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The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Lights. Camera. Lies.
Eighteen-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 dredged up from the past when the Price family agrees 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.
Eighteen-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 dredged up from the past when the Price family agrees 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.
441 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 2, 2024
About the author
Holly Jackson
19 books56.1k 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 20,628 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.
July 13, 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.
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⭐️
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)
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!!!
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 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
August 7, 2024
In my eyes Holly Jackson can do no wrong
And I was right.
And I was right.
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 🤭
April 5, 2024
another reason why i hate men
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!
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 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!
March 30, 2024
if this is the happiest ending holly jackson has ever given us then why am i still crying
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 15, 2024
"to the most fucked-up family in america. cheers!" HEAR HEAR
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 🙌🏽
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.
August 17, 2024
꒰ 3.5 ⭐ ꒱
this got me in the end. the twists were TWISTING, and i'll admit, i didn't predict many things correctly - perhaps i'm just not used to mysteries......yes, that's what i'll tell myself ^_^
what i didn't enjoy, however, was (anna)bel. it felt like the author wanted us to hate rachel from the start—through bel's eyes—but imo she really just overdid it. like, rachel could say "see you later" and bel would make a snarky comment in her head about how rachel never saw her later after abandoning her in the car. things like that, you know? things that really started to feel unwarranted and repetitive and overall just annoying 😭
⤷ i would've much preferred it if bel wasn't so suspicious and standoffish from the start, but instead gradually noticed these inconsistencies in rachel's actions/story and then started to distance herself from rachel. the hate just felt so forced, like pls just look at this quote:
"Dig in everyone," Rachel said, like this was her house and she was the host.
— this made me snort out loud bc it literally IS her house???? plssss why is bel such a hater 😭😭
another thing: the writing felt very hard to follow sometimes; sentences were constructed weirdly (with too many commas, words missing, and past/present tense getting mixed up), but maybe it's just that i'm not used to her writing style.
ꗃ i really did like the ending, though, and how all the twists played out!! the resolution felt very nice 🤍 i was invested throughout the entire story despite my issues with the writing and anna—oops, bel! >:D holly jackson sure knows how to write a compelling mystery, so i'm def interested in her other works (hopefully with better fmcs)!!
i'll leave now with a final word. do with this information what you will:
knot.
────
# pre-read - IT'S BEEN YEARSSS!!!!!! i.e. i'm finally off hold (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ (also my first holly jackson - i'm so excited!!!)
this got me in the end. the twists were TWISTING, and i'll admit, i didn't predict many things correctly - perhaps i'm just not used to mysteries......yes, that's what i'll tell myself ^_^
what i didn't enjoy, however, was (anna)bel. it felt like the author wanted us to hate rachel from the start—through bel's eyes—but imo she really just overdid it. like, rachel could say "see you later" and bel would make a snarky comment in her head about how rachel never saw her later after abandoning her in the car. things like that, you know? things that really started to feel unwarranted and repetitive and overall just annoying 😭
⤷ i would've much preferred it if bel wasn't so suspicious and standoffish from the start, but instead gradually noticed these inconsistencies in rachel's actions/story and then started to distance herself from rachel. the hate just felt so forced, like pls just look at this quote:
"Dig in everyone," Rachel said, like this was her house and she was the host.
— this made me snort out loud bc it literally IS her house???? plssss why is bel such a hater 😭😭
another thing: the writing felt very hard to follow sometimes; sentences were constructed weirdly (with too many commas, words missing, and past/present tense getting mixed up), but maybe it's just that i'm not used to her writing style.
ꗃ i really did like the ending, though, and how all the twists played out!! the resolution felt very nice 🤍 i was invested throughout the entire story despite my issues with the writing and anna—oops, bel! >:D holly jackson sure knows how to write a compelling mystery, so i'm def interested in her other works (hopefully with better fmcs)!!
i'll leave now with a final word. do with this information what you will:
knot.
