Review: Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

Synopsis

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?

What I thought

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for a copy of the audiobook for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

Missing Clarissa is about two high school students, Blair and Cameron, who decide to create a podcast for their journalism project.  They develop a true crime style podcast in an attempt to solve a 20-year-old cold case from their hometown.  Their original reason for choosing the topic may not have been for the right reason, however, once they started to get to know Clarissa they really wanted justice for her. So what really happened to Clarissa Campbell?  You will have to read the book to find out. 😉 As small town secrets begin to come to light, these girls get much more than they bargained for.

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audio version of this one.  I really enjoyed the audio version.  I am not sure if I would have enjoyed the book as much had I just sat down and physically read it.  I think that it has a lot to do with the way the book is set up, mostly as a podcast.  The audio gives you what I think is the whole experience.  

One thing that I really appreciated about this book was that the characters felt real.  They were dealing with real issues, and they acted like real teenagers (I am the mother of one and yes they sometimes act this way).  These girls had their own issues and the way that they were presented was genuine.  Their issues were not their whole character, and that I really appreciated.  

This was a fast-paced story and a really fun young adult mystery.  If the premise sounds interesting to you, I suggest you give it a try.

My Rating: /5

Have you read this book? If so what did you think? Tell me in the comments below.