Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller, Contemporary, LGBT
Release Date: March 7th, 2023
Pages: 256
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“In a gripping novel perfect for fans of Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.
In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.
Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…
But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?”
My Review:
Twenty years ago, the school’s most beloved girl disappeared from a party in the woods. Since then, Clarissa’s case has gone cold. Today, two students, Blair and Cam, decide to start a podcast as a project for their journalism class. Their investigation quickly goes from casual curiosity to an ambitious search for justice as they discover a complex web of secrets that never made it to light.
This is a really enjoyable mystery to partake in.
I enjoyed the girls’ journey and their relentlessness in finding the truth. Their podcast turned investigation becomes a harrowing adventure.
The chapters are fittingly structured as podcast episodes while the girls complete each one. As they continue to find new information, the layers and suspicions build the tension into an epic conclusion.
We get to see Blair and Cam grow and learn more about themselves along the way. It’s a story full of teenage angst, coming-of-age drama between friends and family, bravely coming out, and a fight for the truth.
I enjoyed journeying with them through the highs and lows of high school and seeing them take on something that is very adult in nature where everyone else has seemingly failed.
The tone and style of the narrator’s voice is perfectly appropriate for the girls, letting their unique and polar opposite personalities shine through.
The writing really puts the reader into their perspectives.
This was a fun, fast-paced story and I recommend it to any young adult readers. If you are looking for something easy, exciting, and emotional, this is a great story for you.
Disclaimers:
Huge thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an early copy of this amazing story! I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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