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Holly Jackson on her YA Book Prize-shortlisted novel, The Reappearance of Rachel Price
Caroline Carpenter is children's editor and deputy features editor at The Bookseller magazine. She is returning to head up the YA Book Prize
...moreHolly Jackson speaks to The Bookseller about her mystery thriller, The Reappearance of Rachel Price (Electric Monkey), which has been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2025.
Caroline Carpenter is children's editor and deputy features editor at The Bookseller magazine. She is returning to head up the YA Book Prize
...moreWhat inspired this story?
Really, it was the title that came first with this book. I was on a dog walk, thinking about my next book idea and listening to a true crime podcast. I think the podcast referenced a source that was called “The Disappearance of (blank blank)” and my brain just flipped it. What if, instead of a story about someone’s disappearance you had a story about their reappearance instead? Before I reached the end of the walk I had the full title. Now I just needed to come up with a story to match it and work out who Rachel Price was.
What do you hope readers take away from The Reappearance of Rachel Price?
I hope I completely slap them in the face with the plot twists in this book – one in particular I am very proud of. But, as ever, I hope Bel and her journey resonate with readers. I’m noticing a trend of late where people criticise “unlikable” characters, specifically when they are young women (where men and boys can get away with murder – literally!). I’m here to stubbornly ignore that and celebrate those prickly girls.
Which character in the book is your favourite, and why?
Well, it should come as no surprise that Bel is my favourite character. I spend so much time mapping out my main characters and the arc they will go on so that I’m not just sporting out plot twists, I’m writing a story that specifically matters to them and will change them by the end. But also, Ash was fun to write. I see him as a strange hybrid between Harry Styles and the comedian James Acaster.
What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2025?
I’m delighted to be included on the shortlist this year and especially for this book. I’m not one to court controversy, but I still think The Reappearance of Rachel Price is my best book to date. Fight in the comments.
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Why do you write for young adults?
I think with each book, I’m actually writing them for myself, as something that I would have enjoyed reading as a teenager and would still like to read now. That’s why they tend to err on the side of the dark and unhinged (some might even say too dark for YA.) I think in some circles, YA is looked down on as something “less than”. Having just written an adult thriller, in my case I can say it is no different at all, other than the age of the characters. If anything, YA readers are such active consumers of media that it makes it harder to pull off those big, earth-shattering plot twists.
What was your favourite book as a teenager?
I fondly remember the summer I read The Stand by Stephen King. I was probably 13 and far too young but that never stopped me.
What do you need around you when you’re writing?
PEACE – ha! I’m so busy at the moment that any day where someone doesn’t need something from me or emails aren’t pinging up on my phone are the best writing days. It’s why I’ve worked almost every weekend this year, so I can actually get stuff done.
What songs would be on a playlist for The Reappearance of Rachel Price?
Hmmm, let’s go for Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift.
Which book, film or television show would you recommend to a fan of the book?
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – I like to think of The Reappearance of Rachel Price as a loose YA Gone Girl but in reverse!
Read the first chapter of The Reappearance of Rachel Price for free and discover the rest of the 2025 shortlist on the YA Book Prize website.
