Review of The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl

I’m not always a fan of amnesia books, but I was gripped by this story of a college student struggling to remember the missing hours of one fateful night and hold those responsible for what happened to her. Check out my review of The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl.

The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl

The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl. To be published on September 14, 2021 by Minotaur Books.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for providing an advance copy of The Missing Hours for review.

Synopsis: From a distance, Claudia Castro has it all: a famous family, a trust fund, thousands of Instagram followers, and a spot in NYU’s freshman class. But look closer, and things are messier: her parents are separating, she’s just been humiliated by a sleazy documentary, and her sister is about to have a baby with a man she barely knows.Claudia starts the school year resolved to find a path toward something positive, maybe even meaningful – and then one drunken night everything changes. Reeling, her memory hazy, Claudia cuts herself off from her family, seeking solace in a new friendship. But when the rest of school comes back from spring break, Claudia is missing.Suddenly, the whole city is trying to piece together the hours of that terrible night.

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Review of The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl

The Missing Hours felt a little like a YA or New Adult thriller, and I don’t mean that as a negative. Several of the characters are college students or recent graduates and some of the book takes place on and around the New York University campus. As a former NYU student myself, I loved being back in that world.

Claudia Castro is young, rich, and living on her own in New York City. But one morning she wakes up in her dorm room, obviously injured and unable to remember what happened to her. It’s spring break, so not a lot of people are around, but with the help of a fellow student, she tries to piece together who she was with and what happened to her.

Just a content warning that this book deals with sexual assault. It’s also one of the better revenge thrillers I’ve read. I was both horrified by what happened to Claudia and completely gripped as she decides to take matters into her own hands and get back at the people responsible for her assault. It’s also a story about family dysfunction, the way that class and privilege intersect with the justice system, and the difficulties of sexual assault victims getting justice.

I found The Missing Hours to be suspenseful, heart-breaking, and really well done. It can be a tough read at times, but I thought it was well worth it.

If you are looking for similar books, try Foul is Fair by Hannah Capin or check out my list of YA Books About Revenge. I think The Missing Hours is also a great new addition to my list of books about Furious Women.