With a name like April Coutts-Cliveden, she could be nothing other than an “it” girl…the one everyone wants as a friend. The one whose personality radiates. The one who’s living her best life…until she’s murdered.

Hannah met April ten years ago when they were roommates at Oxford. They quickly became best friends, and always hung out together with their group. Then, Hannah found April murdered in their dorm. John Neville, an Oxford porter, was found guilty and sent to prison.

In the present day, the only person Hannah really keeps in touch with from her Oxford days is Will, from their circle of friends. He’s now her husband, and they’re expecting. Hannah receives word that John Neville has died in prison. Instead of feeling relief, she feels a sense of dread as a journalist reaches out to her, saying that there may be evidence of Neville’s innocence.

If Neville didn’t kill April, who did?

Author Ruth Ware is hit and miss with me, but I’m glad to say this was mostly a hit.

Ware creates tension and atmosphere in the brilliant way the chapters bounce from past to present, and there are certainly a number of suspects. Luckily, the cast of characters isn’t too large where it’s hard to follow who each person is. Everyone’s backstory is pretty fleshed out.

I didn’t expect the ending. I found it really clever, but I have to admit I wasn’t completely blown away. Still, it’s always nice to be surprised whilst reading this type of novel.

Overall, this is a solid mystery that kept me turning the pages even if it’s one that won’t be particularly memorable for me in the years (or weeks) to follow. I’ll be curious to see what fans of Ware’s earlier books think of this one. My favorite book of hers is the newer One By One, and this follows in its footsteps as a tale that feels a bit more modern.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 7/12/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

I think all you have to say is: Ruth Ware.
All of Ware's books are amazing, and this one does not disappoint.
Hannah Jones, the only witness to her roommates murder fifteen years earlier, has tried extremely hard to put the past behind her. Relocating to Scotland, working in a bookshop, and trying very hard to ignore the constant influx of requests for interviews.
The one thing that has made her so interesting to reporters, is that she married April's boyfriend from that time, and is now expecting their baby.
The man Hannah is certain murdered April, has just passed away in prison, and his death brings the reporters' interest back to Hannah and Will. Only one actually begins to make Hannah question what she saw that night, and the realization she might have put the wrong person in prison.
But if he didn't do it, who did?

I was NOT expecting that! I was cocky throughout the entire book thinking I knew who did it but I was wrong, so wrong. 🤯🤯🤯

This book is skipping the line on the 'To Be Reviewed' pile because it is the queen, Ruth Ware. I love the way Ruth writes these quick, intense, suspense novels that usually leave you on the edge of your seat for most of the book. Now... when it comes to 'The It Girl', I'm not quite sure if she managed it with this one. I might be biased because I am such a huge fan so take that into account when you peep my rating for this book. It should probably be lower? If I'm being fair? But this is my review, so I can swim in a pool of my 'favorite author' bias and relax.
This book is set in Oxford and Edinburgh. So already, I'm excited. There are certain places in this world where you set the scene there and it's hard to mess it up. I loved the friendship dynamic. I loved the characters. I could probably have been fine without the murder and a book more about following around Hannah in her first couple years in Oxford. I would have loved that too.
What is comes down to though is this isn't a fictional novel about friendship and school. It's a fictional novel about murder and betrayal. And like many other reviewers (so don't think I'm some special wiz here), the murderer and betrayer are revealed quite early in the book by the way too obvious of clues. You don't find out the 'why' until later when all is revealed to you, but the 'why' isn't important enough to care about. So that is a let down. I was hoping throughout that I was wrong. It felt way to obvious of a choice that I assumed Ruth MUST be tricking me somehow. In the end, no trickery. Just a 'meh' ending.
Now I don't want to say this lack of a climax and 'big reveal' ruined the book per say. I enjoyed that she wrapped it up quickly at the end (don't you hate it when authors go on and on at the end?). Again, I enjoyed the setting, the characters and the quick back and forth drama of 'The It Girl'. A solid 4 stars for me. Welcome back Ruth!

A captivating, edge of your seat thriller. The It Girl starts strong and ends stronger. Just when I thought I knew the answers there was another twist. Highly recommend this thriller and a must read for 2022.

Thank you NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Ruth Ware for the electronic ARC.
#NetGalley #TheItGirl

Ruth Ware’s The It Girl is bound to be one of the biggest hits of the year once it is released this Summer! I loved this book and found it difficult to put down once I got into it.

This was a very well executed book. It was clever and engaging. I felt the characters were all well developed and I liked the character of Hannah. I enjoyed the pace of this book, the surprise twists-and the ending, which kept me guessing. Im also a fan of time periods that go back and forth, so I definitely enjoyed that part of this book. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I feel it definitely lives up to the hype. I would certainly recommend this one. :)

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC.

