Ruth ware really read all these dark academia books that have come out and said, "bitch, bet."

This is dark academia vibes! Ruth Ware has come back swinging y'all.

I loved the characters and friendships in this one. I loved the plot and the twists and drama and tension!

I did figure it out early on but it still led to a great conclusion!

I am a huge fan of Ruth Ware’s and was thrilled to receive an advance copy of this novel to read in exchange for my honest review.

Hannah and Will have settled into a happy life, married and a baby on the way. They met a decade before at Oxford, though the origination story is not a very happy one.

<i>The It Girl</i> splits between the past and present. Focusing on Hannah's first year at Oxford and her roommate and best friend, April. April was <b>THE</b> it girl in college. Everyone loved her or wanted to be like her. Rich, beautiful and cutting, April had a vicious habit of playing pranks on her best friends. But all of their group - Hannah, Hugh, Emily, Ryan, April and Will - were close friends. Back then, Will was actually April's boyfriend. And Hannah just adored him from afar. Everything was going great until April is viciously murdered and Hannah is the one who witnessed the murderer coming out of their stairway and her testimony is the one that put that man away for the rest of his life.

Until, in the present, that man dies in jail. And Hannah begins to doubt herself. Suddenly, she's digging into the past again and trying to jog her memories that she spent a decade trying to block out.

I found this novel unlike most of Ware's novels in that it was a bit hum-drum and not very exciting. I'm not sure if it's because Hannah's life is so mundane, but I felt it fell short on the thriller aspect, even at the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of “The It Girl” in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the setting and cast of characters. I found myself not super actively invested in the outcome of the characters. I usually love Ruth Ware, while I still enjoyed this it wasn’t my favorite. The resolution at the end felt a little inevitable and I wasn’t very surprised. I also got a little bothered by how many times the word “bump” was used. So. Many. Times. I did appreciate having an opportunity to read this. I recommend that you binge read this one if possible, to help get some momentum into the plot early on.

I haven’t been too excited with Ruth Ware’s latest, so I was skeptical about this one. Two words…. She’s back! The Ruth Ware that I fell in love with years ago has bought me back into her world with this book. Absolutely fantastic! Kept my interest and kept me guessing until the very end!

The It Girl is a bit of a slow burn thriller. Set in Oxford, it takes us to the past and present to see if a man was wrongfully accused and found guilty of murder. Hannah is working class girl that worked hard to gain acceptance at Pelham College. April is rich and beautiful and knows it. They get paired as roommates and become fast friends. One night, Hannah finds April strangled in the room. A creepy porter is tried and convicted, mostly on Hannah's testimony. But, was she wrong. Ruth Ware kept me intrigued and I enjoyed the dual timelines to see the story play out. I thought the characters were well-written and likable. My only complaint was that is was a bit slow in the middle and I figured out the twist pretty early, so there was no shocking ending. Overall though it was enjoyable and I would recommend it.

Ruth Ware has knocked it out if the park with The It Girl. She is at the top of her game.. I couldn’t put it down and found myself waking at 3:00am to read just one more chapter about the mysterious murder of the beautiful ‘life of the party’ April in her rooms at Oxford as a first year student. Ten years after discovering April strangled in their rooms, former roomie Hannah, still psychologically traumatized and married to April’s former boyfriend, begins to question whether her evidence had sent the wrong man to prison.

The well drawn characters are intriguingly authentic and remarkably likable; the plot tightly woven. Instead of a ‘who done it’, The It Girl is a ‘did he do it’? Just loved this book!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great Ruth Ware book. This time, the characters are young college students at Oxford. There is suspense, a love story, and tragedy with the backdrop being the Oxford campus. I enjoyed both the story and learning about the school. Also, don’t even think you can guess the ending. There are so many unpredictable twists and turns that you may just stay up all night reading.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an ARC.

