like they weren’t fully developed, ash not being in the book much is a reason for it and I just felt like they needed MORE! Their open ending as me conflicted because I don’t know how to feel about it, it just feels like their story ended as soon as it started and I wish we could’ve seen more of them together!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
I guessed the grandfathers involvement in the mystery from the very beginning, the signs were just so clear and obvious… I didn’t suspect charlie until bel started suspecting him and that one was a bit of a shocker to me. I also knew there was something going on with carter but I never would’ve guessed it was what it was. Overall, this was a bit predictable and I was just expecting something bigger!
—
𓍢ִ໋˖🎬 pre-read ⊹𖧧 ࣪ - buddy read with lulu sooo excited to start this I can’t wait for holly jacksons mysteries and twists 🤭
“The name Rachel Price is almost synonymous with mystery. Because her disappearance was like a puzzle, and it’s human nature to want to solve a puzzle, don’t you think?”
how I felt while reading this book:🕵️♀️ how I felt after: 🤡
holly jackson, please put ash and bel in a romance novel, I beg you
I have a lot of thoughts on this one but I’ll try and keep it short; expectations were really high and honestly the book was predictable and could’ve been better in some areas but overall, I enjoyed reading this and I had so much fun I couldn’t put it down!!
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ bel price - I didn’t really like bel to be honest, she was so mean to everyone (ESPECIALLY RACHEL?!?!) around her for no reason and would say such cruel things to people who never did a single thing to deserve it and overall she was just unlikeable. I get her reasoning for it since throughout the whole book she’d say she would push people away before they had the chance to leave her but her way of doing that was just not it… I’m glad she got character development at the very end but then again that was AT THE VERY END so she wasn’t really a joy to read about in this book.
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ ash maddox - I LOVED ASH AND HIS AWKWARDNESS AND HIS FUNNY CLOTHING!! I wish we got more of him because there wasn’t nearly enough he was one of the best characters and his moments in the book were amazing but NOT ENOUGH!
𓍢ִ໋ ˖ ash and bel - I loved them I did, the moments they had together were cute, but… I feel like they weren’t fully developed, ash not being in the book much is a reason for it and I just felt like they needed MORE! Their open ending as me conflicted because I don’t know how to feel about it, it just feels like their story ended as soon as it started and I wish we could’ve seen more of them together!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!
I guessed the grandfathers involvement in the mystery from the very beginning, the signs were just so clear and obvious… I didn’t suspect charlie until bel started suspecting him and that one was a bit of a shocker to me. I also knew there was something going on with carter but I never would’ve guessed it was what it was. Overall, this was a bit predictable and I was just expecting something bigger!
—
𓍢ִ໋˖🎬 pre-read ⊹𖧧 ࣪ - buddy read with lulu sooo excited to start this I can’t wait for holly jacksons mysteries and twists 🤭
June 27, 2024
Let me tell you one thing to begin with - Holly Jackson is my queen and I believe in supremacy of her book.
And this one is no exception.
THIS STORY WAS ADDICTING! I was hooked from the beginning to the very end and I can't wait to reread it again!
Bel Price's mom, Rachel, vanished without a trace 16 years ago, leaving behind a cloud of mystery that's hung over their family ever since. But when her dad agrees to be part of a documentary about Rachel's disappearance, Bel reluctantly gets involved. And then, out of nowhere, Bel comes face to face with Rachel herself, alive and well on the side of the road. Talk about a plot twist!
I was totally sucked into Bel's world from the get-go. She's such a relatable protagonist - jaded, cynical, and feeling totally isolated. As she delves deeper into her own trauma and tries to uncover the truth about her family, I was right there with her, hanging on every word.
And let me tell you, the twists and turns in this book? Mind-blowing! Holly Jackson totally nailed it with the plot twists - they were perfectly set up, yet still managed to catch me off guard every time. And the ending? Whew, it had me shook!
But "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" isn't just a mystery - it's also a deep dive into family dynamics, loyalty, and the meaning of justice. It's emotional, thought-provoking, and kept me guessing until the very end.
Seriously, this book was the most fun I've had reading in ages. I was constantly trying to piece together the puzzle, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, Jackson threw in another twist that kept me guessing. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and I loved every minute of it!
And this one is no exception.
