The Reappearance of Rachel Price

I loved the Reappearance of Rachel Price. The book explores themes like the invasive nature of true crime documentaries, verbal abuse and how it can take form and repairing family bonds . Without spoilers the best part of the book is the strained relationship between Rachel and Bel and how Bel is always suspicious of Rachel and how even though they are family she at times feels like she barely knows Rachel since Rachel hasn't been involved in their life and how the bond between them matures is what makes this a fascinating mother daughter bond. Also the family is very knives out like and how that is explored is very well done and realistic. I also like the close bond Bel has with Carter and how even when they disagree they always find a way back to caring for one another and to look out for each other. Overall the theme of the book about who is truly family to a person is what makes it effective because as a reader I was invested in what would happen to these characters because the connections they had made that possible and what bel comes to learn about members of her family is what creates that ability to care and the ability to somewhat relate as we all have moments where we find the people that actually care. I also like that the book keeps you in suspense and you never can truly predict what will be revealed in the twists there are times where like bel I as a reader didn't know who to trust and that made me want to keep reading. Truly great books make you not ever want to stop reading them always wanting to see what happens next and that's exactly what this book did for me. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves being kept in suspense and loves themes on what it truly means to be family.

Rachel disappeared 16 years before, leaving her toddler in the backseat of a car on a very cold winter’s night. The disappearance of a woman Bel doesn’t remember has haunted her whole life. When Rachel reappears just as a true crime documentary is being filmed, Bel’s life is thrown into disarray as she tries to piece together the mystery of her mother.Bel has isolated herself and her world revolves around her father who had been charged with her mother’s murder. None of the extended Price family seems to know how to react and Bel’s suspicious nature has her questioning her mother’s explanation for her disappearance.As the story moves along, Bel begins to question the her own memories and life as she hunts down the clues to determine her next step in life.I will say that despite the intriguing story, the characters aren’t all that fleshed out, which kept the story clipping along nicely. Despite the emotions that are described, there isn’t a deep dive take into the psychological effects; they are shown, not told. There are no “sly” mentions of political opinions or criticism of cultural norms, which was a relief.A clever book and I would recommend.

Had to keep reading it til it finished!! Fu. Read for me. Will look for more books by Holly Jackson.

I guessed 1/2 of the mystery early on but was surprised by the second half. So that was fun. However, the major 180 the MC does in the last few chapters is psychologically unbelievable. Trauma that deep doesn’t shift overnight, even when events are revealed to have been different than perceived. Also, allll the F words. I have read other novels by Ms Jackson and I know she is not a lazy writer so why the lazy vocab here?

I enjoyed the book, a little longer than necessary at times. Sometimes, the writing felt a little off, like I needed to reread it a second time so I could get the flow. This was my second Holly Jackson book. I enjoyed this more than the first

I love thriller/mysteries, and I read a lot of them. I pride myself on being able to guess the ending or twist before it’s revealed, and most of the times I’m right. This was not one of those times, and I’m positively thrilled to bits about it.At risk of spoiling anything, I’ll keep it short. This is a book that really delves in to the power of family bonds, and what that can mean, for better or for worse. It also has an interesting side perspective on the importance of journalistic ethics, which I also enjoyed. Bel, the main character, is prickly and a little hard to get behind at first, but her cynicism ends up being one of her greatest assets, and by the end I was cheering for her to win. Holly Jackson has mastered how to write a mystery, and this book is one I think all writers should look to for lessons on world-building, plot, and character development. Even aficionados of the genre will find something new and exciting in this book, it’s definitely not one to be missed!!!

It took me a bit for my interest to really get in this book, but I’m glad I stuck with it. So many twists and turns, even when you’re sure you’re following and there is nothing else that can surprise you, they throw a curveball your way! There was mystery and suspense as well as difficult familial relationships and figuring out if you should trust your gut or what you’re being told. Also there’s some pretty good gaslighting going on of characters throughout the book that finally made sense in the end. Everything is wrapped up and there are no lingering questions at the end which I appreciate. I like how all of the characters interacted and became subjects as well in the twists and you got to see a bit of everyone. I was a little annoyed by MC but she’s a teenager so I chalked some of her attitude towards her being captured extremely realistically.

There were so many twists in this book. I really liked the novel. The story had so many sharp turns and "Oh no!" moments that i started laughing because just when I thought it was over, it kept going, all the way to the very end it kept you questioning whether what is said is the truth, or not. I am officially a Holly Jackson fan, and I know many of my students have become her fans as well because her books know how to hit topics that are interesting and can open up discussion, be linked to real news articles, and her writing is easy to read and get into. We need more YA authors with this talent!