The Summer She Went Missing

by Chelsea Ichaso, Amy McFadden (reader)

From the author of Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets and They're Watching You, a compelling new thriller!

Last summer, they searched for Audrey Covington.

This summer, they'll search for the truth.

Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in Clearwater Ridge, with lazy days sunning at the waterfalls and nights partying at the sprawling houses of the rich families who vacation there. The Covingtons are one of these families, and beautiful, brilliant Audrey Covington is Paige's best friend. And last year, when Audrey's crush-worthy brother Dylan finally started noticing Paige, she was sure it would be the best summer ever.

Except Audrey didn't seem quite like herself. Then one night, she didn't come home. Though Audrey wasn't the first girl to disappear in Clearwater Ridge, she left behind more lies than clues. Now, one summer later, her case has gone cold, and nobody, least of all Paige, can make sense of what happened.

When Paige stumbles across a secret hidden in Audrey's room, however, it changes everything she thought she knew about last summer. She and Dylan set out on their own investigation, discovering things even the police don't know about the people of Clearwater Ridge. But tracking down missing girls—girls who might be beyond saving by now—means entering a world far darker than Paige has ever imagined. And if she isn't careful, she'll become the next girl to vanish.

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Summer, Fiction

Audiobook

First published March 1, 2024

About the author

Chelsea Ichaso writes twisty thrillers for young adults and is also the author of the adult thriller, So I Lied. Her novel, The Summer She Went Missing, earned a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, a spot on Barnes & Noble’s Best of 2024 list, and was a 2025 TAYSHAS reading list selection. Her latest release, We Were Warned, is a Junior Library Guild Selection and has been featured on Marie Claire’s list of the 18 Most Anticipated Mystery Thrillers of 2025 as well as Goodreads Guide to 2025’s Biggest Mysteries & Thrillers. Chelsea currently resides in Southern California with her husband and children. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering from the sidelines at her kids' soccer games or attempting to strum a tune on the guitar. You can visit her online at chelseaichaso.com or on Instagram @chelseaichaso.

Reviews

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW TO COME FOR THE 10 THOUSANDTH TIME😭, I'm so behind on reviews at this point😂.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid read!

If you're a fan of That's Not My Name, you'll enjoy this one! This was a gripping novel with unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend it to fans of YA mystery and thriller.

I think it's best to go in blind, but for those who are interested, here's a quick rundown:

Every summer, Paige Redmond's family would pack up and head out to Clearwater Ridge, where they would spend their days with the Covingtons. Paige looked forward to these summers, which meant spending time with her best friend, Audrey Covington. They would spend their days sunbathing, swimming in the river, and partying. However, this summer was different. Paige's crush on Audrey's brother, Dylan, was finally reciprocated. Unfortunately, their developing romance was cut short when Audrey went missing. Despite the police giving up on the case, Paige and Dylan are determined to discover what happened to Audrey. They'll need to put their heads together and follow every lead if they want to unravel the mystery and bring Audrey home.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Chelsea Ichaso, and Tantor Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Panic!_at_the_Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Summer She Went Missing reads incredibly young, even for a YA book. The characters are almost entirely unlikeable. And it was excessively boring. Not unputdownable at all. Would not recommend unless you like the types of books Chelsea Ichaso writes.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like a gripping YA mystery involving a missing girl, this is for you! The story is fast-paced and kept me interested as the plot unfolded. Is Audrey a victim who tragically disappeared under mysterious circumstances, or is something more sinister at play? I enjoyed the alternating POVs and timelines. The narration added a layer of intensity as the twists started to accumulate. Most of the twists were hard to predict, adding suspense and tension. Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio for my audiobook.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio narrated by Amy McFadden.

A lot of frustrating teenage moments and the narrator's voice was kind of annoying but otherwise this turned out to be a pretty addictive thriller.

The story follows Paige as she works to uncover all the secrets around the disappearance of her best friend, Audrey. Along for the ride is Audrey's brother, Dylan, and if the two get distracted by their own romantic drama, well, they're only teenagers after all.

I definitely tuned out a bit when the hardcore Teen Tropes set in, but then I'd find myself backtracking because I'd missed a juicy bit of drama. So I imagine this would hit harder reading a physical copy.