────
# pre-read - IT'S BEEN YEARSSS!!!!!! i.e. i'm finally off hold (੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ (also my first holly jackson - i'm so excited!!!)
September 21, 2024
One of my most anticipated books of 2024... was a flop.
*possible minor spoilers unmarked, major ones marked*
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
❝The trouble was knowing who deserved to be family at the end of it all.❞
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
જ*⁀➷Summary In the Form of Quote
“Rachel Price had disappeared and reappeared. And now Bel knew for sure, she was lying about some of it, maybe all of it.”
જ*⁀➷Theme
જ*⁀➷Characters
Bel
The word 'fuck' was used 125 times in this book. (Mostly from Bel's mouth/mind) Interesting.
She cracked me up at times. But she was also very annoying.
I understand she has abandonment issues, but she did not have to push people away at every chance she had , or be blatantly disrespectful and rude to everyone who crossed her path.
But she made me giggle, so points.
“Fuck you, Susan. Fuck off back to your fucking horses, you horsefucker.”
Ash
Absolutely not. Nuh uh.
He had just about 0 personality behind his quirky kidcore.
Ok, ok. I know it sounds like I'm just hating, and I wanted to like Ash, but there was just nothing there! I guess that's why it's a romance subplot, but I would've at least liked to learn about his personality a bit, besides the fact that he's a tatted up Brit who leaves his boxers on his pillows. Didn't have a problem with him. I just can't bring myself to care.
I couldn't even find a decent quote for Ash because he was just so irrelevant.
Rachel
I just don't understand. Was I supposed to like her? Was I supposed to hate her? Was I supposed to not care, because that's what ended up happening. I didn't feel like I connected to any of these characters at all, and I don't like that. This was supposed to make me feel something. But it didn't. And that was really disappointing.
Charlie
જ*⁀➷Plot
જ*⁀➷Romance
Shut up shut up shut up because that was not a romance. Let me clip the first 'romantic' scene in the book so you can understand:
“You sit here.” He patted the cushioned chair closest to the camera, a spew of dust as he did, floating around her.
Bel sat.
Ash did too, pulling his chair in too close, leaning across her to reach the laptop.
He froze, her breath on his exposed neck.
Bel looked at the shape of his mouth and he looked at hers. A second dragged by, Bel’s heart out of its place, beating too many times, finding his green eyes again.
Oh fuck.
She blinked and pulled back, leaning into her chair.
...
Was that supposed to be chemistry?
Like, what was even happening? I'm so confused.
I guess this was supposed to be enemies-to-lovers, but it was really enemies-for-no-reason-except-that-Bel's-kinda-bitchy-but-oh-look-now-they're-kissing.
And I couldn't even match their personalities because Bel's personality was being rude yet witty and Ash's personality wasn't even on display. I'm sure he had one. We just never found out what it was.
And the kiss scenes were so dry. It was basically like, 'they kissed.' 'they stopped.'
Like, THAT was the vibe of every 'romantic' scene in the book. (There was only like, 3). That's not good, people.
I guess I just expected more than what I was offered.
“You know, you’re ridiculous, and strange, and pretty annoying, actually.” She took a breath, unlocked her jaw. “But I’m glad I met you.”
Girl, what?
જ*⁀➷Ending
Was that an ending? I dunno, couldn't tell with all of the plot atrocities.
Okay, but in all seriousness, the ending was weird. It kind of had the vibes of a cliffhanger, but at the same time, seemed final. I feel like there is so much more to the story (mostly because that was a shitty story) but I don't think it will be made into a series. I bet if it was, I would actually like it. Just a feeling I got.
જ*⁀➷Rating
Characters: 2/5⭐
Plot: 1/5⭐
Romance: 1.5/5⭐
Ending: 2/5⭐
Overall: 1.75/5🌟 (Rounded up)
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
🎬 ❝Same result in the end, because everybody left eventually, but it hurt less. That was what life was, choosing the way that hurt less.❞
🎬 ❝The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back.❞
🎬 ❝The room came alive with the sound of their scattered applause, and no one wanted to be the first to stop. They clapped, not just because it was ending, but because it mattered. Because it had changed them, all of them.❞
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
pre-read
It's still April 1st for me but in 30 minutes my library better have this book online or somebody's pressing charges...
