What Happened to Rachel Riley?

What Happened to Rachel Riley?

Claire Swinarski

HarperCollins, 2023

343 pages

Grades 6-8

Realistic Fiction

Eighth grade is bad enough, but extra worse for Anna. She has just moved from Chicago to Madison Wisconsin and has started at new school where she knows no one. Her new neighborhood is too quiet and she is lonely without the snoring of her big sister at night. As much as Anna seems to have it bad, Rachel Riley seems to have it worse. Rachel sits alone at lunch and the school ignores her. She seems okay to Anna, so what led to the social stigma? A budding podcaster, Anna decides to research Rachel's social stigma as an audition piece to be accepted to an elite podcasting camp. The problem is, no one will talk to her about Rachel. It seems that Rachel set a barn on fire the night before the seventh grade spring fling, but that seems so out of character. Even more confusing, Anna finds pictures of Rachel hugging some of the popular girls who used to be her friends. What in the world happened? Slowly as the school year progresses the truth is uncovered and the penny drops. Anna gets to the bottoms of last spring's events and tries to set the matter straight. Is she brave enough to take a stand?

Swinarski explores the complexities of middle school social life, while also exploring important topics such as sexual harassment, gender dynamics, and bullying, all within the context of a friendship story. Young readers will be enthralled with the mystery and will keep turning pages to get to the bottom of what really happened to Rachel. Organized unconventionally, the plot is revealed through podcast excerpts, interviews, emails, and texts. Though Anna is the featured narrator and we experience the story through her eyes, we also learn plot points through the correspondence of others. Beyond the main themes of the novel, the author also encourages readers to do the right thing, stand up for the underdog, and to find their voice. Both boys and girls need to embrace the importance of consent and this is a valuable read for both genders. The target audience is late middle school, making the story in my opinion a bit too advanced for elementary school. The cover makes it look more juvenile than what it is. This is an important addition to the middle school cannon that is entertaining, readable and still has a lot to say.