That said, it's likely I'd have put pieces together a little faster if I'd read the physical. The beauty of audio is my focus wanders so suspects sneak up on me a lot more. This story was great for that because there were so many twists.

I feel like there were a lot of unbelievable aspects to the story but these also seemed to be intentionally explained away by the author through character musings or observations. For example, Paige begins to think a certain conclusion about Audrey that to me didn't make sense, but it's later explained away as a coping mechanism. I didn't buy it, so it never sat right with me.

There are so many teenage stereotypes here, and it had me rolling my eyes quite a bit. Still, somehow it held my attention throughout and by the end I was desperate to put all the pieces together and figure out what had happened.

Bit of a mixed read, but overall I enjoyed it. I think it would have landed better with me if I hadn't listened to the audio and had read the book physically instead. But then, if I'd had to read instead of listen I may never have picked it up in the first place.

With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC

[Zizi]

Got bored half-way, and some parts were really cringy. dnf 55%

[Hannah B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ooo yes this was everything I look for in a YA thriller! The end was surprising and unique—at least I’ve not seen a lot of these types of books end similarly. I do wish we got a bit more of the “why” and the “how” and the aftermath because the big reveal is always my favorite part. The romance was a bit flimsy at times, but that’s just the romance reader in me.

I really enjoyed audiobook performance as well. I’d definitely listen to the narrator again—she has a good range of voices. It was a quick listen with a few different POVs scattered throughout.

Looking on goodreads, it looks like the author has a solid amount of books coming out in the future, and I’ll definitely be reading them!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5



I received an ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.

[vicky ꨄ︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is me saying rtc again…..





————————————


𐙚⋆°. preread


Been reading this is between the races and realised that I forgot to mark that I started this

[Cami✯ (hiatus — school ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✧⁠*⁠。I know that they’re out there. The wolves. They howl and circle, haunches raised and fangs bared as they prey upon the weak. But I know that together, even the frail and meek can fight back. The softest voices will join, creating a sound to rise above the howls. Creating a chorus loud enough to crush the wolf. ✧⁠*⁠。

this book was astonishing. I couldn't guess the plot twist even if I tried. I just kept being tricked over and over again and here I am, sobbing at that ending. 💔

[Reading With Ghosty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a gripping read! The beginning   starts with the summer Audrey goes missing then segways into a year later with her still not found. A good where is she OR is she dead mystery. Along with good twists in the case, fans of the thriller genre will enjoy this book. Some thoughts:
*I'm glad that Paige and Dylan didn't stay together just for the sake of a romantic plot point. The way things ended between them seemed pretty natural given the circumstances.
*You will need to let go of reality slightly for how Paige and Dylan are investigating.
*Poor Audrey.

Amy McFadden did a wonderful job narrating.

Would recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Tantor Audio and Chelsea Ichaso for a copy of the book. All opinions are of my own.

[Melissa Earl · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mystery was interesting but was too lost in the nonsense and annoyances of the main character. Her "quirks" were so unnecessary (i.e., "talking like an old person", being overly naive for a 17 year old, and being unable to lie).. took away from the plot imo.

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ya thriller took a while to get gping for ne. The narrator's voice in places irritated me but i feel that was more to do with the teenag nature and me sadly not being a teenager. The story itself is basic a girl went missing tgen oaige came for the sumner and gr together with her best friends brother but her best friend is acting out of character and disappeares. Next summer they team up to find out what happened to her . Once it got going it was good whodunit full if twists and turns. The final reveal was a little bit ott. The characters were written the dialogue was right for the age . The story took too long for me and it was too hollywood film ending.
In reviewing this I would state im not a youbg adult so i didnt enjoy it as much as one would and as a adult it would be a 3.5 star but i can't penalise the book for my age as for a ya its a 4. The pace is right for them.
Thank you netgallery and publisher and author and narrator

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started with a very The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes with Paige and her family heading to spend summers with the Covingtons in Clearwater Ridge. Parents are best friends. Kids are best friends. Paige is in love with the oldest Covington - you see how I can make the connection right? But that's pretty much where it ends when Audrey Covington goes missing.

Fast forward a year and Paige is back in Clearwater Ridge and Audrey is still missing. Everything is different but Paige's mom wants to be there for her friends and Paige wants to see Dylan again. Plus there's still the mystery of what happened to Audrey and why she was acting so weird before she disappeared.