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
post-read
guys i'm scared you won't like me much after I review this... rtc 😰😰
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
*possible minor spoilers unmarked, major ones marked*
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
❝The trouble was knowing who deserved to be family at the end of it all.❞
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
જ*⁀➷Summary In the Form of Quote
“Rachel Price had disappeared and reappeared. And now Bel knew for sure, she was lying about some of it, maybe all of it.”
જ*⁀➷Theme
Family first. Always.
“Family first,” Bel said. Not a threat, but a promise.
જ*⁀➷Characters
Bel
The word 'fuck' was used 125 times in this book. (Mostly from Bel's mouth/mind) Interesting.
She cracked me up at times. But she was also very annoying.
I understand she has abandonment issues, but she did not have to push people away at every chance she had , or be blatantly disrespectful and rude to everyone who crossed her path.
But she made me giggle, so points.
“Fuck you, Susan. Fuck off back to your fucking horses, you horsefucker.”
Ash
Absolutely not. Nuh uh.
He had just about 0 personality behind his quirky kidcore.
Ok, ok. I know it sounds like I'm just hating, and I wanted to like Ash, but there was just nothing there! I guess that's why it's a romance subplot, but I would've at least liked to learn about his personality a bit, besides the fact that he's a tatted up Brit who leaves his boxers on his pillows. Didn't have a problem with him. I just can't bring myself to care.
I couldn't even find a decent quote for Ash because he was just so irrelevant.
Rachel
I just don't understand. Was I supposed to like her? Was I supposed to hate her? Was I supposed to not care, because that's what ended up happening. I didn't feel like I connected to any of these characters at all, and I don't like that. This was supposed to make me feel something. But it didn't. And that was really disappointing.
Charlie
જ*⁀➷Plot
Hated. Loathed. Disgusted. Appalled.
Someone explain to me wtf that was supposed to be?
NOTHING added up. NOTHING made sense. The climax is supposed to explain things, not leave me dazed and confused, rushing to get past it. And I did. I literally sped up when I got to that part because it made no fucking sense.
And it was weird. Boring, even. Nothing like Holly Jackson has previously written. Instead of leaving me with my mind blown, it left me with a throbbing headache because I had no clue as to wtf was supposed to be happening.
And the plot twist? Nope. Not only did all the not make sense with the direction the book should've gone, but the didn't make sense at ALL. Nothing matched in my opinion. Just, the way everything unfolded was undesirable as a whole.
The only time my jaw legitimately dropped was when It's not like I predicted everything else that happened. I just didn't have the connection with the book to honestly give a fuck.
The pacing: Absolutely nothing happening in the first 60% of the book! Those little 'discoveries' made in that 60%? BORING!!!!
BORING, BORING, BORING!!!
Last thing: Question,
“To the most fucked-up family in America. Cheers!”
જ*⁀➷Romance
Shut up shut up shut up because that was not a romance. Let me clip the first 'romantic' scene in the book so you can understand:
“You sit here.” He patted the cushioned chair closest to the camera, a spew of dust as he did, floating around her.
Bel sat.
Ash did too, pulling his chair in too close, leaning across her to reach the laptop.
He froze, her breath on his exposed neck.
Bel looked at the shape of his mouth and he looked at hers. A second dragged by, Bel’s heart out of its place, beating too many times, finding his green eyes again.
Oh fuck.
She blinked and pulled back, leaning into her chair.
...
Was that supposed to be chemistry?
Like, what was even happening? I'm so confused.
I guess this was supposed to be enemies-to-lovers, but it was really enemies-for-no-reason-except-that-Bel's-kinda-bitchy-but-oh-look-now-they're-kissing.
