We love to see it. This is one of my favorite Ruth Ware books in a hot minute. Yes it is long, but I loved every minute of it. Love to see her tackling the academic setting. Yeah, some of our characters are frustrating, but is it really a compelling thriller without characters making bad choices? I would love to see more Dark Academia-esque books from Ware in the future.

Ruth Ware is one of the preeminent thriller authors of this generation and this book does not leave regret. A page turner for sure, that keeps you rapt until the last page.

I found this one to be too long and rather slow, however I did enjoy the back end of it and the twists. Not my favorite Ruth Ware book, but I will definitely continue reading her work.

I tried but just could not finish this one. I think maybe I have read too many academia's lately. I might try to go back to this one at a later time.

Ruth Ware is one of my favorite authors. I love her locked room mysteries. The It Girl is a dark academia book that has vibes similar to another popular mystery book. While the two books are similar, The It Girl was still unique and I was able to appreciate the differences in the two books. While the book is a tad long and could have been shorter, I still enjoyed it and will be recommending.

THE IT GIRL, though not my favorite by the author, was a compulsively addictive read. It never ceases to amaze me how Ware gifts her readers with such dark and twisty gems.

Super predictable. College friends go out one night. One ends up dead. Ten years later, the man convicted dies in prison. The girl who testified against him is having second thoughts which leads the real killer stalking her. Like I said....predictable.

Ruth Ware never disappoints. I feel like we can always rely on her for easy-to-read, entertaining thrillers. They're not always the most cerebral thrillers but I don't mean that as a diss -- they're great quick reads, escapist page-turners that'll leave you satisfied, and this one's no different.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks for ARC from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed the story. It had good twists with a good wrapup ending! Enjoy the characters and the college backdrop story.

Definitely one worth reading!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

To say that I am a huge Ruth Ware fan is an understatement. I have read all of her books, some multiple times. I must say that while The It Girl was a terrific read, it was slightly disappointing in the character development. The main character is rather winey and seems to blow things out of proportion. The girl she idolizes is a prima donna whom you can understand why she was murdered at several points during the book.

It is still a good read and worth your time, but not as good as her others.

#netgalleychallenge2024 #netgalley #gallerybooks #ruthware #theitgirl

This was predictable. Ware's writing will always be super accessible and, yes I will continue to read her books. This one just didn't thrill me like some of her earlier works.

It was slow going for me and didn't really pick up until probably around halfway. It's on the longer side and I did skim some stuff to move it along but it was a good story in the end and I am beginning to love Ruth Ware books.

Told in the 3rd person by Hannah ~ roommate of The It Girl, April, who was murdered in their dorm room. As the chapters go on and on and on and on we learn more and more about the jokester that April was. Although she was beautiful, rich and popular, she's not liked by everyone.

I am happy to report that I did not see who the murderer was coming. I had my ideas all along, but I'm delighted that I did not have it figured out.

The relationship between the two characters are what kept me going.

Thank you #NetGalley for an ARC.

Just WOW. This is by far one of the most gripping and well written books I've read. The character development was perfect, the storyline just perfect. The story threw the blame, without being obnoxiously obvious and enough to throw readers off course. This is a totally riveting read, I could not put it down.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy.

a classic college campus murder mystery done well.

this has everything you want from that kind of story - a close group of friends that is not immune to jealousy, stalking, cheating, and scandals.

the only thing that would have made this a perfect read for me is if academia played a larger role. really, oxford only serves as the setting and a means for the characters to meet. and so, because of that, this definitely doesnt have that dark academia feel i was hoping for.

but still a very enthralling read with a compelling group of friends and an intriguing “whodunnit.”

↠ 4.5 stars

A good mystery is essential to learning how to keep the brain astute and trained. I love Ruth Ware books because they are so reminiscent of, in my own opinion, the queen of mystery writing, Agatha Christie. There are no psychological tricks, no gaping holes or broken links to the point that the solution seems contrived. The It Girl is no exception to the classic mystery. A murder had been solved, but there were grave inaccuracies that affected a man's life. Time switching in the book between current time and the time back to the murder is easy to follow. The characters are well developed, although at times 2 dimensional. But the story is plot driven, so they are portrayed well enough for the reader to make good reasonings to figure out the ending. Ruth Ware is quickly becoming my go-to for a good mystery.