I have a mixed history with Ruth Ware books- enjoying half, and hating half, but I'm always game to try her latest.
The main character is a pregnant bookseller, and as a bookseller who was pregnant last year, this is a character I could certainly empathize with. And she lives in Edinburgh, a city I adore, and am pretty much always happy to visit, even in fictional ways.
The majority of the novel actually moves along at a reasonable pace with plenty of interesting red herrings to cast doubt on everyone. And the reveal of the whodunnit was complicated- all of the clues pointed strongly at the killer, but I couldn't figure out the how of it. So when that was revealed I was surprised.
I was on board with all of that. But then the ending strained credulity a bit.

This is one of my anticipated reads! On the first day at Pelham College, Hannah Jones meets “It” girl April Coutts-Cliveden, her new roommate. April soon introduces Hannah to her group of friends and become inseparable. But by the end of the second term, April is murdered! The former porter, John Neville, was charged and sent to prison. That was before, now Hannah and Will are married and expecting their first baby. They receive news that John has died in prison. He’s always declared his innocence and Hannah begins to wonder if it’s true. So she begins to probe and returns to Pelham with April’s sister, November. This is a slow burn whodunit mystery. Thank you to Gallery Books for a digital arc.

Hannah thinks she put the right man away for the murder of her college roommate, but what if she didn't? Hannah's Oxford friend and roommate, April, the It girl, is murdered in their senior year of college and Hannah is sure she did the right thing testifying. But when a reporter starts asking some important questions, Hannah starts to doubt everything that happened. More mystery than thriller, The It Girl gives us all the suspense of a typical Ruth Ware.

3.5 Stars

“Sometimes things look bad and they’re really not. Sometimes there’s another explanation for what’s going on.”—Emily, Pretty Little Liars


April Clarke-Cliveden has it all—beauty, wealth, popularity—the “It” girl on campus. Hannah Jones has worked hard and was accepted into Oxford based on merit, so when she finds herself April’s roommate, she’s hurled into a world that’s completely the opposite of what she’s accustomed. April has built an entourage of friends that she regularly pranks in a somewhat cruel and controlling fashion. Will, Hugh, Ryan and Emily along with Hannah develop a kinship revolving around the world that is April Clarke-Cliveden…until she’s found murdered. Based on a testimony given by Hannah, one of the school porters, John Neville, is convicted of the crime, and dies in prison still proclaiming his innocence.

Ten years later, Hannah and Will are married and expecting their first child, but they never fully recovered from the death and the circumstances around April’s murder. Looking for answers to finally try to lay the ghosts of the past to rest, Hannah works with a young journalist who has uncovered new evidence that may show John Neville was in fact innocent. But as each of April’s secrets are revealed, Hannah begins to doubt her past judgement…could one of her friends actually have been the killer?

There is a reason I took a quote from the TV show “Pretty Little Liars”. From the beginning of this friendship drama driven book, I kept picturing April being the ever popular but cruel Allison from the TV show, and was ever so excited to dig in! But alas, while the book had a strong beginning, the story went on and on…I started disliking the characters, and then I guessed who did it about half way in. Perhaps that ruined the big “ah ha” moment at the end.

Ruth Ware’s newest is still an enjoyable read (not my fav), but overall, if you are a fan of her works, give it a read!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

The first Ruth Ware book I read I enjoyed, but the subsequent two were so dismal I had stated I would remove Ware's books from my to-be-read pile. I'm glad I picked up this book based on its strong NetGalley reviews. Ware seamlessly blended together the past and current narratives. I was fully engaged in the mystery of who killed April, with several guesses as to whodunnit and while I wasn't surprised by the murderer or how the murder was committed (had guessed as much from April's weird speech about holding on to your true friends), I was satisfied with the wrap-up. Although, I didn't care much for the final misdirection over who was shot/died, it ended well. I may just add future Ware titles back into my TBR pile.

