Ruth Ware is an auto-buy author for me. I absolutely love her writing and her stories! So, of course, I grabbed The It Girl as soon as I could!

So, this story follows Hannah as her past is brought back into her present. In college, Hannah's roommate, April, was murdered, and Hannah was the one to find her😱, and identify the killer.

As Hannah navigates her first pregnancy and celebrates with her husband Will, who also used to be friends with April, Hannah gets news that April's killer has died, but there are now questions around whether he really was the killer.

This kickstarts a dual timeline story that gives the reader insight into what happened leading up to the murder, and what investigations Hannah is doing in the present day. I really enjoyed both timelines, and I thought the pacing was well done.

The mystery of this one had me thinking I knew, but I was wrong 😂 like always. So, for me, it had a nice surprise at the end. Even if you are one who can guess what's coming, I still think this one would be a worthwhile thriller!

If you're a huge Ruth Ware Fan, this one ranks in the top three reads for me, so here's my top 4 to give you context.
1. The Turn of the Key
2. One by One
3. The It Girl
4. The Death of Mrs. Westaway

Many years ago, IT Girl April was murdered in her college dorm room. Her supposed murderer recently died in prison, which makes April's old roomie and best friend, Hannah, revisit the case. Was the man who went to prison really responsible for killing April, or was it one of Hannah's dear college friends?

This was my first Ruth Ware book, and I liked it! Honestly, I think I would've liked it more as an HBO miniseries. For some reason, Ware chose to focus on Hannah, who was so boring as a character. I found the story enthralling at times, but literally every other character (except for maybe Will) was more interesting. Hannah just let stuff happen to her and yeah, did she read as first year college student? Absolutely. But not an interesting one. So it took me a long time to get into the book, and then my interest was kind of waning by the end because I really didn't care what happened to Hannah once the murderer was revealed. The mystery itself was good and I was a little off about who done it, which I always find fun. 3 stars - I liked it.

Ruth Ware’s latest novel is as enjoyable and as fast paced a ride as all of her previous. Told in the present with past flashbacks, it tells the story of Hannah Brown, who’s entire adult life has been determined by her tragic relationship with April Clarke-Cliveden. April was her roommate at Oxford and the first person Hannah met there. April was rich, bold, and impulsive, whereas Hannah was poor, studious and shy. April was spoiled yet generous and dragged Hannah along on various adventures, and the two became fast friends. But one horrible night, April was brutally murdered, and Hannah’s eyewitness accounts put the murderer away. Fast forward ten years and Hannah is still coping with the horror of that night, but is now pregnant and happily married to Will, April’s former boyfriend. When April’s convicted murderer dies in prison, Hannah begins to wonder again what really happened the night April was murdered. Could she have made a mistake and sent the wrong man to prison? Flashing between the present and the past, Ware skillfully paints a picture of an all too human April and the possibility that there were several people who may have wished her harm, including Will. There is lots of suspense and creepy suspects, lurking suspicions, and revealing of characters. Good, juicy fun.

When "it girl" April Cliveden-Clark's murderer dies in prison 10 years after her death, her college roommate, Hannah, begins to grapple with the idea he might have been innocent. Long, slow burn, with dark academia vibes, and where everyone's a suspect.

I love Ruth Ware, but this one didn't land for me. I wasn't particularly invested in Hannah or April as characters, and didn't fully understand Hannah's motivations for many of the choices she made. Though Ware constructed backstories for characters, they didn't always feel consistent with the ways the characters were presented and impacted suspension of disbelief. Though Ware does a good job of making everyone a suspect, some directions were more believable than others. I think if this book had been about 100 pages shorter, the pacing and level of detail given would have been better matched.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC of this book to review.

When Hannah meets her college roommate, April, she never anticipates how her world will change. April is the It Girl and with that comes friends, outings, and … murder? The night of the murder, Hannah thinks she witnesses the killer and her testimony puts the man in jail. Now, years later, that man has passed away in prison, but it’s possible he was innocent all along. Unable to live with the guilt Hannah begins doing her own investigation of that night and who really killed April. “The It Girl” by Ruth Ware is a gripping mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

Are you ready for a mystery that will keep you guessing? I think I literally accused every character at some point while reading. Even Hannah herself (okay, I see it’s not logical now, but come on). It seemed like everyone was just suspicious enough that I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I love how proactive Hannah is as a character. I think I expected her to use her pregnancy as a crutch on why she couldn’t investigate or solve things. Really, everyone else was more concerned than she was. All Hannah wanted was to know the truth.