THIS STORY WAS ADDICTING! I was hooked from the beginning to the very end and I can't wait to reread it again!
Bel Price's mom, Rachel, vanished without a trace 16 years ago, leaving behind a cloud of mystery that's hung over their family ever since. But when her dad agrees to be part of a documentary about Rachel's disappearance, Bel reluctantly gets involved. And then, out of nowhere, Bel comes face to face with Rachel herself, alive and well on the side of the road. Talk about a plot twist!
I was totally sucked into Bel's world from the get-go. She's such a relatable protagonist - jaded, cynical, and feeling totally isolated. As she delves deeper into her own trauma and tries to uncover the truth about her family, I was right there with her, hanging on every word.
And let me tell you, the twists and turns in this book? Mind-blowing! Holly Jackson totally nailed it with the plot twists - they were perfectly set up, yet still managed to catch me off guard every time. And the ending? Whew, it had me shook!
But "The Reappearance of Rachel Price" isn't just a mystery - it's also a deep dive into family dynamics, loyalty, and the meaning of justice. It's emotional, thought-provoking, and kept me guessing until the very end.
Seriously, this book was the most fun I've had reading in ages. I was constantly trying to piece together the puzzle, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, Jackson threw in another twist that kept me guessing. It's a wild ride from start to finish, and I loved every minute of it!
May 9, 2024
★★★★☆ - 4 stars
The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back.
this book had me hooked for hours!
holly jackson is no doubt a talented writer, so i had high expectations for this book, and of course, they were met.
this is about a girl named bel, who is asked to film a documentary about her missing mother. when her mother mysteriously returns, something is off…and things begin to go downhill from there.
we follow bel as she begins to uncover more and more secrets about her family, where it turns out, nothing is coincidental after all.
the plot was paced well, and with all the juicy secrets being uncovered, i was not able to put this down. just when i thought i had things figured out, it threw me for another twist!
and the end leaves you with chills. it was absolutely insane. i did NOT see it coming at all!
bel was an easy to character to connect with. at first, i was a bit taken aback by her sense of humor, but i quickly learned that it was only a facade. she’s fearless when it comes to protecting her family. she believes in herself even when no one else does. the perfect main character for this book!
rachel price is such an insanely strong woman. she was put through HELL. how she pushed through, i have no idea. everything else I have to say about her will spoil the book, so I will leave it at that. but wow!! absolutely wild.
i did not by any means expect the ending parts to be so sad. i was sobbing!! the family dynamics in this were really powerful. such an unexpected, but great, addition to this book.
there were also some scary moments! i would not recommend reading at night, but even in the daytime, it was chilling. super well-done.
highly recommend this, and i will be on standby for holly jackson’s next book!
The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back.
this book had me hooked for hours!
holly jackson is no doubt a talented writer, so i had high expectations for this book, and of course, they were met.
this is about a girl named bel, who is asked to film a documentary about her missing mother. when her mother mysteriously returns, something is off…and things begin to go downhill from there.
we follow bel as she begins to uncover more and more secrets about her family, where it turns out, nothing is coincidental after all.
the plot was paced well, and with all the juicy secrets being uncovered, i was not able to put this down. just when i thought i had things figured out, it threw me for another twist!
and the end leaves you with chills. it was absolutely insane. i did NOT see it coming at all!
bel was an easy to character to connect with. at first, i was a bit taken aback by her sense of humor, but i quickly learned that it was only a facade. she’s fearless when it comes to protecting her family. she believes in herself even when no one else does. the perfect main character for this book!
rachel price is such an insanely strong woman. she was put through HELL. how she pushed through, i have no idea. everything else I have to say about her will spoil the book, so I will leave it at that. but wow!! absolutely wild.
i did not by any means expect the ending parts to be so sad. i was sobbing!! the family dynamics in this were really powerful. such an unexpected, but great, addition to this book.
there were also some scary moments! i would not recommend reading at night, but even in the daytime, it was chilling. super well-done.
highly recommend this, and i will be on standby for holly jackson’s next book!
May 22, 2024
—— 3.5 ✰ stars.
・❥・ Mood of the book: no body, no crime by Taylor Swift
If there is one word that defines this book, it is underwhelming.
