Ripley Jones

In August of 1999, popular high school student, Clarissa Campbell goes missing in Oreville, WA. The response to find her turned up nothing but more questions about the people who may have seen her last. Even with national attention her disappearance becomes a cold case.

Twenty years later, two high school junior students create a podcast for their journalism class about the disappearance of Clarissa Campbell. The two friends, Blair and Cameron, set out to impress their teacher but find themselves too invested in trying to uncover the truth to stop. They proceed with reinvestigating old suspects and witnesses who were around the night that Clarissa was overheard arguing with her football player boyfriend, Brad Bennett. It seems that the two girls are starting to stir up memories about the past which could likely be putting themselves in danger. Their quest for justice not only puts themselves in danger but inadvertently cast suspicion in the wrong direction.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing a complimentary review copy. My voluntary review is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (más)

It’s been months since Blair and Cam solved the mystery of a girl’s disappearance in their hometown and the two are still reeling from the fallout, determined this will be their last endeavour both in podcasting and sleuthing. Then Mattie Brosillard, a freshman at their school, approaches them, asking for help in another mystery. Her sister, Lola, who disappeared five years ago, has suddenly reappeared…except Mattie is convinced she isn’t their sister despite everyone else believing she is. Blair has been offered a book deal and thinks this could be the perfect story. Cam, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with it. She has an early acceptance from MIT and has no desire to repeat all the trauma incurred in the hunt for Clarissa. Still, Blair promises there will be no podcast and Cam reluctantly agrees, worried that, if she doesn’t help, Blair will go ahead on her own despite any possible danger.

TheOther Lola is the sequel to Ripley Jones’ entertaining YA thriller, Missing Clarissa, and I enjoyed it a lot. This story is more character driven and is a bit slower as more time is spent fleshing out the characters. we learn more about Cam and Blair’s backgrounds and Mattie, pronouns they/them, is a very sympathetic character. In many ways, this seemed more like a coming-of-age story than a thriller with themes of change, identity, loss, and family. But don’t get me wrong, the mystery is intriguing and kept me guessing throughout.

I listened to the audiobook which was beautifully narrated by Ines del Castillo.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review… (más)