Synopsis
“A new true-crime fueled mystery thriller about a girl determined to uncover the shocking truth about her missing mother while filming a documentary on the unsolved case.
Lights. Camera. Lies.
18-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 dragged up from the past when the Price family agree 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.”
Review
3.75 stars
Holly Jackson is back with an all-new mystery! Annabel, or Bel for short, has never known her mother. Rachel Price disappeared when Bel was two years old. Her case gained national attention. Now, 16 years later a documentary is being made. Questions are being asked, reenactments are happening, and Bel is having a difficult time dealing. The documentary is well underway when Rachel Price suddenly reappears leaving everyone with more questions than ever.
The Reappearance of Rachel Price was a serious book with laughable moments that helped to break up the tension. I did see one of the main twists coming early on but that had no effect on my enjoyment of the book. I had so many theories about what actually happened. I was totally immersed into this book. The writing quality, details, and characters all played a part in reeling me in. I really liked the topic of Bel and her feelings of abandonment and how it affected her now in present time. She was fiercely protective of those around her and truly admirable.
With that said, is this my new favorite Holly Jackson book? No. The pacing was a little slow at times, especially towards the beginning. I also felt that there was some repetitiveness. The ending forced me to suspend disbelief because it was a wild time for sure. I’m happy I read this, and I did like it overall. If you like true crime, I definitely recommend giving it a try.
The Rantings of a Book Addict 