Holly Jackson didn't fully convince me with her new book, but I would still recommend it to any fan of mysteries and especially the young adult genre. I suppose, taking into account some things at the end, that there will be a second part or, at least, another book with Bel as the main character. But hey, let's get on with the review, because im already rambling lol.
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished. Bel wishes everyone would move on but the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary, and then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, but here is the catch, Bel doesn’t believe her, so with the cameras rolling, she must try to discover the truth.
The plot sounds interesting and the truth is, I was very intrigued by it, but the final plot twists seemed predictable to me, which already detracts from its score, and also, of all the twists that could be given to the story, in my opinion it chose the most obvious.
As in Five Survive, the pace of the story is slow, especially until 60% of the story is reached, the plot moves very very slowly, and it took me more than a whole week to read this book, since, although I found the plot very interesting, the pace of the book made me lose interest. Also I should add that I felt it was quite long, maybe 50-80 pages less would have been good, plus after the 'plot twist' happens, it gets boring.
I don't have much to say about the writing, it seemed normal to me, neither good nor bad, I can't compare it with the previous books since I read them in Spanish.
I don't want to be very specific because in mystery books anything can be a clue, so I won't talk about the characters in depth. I liked the main character, Bel, but I didn't love her, although I did like it Ash a lot, and he definitely deserved more prominence and well... if you read the book, you know what I mean when I say, that the romance was underwhelming as fuck.
Long story short, an interesting book but it could have been much better, I would still recommend it because I have seen very good reviews, even though my opinion is unpopular. Despite all this, Holly Jackson will remain a auto-read author for me, because of the first two agggtm books.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭:
14/05 🔎: of all plot twists she could put It has to be THAT one 🤡 anyways rtc
06/05 🔎: Holly Jackson pls don’t disappoint me 😭🤞🏻 hope this one is better than five survive!
'What do you think happened to your mother?'
・❥・ Mood of the book: no body, no crime by Taylor Swift
If there is one word that defines this book, it is underwhelming.
Holly Jackson didn't fully convince me with her new book, but I would still recommend it to any fan of mysteries and especially the young adult genre. I suppose, taking into account some things at the end, that there will be a second part or, at least, another book with Bel as the main character. But hey, let's get on with the review, because im already rambling lol.
»•» 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽 «•«
18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished. Bel wishes everyone would move on but the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary, and then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, but here is the catch, Bel doesn’t believe her, so with the cameras rolling, she must try to discover the truth.
The plot sounds interesting and the truth is, I was very intrigued by it, but the final plot twists seemed predictable to me, which already detracts from its score, and also, of all the twists that could be given to the story, in my opinion it chose the most obvious.
»•» 𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 «•«
As in Five Survive, the pace of the story is slow, especially until 60% of the story is reached, the plot moves very very slowly, and it took me more than a whole week to read this book, since, although I found the plot very interesting, the pace of the book made me lose interest. Also I should add that I felt it was quite long, maybe 50-80 pages less would have been good, plus after the 'plot twist' happens, it gets boring.
I don't have much to say about the writing, it seemed normal to me, neither good nor bad, I can't compare it with the previous books since I read them in Spanish.
»•» 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 «•«
'Don’t you need to say Action, or Rolling or something?
'Action, or rolling or something',he said with a lopsided grin
I don't want to be very specific because in mystery books anything can be a clue, so I won't talk about the characters in depth. I liked the main character, Bel, but I didn't love her, although I did like it Ash a lot, and he definitely deserved more prominence and well... if you read the book, you know what I mean when I say, that the romance was underwhelming as fuck.
Long story short, an interesting book but it could have been much better, I would still recommend it because I have seen very good reviews, even though my opinion is unpopular. Despite all this, Holly Jackson will remain a auto-read author for me, because of the first two agggtm books.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭:
14/05 🔎: of all plot twists she could put It has to be THAT one 🤡 anyways rtc
06/05 🔎: Holly Jackson pls don’t disappoint me 😭🤞🏻 hope this one is better than five survive!
August 22, 2023
In my eyes Holly Jackson can do no wrong
April 22, 2024
”the trouble was knowing who deserved to be family at the end of it all.”
🫢
~*~ 3 stars ~*~
i was hooked the first 60% of this book and then things slowly started to fizzle out. still a good book and i highly enjoy holly jackson’s writing, but it started to feel like it was dragging at the end??
i felt myself losing interest after most of the reveals, which is not something you want to happen when reading a thriller…. but this is not me trying to deter you.
i enjoyed the pacing (although i saw many other disliked it, i thought it worked well. be warned: it’s slow,) and i really enjoyed the documentary aspect. this reads almost like a true crime novel in parts and i loved that.
i’m going to sound so old for saying this, but overuse of the f-bomb was really annoying. i get the main character wasn’t supposed to be a kind, sweet girl and i can appreciate that… but it got to the point where the swearing was just over the top.
someone please fetch Bel a dictionary so she can learn some words other than “fuck.” (i heard that word is used 121+ times in this book?!?)
new reading pet peeve unlocked. 🔓
holly jackson is still an auto-buy author for me. i fly through her books and this was no exception. despite the 3 star rating, you all should read this one if you’re a holly jackson fan!
not every book is going to compare to AGGGTM and that’s okay. 🫶🏻
~*~ 3 stars ~*~
i was hooked the first 60% of this book and then things slowly started to fizzle out. still a good book and i highly enjoy holly jackson’s writing, but it started to feel like it was dragging at the end??
i felt myself losing interest after most of the reveals, which is not something you want to happen when reading a thriller…. but this is not me trying to deter you.
i enjoyed the pacing (although i saw many other disliked it, i thought it worked well. be warned: it’s slow,) and i really enjoyed the documentary aspect. this reads almost like a true crime novel in parts and i loved that.
i’m going to sound so old for saying this, but overuse of the f-bomb was really annoying. i get the main character wasn’t supposed to be a kind, sweet girl and i can appreciate that… but it got to the point where the swearing was just over the top.
someone please fetch Bel a dictionary so she can learn some words other than “fuck.” (i heard that word is used 121+ times in this book?!?)
new reading pet peeve unlocked. 🔓
holly jackson is still an auto-buy author for me. i fly through her books and this was no exception. despite the 3 star rating, you all should read this one if you’re a holly jackson fan!
not every book is going to compare to AGGGTM and that’s okay. 🫶🏻
April 8, 2024
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 4.5 stars ✰
HOLLY JACKSON NEVER DISAPPOINTS
rtc
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ 🎬 ꒱ pre-read ₊⊹
➳ I FINALLY GOT IT!!! guys i'm so excited to start this omg. i have no doubt i'm going to love this because holly jackson can do no wrong 🤞
HOLLY JACKSON NEVER DISAPPOINTS
rtc
────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
⊹ ࣪ ˖ ꒰ 🎬 ꒱ pre-read ₊⊹
➳ I FINALLY GOT IT!!! guys i'm so excited to start this omg. i have no doubt i'm going to love this because holly jackson can do no wrong 🤞
Shelved as 'anticipating'
August 28, 2023NEW HOLLY JACKSON IN APRIL?? WE’RE SO BACK BABY
April 5, 2024
another reason why i hate men
March 30, 2024
if this is the happiest ending holly jackson has ever given us then why am i still crying
Want to read
June 10, 2024ೃ⁀➷ i’m dnf-ing this for right now. it’s been on my cr for over a month and that’s how long it’s been since I’ve picked it up. it’s what originally put me in my slump ☹️ someone please tell me it gets better or else i’ll actually dnf it 😭 this is so disappointing.