Ruth Ware's latest thriller, The It Girl (not the I.T. Girl as I originally thought) won't disappoint her legion of fans.
Hannah Jones is still haunted by the death of her Oxford roommate April Coutts-Cliveden especially since she helped convict the killer. When the man Hannah sent to prison, John Neville, dies still proclaiming his innocence Hannah questions what she thought she knew about that night.
The story keeps you guessing right up until the end and then...no spoilers.
These characters didn't appeal to me as much as some of Ruth Ware's past characters and the claustrophobic atmosphere of Turn of the Key and One by One isn't present but it is still a page-turning thriller. If you enjoyed the Lying Game or the Woman in Cabin 10 this book is sure to scratch that mystery-thriller itch.
Thank you to #Netgalley, #GalleryBooks, and #RuthWare for the ARC copy.

The It Girl, by Ruth Ware, was a one-sitting read for me. I knew I’d like it going in — I always love Ruth Ware thrillers for twisty, not-gory, page-turning suspense stories like One by One and The Turn of the Key. And I almost always love Oxbridge settings, too, like in The Maidens or Gaudy Night. (One of the reasons is I’m a state college grad, but I got to do a summer session at Cambridge, and yeah, living and studying in the gorgeous old buildings, taking a small part in some of the medieval traditions, really was something special to me.)

The It Girl is told in two timelines, Before and After. In the Before storyline, freshman Hannah arrives from her state school, and finds Oxford full of freshman who were all the top of their year. Fortunately, she’s assigned a room in a set, two bedrooms with a shared common room, with beautiful, wealthy party girl April Clarke-Cliveden. Hannah is pulled into April’s circle, and they’re basically always drinking champagne and having wild times, when they’re not heads-down studying. It is Oxford, after all. Sure, April’s pulled some pranks on the others, and some of the pranks haven’t been completely fun for the victim, but it’s all part of the Oxford hijinks!

The dividing event is the murder of April Clarke-Cliveden, which separates Hannah’s whole life into before and after. At a party in their second semester, April went upstairs to change her clothes, and when she didn’t come back Hannah went looking for her. Hannah found her roommate and bestie April dead on the floor of their shared living room. It’s a typical Ruth Ware murder, so it’s suspenseful because you’re desperate for more details and rereading for clues, but it’s not actually a gross scene. (That’s my favorite kind of thriller!)

In the After storyline, Hannah, now married and pregnant, begins to doubt her own memories and wonder if something else really happened. You can see how the trauma has affected her, she now works a quiet job in a book shop in Edinburgh. It’s pretty far from the path she seemed to be on in the beginning of her freshman year at Oxford. As she investigates, readers can see how the murder has affected the others in their friend group, too.

Although the murder’s already been solved in the After storyline, the convicted murderer has died in jail, still insisting that he’s not the killer. Prompted by a journalist, Hannah begins to reexamine what she remembers and what else could have happened, because if the wrong person was convicted, that means the real killer is still free.

Good story that grabs you right at the start and keeps you interested and guessing right through to the end.
Oxford student friendship s are at the core of this murder mystery. April is from wealth while roommate Hannah is not. They hit it off, probably due to April's fun loving personality and the acceptance by the other students she already knows.
Years later, Hannah is doubting herself and her testimony after the murder and the reporters are still after her for more. She decides to do some better late than never investing while 6 months pregnant.
Well worth 4 stars. Thank you net galley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

There were no words for how excited I was when I found out that I was approved for an arc of Ruth Ware's latest novel. The It Girl certainly lived up to the pedestal that I put it on. Grab a copy of your own on July 12!

✨Brief Summary✨

Hannah is a young pregnant woman living a fairly normal life in Edinburgh with her husband, Will. Except, 10 years ago, her best friend was murdered. When the supposed murderer dies in jail, Hannah begins to question whether or not he was actually guilty. With the help of her friends, she starts to dig into the past. Will she be able to find out who murdered April? Furthermore, will she be able to find out why?

✨My Thoughts✨

I loved the Oxford setting. At some parts it made me feel like I was reliving Harry Potter with the way that the dining halls and campus architecture was described. The setting helped give off the perfect level of creepiness to keep me invested.

I enjoyed that it was about a group of close college friends, but you only heard from one narrator. Each friend had their own set of complex and twisty problems. However, the characters weren't so hard to keep track of since we were only hearing from Hannah's perspective.

The ending came together nicely. I was very pleased with how the mystery unfolded in the end. I also liked that we were not left with unanswered questions.

I did knock it down a star because it didn't have the typical edge-of-your-seat qualities that Ruth's novels normally have. The ending was good, but the rest of the novel didn't leave my heart beating fast the way I would have liked it to.