Another great page turner from Ruth Ware! I can always count on her to give me an entertaining read and a real who done it. I loved the setting this time, Oxford, and the gothic university atmosphere that city lent to the narrative. All the characters, including the "It" girl April, were well fleshed out and recognizable types and gave the story just a hint of an Agatha Christie mystery with many possible suspects. Loved it!

I love all things Ruth Ware. Her writing style, the twists and turns she constantly has- that keeps my reading on my toes. She has quickly become my go-to author. And I can't wait to see what other books are headed my way.

A dark academia thriller that takes place in Oxford? Written by Ruth Ware? Sign me up, please!

The protagonist of the novel, Hannah, is excited about starting at Oxford, but is still doesn’t always feel like she belongs. Her confident, rich, and exciting roommate, April, quickly befriends Hannah. Despite the tension due to their different personalities, the new college students become best friends. April is frequently upsetting someone in their circle of friends, but the wrongs are usually righted quickly. Unfortunately, the year comes to a dramatic end when April is found dead in their dorm room.

The It Girl captured my attention quickly and had me second guessing my predictions at every turn. Ruth Ware did what does best in this novel - she created a captivating, exciting, and fast moving mystery that is sure to stump even the most avid readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is, by far, the best mystery/thriller I’ve read in a very long time. Ruth Ware` does not displaying in this long, twisty, story.
The formula is a classic, a charismatic rich girl is murdered. Her best friend and college roommate is left to deal with the aftermath of finding out who and why.
I’m not kidding when I say there were twists down to the last second. I was all over the place scrambling to figure out who the killer was. Ware wrote this story in a way that anyone and everyone looks guilty.
Remember last year when everyone was so excited to read The Maidens but it turned out to be a big ole disappointment? The It Girl is like if The Maidens had been done correctly..
This book was so long and I dragged it out even longer because I didn’t want it to end. Do yourself a favor and preorder this one. I’d give it 100 stars if I could!

Hannah begins her freshman year at Oxford and is settling into her new life. Her roommate, April, comes from a very wealthy background, and is the self-designated leader of their friend group. But everything changes when one member of the group doesn’t survive that freshman year.

Ten years later, the man responsible for the death of her friend has died and he always claimed his innocence. Hannah's testimony helped seal his fate and she now begins to question if he was truly guilty.

I have read all of Ruth Ware's previous works, and she is pretty hit or miss for me, and the vast majority are big misses for me, but this is easily my favorite of hers! This is quite slow overall, not much thriller, but slow burn mystery, and a bit snoozy to start. I did struggle getting into it, but once the twists are revealed, it does pick up quite a bit. I love the college campus setting and this is a very atmospheric book. I could picture the exact layout of their building, the fence surrounding the school, and Hannah and April's room itself. The story is told in the past and present day, from Hannah's perspective. I have worked on college campuses and there were a few plot holes that really did not make sense to me. I thought I had this one figured out, and was correct on the who, but couldn't figure out how or why and I loved how this one unfolded those pieces.

5 stars for The It Girl by Ruth Ware. The It Girl is a thriller about a murder that takes place at a college. The story alternates between college days and present time (10 years later) and kept me guessing the whole time! I enjoyed the college life stories as well as catching up with where the characters are now in their lives. I also appreciated the redeeming qualities that each character has as well as their flaws. This was a fantastic book, and I would recommend it to anyone that likes thrillers especially those with alternating storylines. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

What would you do if you thought your husband had murdered your best friend while in college? There was a lot of hype about this book, and it being her best one yet. I did enjoy the book. I thought it was going to be a typical story, but there were definitely some twists and turns that you might not have seen coming. The characters come to life in the pages, and you can feel yourself in their shoes. You will root for some characters, and in the end the outcome is somewhat predictable.

Hannah was just a freshman when her roommate and best friend April was killed and Hannah was the star witness whose testimony put April’s killer away. But Hannah continues to wonder, what if she was wrong? Could she have been wrong?
I really felt like I read this book before- kind of predictable, familiar plot. Slow moving and not really likable characters.
This was just average to me- a little less actually.