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: finally starting this 🤭 one of my most anticipated releases for this year- let’s hope it doesn’t let me down 🤞🏼 also can we take a moment and appreciate the detail on the hardcover itself?? pay raise for whoever designed it 🙌🏽
UPDATE: I GOT IT 🤭🤭 i will be reading this as soon as i finish all my cr 😌
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ happy release day! 💐 i love Holly Jackson and i hope this isn’t a flop like five survive was 🤧 i’m going to the store today if it’s the last thing i do 🧍♀️ ANYWAYS YAYAYAYA 🙌🏽
ೃ⁀➷ 𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭: finally starting this 🤭 one of my most anticipated releases for this year- let’s hope it doesn’t let me down 🤞🏼 also can we take a moment and appreciate the detail on the hardcover itself?? pay raise for whoever designed it 🙌🏽
UPDATE: I GOT IT 🤭🤭 i will be reading this as soon as i finish all my cr 😌
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ happy release day! 💐 i love Holly Jackson and i hope this isn’t a flop like five survive was 🤧 i’m going to the store today if it’s the last thing i do 🧍♀️ ANYWAYS YAYAYAYA 🙌🏽
April 15, 2024
"to the most fucked-up family in america. cheers!" HEAR HEAR
May 6, 2024
actual rating: 3.5 stars
Shelved as 'soft-dnf'
May 8, 2024 ₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
hello! i am soft-dnfing this because it doesn't fit into my schedule right now - however I'm trading it off for another holly jackson book - don't worry
ok getting out of the slump hasn't begun because im a little too "who's afraid of little old me" right now
getting out of the slump part 2:
in holly jackson we trust 🫡 i read five survive in less than 24 hours so i have faith in this and everyone has given it glowing reviews i am ready to have my socks knocked off.
hello! i am soft-dnfing this because it doesn't fit into my schedule right now - however I'm trading it off for another holly jackson book - don't worry
ok getting out of the slump hasn't begun because im a little too "who's afraid of little old me" right now
getting out of the slump part 2:
in holly jackson we trust 🫡 i read five survive in less than 24 hours so i have faith in this and everyone has given it glowing reviews i am ready to have my socks knocked off.
March 24, 2024
“It was easy to push people away when you knew how.”
We follow Annabel Price (Bel), who was only two years old when her mother, Rachel Price, disappeared. She's the last person who saw her before she mysteriously disappeared. But here's the thing, all she knows about the case and that day is what she's pieced together from other people's memories. So, get this: they're making a true crime documentary about her mom's disappearance, and guess what? Rachel Price shows up out of nowhere!
“The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back. Sometimes, they even came back from the dead.”
*Cues sad music*
As a big fan of Holly Jackson's writing, I had high hopes for this book. But unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I'll go into brief detail about what I enjoyed and what didn't quite work for me. Let's start with our main character, shall we?
Bel was seriously fearless when it came to speaking her mind! I loved how her mouth had no brakes and she would say exactly what was on her mind. Getting to know her throughout this was a pleasure! It's was refreshing to see a character who isn't afraid to be honest and upfront. Her unfiltered thoughts and outspoken nature added an extra layer of authenticity to her character.
At first, I wasn't sure if the book really needed that romantic element, but then I found myself totally rooting for it! It added this extra layer of excitement that kept me hooked.
So, looking back, the story had a lot of promise with a solid mystery at its core. But, I gotta be honest, the slow pacing and repetitive narration kinda took away from the tension and suspense. However, around the halfway point, things started to pick up with all those twists and turns, and let me tell you, I couldn't put it down! Throughout the book, I had my suspicions, but there were a couple of twists that I actually guessed, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. My favorite scene was definitely when the truth was revealed. And you know what? I'm still questioning something from the book. It's been a back and forth decision, but I think giving it a rating of 3.75 feels fair to me.
“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” wasn't a bad book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations either. In my opinion, it's not the author's best work. Sometimes we have high hopes for a book and it doesn't quite hit the mark. But hey, it's all part of the reading journey, right? We win some, we lose some!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s-Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
We follow Annabel Price (Bel), who was only two years old when her mother, Rachel Price, disappeared. She's the last person who saw her before she mysteriously disappeared. But here's the thing, all she knows about the case and that day is what she's pieced together from other people's memories. So, get this: they're making a true crime documentary about her mom's disappearance, and guess what? Rachel Price shows up out of nowhere!
“The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back. Sometimes, they even came back from the dead.”
*Cues sad music*
As a big fan of Holly Jackson's writing, I had high hopes for this book. But unfortunately, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I'll go into brief detail about what I enjoyed and what didn't quite work for me. Let's start with our main character, shall we?
Bel was seriously fearless when it came to speaking her mind! I loved how her mouth had no brakes and she would say exactly what was on her mind. Getting to know her throughout this was a pleasure! It's was refreshing to see a character who isn't afraid to be honest and upfront. Her unfiltered thoughts and outspoken nature added an extra layer of authenticity to her character.
At first, I wasn't sure if the book really needed that romantic element, but then I found myself totally rooting for it! It added this extra layer of excitement that kept me hooked.
