2.5 stars.

I am beyond sad...this was one of my top highly anticipated books for 2022, and I'm sad to say it just wasn't it. AND I'M SAD ABOUT IT.

It was wayyyyyy too long. 432 pages for a mystery/thriller? No. Just no.

It was very repetitive. So many times I thought...OKAY we get it- this has been said 1000 times. Maybe it needed stronger? I don't know.

The final twist was actually good and it surprised me, but the getting there just took forever. I have some conflicting feelings about it because I do love Ruth Ware's writing and the way she tells a story and writes her characters, but it took me over a month to finally finish this book. So I guess it goes right in the middle for me. Honestly just really freaking sad.

College can be hard enough, then Hannah’s roommate/best friend was murdered. April was the gorgeous, well liked, rich, ‘It Girl’ on campus, so who would want her dead? Hannah’s testimony sent away a man that seemed to be stalking the girls and now that he’s died in prison, Hannah is doubting what happened that night. Has the real killer already been found or is he still free?

I am an avid Ruth Ware fan but this book didn’t really do it for me. The ending/villain didn’t really make sense to me at the end, I needed more reason why! It’s a perfectly fine read and would be great for someone without my extremely high expectations. I would give this 🌟🌟🌟🌟, comes out July 12th!

April Clarke-Cliveden is the "It Girl." She has everything — looks, brains, and plenty of money, thanks to her rich parents. When Hannah Jones becomes her roommate at Pelham College in Oxford, they become best friends despite the disparity in their social standings. They also become part of a group of students who hang out together. Hannah is attracted to Will, a member of this group, but he becomes April's boyfriend.

The book alternates between Before and After. The "After" refers to the murder of April and how Hannah, ten years later, learns that the man convicted of the crime has died in prison. Hannah, now married to Will and expecting his child, starts to relive that awful experience from her past when a reporter asks to speak with her about it. The reporter claims there is new evidence that points to the innocence of the man, a porter who'd worked at the college, and whom April's testimony helped put behind bars.

While Will doesn't condone Hannah's becoming involved again, she is determined to learn the truth of what really happened the night she found her roommate dead. Because April enjoyed playing pranks on people and was sleeping with more than one man at Pelham, there are quite a few suspects, including Hannah's husband.

I found it hard to put this book down. The atmosphere was well depicted, as were the characters. I had difficulty figuring out who-dun-it because there were so many likely suspects. When I finally realized who killed April, it was right before this information was revealed. I enjoyed the twists and turns, and I found the ending action-packed. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological mysteries. This isn't my first book by Ruth Ware and won't be my last. She is one of my favorite new authors.

Here we have another exceptional and riveting read from one of my favorite authors, Ruth Ware! Ware consistently writes thrillers that enthrall and shock her readers and that's no different with The It Girl. This is a must read for summer 2022!

While I enjoyed the premise of this book and how fast-paced it was, I didn't love the overall story. I figured out the ending super early, and I felt like I was left with more questions than answers at the end of the book. If it was meant to be open-ended as to who the test-taker was, then I am not a fan. I was really annoyed by the main character Hannah throughout the book- for example, if she said "baby in my belly" one more time I was going to throw my Kindle at the wall. I would have preferred a much stronger female as the narrator.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this to others, as it was very meh for me and not as good as some of the author's previous works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

I want to thank Net Galley and Gallery Books for providing me with an ebook of this title to read and give an honest review.
This is my second Ruth Ware book. The first book I didn't love but wanted to give this author another chance, as I'd heard so many things.
I like a good who done it. Books that keep me guessing from beginning to end. This wasn't it. I guessed the who pretty much from the start. But because I am not always right, I figured I'd continue.
The story itself has merit. The plot was promising. I like the idea of it being a true mystery: who killed April? Despite someone having been convicted of it, we were going to find out if it was truly that person.
I enjoyed the main character's, Hannah, before and after POVs. They helped move the book along.
What I didn't love was the repetition. I felt like the narrator just kept circling back to the same things: April was my best friend, if I was wrong I must find out who actually did it, my baby/my baby/my baby. It drew the book out to a length it just didn't need to be at.
Once the before caught up with the after, I got really bored. I didn't feel like the book was moving me in a direction to stay focused and wanting to actually know the ending. I pushed through only because I needed to see if I was right. And I was.
I also found the writing flat. The tone of the narrator never truly showed excitement, horror, fear, etc. I just didn't feel it while I was reading. Too much time for Hannah to think about all the possibilities, over and over again.
Unfortunately, I don't think I will read anymore books from this author. Certainly she is not for me, though that doesn't mean she is not for others.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the gift of an advanced copy! Below is my honest review.

