This book was very interesting and fast-paced, the author held my attention and the plot was very appealing. I would recommend this book to friends.

Wow is this the embodiment of what putting your life on the internet could really become. It was an interesting ride trying to figure out what happened to a youtube, internet celebrity.
The book read quickly, like a YA mystery and the multiple format types, which the addition of the diary, was a fun way to bring more depth to the story, I made it fee like a popular podcast.
While there were some less believable parts, it made sense to add a conversation line or twist in the story. So those could be forgiven.
All in all, good for those who liked A Good Girls Guide to Murder

Thank you #netgalley for the copy to review.

3.5 star - rounded up to a 4

This novel was something that I knew I would absolutely devour or hate because of the premise of a 13-year-old social media star and her momager (*eye rolls*). This book is something that I was able to quickly get through and also question why I kept reading through all the annoying moment with how the police handled the case, and the treatment of this young girl. This book is one of those thrillers where you just get mad at the characters throughout the book, especially the adults.

I recommend for people who want something quick to read and have a need to get their feathers ruffled by annoying people in society.

Chloe Cates is Missing by Mandy McHugh is a crime novel surrounding the disappearance of teenage influencer Chloe Cates.

What unfolds is a look into how internet fame affects communities, families and also the influencer. With so many lies and cover ups, what is the truth?

I really enjoyed this book as it wasn't the normal he said she said between partners that is so common with psychological thrillers.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by the publisher and #NetGalley for my honest opinion. Opinions expressed are completely my own

Found this a bit slow to start and also trying to understand how Abby Scarborough is the internet sensation, Chloe Cates - aka CC Spectaular.

Found it to be quite disturbing that her Mum is the one pushing her child in this way, and thought all of the way through what a dysfunctional family and was saddened by this, especially knowing there are probably some families like this.
Twists and turns through out the book as to a murder of a young girl who is thought to be Chloe and the hunt for Chloe.

Honestly, this one was not really my favourite. it started off well, but at some point, it really got slow and dull and I struggled through it for a while until I just gave up and started flipping through pages to know what happened.

I was very disappointed with this book. I read an advance copy from Net Galley and it was riddled with errors. Words with the first couple of letters cut off, random titles appearing in the middle of pages, grammatical errors, etc. I know these Net Galley books aren’t “shelf-ready”, but I’ve never experienced a book in such sloppy condition. That said, I didn’t base my review on any of that. I gave this one star because I rolled my eyes through the entire thing. Jennifer was perhaps the worst character I’ve ever read about in any book. This could have worked in the story’s favor, but it was so over-the-top I didn’t even care about where her daughter was by the end. I also hated that there was no consistency with how Jennifer referred to her daughter. She just randomly switched between calling her Abby and Chloe, which didn’t make sense. If she truly viewed her as “Chloe”, why keep calling her Abby every now and again? The Jennifer/Emmelina backstory was also very unbelievable. They were the last two people with Nicole, but they were never seriously looked into? Was the water tower in use? Jennifer also referenced having been arrested before and having a record, but we never learned more about that. Unless that was in reference to Nicole? If so, when/why was she arrested and fingerprinted? How could they just leave that out? Another thing that bugged the crap out of me was how the chapter with Missy’s mom ended. It ended with Emmelina saying that the mother told them “the story of the autograph”. What was the story of the autograph?!? They literally NEVER MENTIONED IT AGAIN. Ugh. Such sloppy writing. Wish I hadn’t wasted my time.

Chloe Cates is Missing is the debut novel by Mandy McHugh. This standalone thriller is about a young internet star who has gone missing from home. Chloe Cates is 13 years old and has spent her entire life in front of a camera and managed by her mother Jen and if you, like me, love unlikeable characters, batsh*t crazy mothers and dark secrets then you, like me, will be unable to put this book down.

Shining a very bright and unpleasant spotlight on the perils of social media, this story looks at how far people will go for a “like” or retweet. Jen has turned her daughter into a very profitable business and nothing is out of bounds and no line can be crossed when it comes to posting online about her family. She is relentless, driven and slightly unhinged, having experienced bullying herself as a child. Desperate to be liked, Jen sees social media and Chloe as the only way to be accepted even if it means exploiting her children and family.

When Chloe goes missing one morning Detective Emilina Stone who runs the Missing Persons unit takes over the case, however Emilina and Jen have some history together and it’s not good history!