So, looking back, the story had a lot of promise with a solid mystery at its core. But, I gotta be honest, the slow pacing and repetitive narration kinda took away from the tension and suspense. However, around the halfway point, things started to pick up with all those twists and turns, and let me tell you, I couldn't put it down! Throughout the book, I had my suspicions, but there were a couple of twists that I actually guessed, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. My favorite scene was definitely when the truth was revealed. And you know what? I'm still questioning something from the book. It's been a back and forth decision, but I think giving it a rating of 3.75 feels fair to me.
“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” wasn't a bad book, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations either. In my opinion, it's not the author's best work. Sometimes we have high hopes for a book and it doesn't quite hit the mark. But hey, it's all part of the reading journey, right? We win some, we lose some!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s-Delacorte Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 2, 2024
જ⁀➴ 3.90 ☆!! spoiler free
🎧 - no body, no crime
he reports his missing wife
and I noticed when I passed his house his truck has got some brand new tires.....
"i think he did it but I just can't prove it"
okay look, this wasn't a bad book. i had a pretty fun time. reading this felt like a fever dream though. i also thought the beginning was dragged out. this book is 400 pages 😭 but despite that, the last 100 pages made up for it. & props to the cover artist bcuz i LOVE the cover 🤭
➵ if you have't already, i highly recommend holly jackson's books! you must try one sometime <3 i love how her books are 'YA' yet some of the themes can be inconspicuous at times. due to the fact that its a mystery/thriller. anyways, look at this synopsis: (my version)
so yeah, quite the mystery there 🤨 but like i said earlier, it felt like it was too long for the build up. but i was able to binge it in 3 days so its okay <3 another big thing about this book are the characters. (for me, characters are really meaningful & its easier when i like them) tbh, towards the end i liked them more, even a little sad because of their whole journey tgt 😭 so here are some shoutouts!
➵bel - as our FMC, i respect her. i get why her attitude was a little salty at times, but i dont blame her. i've heard people say that she pissed them off, which is valid ok,? but i think i rooted for her more in the end. pip is still one of my faves!! (i miss her 🥲) idk how i feel about 'red' from five survive tho 😀 but anyway, i was rooting for her and ash!! i hope shes doing great now <3
➵special mentions - tbh, i really liked ash! i was crying when he was referenced to harry styles LMAOOO 😭 ash is the london boy for me tho. but he was so cool. i also liked carter & rachel! and ofc, ramsey too!! <3 miss them all
overall!📽 to conclude, i liked this!! some things could've been different, but im so glad holly jackson writes, i love her stories. this could've been a 4 star, it was so close!! and i CANT WAIT FOR THE AGGGTM SHOW IN JULY. keep that in mind yall. but yeah, this a good YA mystery if u want to get into this genre!! i am excited to see what she comes out with next! go read this new release! u probably wont regret it <3 mwah
୨୧・・・・୨୧
°📷 ༘ preview!
ahh finally starting this!im already 100 pages in BUT ive been anticipating this book for a while now. the synopsis is just so hooking, and i love holly jackson and her stories!! tbh five survive did NOT hit for me, but i think ill like this one a bit better. AGGGTM still on top for me. ALSO - how did i not realize the agggtm tv series is coming out july 2024 😭 LIKE WHAT? another thing to look forward to this summer. okay happy reading yall!! <3
august, 22, 23
YUHHH A NEW MYSTERY BOOK, 2024 is gonna have the BEST books omh
“because everybody left eventually, but it hurt less. That was what life was, choosing the way that hurt less." ༘˚°📷
🎧 - no body, no crime
he reports his missing wife
and I noticed when I passed his house his truck has got some brand new tires.....
