Wonderful Ware thriller about a group of friends at Oxford and how they deal with the aftermath of the murder of the IT girl in their group. April brings all the people in their friend group together. Will, Hugh, Ryan, Emily, and Hannah all hang together during first term. But her murder during second term causes them to go their separate ways until her murderer dies in prison. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

Really enjoyed this campus novel by Ruth Ware. The book alternates in time from before the main character Hannah’s best friend is murdered, and 10 years after the murder. The book is full of twists and keeps you guessing for the most part. I was able to predict the final twist but still thoroughly enjoyable.

Ruth Ware does it again! This time we read about a group of college kids at Cambridge in England and the friendships that they form. It is written in an interesting before/after format, centered on the death of one of the friends and the mystery behind who killed her. I love the imagery of the centuries old university as a background for the young modern day students who, as in real life, all have issues of their own. Thoroughly engaging, a true mystery that keeps you wondering until the end, this book grabbed every spare second of my day and had me either reading it or thinking about it continuously. Kudos again, to Ruth Ware, for another book well done. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy that sent me on this great journey.

The IT girl was another great book from Ruth Ware. Each chapter was labeled 'before' or 'after' college student April was murdered. The killer died while in jail, and always protested his innocence. Hannah's testimony is what put him in jail and she is determined to find out just what happened that night 10 years ago. Thankyou NetGalley for the chance to read this advanced copy. A copy will be purchased for our library when it's released.

Hannah Jones marks her life into two memorable phases: the before and the after. Before April, her best friend freshman year at Oxford, was brutally murdered and after Hannah was the one to discover her body and point her finger at the killer. But when the killer passes in prison and journalists go around digging for more information in the wake of his death, Hannah is forced to revisit the most horrifying moments of her life.

I wish this book had worked for me. It was so much like <u>In My Dreams I Hold a Knife</u> that it was all I could think about nearly from page one. Except the pacing was even slower? (Which I didn't think was possible because I didn't even really like IMDIHAK either...) Neither Hannah or Will were extremely likable characters and then of course there was April...I maybe felt the most attachment (or at least sympathy?) for Ryan but even he wasn't great. And Emily was just flat. So with a cast of unlikable characters, a slowly paced mystery, and a plot that felt like it was completely washed out, <u>The It Girl</u> probably ranks as my least favorite Ruth Ware novel.

As a fan of Ruth Ware, I was eagerly anticipating her latest novel, The It Girl. I was not disappointed.  I was quickly pulled into the story and couldn't put the book down until I had read through the last page. The friendships will draw you in and the twists will keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

A solid four star read for Ruth Ware’s newest novel, The It Girl. This is a typical who-dunnit set at Oxford/Pelham College. A shy girl named Hannah befriends her new roommate, April, and is instantly thrust into her eclectic friend circle. By the end of the school year, April is dead and Hannah is witness #1. So which friend is the murderer? I’m sure you’ll be guessing right up until the very end, just like me.

I LOVE Ruth Ware, but this was my least favorite book of hers. I loved the premise of a murder among college friends at Oxford. It Girl April is beautiful, rich, and sometimes cruel - and murdered. Her roommate Hannah's testimony against porter John Neville sends him to prison where he later dies. But was John really guilty? New insights into what really happened that night are brought up and Hannah begins to question what she saw.
I just didn't connect with any of the characters. Hannah's dialogue became very repetitive, and I ended up skimming over some of it. The ending was not totally unexpected and kind of disappointing.

Ruth Ware has done it again! Oxford, friends freshman year are close and supportive. Hannah, quiet public school girl, is rooming with April, the "IT" girl-beautiful, wealthy, good friend, and good student. As the year winds down, April, is in a school production of Medea. The celebratory after party is missing April, who has gone back to change. Hannah goes looking for her and finds her dead. A porter is convicted and with his death, Hannah starts wondering about his possible innocence. I read this in almost one sitting.

