What a wild ride! This book had me flipping pages, desperate to uncover the truth behind the disappearances.

— 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜:
teen sleuthing
sibling bonds
amateur detectives
race against time
found family vibes

𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Veronica Mars.

Iris is a force to be reckoned with, determined to solve the mystery of her sister Stella’s disappearance. Her journey from scared little sister to fierce detective was so satisfying to witness. The stakes feel sky-high, especially when her ex, Heather, goes missing right after dropping a bombshell podcast episode!

The camaraderie between Iris and her fellow amateur sleuths brought such warmth to the story. I loved how their bond deepened amidst the chaos, adding layers to the narrative. The tension with the detective monitoring Iris only intensified the thrill, making it a race against the clock.

This book shines a light on the importance of friendships and family. Iris’s motivations are relatable, and her struggles felt real, grounding the suspenseful plot. The pacing kept me engaged, though I would have loved a little more backstory on some characters.

I couldn’t put it down and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery with heart.

TL;DR: A thrilling sapphic-led mystery featuring Iris, who becomes an amateur sleuth after her sister and ex-girlfriend go missing. Friendship, family, and suspense collide in a race against time.

This was your usual YA thriller, very much reminded me of A Good Girls Guide to Murder.
However I personally found this a bit too YA for me, but for the right age group/audience this would be amazing!

The plot was engaging all through with well fleshed out teenage characters.

How to Find a Missing Girl genuinely surprised me in honesty. I found the opening chapters to be tedious in the extreme, yet by the end of the novel I was genuinely enjoying it. Don't get me wrong, the novel has flaws - largely the reliance on a podcast that added little or nothing to the plot throughout. It also leaned far too heavily on it's obvious reference point - A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (GGG) - and felt like a copycat gimmick for too much of it.

If there one thing GGG did well, it was incorporating the 'bonus material' including the podcast, interviews and diary-esque extracts. Everything felt like it had a place and was relevant. This... tried to use the same methodology but only used podcasts and they were so darn dull that it was a chore to read. Other plot points could have been directly lifted from GGG and whilst I didn't see the exact responsible party, I could guess at some of it solely due to the similarities. And I was not wrong. I did think the final reveal was done well though, so bonus points for that.

Where this excelled was in the secondary characters - and they were the ones who drew me into the narrative. There's a wealth of diversity on display here, and it's done well with genuine relationships and some wonderful characterisations. Occasionally it was thrown into your face in a blatant manner, but mostly it was humans being humans, loving who they love and being who they are. That was a delight to read. I also liked the depictions of parenthood - particularly Iris's aunt, who was thrust into parenthood rather than choosing it. The teenage angst directed at her from Iris felt real as well.

It's a pity that Iris's character as a whole didn't quite work. She's made being a detective the key part of her personality, no matter what boundaries she stomps and who she hurts. I can kind of see it. She's a teenager who lost her mum and her sister in close succession and knows her aunt never wanted kids. But it's also probably the most boring MC role to focus on. Any one of her LGBT friends would have been better, they at least had actual personalities beyond being annoying.

All in all, this is absolutely a rip-off of GGG, but it was an entertaining one by the end at least. It could have been better by being a little more original and having a more relateable MC. And cutting the podcasts out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this title.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGallery for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well… to be completely honest? I did not enjoy this at all. I skipped probably half of it because it was not important to the plot, the writing was really good for a debut novel, but the entire story just did not do it for me. The only reason I finished this book was to find out who did it, the person who I had already sussed out from their first introduction. So to say the least, it wasn’t a surprise for me. The ‘plot-twists’ never did it for me, not once was I enthralled by this novel, it didn’t grasp me or make me feel I couldn’t put it down.

I was irritated by the constant use of ‘my ex-girlfriend’ and ‘my ex best-friend’ to describe two characters that we already knew the name of, like I’m pretty sure those descriptions were used more than their actual names. I also feel things weren’t completely tied up in the end because a certain persons body was never found so I felt I was still missing a sense of closure.

