Books & Audiobooks
What would you do if you lived your entire life believing your mother had left you, abandoned in the back of the car, only to have her reappear sixteen years later?
Bel Price has lived her entire life knowing one thing: that her mother abandoned her when she was two years old, never to be seen or heard from ever again. She grows up with her loving father, and her aunt, uncle, and cousin living closeby.
The story starts off with the beginning of a documentary that is being filmed about the disappearance of Rachel Price, one of those irresistible unsolved mysteries that have gripped America for years. But in the midst of the filming, the unthinkable happens: Rachel Price returns. She has a wild story about where she’s been and why she disappeared, but Bel can’t help but doubt her. Is any of it true?
The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson reads like the documentary that the book is about, and it’s easy to see the whole story play out like a thrilling mystery with twists and turns that kept coming till the end. It may eventually end up becoming a show, like Jackson’s other books.
Bel is probably one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve read in a while. It’s obvious that her mom abandoning her at such a young age did some real damage to her, but still, it was hard to relate or empathize with her. It’s frustrating to see her constantly being negative and nitpick each and every thing that Rachel (and everyone else) says. But before long, Bel’s suspicions begin to check out, and it becomes apparent that Rachel’s story doesn’t make sense.
Rahcel’s story is the heart of the book, and once it picks up, it grips you and doesn’t let go. What originally starts off as the documentary filmmakers uncovering things quickly, turns into Bel’s mission to uncover her mom’s lies and expose her as the liar she believes Rachel is. But what Bel uncovers is darker and more dangerous than what she could have ever imagined. Those closest to Bel end up hiding secrets so deep that she’s forced to reevaluate everything she knew about them.
Jackson is adept at writing unputdownable thrillers that make you second guess thinking you know the whole story. The ending throws you for a loop, forcing you to wonder about whether there really is a difference between the lies we tell to hide things and the lies we tell those we love in the name of protecting them.