College for Hannah is finding herself, and finding a best friend. Until that friend is murdered. And for the next ten years her world changes to finding the love of her life and being haunted by a night that she relives over and over in her mind. I loved this book. Hannah’s character is well written with depth and heartfelt emotions. What happens when someone you care about is murdered? And how does it play our in your mind by questioning all of your beliefs. Do you ever truly know the people you count on? This was an edge of your seat murder mystery that will keep you guessing to the last pages. Highly recommended!

As an avid Ruth Ware reader, THE IT GIRL came as a surprise to me with the feeling of a slow burn mystery. Like usual, I loved the way Ware writes her characters and capitalizes on her dramatic and detailed settings. This time, the story had a dark academia vibe, unlike any of her other books. I would recommend this read for mystery and suspense lovers, with a bit of a thrilling twist.

Ruth Ware has done it again. Atmospheric, quick paced thriller told in the before and after of a murder at Oxford. Hannah’s roommate died gruesomely and as the only witness, she helped send the murderer to jail. But new evidence is coming to light that makes Hannah question whether she accused the wrong man all those years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and look forward to more of Ware’s books! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange with my honest review.

Another absolute triumph from Ruth Ware! I always look forward to new releases from Ware, and this one did not disappoint. The It Girl is a fast paced, engaging read that kept me guessing until the end. Every time I thought I knew who the killer was, new information surfaced that made me reconsider. The ending twist was definitely a surprise. I also thought the parallel time lines worked well. A must read for any thriller lover!

I've read all of Ruth Ware's books and liked them to varying degrees, but this was one of her best! It felt like a good old fashioned mystery in the vein of Agatha Christine with little clues & red herrings dropped here and there that all came together in the end. Very suspenseful & engaging!

Ruth Ware fans will love this book! Absorbing and mysterious, you will be turning pages into the wee hours to find out what happens next.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this pre-publication manuscript in exchange for my review. #NetGalley #TheItGirl

4.5 rounded up
Ruth Ware does it again. This might be my favorite. Loved all the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

This book has two narratives - one before and one after - that take places in two different points in time. I love books with dual narrative and I love mysteries, so it was a great combination for me! It also had rising tension and suspense without being too over the top or having an obvious conclusion. It also felt very relatable for me (not the part about discovering someone had been murdered), but the juxtaposition of college days versus 10 years later and how life and relationships have changed and evolved. All of the characters were well developed and the relationships (good and bad) felt very real and you kept wanting to know (and read) more. I read the entire book over the course of a few days as it was so hard to stop!

I’m a huge Ruth Ware fan so I was grateful to read an advanced copy. This is the story of Hannah, whose college roommate was killed a decade ago. I definitely got sucked in to the story right away and couldn’t put it down. I was a little disappointed when I figured out the ending early on in the story, but I thought it was a good book!

Hannah, now pregnant and happily married, is thrown back into the heartbreak and timorous recollections of ten years ago when her best friend and roommate April was murdered. The murderer, a man Hannah herself helped identify and throw into prison, has passed away claiming his innocence until the very end. Once so very confident in her own retrospection, Hannah is confronted by a journalist who has his own spin on what actually happened the day April was killed.

Now Hannah questions the honesty and roles of all of her closest university friends. Were they really as loyal to one another as Hannah always believed? Or did April's spikey personality and penchant for cruelty push someone close to her over the edge? Battling through her own demons and limitations, Hannah is determined to prove her unease wrong...or will she unearth something she can never unlearn?

I love Ruth Ware. The Turn of the Key and In a Dark, Dark Wood are two of my favorites. I started off really into this book. But the more I read about April and her vicious streak, the less I cared about her murder. That probably sounds brittle and unfeeling, but it's the reality - it's hard to want justice for a character when their portrayed as such an a-hole. I also started losing interest because of the sheer volume of the book. It seemed like there was quite a bit of unnecessary filler at the end and I skimmed the last two chapters because they just weren't interesting or intrinsic to the wrapping up of the book.

It was an okay book, but not one of my favorites from Ware.

Ruth Ware has become one of my favorite authors. She has mastered creating atmospheric, suspenseful books that you can't put down. This book was no exception! Told in alternating timelines, before and after, that kept me riveted to find out more! When I thought I had it figured out I would be thrown for a loop and need to rethink what was going on. The ending was very well done.