The story is told through multiple points of view including both Chloe’s parents plus transcripts from Chloe’s journal so the reader slowly discovers the shocking truth behind this “perfect family” and the lengths they go to to portray their public personas.

I literally couldn’t put this down and enjoyed every page of this gripping thriller. Jen is possibly one of the worst mother characters I’ve read recently and she made my blood boil.

I have absolutely NO hesitation in recommending this book for thriller fans.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was really excited for this one, loved the cover and idea of social media mystery. For me this didn't quite live up to the expectations I had. I couldn't connect with the mother and constantly felt frustrated. I enjoyed parts of the story but felt the ending was a little far fetched, but it is fiction after all. I think this would make a great netflix mockumentary style of show. Overall, entertaining, but not my favourite read of the year.

Chloe’s mom needs therapy urgently. I found very unpleasant her behavior towards the child. A kid that only wants to be a kid, that desperately resents her mom for the way everything has turned out. This book just left me feeling bad for Chloe.

This is a captivating and intriguing story about a thirteen-year-old social media superstar who turns up missing. Abby Scarborough, known online as Chloe Cates, is the star of the viral vlog "CC Spectacular". She's managed by "momager" Jennifer who likes everything to be filled with sparkles and magic. When her parents discover she is missing, they contact the police and Detective Emilina Stone is brought in to investigate. There's quite a history between Emilina and Jennifer and everyone involved with the case has secrets they are trying very hard to keep hidden. I truly loved this book it was fascinating to see the dangers of social media obsession.

A very exciting novel, that takes you on a thrilling ride with plenty of twists and turns throughout. I loved it!

This was one of the best books of this genre i have read in a long time. I found it really fast paced and easy to follow. I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns and found myself struggling to put the book down. It really makes you think about social media and how we use it.

What happens is a social media starlet goes missing? A stressful 24hrs, I can tell you! Chloe Cates Is Missing promises everything from past crimes to present crimes, glitz and glam as well as blood, and a major serving of tension. I'm glad to say McHugh delivers on almost all of those promises in this tightly-paced thriller. Thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Black Mirror has an episode called 'Nosedive' in which social media leads to a woman's breakdown. It is no secret that social media and the constant attention it requires is having a very negative impact on people in general, not just teens. The need to perform, to be perfect, to be someone you're not, has consequences and it is a perfect cesspit for psychological thrillers to dive into. The danger is that it feels a little too cliché, a little too on the nose. It requires some deftness to really handle it properly, and Chloe Cates Is Missing tries to do so. While I don't think the novel is quite as smooth as it could be, McHugh makes it very clear where she stands on the 'should you put your entire child's life online'-debate. (I'm with her on the 'Please no!' side btw!) It's another great example of how thrillers and suspense novels are a great way to think about social issues. The genre is capable of holding up a mirror to society in the way many others cannot and reveal its flaws.

Chloe Cates is missing. But Chloe Cates doesn't exist. She is the online persona of Abby Scarborough, a 13-year old girl who is the star of her mother's blog and has fans across America. But now that she has disappeared, cracks are appearing in the picture-perfect fairy tale her mother has tried to spin online. The tighter she tries to hold onto the reins, the more her control slips. It doesn't help that she shares a difficult history with the main detective in the case. Chloe Cates Is Missing is full of twists and turns, reveals, and flashbacks, to the point that I found it a little impossible to accept that the novel takes place in a single day. The madness (positive!) of the plot is grounded by the characterization of one character in particular, namely detective Emilina Stone. Far from perfect, she has a good heart and is constantly looking for ways to atone and be better. She is determined, but also empathetic. Around her swirl a set of characters that are a little too thinly drawn. Abby is very "young" and precocious, her mother Jennifer is very shrewd and cool, her father Jackson is bumbling yet also hot.

This is Mandy McHugh's first novel and I see a whole lot of potential here! There are some lovely twists and the characterisation of Emilina is great. You get a real sense of who she is, her fears, her strength but also her weaknesses. I'd love to see her return in future books by McHugh, because I'm kind of invested now. While Chloe Cates has its strengths, not everything works evenly well. Like I said above, it's a bit too much plot for a 24-hour timeline. We also get some chapters which are taken from Abby's journal and while it adds an extra layer, the teen-voice of those passages doesn't jell well with the darker tone of the rest of the novel. While it is intended to add, it kind of undercuts the tension with its Addison Rae references and repeated OMGs.