P.S. If you liked In My Dreams I Hold a Knife then you'll more than likely like this one as well!

This book, in true typical Ruth Ware fashion, will have you on the edge of your seat. Once you think it’s done, BAM, another twist! This book was so good. A little slow in the beginning but once it got down to the facts of whodunnit, it was great! The characters were all great. The story line flowed so smoothly. And the ending. Wow the ending!

Wow! This book by Ruth Ware had me on the edge of my seat until the very last chapter. There were so many points in the books where I thought I knew what happened, but I was so wrong. The story is so well told and just keeps you guessing. Who killed April? Will Hannah learn the truth? This book is a must read summer thriller!

While Ruth Ware is such a talented writer, I haven’t always been a fan of her stories until I read this one! I want to start off by saying that this book is not quite a thriller with tons of suspense and frightening moments. It’s a whodunit mystery, a slow-burn and overall a really satisfying read perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell. If that caters to you, I 100% recommend reading !!

Ten years ago, Hannah’s roommate from college, April, is murdered in their dorm room after a night out. The evidence points to a sketchy porter at the university, John Neville, and for the years following April’s death, Hannah was able to live peacefully knowing he was locked up. That is until news gets out that Neville passed away in prison claiming his innocence, and a call from a trusted reporter convinces Hannah that this may be in fact true. Alternating between before and after chapters, you are introduced to a close-knit group of friends and forced to look at this case from a new lens.

I really loved the pacing of this story. I was constantly changing my mind about the possible suspect, and the end did shock me. I think my favorite part about this particular Ruth Ware novel is that we had a reliable narrator. Hannah was extremely likable, and I enjoyed watching her put all the pieces together. While still unique in itself, this story reminded me most of The Lying Game with the elite, academia setting.

Read if interested in:
-Whodunit mysteries
-Slow burns
-Before and after chapters
-Academia setting
-Oxford and Edinburg

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC! Pub Date 7/12

Ruth Ware is a must-read author for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The It Girl, and loved the college campus theme throughout. Can't wait to recommend it to other readers this summer!

Ruth Ware is such a gifted author. I look forward to each book she releases with great anticipation and this book did not disappoint. The It Girl has more complete character development and takes time to build the whodunit element, but it was enjoyable throughout. I did not warm to the characters and found most wanting in some way, but perhaps this is the author’s intent. These are not truly likable people. They are all flawed and somewhat shallow, in addition to being bound together and broken by an incident in their collective past.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books / Scout Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ruth Ware is one of my go-to authors, and that's for a reason. The It Girl is twisty, weird, and not at all what one would expect going into it. The mix of friendships and relationships, the bizarre dynamics, and all of the unexpected turns made this a read that I couldn't put down once I got into it, and kept me guessing to the very end. Well done!

I would read anything that Ware writes. But her latest The It Girl is truly a home run. I love any book set in a privileged school, and this one delights in a tale about a mysterious murder at a prestigious college in England. Told in a past/present alternating perspective (my absolute favorite format), four college friends must revisit the murder of their friend/roommate after the convicted murderer dies claiming his innocence. Hannah, the victim’s roommate, searches to find answers to what really happened. Hannah's testimony put the man in prison. The suspense level is high and I was truly wondering what the truth was throughout the entire book.
The ending is amazing and a true delight for readers. Ware stays on top of my list as the best thriller writer of the present day! Thank you so much Netgalley for an advanced copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Unexceptional popcorn thriller

Our main character Hannah experienced tragedy when her roommate April was murdered in college. Ten years later, the convicted murderer dies in prison. Now married to her murdered roommate's boyfriend and pregnant with his child, Hannah decides to find out if the convicted murderer really was the murderer.

I think Hannah's pregnancy was mentioned 1,356 times. That and her very poor memory of the night in question are all we know about her. We learn precious little about her and her husband Will.

What I did like about this book is that while there is a dual timeline ("Before" and "After), we are in Hannah's perspective all of the time. It is a bit easier to manage one perspective, versus all six friends’ perspectives, if we included April's (the victim). Of course, Hannah's pregnancy is essentially a character, which is challenging. Despite only being in Hannah's perspective, we do manage to learn a lot about the four others in the friend group: April, Emily, Hugh, and Ryan.

The pacing gets sluggish in places (looking at you--> Hannah's doctor visits). I do think the rotation between "Before" and "After" keeps the pacing interesting overall.

I appreciate that the reader can play along with the novel. There are no huge twists out of left field.

Perhaps what stumps me as a reader is that shouldn't have all this been covered in Neville's trial? It almost would have been more authentic if the case had never been solved. I'm not sure why the convicted murderer dying in prison would be the impetus to finally get him justice. Shouldn't the police have done their job a decade ago?