"i think he did it but I just can't prove it"
okay look, this wasn't a bad book. i had a pretty fun time. reading this felt like a fever dream though. i also thought the beginning was dragged out. this book is 400 pages 😭 but despite that, the last 100 pages made up for it. & props to the cover artist bcuz i LOVE the cover 🤭
➵ if you have't already, i highly recommend holly jackson's books! you must try one sometime <3 i love how her books are 'YA' yet some of the themes can be inconspicuous at times. due to the fact that its a mystery/thriller. anyways, look at this synopsis: (my version)
the media has always been wondering, "what happened to rachel price?" her mysterious disappearance has never been solved, and its been almost 16 years. now, 18-year-old, bel, is apart of a film/true crime documentary that her family agreed upon & she is miserable doing it. and you could imagine, the film is none other than about her mother & what happened to her. but get this: she returns (miraculously) while they're filming! 🫢 should be a miracle right? hm, im not too sure about that, because bel thinks she's lying about her story. where has she been all these years...?📽
so yeah, quite the mystery there 🤨 but like i said earlier, it felt like it was too long for the build up. but i was able to binge it in 3 days so its okay <3 another big thing about this book are the characters. (for me, characters are really meaningful & its easier when i like them) tbh, towards the end i liked them more, even a little sad because of their whole journey tgt 😭 so here are some shoutouts!
➵bel - as our FMC, i respect her. i get why her attitude was a little salty at times, but i dont blame her. i've heard people say that she pissed them off, which is valid ok,? but i think i rooted for her more in the end. pip is still one of my faves!! (i miss her 🥲) idk how i feel about 'red' from five survive tho 😀 but anyway, i was rooting for her and ash!! i hope shes doing great now <3
➵special mentions - tbh, i really liked ash! i was crying when he was referenced to harry styles LMAOOO 😭 ash is the london boy for me tho. but he was so cool. i also liked carter & rachel! and ofc, ramsey too!! <3 miss them all
“Seems convenient,” she said, “that a film crew just happened to be making a documentary about her when she returned from the dead. What impeccable timing for both parties. Where’s Ramsey?"
overall!📽 to conclude, i liked this!! some things could've been different, but im so glad holly jackson writes, i love her stories. this could've been a 4 star, it was so close!! and i CANT WAIT FOR THE AGGGTM SHOW IN JULY. keep that in mind yall. but yeah, this a good YA mystery if u want to get into this genre!! i am excited to see what she comes out with next! go read this new release! u probably wont regret it <3 mwah
୨୧・・・・୨୧
°📷 ༘ preview!
ahh finally starting this!
august, 22, 23
YUHHH A NEW MYSTERY BOOK, 2024 is gonna have the BEST books omh
April 5, 2024
What they say "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝘄" and in this book every single one, sure as shit did.
And that's the best part cause this is the happiest and the most satisfying ending holly Jackson ever wrote.
Then why did I cry?
Oh because I felt betrayed too 😭
This book gave me so many feelings and I loved the creepy vibes that it has.
The way Rachel reappeared gave me the chills. Like everyone was saying it's literally the title of the book but it's still shocking.
𝗕𝗲𝗹 the main character, I like her, she is so brave and smart would do anything for her family, her humour actually made me laugh and her little moments with 𝗔𝘀𝗵 made me giggle, I wish there were more though.
I actually believe Holly Jackson could make a romance book.
This book is not just a mystery thriller it's also come across the topics of trust and loyalty in the 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.
My heart hurts for 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 I wouldn't have survived what she had gone through.
I loved the filming crew they were all likable.
The rest of the family members you will find out about if you decide to read this because
I can't say anything else without spoiling it all.
I just want to say that this is the most satisfying ending I've read in a while.
°°°°′°°′°°
𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 :I'll read anything this woman publish.
And that's the best part cause this is the happiest and the most satisfying ending holly Jackson ever wrote.
Then why did I cry?
Oh because I felt betrayed too 😭
This book gave me so many feelings and I loved the creepy vibes that it has.
The way Rachel reappeared gave me the chills. Like everyone was saying it's literally the title of the book but it's still shocking.
𝗕𝗲𝗹 the main character, I like her, she is so brave and smart would do anything for her family, her humour actually made me laugh and her little moments with 𝗔𝘀𝗵 made me giggle, I wish there were more though.
I actually believe Holly Jackson could make a romance book.
This book is not just a mystery thriller it's also come across the topics of trust and loyalty in the 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲'𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.
My heart hurts for 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹 I wouldn't have survived what she had gone through.
I loved the filming crew they were all likable.
The rest of the family members you will find out about if you decide to read this because
I can't say anything else without spoiling it all.
I just want to say that this is the most satisfying ending I've read in a while.
°°°°′°°′°°
𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 :I'll read anything this woman publish.
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