Review by Lauren B.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones, Genre: Murder Mystery, Rating: 7/10

I would recommend this book specifically to young teen readers. If the
reader enjoys this book, I would recommend they read the Truly Devious
series after.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones is a haunting and evocative
exploration of grief, memory, and the nuances of human relationships.
The story revolves around the disappearance of the loved and cherished
Clarissa, whose absence sends ripples through the lives of those who
knew her. Driven by multiplicity, each perspective brings something
different inthe life of Clarissa while showing the emotional toll her
disappearance causes on those left behind. Jones’s writing is deeply
atmospheric, capturing with precision the physical and emotional
landscapes. The pace is unhurried, mysteriously building as it slowly
unwinds the intricacies of their lives. Lyrical and reflective, the
prose creates an almost palpable tension between what’s known and
what’s still hidden. At its core, Missing Clarissa is a meditation on
the elusiveness of truth and the ways in which we attempt to hold onto
the people we love even when they are no longer within our grasp. Slow
in sections, the novel nonetheless commands interest for nuanced
character development and emotional depth. Jones captures the
ambiguity of loss, the haunting question of what we think we know of
those closest to us.