Ruth Ware has done it again. This is probably her best plotted book so far. The "Before" intertwined with the "After" format really worked for me. The story was expertly structured to shift suspicions back and forth and reveal new clues at different times. The solution is hidden in plain sight through lots of very subtle but obviously-there-when-you-look-back clues. Did I figure it out? Yes, but only because I had a nagging suspicion at the very beginning, before anything even happened, that made me look out for those tiny hints. Did that take anything away from my enjoyment? No, absolutely not.

Ware has proven repeatedly that she's a mystery powerhouse, reminiscent of Agatha Christie's great stories. I need to read the two earliest books of hers that I haven't yet while I wait anxiously for her next great mystery. She's definitely joined my instant read author list.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛: @ruthwarewriter
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Thriller
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝙳𝚊𝚝𝚎: July 12th 2022
𝙿𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛: @gallerybooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀:

BEFORE and AFTER 🖤

Overall, The It Girl was riveting, well developed, easy to follow, and a captivating read!

This is a psychological thriller about the murder of the young, IT GIRL. The murder takes takes place at Oxford University and follows the before and after of the woman who may have been responsible for the conviction of the wrong man.

The book takes you on a journey of the mismatched University clique and down the path to find out what really happened to THE IT GIRL!

Ruth Ware's talent for writing never ceases to amaze me!

🖤 What is your favorite @ruthwarewriter book?

Thank you @netgalley @scoutpressbooks & @gallerybooks for my gifted ARC! #TheItGirl #Netgalley #GalleryBooks #ScoutPressBooks

3.5 stars - As usual, I really love Ruth Ware's writing and characterization, which is what I see as the special sauce for her books including this one. The college setting is one I really enjoy for thrillers, but I think this suffers from being pretty standard in terms of plot progression and tropes with few surprises (I figured out whodunnit like... immediately). It is also VERY slow burn, which I was good with because of how much I like her writing, but want to flag that for other readers

All in all, a pretty standard thriller made a lot stronger by the author's writing talents. Not her best but still very enjoyable!

A dual timeline mystery that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the friendship between Hannah and April. As the story progresses I suspected just about everyone! I do feel parts of the story could have been filled in a little more, especially the relationship between Hannah and Will. A page turning read and I think fans of the mystery/suspense genre will enjoy this one.

This was enjoyable mystery that had me guessing all the way to the end. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not in fact figure out who done it. Like all Ruth Ware books The It Girl is sure to be a hit with the mystery/suspense crowd.

I have to say I was so disappointed in this book. I am a huge Ruth Ware fan but I was not a fan of One by One so I was a little nervous going into this one. And I was right to be so. This did not feel like classic Ruth Ware writing to me. It was slow and dragged on and felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over. I WILL hand sell this title because I'm wondering if its not just me? And I would not want to deprive someone of a Ruth Ware book! But for sure this one was not for me.

This was a a good thriller that kept my interest throughout. I loved how the author wrote the story with each chapter being either before or after the murder. By using this technique you gain insight into each character as she ratchets up the suspense. The style of writing quickly moved the chapters along. I foresee a big summer hit! #TheItGirl #RuthWare # NetGalley

I am, like many others, an absolute sucker for a Ruth Ware. This is another fantastic mystery where everyone can reasonably be suspected, but I am missing her earlier narrators who gave me some reason to root for them. I'm finding less to connect with and enjoy about the people whose perspectives I'm reading from and her protagonists more often resemble, in the least flattering way, characters that I find in a Shari Lapena story. Hoping for a bit better the next time around!

This was an okay story. It lost my interest a few times and took me longer to finish. It would be a good pass the time book.