Safe to say, this was definitely a cheap version of AGGGTM, but I have seen other reviews and some people have really enjoyed this novel, so of course give it a go.

i enjoyed the mystery. the mc annoyed me to be honest. i give some leeway to teens because they are immature and that is often annoying but things like iris referring to her two friends as “the agency” in her own head got on my nerves, it just sounded dumb. <spoiler>i called cooper being the murderer like 30% through but i did not see ms eastwick being involved, although it made sense.</spoiler> it all came together satisfyingly in the end. the writing was ok, the plot was definitely enjoyable but the characters were a little annoying.

This was compared to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, which I absolutely loved, so I had high hopes for this book but it just felt short. It felt extremely juvenile and rushed. I had to keep putting it down because it bored me in places. That being said, it was still a solid read.

How To Find A Missing Girl was so good it changed my mind on an entire genre. I’ll be honest, prior to reading HTFAMG it’d been years since I read a YA thriller. Something like a decade since I read the Pretty Little Liars series, and while I’ve certainly read more since then, nothing has stuck out. Now that I think about it, I have no good reason for not following the genre more closely; after all, adult mystery/thriller is in my top three genres. But rest assured, after reading HTFAMG, YA thrillers will be forgotten no more.

It’s hard to know where to begin with this one, because there’s just so much I loved about it. The characters were so compelling, the plot full of intrigue and twists that kept me wanting more at every turn. I loved the growth, both in terms of individual characters as well as their relationships with each other. This book captured high school dynamics authentically while still keeping it interesting. The way that everything was connected in the end was truly incredible, it absolutely blew my mind. HTFAMG is an outstanding debut, and I can’t wait to read more from Victoria.

From beginning to end, I was thoroughly captivated by this novel. The addition of podcast transcripts and a group of amateur detectives reminiscent of the Scooby Gang was a delightful touch. Additionally, the representation of queer characters was really good. Loved it.
The plot starts in Hillwood with the case of one girl labeled a runaway, but the disappearance of a second girl spurs Iris and her companions into action. With Iris's sister being the first missing girl and her ex-girlfriend the second, the stakes are personal and high. I was on the edge of my seat, eager to learn if Iris would uncover the perpetrator or find herself in danger.
The author excelled at integrating clues throughout the narrative in a way that felt really good and subtle. This mystery was engaging and rewarding to unravel. The characters are well-developed, with distinctive personalities that complement each other perfectly. Iris, in particular, as she navigates an emotionally charged and intricate path from despair and helplessness to resilience and determination.. The use of podcasts, text messages, and authentic teenage dialogue added layers of realism to the story.
Victoria Wlosok's vibrant writing style and the ability to paint vivid imagery with her words pulled me deep into the narrative. I found myself genuinely concerned for Iris and her circle of friends, each of whom brings something special to the table. "How to Find a Missing Girl" stands out as a remarkable debut novel, showcasing Victoria Wlosok as a promising new voice in the Young Adult genre.
It's an enthralling, innovative, and powerful read.

How to Find a Missing Girl is a fun read. a great mix of characters and a plot with enough twists in it that it holds your attention nicely.

This was a highly enjoyable read. Fast paced and interesting.

I will say in parts it was hugely reminiscent of ‘A Good Girls Guide To Murder’ however since that’s one of my favourite reads of all time that isn’t a bad thing.

I definitely tried out my detective ‘skills’ while reading this 🤣

Such a good YA mystery, and a sapphic one at that.
It's been a while since I finished this book, but I remember vividly how much fun I had throughout the whole thing. I mean, as much fun as you can have while talking about death and disappearance (which, morbidly enough, for me is a lot, when it comes to fictional ones).
It was a well built mystery and it had great characters, plus a romance I did not hate. Yay for that.
I can't wait to read more by this author, because I feel like she could really grow into the genre. So I hope she keeps writing murder mysteries or even thrillers. We will see!
For now, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

This is a really good thriller and will be enjoyed by anyone who's loved A Google Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. The writing style is so good. I can't believe this is Victoria Wlosok's debut!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

I really tried to get into this book as best as I could but I couldn’t connect with the characters and felt myself not caring about the story. Although, the writing was really good and the plot was there so don’t let my inability to connect with the characters deter you!