I really enjoyed the mystery of this one. And it wasn't just Audrey, there was a girl who went missing before Audrey that was connected. Paige & Dylan just needed to figure out how since the police seemed to have stopped looking. In between their search we also got flashbacks from Audrey's POV of what happened that summer leading up the big event of her missing. And yeah, I won't lie, the ending was a little over the top but I'm just gonna say, I must have a sixth sense for these book because I 100% called the suspect off the bat. I really should have gone into forensics...

This was my first book from Ichaso but she has been on my radar for sometime. If all of her books were this fun to read, I will definitely be picking them up.

[norah · Rating 2 out of 5]

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.25 | 😘=2 | 🤬=2.75 | ⚔️=3.5 | 🍺/🚬=1.5 | 14+

summary: our leading lady Paige’s best friend went missing last summer; now, she and her best friend’s brother have to solve the mystery (and fall in love I guess?? and find out there’s other cases tied up with her friend’s????)

thoughts: very very very boring!! there were several chapters around 80-90% of the way through where things picked up, but besides that it was super slow with undistinct characters. the mystery was very “first we talk to this person and then we talk to that person and then we put it all together” but not in an engaging way. again, a few twists at the end were nice but I feel like the author came up with those first and didn’t know how to actually get there with the plot and non-yawn-inducing characters. five solid chapters do not an entire novel redeem!! anyway it makes me want to reread A Good Girl's Guide to Murder because it's, like, actually good. take notes, Chelsea Ichaso!!!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went in blind to this one, I am soo glad that I did! The author did an amazing job of mixing the characters and the dynamic plot! Paige and Dylan had a steamy summer romance which abruptly ended when Dylan's sister, Audrey, went missing. Then the summer ended and the next year Paige and her family went back to Dylan's family Summer home again. This time slowly Dylan and Paige decide to team up since it's been a year since Audrey's disappearance and there were no leads they are going to find out what happened to Audrey. However, as they start finding leads everything begins to get intense and they are constantly watching their backs because they are finding things out about people they thought were their friends.
This novel is a page-turner and once I reached the middle of the book I could not put it down because everything was not what it seemed everyone has their agenda and some people will do anything to make sure their secrets stay secret! A good thriller if you are looking for a fast-paced thriller with INSANE twist and secrets that are SHOCKING!
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the extraordinary opportunity to read and review this book! It was a treat!

[Drea | Borrowed Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️. Unfortunately this majorly missed the mark for me. I went in pretty blind, only knowing it was a YA thriller and I think this one is a little too YA for me. The main character drove me insane with teenage angst, thoughts and actions. It was also very slow and did not hold my attention. Even the ending when things picked up, I found I couldn’t even remember which character was which as I was not invested in the story and they all blended together (not very developed people). Also, I don’t think I’ve found much success in reading about privileged teens/young adults, this is a second miss in that department for me. I didn’t guess the ending, which is always good, but I also didn’t really try to give it any thought. I know there will be a great audience of teens and young adults who will like this book and possibly find some commonality with the main characters, unfortunately it was not me. I listened to the audio version at 1.75-2x, the narrator was good - no complaints there.

I wish this book and author success in its launch, coming soon March 5, 2024.

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media and Chelsea Ichaso for the advanced audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[bee 🍉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the minute I started this book, I knew that I would be hooked from start to finish.

I can’t quite put my finger on it but there’s something about this book that reminded me of how I felt when I read A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder for the first time.

This was such a fantastic immersive story that had me hooked from the very first chapters. I did not want to put this down.

I thought I had this entire book figured out but I am so happy that I turned out wrong and I was thrown through multiple loops.

I will definitely be reading more of this author’s works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[˚˖𓍢ִ໋❀ Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ reallyyyy reminds me of agggtm. The plot was very interesting and I love the summer vibes especially since summer is ending (yay pumpkin spice chai). Idk tho it didn’t exactly catch my interest but still a good mystery book if you’re looking for a fast paced thriller.

[Trish Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny & smart teen sleuth, exes-to-lovers romance, and a jaw-dropping finale!! I brought this to the beach and couldn't stop turning the pages.

[isla :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book! I thought it was a good murder mystery/thriller with an amazing sub plot romance

[Lilian♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

Wow. I didn't see anything coming. I was gasping so much. I was so so scared for these characters. My jaw and heart dropped countless times!