And I couldn't even match their personalities because Bel's personality was being rude yet witty and Ash's personality wasn't even on display. I'm sure he had one. We just never found out what it was.
And the kiss scenes were so dry. It was basically like, 'they kissed.' 'they stopped.'
Like, THAT was the vibe of every 'romantic' scene in the book. (There was only like, 3). That's not good, people.
I guess I just expected more than what I was offered.
“You know, you’re ridiculous, and strange, and pretty annoying, actually.” She took a breath, unlocked her jaw. “But I’m glad I met you.”
Girl, what?
જ*⁀➷Ending
Was that an ending? I dunno, couldn't tell with all of the plot atrocities.
Okay, but in all seriousness, the ending was weird. It kind of had the vibes of a cliffhanger, but at the same time, seemed final. I feel like there is so much more to the story (mostly because that was a shitty story) but I don't think it will be made into a series. I bet if it was, I would actually like it. Just a feeling I got.
જ*⁀➷Rating
Characters: 2/5⭐
Plot: 1/5⭐
Romance: 1.5/5⭐
Ending: 2/5⭐
Overall: 1.75/5🌟 (Rounded up)
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
🎬 ❝Same result in the end, because everybody left eventually, but it hurt less. That was what life was, choosing the way that hurt less.❞
🎬 ❝The people who loved you, the ones who really cared, they would always come back.❞
🎬 ❝The room came alive with the sound of their scattered applause, and no one wanted to be the first to stop. They clapped, not just because it was ending, but because it mattered. Because it had changed them, all of them.❞
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
pre-read
It's still April 1st for me but in 30 minutes my library better have this book online or somebody's pressing charges...
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
post-read
guys i'm scared you won't like me much after I review this... rtc 😰😰
⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
August 22, 2024
Well! When Holly Jackson decides to write a new captivating thriller introducing another smart young woman detective digging through ugly family secrets, you cancel everything in your life, play hooky as much as you need, develop more acting skills, and dive into this journey! At least I did. Wrapped in a blanket, pretending to suffer from a backache, I turned the pages while my dear husband furiously handled house chores (thanks darling, don’t worry, at least this book is really good and quick to finish, which means I will magically heal without needing to go to the doctor, yay!).
Anyway, let’s go back to my review. As a devoted fan of the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series (I still hated the last book and I still think Pippa needs to return, and Jackson may let us see her happy ending with Ravi, fingers crossed), and not such a big fan of her standalone “Five Survive,” I had high expectations for this book. It revolves around a true crime mystery where Rachel Price, a 27-year-old, beautiful young mother of a two-year-old baby girl, Annabel, goes missing without a trace, leaving her baby girl in a running car. Her husband, who was accused and exonerated of her presumed murder, has lived with this for 16 years. An English documentary team interested in the subject turns this into a true crime documentary about the unsolved case, bringing the Price family together to film their opinions about the cold case.
The family includes Charlie Price, a single dad raising his daughter Bel (she dropped the name Annabel) who is now 18, smart, and toughened by her family's tragedy. She has abandonment issues, forming a small world consisting of her and her father. She only lets her cousin Carter in, who is the daughter of her uncle Jefferson and aunt Sherry, considered a miracle child after fertility issues. The last standing family member is grandfather Patrick Price, suffering from dementia after a recent stroke, needing a caretaker that Charlie provides by working with the documentary crew to pay for his care. And let’s not forget Rachel’s mother, Susan Boden, who is estranged from the family, seeing Charlie as the murderer of her daughter and preferring to care for horses over her own granddaughter.
The family members seem to be moving on with their lives as the documentary crew films their interviews. But in the middle of a reenactment, something very unexpected happens: Rachel Price reappears after being held captive in a basement for 16 years. She tells the officer she didn’t see her captor’s face, and the person who took her left her in a park, covering her head. As soon as he leaves, she walks 8 hours along the highway to find her way back home.
