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.

i t has been 10 years since the murder of her roommate at Oxford and Hannah is finally leaving it in the past. But when the convicted killer dies in prison and a journalist claims to have new evidence that he may have been innocent Hannah finds herself questioning everything. The more questions she asks, the more confused she becomes. What really happened to April? And is the real killer someone close to Hannah?

The IT Girl was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint! Thank you so much to Ruth Ware and Gallery Books for my ARC. This book was about Hannah and April, two friends who met at Oxford and quickly became best friends. April is rich and carefree, living her life to the fullest. Hannah is so excited to meet new friends and quickly becomes part of the group. When April is found murdered, Hannah’s life will never be the same. Now years later, Hannah is married and has tried to move on with her life. When April’s convicted killer dies in prison, a journalist finds Hannah and hopes she will help him clear the killer’s name and find the person he thinks really killed April.

Thoughts: You know I am a sucker for an academic thriller. I loved the setting of Oxford and the amazing character group Ware wrote into this group. I could imagine them all and loved the set up she provided. I felt that April was pretty much Caroline Calloway, and Hannah was Natalie, happy to be in her world. Like any book by Ruth Ware, the story is gripping, well-written, and completely absorbing.

I really loved the characters in this book, even if there were a few things that didn’t add up. The atmosphere was wonderful and the tension was great. Hannah was totally reckless which was irritating to me, and I’m not sure why she was so hung up on April if she was such a bad friend. Anyway, I think the reveal was obvious and much too drawn out. There were lots of red herrings but only one obvious answer. I will absolutely always pick up the newest book by Ruth Ware, and this is no exception. You will see it as a book club choice soon, as I think it will definitely create some good conversation! 4-stars!

I was lucky enough to be selected as an ambassador for Tandem Global Collective to get to participate in a readalong of THE IT GIRL thanks to Scout Press Books for the gifted ARC copy!

Grabbing me from the start, Ware quickly immerses us in the culture at Oxford, and the unlikely friendship between our main character Hannah and it girl, April Clarke-Cliveden who is murdered in their first year of college.

The thing that made this book for me was the relationships. In both timelines the way these characters connect, the secrets kept and strong personalities make the whodunnit aspect interesting and had me guessing until the very end.

How each of the characters related to Hannah and her feelings leading up to and after April’s death was so real and raw — I don’t want to spoil any of the twists and turns but loved how Ware wrote the setting in a way that lent itself perfectly to this mystery, the feelings of college and that in-between vibe of being a new adult. I loved how the past impacted Hannah’s present with will and how the nostalgia, guilt, and determination all played into the plotline.

“She stands for a moment, looking at the shadow of the girl she left behind, bidding her goodbye.
And then she lets the door close, and turns to face the present.”

4/5 stars from me, I've been on a thriller kick this month and always love a great readalong, they always make the book more interesting for me.

I’m always a fan of Ruth Ware and this book was a lot of fun. It was different from what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it. It started out on the slower side but once I got to the half way point I couldn’t put it down. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to more from RW!

I love Ruth Ware and was really excited for this title. It did not disappoint! The setting at Oxford made this book especially appealing.

Ruth Ware has done it again with an outstanding mystery that pulls the reader in and keeps them there until the very last page.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Another great read from Ruth Ware. I love Ruth Ware’s writing and storytelling. She is an automatic but author for me.