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.

Ruth Ware is one of my insta-buy authors! I absolutely adore her thrillers. I love how her books each have a unique feel to them. I loved how "The It Girl" has a dark academia vibe. Admittedly, this was not my favorite of Ware's books. The pacing was very slow and the climax didn't make up for how slow the rest of the book was. I felt as if the characters weren't very fleshed out. I wanted to know more about Hannah, our main character. She wasn't given much of her own personality. The two characters who are the most well written are Will and April. The story itself is interesting and I did find myself anxious to figure out the truth about what happened to April! I enjoyed trying to figure it out for myself. Even though it wasn't my favorite, I loved getting to read Ware's version of dark academia!

Academia based mystery until the last few chapters where it switches decidedly to thriller. Dual timelines are done well and are easy to follow. The main character claims to be best friends with the deceased, but throughout the book Hannah seems more obsessed with April. I thought this was going to morph into a psychological thriller, but sadly did not. Instead we have a standard murder mystery with a dash of on-campus harassment when young women are feeling rather vulnerable, where despite all of the professionals unable to solve this mystery, we have a book store clerk who's able to do it on her lunch break.

Still an entertaining read, just much longer than it needs to be.

When I know Ruth Ware is the author, I know I'm going to love the book! And this one wasn't any different! I count on Ruth Ware to deliver a suspenseful, edge of your seat story, and this one certainly brought it! I like how Ruth keeps her story modern (with mentioning a #metoo situation), and her characters are always super relatable. There may not always be a murder, but when there is, you can guarantee the killer will be the person you least suspect (and you will have plenty of "aha" moments where you think you know what's happening). The book flows well, and there were 0 parts I found boring. I sing the praises of Ruth Ware any chance I get, and this book is no different!

Love, love, loved this book. I think that Ruth Ware is probably one of my favorite authors of all time! I had read all of her books up until this one, and this one did not disappoint! Great characters and a realistic plot. And excellent mystery that kept me up all night long! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for a honest review

Loved it! 4.5 stars. Super quick, suspenseful read. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the cast of characters. I didn't know "whodunnit" until the reveal - just when I would think I had it figured out, things would shift and I'd suspect someone else. My favorite thrillers are the ones that keep me guessing right up until the end, and this one checked that box. I also thoroughly enjoyed the settings of Oxford and Edinburgh - 2 of my favorite cities. Strongly recommend for fans of Ruth Ware's previous writing, or suspense / murder mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ruth Ware, and the Publisher for the advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

THE IT GIRL is classic page-turning mystery/thriller set against the pressures, intensity and nuances of academia. I loved this book from the get-go, the social dynamics of a group of college age friends and all the ways we mold and stifle ourselves and envy others. As the book jumps from adulthood to the days before April's murder, the reader is trying to figure out who is to blame for the death of the wealthy IG sensation, and all the suspicions surround Hannah and Will, since they are now a couple and Will was April's boyfriend at the time of her death.
Ruth Ware delivers high intensity tensions and lots of fun, twisty surprises from start to finish.

I’m really not sure why I never read a book by this author before. Having spent time with The It Girl, I will now always be looking for her new releases. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

The It Girl could be described with words that are used too often for thrillers, words like compelling, page turner, claustrophic (at times) and suspenseful. All would be true. What the author also does is create settings that live and become a part of the story, be it the the impressive Oxford colleges or neighborhoods in Scotland. Ms. Ware, in addition, brings characters to fully, sometimes scary, realized life.

This is a dual time line novel. The early time period centers on the student days of a group of friends. These include the wealthy, privately educated April and the girl who isn’t sure she really belongs at Oxford, Hannah. There are also one other woman, Emily, and the men who include Hugh, Will and Ryan. All come together as term begins when they play a rather tense game of strip poker.

One of these students, the It Girl, is murdered. Another testifies at the trial of the man accused of the crime. BUT…what if there was a miscarriage of justice? How will looking into this impact the lives of those who remain?

In the present time line, there have been couplings, a pregnancy, careers, attempts to move on in life and more. How will it be when a group that was once so close is in contact again? What if one of them is guilty?

The suspense is truly intense, enough to almost make me want to put the novel down at times. Publishers Weekly stars this one and I can really see why. Make it part of your summer reading.

Many thanks to NetGallery and Gallery Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book definitely had a Secret History vibe which kept me turning the pages relentlessly! I loved the prep school setting and all the academic trimmings that brought the story to full color. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters. Sometimes I have a hard time with an ensemble cast, but each character in this book was so vividly drawn that they stuck in my mind from chapter to chapter. The ending featured a really clever use of a smartphone --which ends up saving the day. The ending was a little bit predictable -- I kept waiting for a twist to come out of nowhere, and it just didn't -- but all in all, this was a fantastic read with a great ending. Thank you very much for the opportunity to read and review this thriller!

I jumped over all the other books on my TBR pile to get to review The It Girl. Because...Ruth Ware, ya'll!!

This is decidedly a departure from her earlier books, which had a more gothic, more locked room, Agatha Christie feel, so I had to check a couple of times that I was actually reading Ruth Ware. But with her skill for encompassing the time and atmosphere of a place, the author takes a sophisticated leap in the genre of psychological suspense. This is the tale of a young woman, Hannah, who feels out of her element but accepted by her peers at Oxford's Pelham campus, mostly because her roommate April has taken her under her wing. But there's an ick factor in a porter John Neville, who seems to always be lurking and saying inappropriate things. So, when April is killed, and Hannah is called as a witness, it's her testimony that sends Neville to jail.

Ten years later, Neville has died in prison. Instead of feeling closure, Hannah is having doubts. And more than halfway through a pregnancy with April's former boyfriend Will, Hannah decides to investigate, a move that will send her spiraling, placing her unborn baby at risk.

The characters are richly drawn, with all the nuances their personalities are built on. They all come from either a posh background, or from less well-off families, and feel the pressure to succeed. We see April's vibrancy, and we mourn her loss along with Hannah and Will. We feel the toll her death has had on everyone in her circle of influence long after she's gone, because she was the "It Girl," the one who made everyone feel joy in her presence, even if they had been a recipient of one of her infamous pranks. Ware takes us on a wild ride, and masterfully brings us to the startling conclusion.

I am so glad that NetGalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press made my wishes come true with an advanced reader's copy!

The It Girl by Ruth Ware is a fantastic novel that should be added to everyone’s to read list. The plot revolves around a mysterious death at a prestigious college in England. Ten years have gone by and it is now up for debate as to whether the person who was found guilty of this crime has been falsely convicted. The twists and turns in this novel leaves the reader guessing as to why exactly happened. The character development is excellent and you feeling as if you actually know the various characters as they struggle to come to terms with their past and present lives. What exactly happened at this college and who is to blame? The subplots of economic disparity and how people are treated based on their socioeconomic status are also explored. This novel will leave the reader guessing right until the very last page, I spent an entire day reading the It Girl. It is that kind of novel. You cannot put it down. Thank you to Ruth Ware, Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this novel.

Ruth Ware is a go-to author for me, and this book is a prime example why! I saved it to read on a recent vacation, knowing it would be exactly what I needed. A fast-paced thriller with building questions and clues. The alternating timelines were written so well, and it was a book I wanted to cancel plans for!