April Coutts-Cliveden was the kind of girl who could light up a room. When Hannah Jones arrives at Oxford, she's immediately drawn to April's sparkling personality and ability to make friends with nearly anyone she meets. As their friend group grows, Hannah begins to finally feel like she belongs. At least, until April is murdered. 10 years later, Hannah is finally at peace with what happened to April. Expecting a baby with Will, they've both settled into their lives after April's death. But when new evidence comes to light that points to a wrongful conviction, will Hannah be able to figure out what really happened to this it girl?

I really wanted to love this, and completely expect it to be everywhere this summer. However, it just wasn't for me. I felt that the pace was quite slow and a bit repetitive. I didn't find Hannah's character particularly compelling, and overall I just wasn't wowed.

I found this book a different kind of read than her previous books. The main character Hannah has lived through the murder of her best friend April back in college. The book is set 10 years later in her present life, married and pregnant, but flashes back to her college days. It’s told as “before” and “after”, giving the reader a first person view of Hannah’s college experience at Oxford, and her present life such as it is now. When the convicted killer dies in prison it sets the storyline in motion. He always claimed he was Innocent, making Hannah wonder if maybe she got it all wrong as the prosecution’s main witness.. Although I feel it started out slow the book finally caught my interest as each character continued to develop, keeping me hooked enough to want to know who was April’s real killer. Was Neville really guilty? Who can Hannah really trust? I enjoyed this book, but I’ve enjoyed some of Ruth Ware’s previous books much more.

The It Girl was a solid thriller packed with twists and turns. Although the characters and plot felt a little stale, Ruth Ware still did a good job of making me question what really happened. I enjoyed the dual timelines between past and present, and the academia setting of Oxford where many events of the book took place.

Ten years ago April was murdered in her dorm room on the prestigious campus of Oxford. Her roommate, Hannah, gave the witness testimony that convicted John Neville, college porter, of murder. Now after Neville’s death, a journalist has stirred the pot. Was Neville really guilty, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? Hannah is forced to go back and remember the days leading up to her best friend’s murder and could possibly find something she didn’t want to know.

Wow this book was incredible! I finished it about a week ago and still can’t get it out of my head. As always, Ruth Ware sets the tone for a perfect thriller. A group of really smart, cool college kids with lots of drama between them and a mysterious, old college campus. It’s truly the perfect setting! I loved everything about this book. It was so twisty, unpredictable, and realistic. I thought I had it figured out, but nope! I never saw that ending coming. It’s a book that I can see myself rereading just so I can see the clues I missed along the way. What an amazing book!

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Wow wow wow! I loved this book so much. I haven’t read a thriller in a while, so when I saw the new Ruth Ware book on NetGalley, I knew that this would be the perfect ARC to get me back onto my thriller game. This book delivered. I am a big fan of Ware’s writing, and this might be my favorite of her books yet.

The novel centers on Hannah Jones, telling the story leading up to, and ten years after, a horrific event happens to her while at university at Oxford. Hannah’s roommate, April, was murdered and Hannah is the one who found her body. The plot goes back and forth between the before and after with each chapter, allowing the reader to get to know Hannah and April and their gaggle of friends, and then the repercussions of everything that happened after. I loved this design for the plot and thought it was really well done and a great way to progress the story.

The characters were incredibly well written. They were pretty complex people, and both likable and not trustworthy at the same time. Ware does such a good job in writing people who are so realistic and does it in a way that makes them come to life.

The plot was so full of twists and turns! I kept trying to guess what really happened, and had so many theories about whodunit or what occurred, but I was SHOCKED when the truth was revealed. I have to say, up until right before it happened, I had no suspicion of that. Well done Ware. I was very much in the dark there.

And speaking of dark, this book is perfect dark academia vibes. I mean, it is set at Oxford University after all. Gives me all the aesthetics I need or could want in a book. The setting was so beautifully written, and I could picture everything in very clear detail.

I would considered the book pretty medium paced for the majority, with the last quarter picking up the pace and making it so you cannot set the book down!

Overall, we have another masterpiece from Ruth Ware. She is a queen at what she does, and is one of my must-reads for thrillers!

Borrow/Buy: Buy
Would I reread: Absolutely!
Would I recommend: If you are a thriller fan, you have to read this.