I really enjoyed this. Iris had a good voice and there was a good cast of characters to back her up. My favourite was her former best friend who just had such a distinct personality as the plucky journalist who just wanted to be friends with Iris again.

The Sapphic edge on this was naturally what I was most interested in. Having all the detective agency characters be Sapphic in some way (the main character is pan, one is a lesbian and the other I think is a non-binary lesbian though I might be wrong about her orientation) was a good idea. It really gave this an edge up on the other mystery books I've read.

Though with teen detectives, you often have to suspend reality on what they would actually get away with and what they wouldn't, I thought the teen angle was done well here. Iris doesn't have years of experience to fall back on. She's just a kid, trying to do what she can. I really liked that authenticity in our plucky young heroine.

If you like detective stories and sapphic characters, give this one a try!

This was a captivating thriller that had me enthralled from start to end. I was completely hooked and loved every second.

3.5 Stars
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC! This was pitched as a great book for those who love A Google Girls Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson and I definitely agree with that.

This is a YA thriller following Iris whose sister went missing over a year ago, her case never solved. Now Iris’s ex-girlfriend is missing and she is determined to solve this case when she couldn’t solve her sister’s. She teams up with her “agency” and also, albeit reluctantly at first, an enemy. As the group dig into the case they discover an entire web of secrets concealed in their small town.

This was very enjoyable and addicting. There were a lot of twists, unfortunately I did predict who the culprit was but not other aspects of that particular twist so I wasn’t mad about it. Also I read a lot of thrillers so I’m suspicious of everyone so don’t let me guessing who it was put you off reading this. The plot itself was well crafted and interesting, it didn’t lag at any points and new information was given at regular intervals so I wasn’t left frustrated.

There is a lot of LGBTQ+ rep in here which I loved and the supporting characters were really loveable. It was also written really well for a YA thriller and is a brilliant debut! If “YA” writing bothers you then still check this one out because the writing does not feel YA. I’m really excited to see what this author does in the future.

My gripe with this was the constant use of “my ex best friend” or “ex girlfriend” when their names could have just been used instead. It got annoying rather quickly. I also wasn’t the biggest fan of Iris as a main character, she was kind of selfish and her motivations for solving the case didn’t help to change how I saw her considering it was entirely to prove something to herself. She lies to her good friends about some really big stuff that actually really affects them and then turns it on them which bothered me to no end. So yeah, didn’t like her at all.

Overall I recommend this if you want a good, twisty and addictive YA thriller that you can’t put down. It came out on 21st September so you can read it now!

A really intriguing and captivating read that had me hooked right to the end. It perfectly fits in with its genre alongside books such as 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'.
Could NOT put it down, the writing style made the pages fly by so quickly!

My heart did not stop racing for the entirety of this book. A real page-turner. One of my favourite debuts of the year. Thank you for this early copy to read and review.

Unfortunately due to some sort of Netgalley glitch this book disappeared from my Kindle library before I got the chance to read and review it.

(Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

I wanted to love this book but it just didn’t have me hooked as much as it could have. This is mainly because I didn’t connect to any character other than our MC Iris.

I could however tell that a lot of thought had gone into the plot and making sure it had depth (which it definitely did). I appreciated how there were dead ends in the investigation and how clues/events weren’t conveniently found or handed to the main characters on a silver platter (which can sometimes be the case in YA mysteries). I will say though that the ending and conclusion to the mystery were a little random and didn’t really have any build-up. But the fact that this is a debut novel is super impressive as I've read mysteries from well-established authors that plot all over the place.