Hannah’s pivotal testimony led to John Neville’s imprisonment for the murder of her close friend, April. A decade later, Neville dies behind bars, relentlessly declaring his innocence until the very end.

One might assume that this development would bring peace to Hannah’s life, quelling the relentless media attention and allowing her to focus on her husband, Will, and the impending arrival of their first child.

However, Neville’s death has an unexpected effect—it casts doubt on his guilt. A persistent reporter resurfaces, presenting new evidence related to the case. Driven by uncertainty, Hannah cannot find solace until she uncovers the truth about Neville’s involvement…

Through a narrative that shifts between past and present, Hannah is drawn back into the mystery surrounding April’s death, rekindling her connections with old friends. This is a compelling and evocative crime novel that kept me engaged.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah's ten years past her first term at university, and ten years past the murder of her best friend and roommate, April. April was the "it girl" who enraptured everyone. She cast her spell and everyone fell under it-or they were manipulated by it. When her convicted murdered dies in prison, it casts everything in a new light for Hannah and she wonders if her eyewitness account could have sent the wrong man to prison. The story moves at a fast pace with tension boiling just below the surface. It is a bit long, but the conclusion to the story was satisfying.

A fast paced psychological thriller that pulls you in. April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. April was the "It Girl", a little bit of everything in her personality. She quickly pulled Hannah into her world and they developed a handful of friends that were always together. Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily.... but by the end of the year April was dead. Now years later Hannah and Will are expecting their first child. The man convicted of killing April, John Neville, previously employed at Oxford has died in prison. Until one day a journalist comes forward with evidence that Neville may just have been innocent. As Hannah starts spending time with her old friends she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide, maybe a murder. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

*NetGalley review*

If I were rating and reviewing on solely the last 30% of the book, it probably would have been a 4 star read for me. The first 70-75% of the book was way too slow for me. Even jumping between "before" and "after" didn't seem to pique my interest. I wasn't invested in this storyline and April was so unlikeable that it seemed like she had it coming, regardless of whom the killer was. There were eventually some twists and turns that I didn't see coming and I liked that the book had a nice wrap-up by the end. I'm happy that justice was served and Hannah can move on from torturing herself over what happened to April. Overall, not my favorite and not one I will likely recommend to friends, but I'm wiling to give Ruth Ware another try. Thank you NetGalley, Gallery books, and Ruth Ware for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5!

Ruth Ware has been an auto-buy author for me for years now. She was one of the authors that really got me back into reading and falling head over heels for thrillers. That being said…I’ve been majorly slacking on keeping up with Ware’s newer releases, so I threw The It Girl in my stack for the #23in23 challenge.

Ware gives readers a dual timeline with a dark academia flavor in The It Girl. Readers get to tag along with Hannah as she is forced to revisit the murder of her college roommate, April. The “Before” timeline serves to throw readers back in time from Hannah and April’s first meeting to the fateful night of April’s death. I loved this academia timeline and trying to catch clues in each chapter. The “After” timeline is present day, as we tag along with Hannah’s quickly spiraling quest to decide if she really helped convict the right man for April’s murder.

There were so many times where I wanted to yell at Hannah for the actions she took or the things she said in the present day timeline. I mean my god woman, please don’t do that! It was so hard to look away just knowing that something bad was potentially going to happen and not being able to trust any of the secondary characters.

The pacing is a mix between a slow-burn and more of that traditional thriller vibe as things escalate in the later part of the book. I do think this story would have benefited from being shortened. There were a handful of sections that I found repetitive and without them I think the pacing would have been much faster. Despite those issues, I couldn’t help but wanting to know what was coming next.

Bravo to Ware for making me think I knew all the answers and then laughing in my face!