Overall, this was an okay thriller. If you like Ware, you might want to pick this up. It seems as though she has written a standard thriller, unlike her past novels that I thought were a bit more unique.

Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

A well written, gripping, action packed dark academia thrillers are my true addiction! And this book is one of the best examples as an answer to my late night thriller cravings.
Who can say no to a smart dark academia takes place in Oxford and spin tingling whodunnit mystery keeps you guessing from the beginning that is written by Ruth Ware! My nerdish brains said hallelujah as soon as I saw the blurb! Ashley Winstead’s “In my dreams I hold the knife” meets Karen M McManus’ “Nothing more to tell” with a little “ Maidens” vibes: the book introduces you the group the friends who are actually so different from each other, keeping their own hidden agendas, burying their heads into their studies, attending social gatherings, partying all night, chasing their academic dreams.

Hannah, book-smart, shy, practical girl, raised by middle class family, allured by her roommate April’s luxurious, flamboyant, elegant life style. April Coutts -Clieveden has everything she’s dreamt of: she’s got the looks, charm, intelligence, money, power, wrapping any one she desires around her little finger, including Hannah’s first crush Will: a quiet gentleman, coming from wealthy family.

Poor Hannah has to restraint her feelings. She doesn’t want a boy comes between she and her best friend April.

I still ask myself why Hannah thinks April is her best friend. Only thing she does is speaking condescendingly, acting like a spoiled brat by pulling awful pranks on people from the beginning. Well, gold hearted Hannah might be too naive to see it or she doesn’t have any extra energy to make more for friends!

Let’s not forget the other members of their gang: entertaining, sarcastic, hot shot socialist, cheeky Ryan, spiky, witty, extra competitive math prodigy Emily ( those two characters were my favorites) , humble, reserved, kind, also extra smart Hugh!

But one night, when the group was celebrating the last play April’s theater group performed, Hannah worries about April who recently went to the dorm room to change clothes and never returned back. When she goes back to her room to check on her, she realizes her friend is dead and a few minutes ago she saw the Porter left their shared room. The same Porter: John Neville she filed complaint for his inappropriate behaviors around her! And the same man found guilty to kill her friend!

Then we return back to the future ( nope: we didn’t ride on Doc’s time travel car) to see how Hannah’s life evolved. Ten years later: Hannah still misses her friend so much. She still has terrible nightmares about the night. But at least she has fulfilled life. She got married with Will. Yes, they find each other after the tragic events ruined their lives. They’re expecting a baby. Hannah is happy with her job at bookshop, living a peaceful life in Edinburg even though Will is struggling to be an accountant.

Rest of them also moved on their lives. Emily became successful academician, Hugh is wealthy plastic surgeon and poor Ryan’s life has changed after his tragic stroke. But he’s still happy with his wife and kids!

So that’s all folks! The story finalizes with semi bitter ending. Okay! I lied! This is just the beginning!

Then Hannah hears the news from her mother that John Neville died in prison and a young reporter who is also friend of Ryan insists there’s an evidence that can clear John Neville’s name! John Neville insisted he was not the murderer on his deathbed.

Hannah didn’t want to get involved but she still thinks she owes to April to find the truth! But once she starts digging out, she also realizes one of them from their close circle could be a killer. She already put herself and unborn baby in danger and she’s at the point of no return! She has to finish what she’s started!

Overall: it’s riveting, well developed, intelligent, captivating reading!

I was planning to give 4 stars but the fair conclusion, the smart twists and realistic characterization made me add half star and I rounded up 4.5 to 5 brightest stars as author’s devoted fan!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books / Scout Press for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

THANK YOU to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book- when I saw Ruth Ware’s name I knew I would not be disappointed… and I was not!-

What a great thriller! This book’s set up and story line was unique enough that I didn’t feel like I was reading the same old who dunnit that I do with most thrillers. I enjoyed the alternating timeline set up- I found that there was just enough of each before/after to keep you interested and excited to get more information. The red herrings were AMAZING- I liked how we met the cast of characters in the past chapters but then slowly got introduced to them in the “after chapters too”

I kind of loved that April was not a great overall person- it added some depth of emotion to the mystery and the violence and muddied the waters about how her friends and other suspects may have truly felt about her and her death.


Also, the cast of characters had me feeling like I was playing a game of Clue! (everyone seemed guilty). Each character brought their unique personality and motives to the table and I think that was my favorite part of the book. Also the mysterious academia setting of Oxford added to the creepiness- I loved the descriptions of the buildings, the academic traditions, and the staff that loomed in the background of all the action. She did a really great job of setting a stage in my mind that all the action took place in.

I would recommend this to anyone that reads thrillers or even true crime novels!