In the end, this book earned a solid 4 star rating from me. It was clever, quick, and kept me guessing until the last few chapters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scout Press (Gallery Books) for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Hannah jones was once a student at Oxford. Now she is an expectant mom. While a student, her roommate was found strangled.. a man was tried and convicted for her murder.
But now, new information has come to light that maybe the wrong man was convicted. What really happened with the group of college friends?

This book is 3.5 stars rounded up for me. The book felt a little long for the story line. I found myself having to push through to the end. I found the ending satisfying and was once again engaged with the story. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book,

The It Girl follows the familiar troupe of "girl with memories, doubts memories, is gas lit and more confused not knowing who to trust, ends up trusting self." That being said-I did like this one. It brings you down some twists and turns that are a bit unexpected and interesting. It's not necessarily new or fresh but it's good. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Everything I wanted in a summer thriller, a sweet romance, nuanced characters, a fascinating deep dive into female friendships, and constant twists and turns. Loved it on audiobook!

I’ve been a major fan of Ruth Ware’s novels for years now, so I was very eager to read her latest, The It Girl. Oh, friends. It pains me to say that I have mixed feelings about this one. It was somewhat enjoyable, but I felt that the author’s “special something” was missing. I kept having to remind myself that I was reading a Ruth Ware novel because at times, it really didn’t feel like one. I hate to say it, but it almost felt amateurish. Like something she’d write early in her career. If you’re a big fan of the author’s work like I am, it’s still worth checking out. Overall, this novel was very “middle of the road” for me, and not my favorite from Ware. With that said, there’s still lots to love about this one: dual timelines, an academia setting, slow-burning mystery, moments of suspense, and a great whodunnit to solve! The It Girl gets 3.5/5 stars from me.

My favorite Ruth Ware book so far!

The death of a girl at Oxford - unsure if the right person is behind bars - her best friend digging into things to figure it out —- GIVE ME IT ALL!!!

Loved it

Loved this book! I have loved all Ruth Ware books. This one was no exception. I really love books with a university setting. Maybe its me dreaming of being back in college but I love the spooky/creepy nature. Well done!

April Clarke-Cliveden is the It Girl as the freshman class arrives at Pelham College, Oxford. She's beautiful, vivacious, rich, smart, and people are naturally drawn to her. But she's also demanding, manipulative, and loves nothing better than to pull off complicated pranks on her friends. She's not always very likable but who would hate her enough to kill her before that school year is over?

The story is told by her roommate Hannah Jones in 'Before' and 'After' chapters. The two might seem to be unlikely best friends, Hannah being from a small town and not wealthy or sophisticated, but April immediately takes her under her wing and draws her into her friend group.

It's unfortunate then that Hannah is the one to find April's body and it's Hannah's testimony that sends a man to prison for her murder. Ten years later, that man is dead and a journalist appears who believes that the man was innocent all along. If he wasn't the killer, then who was?

This is a character-driven mystery, masterfully told by Ruth Ware. She keeps the reader guessing right up to the end. I personally think it's one of her best.

I received an arc of the novel from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I was alerted to this book by a friend who knew it was in my suspense wheelhouse. I’ve read probably half a dozen books with similar descriptions: dual timelines that start with a group of friends in college, one ends up murdered, and years later the protagonist tries to unravel the truth behind the murder.

Despite the fact that the execution of the books I’ve read has been spotty, there’s something I love about this plot. I tend to like dual timelines anyway (more than the average reader, I think), and I also tend to like college-set stories (my fondness for New Adult romance series set in faux-Ivy-League schools is strong evidence of this). Also, I had heard good things about Ruth Ware's books, so I was jazzed to try The It Girl.

Hannah Jones arrives at Oxford as an overachiever, the only child of a single mother. As with many of these type of “dark academia” books, she’s a fish out of water, intimidated and awed by the rich and beautiful people she immediately encounters.

In this case, the first person Hannah meets is her roommate, April Clarke-Cliveden. April is indeed rich and beautiful. She’s an early adopter of Instagram and a sort of baby influencer. Hannah is drawn into a circle that forms her first night at school: besides her and April, there are Will and Hugh, who Hannah knows from the posh school they all attended, as well as the more working-class Ryan and Emily. The group bonds over a game of strip poker, and Hannah becomes enamored of Will when he saves her from the embarrassment of having to take off more than she’s comfortable with. Hannah quickly discovers that April and Will have a thing going on, to her disappointment.

The review continues here:

https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/review-the-it-girl-by-ruth-ware/

6/10

The story is good enough. April is killed in college. Hannah, her roommate, is the one who put the killer in jail, through her testimony.

But nothing is ever that simple, especially in a suspense-laden murder mystery.