This also gave off the BEST summer vibes!! Pick this up if you want the perfect summer thriller!

[deadlybatz⛧☾༺♰༻☽⛧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

review coming soon

[Elliot A · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Gist

Let’s set the scene: small town, a girl disappears, secrets bubble just beneath the surface. You’re thinking ooh, juicy! Maybe this’ll be a tight, suspenseful mystery with compelling twists, layered characters, and psychological depth. You dive in; get comfortable. You prepare for thrills.

The Details

And then—BAM. The main character arrives and steamrolls every ounce of potential like a drama queen on a mission.

Look, I enjoy a flawed protagonist. I really do. But what we’ve got here isn’t a flaw. It’s a full-blown character malfunction. This girl isn’t just immature—she’s emotionally stunted. You’d think with someone literally missing and presumed in danger, the story might focus on, I don’t know, that? But no. Our heroine has far more pressing concerns, like whether her boyfriend really likes likes her, how every sideways glance might affect their epic love story, and how the entire town’s trauma is clearly just background noise in the Great Saga of Her Relationship.

Honestly, it’s kind of impressive. I’ve never seen someone so monumentally self-absorbed. Entire scenes go by where the mystery of the missing girl is barely an afterthought—because heaven forbid anything distract from the protagonist’s inner monologue about text messages and possible emotional distance.

Don’t expect clever sleuthing. Don’t expect character growth. Nope. We’re trapped in an endless loop of “Why doesn’t everyone understand how hard this is for me?” followed by the bold investigative tactic of... sulking. Maybe an eye roll here and there. Occasionally, she’ll remember there’s a missing person, but only if it relates to something her boyfriend said. Or didn’t say; or might be thinking; or possibly dreamt.

As the pages go on, the plot doesn’t so much twist as nosedive. It starts promising, then rapidly dissolves into teen drama quicksand. I held out hope for a redemptive turn. A surprise revelation. Anything. But all I got was an increasingly shallow narrative orbiting a character who thinks the entire world is a stage for her to pine, pout, and pretend she’s in danger too.

And let’s talk about the missing girl—remember her? The one in the title? The one who should’ve been the emotional anchor of this whole thing? Yeah, I was wondering about her too. She’s treated less like a person and more like a plot coupon. Her disappearance is nothing more than a convenient excuse for the protagonist to spiral into her own romantic melodrama.

By the end, I didn’t care who was missing. I just wanted to go missing from this book.

If you’re looking for a sharp, emotional mystery with actual tension and depth, keep looking. If, however, you’d like to read 300+ pages about how hard it is to have a boyfriend while someone else’s life is in literal peril, then hey—this one’s for you.

The Verdict

Me? I’m off to read something with actual stakes and a lead who can form a complete thought that isn’t about her crush.

[Gabija · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!
Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! This book is very reminiscent of A Good Girl's Guide To Murder but set in a lake side town over the course of 2 summers. I was completely unable to put this book down, it was so well written and captured my whole attention.

I think that Amy McFadden did an amazing job at narrating this book and giving the characters so much personality and depth.

This is a book I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a huge fan of the AGGGTM series or anyone seeking a mystery book that isn't too intense.

A super quick read and honestly so worth it

[Sam Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I loved this book! It was suspenseful. It had a little bit of romance. Which threw me for a loop in the beginning cause I was confused but then I enjoyed it. It was a really good book.

[Sydd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!!
This was just an easy entertaining read with a good summer setting!

[Apryl (inmybookishgirlera) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of that’s not my name you will love this one! It was so good! It starts out giving the summer I turned pretty vibes minus the brothers chasing the same girl.

It was gripping and fast paced I could not put it down. I read this in a day! It had twists and turns I didn’t see coming. It had me guessing until the very end with who was responsible for the missing girl. This is YA but didn’t read that way. I loved the writing and will def be reading more from the author! 4.5 stars⭐️

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the premise of the story but omg some of the stereotypical mystery/suspense factors were too present in this YA novel. I remember literally yelling “no!” At stupid things the main characters would do.
The main character did her job well of being a typical teenager but my god, she was annoying to follow throughout the story.

[Madison Mclain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect mix between the summer I turned pretty and a good girls guide to murder 10/10 recommend