Reviews with content warning for Stalking - The Reappearance of Rachel Price

Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

56 reviews

sharanya's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

🚨THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS🚨

Holly Jackson continues to be the Queen of Excellent Plotting with this one — maybe a little bit too excellent? Like, the clues were so well laid out that the plot “twists” felt less like twists & more like puzzle pieces slotting neatly into place. I could’ve used a little more surprise, maybe.

TBH, I should’ve guessed earlier that Holly would’ve written another “f*** all the men” mystery novel. That’s her typical MO so again, I was not very surprised when it turned out that, in fact, nearly all the men in the book are kidnappers & murderers. & lol, how mad am I about that, really?

That said, I LOVED Bel & her take-no-shit attitude, & her relationship with her sister Carter was so tender & real. The pacing of Bel uncovering each piece of the mystery was ✨PERFECTION✨ bc, as I said, Holly is the Queen of plotting. The eventual answer to the mystery was well put together and felt pretty satisfying.

My ONLY final caveat is — is Bel gonna get some therapy? Bc she seems remarkably okay with the fact that she spent 16 years fiercely loving & defending a man for exactly the crime that he pretty much committed. Like. A) that seemed WAY too easily wrapped up and b) how is she so okay? Pls.

Despite my quibbles, this is EXACTLY the kind of mystery thriller that pulls you in & does not let go until the last page. A keeper for sure!

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stellabyproxy's review

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

with another Nancy Drew coded novel, and a hint of Gone Girl, Holly Jackson has left me shocked, laughing and in a puddle (albeit small) of tears.

Rachel Price has been missing for sixteen year and suddenly makes a reappearance, just as her daughter, Annabel Price — known as Bel — and family are filming a documentary about her disappearance. this reappearance brings with it many emotions of anger, sadness, joy and grief from Bel, who was abandoned in a car at only 2 years old on the day her mother was kidnapped. the shadows of family secrets and mysteries is a difficult place to grow up in, and as the lights (camera, bitch smile) are shone on this family, what seems to be a happy conclusion is only the beginning.

i enjoyed every second of seeing Bel messily navigate having her mother back, the scepticism surrounding her return, and the drama that came with it. from the shadows, she found her light, and beautifully blossomed. and her sleuthing similarities to Pip (AGGGTM) were nothing like i’d expected and more than i could’ve hoped for.

as a gnostic theist, i rarely bring religious lore into things, however to truly sum up this novel:

Luke 8:17
“For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”

(1 star deduction for taking my heart, cradling it gently while whispering sweet, sarcastic flirtations between Ash and Bel, feeding it with only the most nourishing hope and love, and then putting it in a blender with that ending… I WAS NOT OKAY)

Content Warnings