Hannah enlists her former college friends to help her put the pieces together of a traumatic college time. As such, this book goes back and forth between Hannah and April in college, and the present day Hannah (and her college friends).

It’s a good enough story but, well, not good enough for me to love it. Ruth was a bit verbose in this book, overly descriptive in ways that didn’t add to the story.

The catch was somewhat obvious so I wasn’t surprised or blown away when it happened. And the ending seemed like she was trying to cram all the answers into the last ten pages - where everybody confesses and reveals their motives.

Honestly, I kinda feel like this isn’t Ruth’s best writing. Like maybe she rushed through it.

I don’t know.
Either way, it’s a 6 out of 10 for me.

#netgalley #theitgirl

#FirstLine ~ Afterwards, it was the door she would remember.

I loved this book. It bounces between before and after in perfect balance. I was uneasy the whole time reading, which is awesome. There was such an engaging plot and the pace was outstanding. The reader will be transfixed and delighted with this book cover to cover. A must read!

This was a great read, unputdownable, gripping and the perfect beach read.

We meet Hannah Jones, a bookseller happily married to Will, and pregnant with her first baby. All is going well with her, it seems, when news comes out about the death of John Neville, former Oxford porter who was convicted of the murder of her best friends at Oxford April Clarke-Cliveden. This might have been closure for Hannah, but suddenly the past comes crashing into the present when a journalist approaches Hannah with news that the wrong man may have been been convicted of April's murder, on her testimony.

April had been Hannah’s best friend in university, the center of their close group of friends. Wealthy, beautiful and charming, April’s murder tore their group and their lives apart. Now Hannah is reconnecting with these old friends to resurrect old memories, to see if she missed something, to redeem herself if she had sent an innocent man to prison. She finds that her friends are all hiding things—and soon she finds she herself is in danger.

I didn’t guess the killer until almost the end and I really loved how the author transported the reader to Oxford. I even checked out Ruth Ware’s bio because I was sure she had gone to Oxford, which she had not. She’s just a good researcher!

High recommend!

Review of The It Girl by Ruth Ware

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was super excited to get this one because I love a good academic setting and much of this one takes place at Oxford. I have some mixed feelings about it but ultimately I liked it snd give it four stars. It definitely had some slower parts but I thought some of the end twists were amazing. One of my fave books from this author.

Quick synopsis: Hannah immediately connects with her Oxford roommate, April. April is rich and beautiful, the “It girl” on campus, and has a boyfriend Hannah herself is mesmerized by named Will. They quickly become a close circle of friends with others named Hugh, Emily, and Ryan. But April also has a mean streak as well and soon she is murdered. Hannah sees a creepy Oxford porter named John Neville rushing down the staircase right before she discovers April. Her testimony puts him in jail. During the present day, Hannah is now married to Will herself and they’re expecting their first baby. When she finds out Neville has died in prison and many believe him to be innocent she begins to question her memory. And as she reconnects with all of their past friends she realizes they all have more secrets than she knew and perhaps one of them knows more about the murder.

Thank you @netgalley and @gallery for the advanced copy

This book is broken down in chapters consisting of BEFORE and AFTER.

BEFORE-Friends April and her roommate Hannah along with other cast of characters are finding their way about Oxford. College life can be fun unless someone turns up dead.

April, is considered the IT GIRL and she appears to have it all. However, she is generous when she wants to be, but also extremely manipulative.

At the end of the second semester she turns up dead.

AFTER-A decade later and John Neville was put behind bars, and Hannah was the star witness. She is struggling thinking about her testimony.

Neville dies in prison, however new evidence is brought forward! Could her testimony be correct or did she lie? Did she put the wrong man in prison?

This novel will keep you guessing until the end as so many people could have killed the IT GIRL.

I think I am officially giving up on this author. Kudos to all of those who love her books and are always raving about them. Her books just don't do anything for me. I keep trying, and I keep being let down by all the hype.

This book moves so slow. I almost gave up a few times, but I kept pushing through hoping it would pick up.

The book started out pretty good. Then the stereotypes of the characters started grating on my nerves. I am not a fan of overly done stereotypes, and this book is full of them.

I was there for the whodunit mystery. Who killed the it girl and why? I had my strong suspicions pretty early on. I was right, but the author did almost misdirect me a time or two. So, I have to give her props for that.

The characters in this book are all completely unlikeable. The author has you thinking you like a couple of them, but if you pay enough attention you can find plenty of reasons to not like them. I couldn't sympathize or empathize with any of them.

Back to who the killer was. Everyone had very good reason to have done the deed. I would've loved it had they all conspired with one another.

Overall, this book is okay. If you can get past the exaggerated characters and all their flaws, you just may enjoy it.