Common Sense Media Review
By Lucinda Dyer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen's podcast investigates murder in page-turning thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As GIRL FORGOTTEN begins, Piper Gray's life has been totally upended. No longer able to live with her mother, she's now trying to fit into a new family (her long-absent father, stepmother, and two young half-siblings) and a new high school. But life in a new town and new school does give her a chance to move past being "That poor girl, did you hear about her mom?" When Piper finds out every senior will have to do a passion project, she knows exactly what her's will be: investigating the unsolved murder of Layla Trello, who disappeared from a Halloween party 17 years ago. After her body was discovered deep in the woods without her clothes or purse, suspicion immediately fell on Danny Hitchens, her boyfriend. Danny and his older brother, sons of a prominent auto dealer, were known for their explosive tempers and Layla had been seen arguing with Danny at party. As Layla begins planning her podcast, she soon realizes she needs help on both the technical and creative sides. She gets that help from her classmate, Jonas Shortridge, who hosts his own podcast. Once a baseball star, Jonas lost a leg in a car accident (he's keeping a secret about how that happened) and now has a prosthetic. As Piper starts interviewing Layla's friends and family and the weekly episodes start airing, the threats begin and Piper's suspect list grows. Could Danny actually be the killer? Or was it his brother? Or could it be Layla best friend, Star? And what about the creepy School Resource Officer?
Is It Any Good?
This page-turning mix of jealousy, murder, and long-buried secrets has a strong and often heartbreaking message about the dangers of drug abuse. For readers who are aspiring podcasters, Girl Forgotten will give them an almost step-by- step tutorial on how to create their own podcast.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what Girl Forgotten showed them about perseverance. Has there ever been a challenge you thought you might never overcome?
If you could do a "passion project" what would it be about? What format would you use -- a video, a blog, or a podcast?
Have you ever been the new kid in school or on a team? How hard was it for you to fit in?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Christy Ottaviano Books
- Publication date : March 28, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 264
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate