𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚝 𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝚋𝚢 𝚁𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚎
@𝚁𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚆𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛


Ruth Ware is a favorite author and I love her writing style. The way she creates a perfectly tense atmosphere with such well-wrought characters is like cat nip to my little kitty soul. And, on top of this, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭 primarily takes place in one of my favorite places, an academia setting, in this case Oxford University and it has the twistiest of twisty plots.

This is cleverly told in a dual timeline by Hannah, college bestie to the “𝘐𝘵 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭” April who was brutally murdered in their shared dorm room. Now, ten years later, traumatized and scarred by the death of April, Hannah is married to Will and is currently pregnant with their baby. When the accused murderer dies in prison, after years of proclaiming his innocence, it sets Hannah off on a quest for answers. The more she digs, the more danger she puts both herself and her baby in.

I enjoyed this one so much and I am really grateful to @ScoutPress for this gifted copy and to author Ruth Ware for writing it!

Like so many others, I’m a long-time @ruthwarewriter fan.  I have yet to read a book by her that I didn’t love, and she’s at the top of my auto buy author list. 
 
Since 2015, she’s been pumping out bestsellers year after year after year – so I was going into withdrawals in 2021 when we didn’t see a new Ruth Ware title. But who among us didn’t need a break after the dumpster fire that was 2020?! 🤷🏻‍♀️
 
When it was announced that her latest was coming this summer, I was over the moon excited – and even more so when I was able to snag an advance copy.  And let me just say: IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!  I loved it. 
 
✨What I Loved✨
 
🖤The dark academia setting at Oxford was atmospheric and perfect for the storyline.
🖤The alternating timelines amped up the suspense and kept me guessing and eagerly turning the pages.
🖤The whodunit mystery and the sharp character development were classic Ruth Ware.
 
This is an easy recommendation for me, and it deserves all five stars. 
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My thanks to @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book before its publication date.

This book felt a little long, but I loved all the action and twists at the end. Ware did a fantastic job of making everyone seem guilty. I definitely didn't guess who the killer was! I also thought there was going to be a different explanation at the end, and was wrong. However there is one thing that was not explained at all that bothered me... SPOILER BELOW



Will acts like a total psycho and that's why Hannah runs away from him. But it is never explained why he acted like that if he wasn't the killer?

Ruth Ware hits her latest psychological thriller, The It Girl right out of the park. This is an engrossing story that you will not want to put down. Told in a before and after point of views, this one will keep you reading. It is a bit long but I still enjoyed her writing style. This is an exciting murder mystery filled with twist and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat…….especially when you get to that totally surprised ending! I did not see that one coming! This suspenseful story makes a great book club or beach read. If you are a Ruth Ware fan you are going to want to read this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books/Scout Press and Ruth Ware for an advanced copy of this intriguing novel in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #gallerybooks/scoutpress #theitgirl #ruthware #arc

I reallly enjoyed this novel but I do think it’s was entirely too long. The middle dragged with unnecessary details and circling around and around to fill the pages. It started off strong enough to keep you hooked even while dragging you around. I love the classic British feel of the novel. Set in Oxford, five friends lives are destroyed when is murdered. 10 years later, Hannah, at the forefront of the investigation, is pulled back in when evidence comes to light that all might not exactly as thought. The last 1/3 of the boom was action packed and really kept you on the edge of your seat. If you like British dramas and that dark academia feel, this is for you.

Intricate psychological thriller!

At times the tension in “It Girl” is high to the point of breathlessness. Hannah Jones is beyond devastated over her friend April Clarke-Clivedon’s brutal murder. Anguished because this was her friend, anguished because it was Hannah’s evidence that had college porter John Neville had been imprisoned for life. Anguished that Neville maintains his innocence, anguished because of the ‘what if’s” if Hannah was wrong about Neville. And dare I say on another plane entirely the fact that she’s married to her dead best friend’s boyfriend.
The story moves between the time a group of young things from various walks of life first meet at Pelham College Oxford University to the current times, some ten years later. We know there’s more to come. Hannah has retreated away from Oxford, from being a top student, to living and working in Edinburgh away from the spotlight, suffering severe anxiety and depression. Married to Will she maintains a fragile stability but every time The Pelham Strangler murder is revisited in the headlines she’s thrown. Now a revisiting and a plea from one of their youthful cohort to talk with a journalist about the events of that time has thrown her. Pregnant and anxious, with Will disapproving of any discussion, where the past and present are about to collide, the outcome is anyone’s guess. But make no doubt, collision is unavoidable.
Ware’s writing is tight although at times I wanted less of the slow buildup. At times I just wasn’t wasn sympatico with Hannah, and one had to wonder if April was simply a troubled rich kid or super devious. And then there’s April’s ex-boyfriend Will, now Hannah’s husband. Hmm!
The technical transition between the ‘past’ and the ‘now’ is clear and precise and not at all bothersome.
Another complex mystery from Ware. The breadcrumbs as always are scattered to the four winds, but the hunt is intriguing!

A Gallery Books ARC via NetGalley. Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Ruth Ware has written another engaging mystery, and I was swept up in the story. Hannah Jones is roommates and best friends with April, who ends up being murdered in their dorm room at Oxford. Based on Hannah’s testimony someone was put behind bars, but years later Hannah is starting to doubt her own word and is looking for new evidence. The book switches between the past and the present to weave the storyline, and has a reveal that I didn’t see coming. I did find it slow in parts, which is why this ended up being 4 stars. Murder mystery and avid Ruth Ware fans will definitely enjoy this one!

I loved The Woman In Cabin 10,by Ruth Ware, a suspenseful and twisted mystery. Well not to be out done, The It Girl had me turning pages long after bedtime, as I tried to guess who killed April, a beautiful socialite, attending her first semester at Oxford. The old clustered buildings and pathways are the perfect setting for a killer to retreat into the shadows, creating uneasiness and fear into others.
Hannah, a girl from a small village, living with her school teacher mother, arrives at Oxford on a scholarship and is paired with an incompatible roommate, but they become fast friends. April has a group that she went to school with and they accept Hannah, because April likes her. But, Hannah experiences some awkwardness, when she realizes there is an attraction between her and April’s boyfriend Will. Then one night, April’s found strangled in their room, devastating the friends and Hannah, returning home due to her heartbreak. A local man is convicted, largely because of Hannah’s testimony.
Fast forward 10 years and the convicted killer dies in prison, still proclaiming his innocence. A journalist takes interest and starts asking questions, upending Hannah’s life and causing her to doubt her own story. But if not tge school Porter, who did kill April?
This is a well written mystery novel, with an interesting cast of characters. I suspected virtually everyone, and still didn’t get it right. If you like a gripping mystery story, you’ll love this one.
My thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster for the ARC. It’s definitely a five star effort.

Dang. I had high hopes for this one but it missed the mark a bit for me. The first 2/3 weren't bad, but I did find it incredibly slow. We were much more focused on the domestic than the mystery/thriller. In the last 1/3 the mystery/thriller really picked up, but unfortunately at the sake of logic. I didn't buy who the killer was or why. It all just seemed to be tossed in at the end with too many red herrings to make much sense.

The plot felt like something I’ve read before. Old friends each wondering if the other could have done the terrible thing that binds them together. Parts felt like they were repeated over and over which dragged the story out. The ending was rushed along.

As an American, I found myself googling info about Oxford simply because its so different than American college, but I love books that make me want to know more. The characters in this novel felt familiar, especially April. In some ways the relationship between. Her and Hannah reminded me of my own college roommate and myself, sans the murder of course. Another solid thriller from Ware.

I am a big Ruth Ware fan and this book does not disappoint. It’s full of great, dark slow burning suspense as well as twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

The It Girl ,Ruth Ware's new novel, it is even more captivating then Ware's previous bestsellers. Ware's plot revolves around it girl April Clarke-Cliveden and her ordinary Oxford roommate Hannah Jones. The novel is Hannah's story and Ware tells it with before and after chapters that are connected by a shocking event. Hannah quickly becomes swept up in April's life. Although Hannah enjoys socializing with April and her friends, she is a much more grounded person than April. April has unlimited family funds and she can be very generous, but she has a mean streak and enjoys playing elaborate practical jokes on her friends. Ten years after leaving Oxford Hannah is confronted with serious doubts about the event that changed her life forever when she was a student. Now married and pregnant, Hannah decides she must risk everything to get the answers she seeks. Ware expertly crafts a suspenseful page turner and this entertaining thriller is a must read.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC of this novel.

April Coutts-Cliveden is the ultimate It girl. Her vivacious and bright personality immediately draws Hannah Jones into her orbit. During their first term at Oxford, they develop a close knit group of friends. But by the second term, April is dead. A decade later, John Neville, the man convicted of killing April, has died in prison. Relieved to put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a journalist comes knocking on her door saying Neville could have been innocent.
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𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: This was my most anticipated thriller of the year! I’ve been a Ruth Ware fan for a while and so far, One by One is still my favorite. This one dragged more than I really cared for but there was so much character building over the course of the book that you ended up with very rich characters. I LOVED the dark academia theme! I haven’t read many books like that and really enjoyed it. Once everything started coming together, the pace really took off! I stayed up late flipping pages to finish it and I loved the ending. Although it wasn’t my favorite of hers, I still really enjoyed it! Thank you to @, @, and @ for my gifted e-ARC.

This book lives up to what I have come to expect from Ruth Ware. There are twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. Characters were well developed and I loved the dark academia vibes.

Reading Between the Wines book review #58/135 for 2022:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: The It Girl
Author: Ruth Ware
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASES July 12, 2022!!! Get your copy today!

Sipping thoughts: The It Girl was full of mystery and suspense. It was a really slow burn that was a little bit repetitive in some parts. I enjoyed the past and present POV’s. What I could not stand was Hannah and how whiney she was throughout the book. I did understand that her best friend was killed in college, and she was the one who found her. I just wanted her to get therapy and not really move on but just be better. Well once someone made her think Neville, the accused killer, might be innocent Hannah’s whole life turned upside down into a whirlwind. I figured out early on what happened, but I had a lot of fun waiting to see it revealed. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to Ware’s future releases.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @GalleryBooks, and @GalleryScoutPress for an advance copy of @TheItGirl.

#TheItGirl #RuthWare #GalleryBooks #GalleryScoutPress #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The It Girl by Ruth Ware is a compelling story about a campus It Girl and her murder ten years ago. After the man imprisoned for her murder dies of natural causes in jail, doubt is cast about his guilt. Her college roommate and best friend, Hannah, feels like she must figure out who did it once and for all.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
My initial expectations are based mainly on the reputation of this author's works. I've never had an opportunity to read a book by Ruth Ware, and I've very much wanted to do so. I like the cover, but it doesn't seem to give much away about the story. It reminds me of how things look when seen from a moving car. The blurb mentions Oxford, which is always a great setting for me. The murder is an old case from the main character's college years, which intrigues me, as does the deceased's personality. It's always the outgoing, vivacious ones that get murdered, isn't it? I'm expecting an exciting mystery about the murder of a popular girl from all of this.

Actual Reading Experience:
The aspect of this novel that I absolutely loved the most is the locked room mystery. I adore a good, locked-room mystery, and this one is excellent. I never suspected the person until right before the reveal, and the reason was the last thing I would have ever guessed. I enjoyed that the murderer didn't reveal the why too. It seems small, but it frequently happens, so when the murderer refuses to divulge why I wanted to applaud. Let's face it, we all think that would never happen in real life – only in Scooby-Doo and Agatha Christie novels. Of course, someone who knew more about the murder's secrets reveals the reason, so the reader gets the satisfaction of the story coming together at the end.

The fact that the book is a slow burn and over 400 pages was a mixed bag for me. As a rule, slow burns are not my favorite. This one, however, is told in a dual timeline. I enjoyed the story from the past, so I easily remained focused during those chapters. The present timeline wasn't nearly as compelling for me. As it dragged on, I did find my attention span wandering as it often does during slow-burn stories. I would have loved that specific part of the story to be streamlined by about 50-100 pages. But that's just me. As I often mention, I have the attention span of a gnat, so it's much harder for a story to hold my attention than it is for it to not.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love slow burn or locked room mysteries, The It Girl is just the mystery you are looking for.

Loved this dark academia thriller. At first blush, I wasn't sure I was interested in the premise (I don't usually like books that hop between time periods) but her execution of it vastly exceeded my expectations. The building crescendo was so effective--this book was super well paced. There were also lots of red herrings and misdirection, and it kept me guessing. I also appreciated that the book wasn't gory or gruesome--it conveyed its tension through conversations and relationship dynamics, not through bodily horror.

If you hate seeing characters do things you wish they wouldn't do, you'll get frustrated here. It didn't bother me--I didn't mind seeing more clearly than the protagonist does, and Ware knows that she's doing that--but just a warning for those who can't handle the cringe.

4 stars instead of 5 because I don't really understand why anyone was friends with April in the first place--the premise of the book is that she's the narrator's best friend, but I didn't find their bond fleshed out or believable. That said, it was easy enough for me to get past that and caught up in the story. I found it un-put-down-able!

I love me some Ruth Ware candy!! This book was devourable. So many twists, so many times I thought “I KNOW WHO DID IT” and I was wrong. An enjoyable thriller all around. 3.5 stars.

This book was fantastic! I kept thinking I knew who actually killed April, but I never predicted who it actually was. I loved the before and after, and how it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had a hard time putting it down. Ruth Ware does it again! A fabulous read.