. Is this a story of determination and horrifying kidnapping survival, or is something not adding up? Bel believes the latter because she finds discrepancies in Rachel’s story, and interestingly, including her father, nobody is happy about Rachel’s return. Rachel gives the impression of an impersonator who tells lies and creates tension in the family's long-term peace.
Bel teams up with the clumsy but weirdly charming camera assistant Ash Maddox to conduct her own investigation because he’s the only one who believes something is wrong with Rachel. As soon as they find what she’s hiding, Bel’s family can return to their old lives. But what if nothing is as it seems and her entire family hides skeletons in the closet that may fill an entire cemetery?
Overall, this is a riveting, exciting, and smart page-turner with well-executed twists, even though some are a little far-fetched and in the third part some actions were a little exaggerated, which held me back from giving it five stars. But I still enjoyed this book, which brought back the magic of the young girl detective theme.
I loved Bel, even though she was too brash, direct, and fiery, which is understandable after being born into the biggest family drama! But I think she deserves applause for her wit and determination to solve this dark case at the risk of destroying everything she’s believed for years.
Last words: This is one of the best young adult mysteries I’ve recently read and I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the author and looking for something fast-paced and captivating!
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Anyway, let’s go back to my review. As a devoted fan of the “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series (I still hated the last book and I still think Pippa needs to return, and Jackson may let us see her happy ending with Ravi, fingers crossed), and not such a big fan of her standalone “Five Survive,” I had high expectations for this book. It revolves around a true crime mystery where Rachel Price, a 27-year-old, beautiful young mother of a two-year-old baby girl, Annabel, goes missing without a trace, leaving her baby girl in a running car. Her husband, who was accused and exonerated of her presumed murder, has lived with this for 16 years. An English documentary team interested in the subject turns this into a true crime documentary about the unsolved case, bringing the Price family together to film their opinions about the cold case.
The family includes Charlie Price, a single dad raising his daughter Bel (she dropped the name Annabel) who is now 18, smart, and toughened by her family's tragedy. She has abandonment issues, forming a small world consisting of her and her father. She only lets her cousin Carter in, who is the daughter of her uncle Jefferson and aunt Sherry, considered a miracle child after fertility issues. The last standing family member is grandfather Patrick Price, suffering from dementia after a recent stroke, needing a caretaker that Charlie provides by working with the documentary crew to pay for his care. And let’s not forget Rachel’s mother, Susan Boden, who is estranged from the family, seeing Charlie as the murderer of her daughter and preferring to care for horses over her own granddaughter.
The family members seem to be moving on with their lives as the documentary crew films their interviews. But in the middle of a reenactment, something very unexpected happens: Rachel Price reappears after being held captive in a basement for 16 years. She tells the officer she didn’t see her captor’s face, and the person who took her left her in a park, covering her head. As soon as he leaves, she walks 8 hours along the highway to find her way back home.
. Is this a story of determination and horrifying kidnapping survival, or is something not adding up? Bel believes the latter because she finds discrepancies in Rachel’s story, and interestingly, including her father, nobody is happy about Rachel’s return. Rachel gives the impression of an impersonator who tells lies and creates tension in the family's long-term peace.
Bel teams up with the clumsy but weirdly charming camera assistant Ash Maddox to conduct her own investigation because he’s the only one who believes something is wrong with Rachel. As soon as they find what she’s hiding, Bel’s family can return to their old lives. But what if nothing is as it seems and her entire family hides skeletons in the closet that may fill an entire cemetery?
Overall, this is a riveting, exciting, and smart page-turner with well-executed twists, even though some are a little far-fetched and in the third part some actions were a little exaggerated, which held me back from giving it five stars. But I still enjoyed this book, which brought back the magic of the young girl detective theme.
I loved Bel, even though she was too brash, direct, and fiery, which is understandable after being born into the biggest family drama! But I think she deserves applause for her wit and determination to solve this dark case at the risk of destroying everything she’s believed for years.
Last words: This is one of the best young adult mysteries I’ve recently read and I highly recommend it if you’re a fan of the author and looking for something fast-paced and captivating!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
twitter<
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