Chloe Cates is Missing is an entertaining rollercoaster of a thriller. While not all elements work equally well, I'll definitely keep an eye out for more of Mandy McHugh.

Chloe Cates is missing. The 13-year-old star of the hit YouTube series, “CC and Me,” has disappeared, and nobody knows where she’s gone — least of all ruthless momager Jennifer Scarborough, who has spent much of her daughter’s young life crafting a child celebrity persona that is finally beginning to pay off.
Now that Chloe is missing, Jennifer needs her daughter back and takes to social media to help find her daughter. But people are suspicious, and deep secrets come to light. The detective, Emilina, that is working on the case has a connection to Jens dysfunctional past, and must piece together what happened in order to locate Chloe.

It is a fantastically dark and twisted plot told from multiple points of view. I was onsumed with this book. It shocked me, made me angry but I could not put it down. I stayed up late to finish this addictive book because I needed to know the playout.

Such an engaging thriller!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Surprised I haven’t read more books like this due to the nature of social media these days. Great book that kept my attention that I will definitely pass along to friends.

3.5 stars

Emilina is the only likable character in Chloe Cates is Missing. She's the most complex, realistic person and the only one who seems to contain shades of grey. Most of the other characters are fairly one-dimensional and only exhibit good or bad - well, mostly bad in this book. Emilina survived a terrible experience as a teenager and probably made the wrong choice in the moment (and moving forward), but she's done something with her life to atone for these choices. It certainly doesn't mean she's not culpable but does show her to be an actual human capable of expressing feelings like empathy and guilt. I enjoyed her chapters the most; she is intelligent and capable, and I found her emotional turmoil compelling while she wrestled with the memories this case forces her to relive.

"A person's character can wax and wane, but it's as indestructible as the moon. Once a mean girl, always a mean girl."

Jennifer, on the other hand, is a piece of work. Sure, she had a rough childhood, but she seems to have very little awareness of the concept of cause and effect: if you keep letting people who bully you into your life, you will continue to be bullied. Jennifer always justifies her actions and only views others (even within her own family) as objects to further her own desires. The most unbelievable aspect of her character is that she doesn't see herself for who she truly is. Generally, those who act at this level of manipulative psychopathy are aware of what they are doing. Instead, Jennifer seems convinced she's the victim. Since we get chapters from her perspective, we know she's not just playing the victim, and she isn't cold and calculated, which one would expect from someone who plans such terrible actions from a young age. Jennifer is wildly emotional, believes everyone is plotting against her and that others force her into using them for her own gain. It's doubtful she would get away with anything in this emotional state.

Jackson is certainly no mastermind. After years with Jennifer, he's mostly pathetic with a serious victim mentality. The excuse 'my wife made me do it' isn't acceptable for anything. His useless attempts to help make everything worse, and he's so spineless he ends up hurting way more than he helps. I'm fairly apathetic where he's concerned, with a few spikes of disgust for his behaviour.

The blog stuff felt unrealistic and dated. No one seriously trying to stay relevant would ignore TikTok, and it's impossible they wouldn't be on YouTube if they had been around for so long - they wouldn't have such an impressive following without it. The whole thing felt pathetic, not to mention traumatising, to let one child attend school while you homeschool the other one so you can force her into social media fame. It screams out for child protective services to get involved.

Though juvenile at times, the story is well-written and has enough twists and misdirects to keep it exciting, and I found it hard to put down. While I had a pretty good idea of where things were going, the path was unique and gripping. I enjoyed this read full of unlikable and inexcusably terrible people - I'm just glad Emilina was around to add balance and clarity.

Mandy McHugh @acmchughwriter has just completely shocked me with all of the dysfunctional family drama that everybody loves to read about and no one wants to live with. Chloe Cates is Missing is a binge-worthy “spectacle”, and I loved every single word of it. Also, this book would make an epic tv series.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review!

Link to 2/21/2022 Instagram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaP-rC9Liwp/

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

What a freaky family this is!!

Chloe/Abby is missing and Detective Emiline Stone is trying to locate her...whilst navigating her own history with a member of the family. Twists and turns galore.

This book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for review…not for the faint of heart…the family dynamics are horrible…kidnapping…exploiting the girl for money and fame…dysfunctional family…the story moves slowly, at times, but all and all is a good quick read…