OMG
I had no idea what to expect and this book blew me away.
Fans of Girl on the Train will love this book.

A psychological thriller that you cannot put down!

My hopes for this book were so so high. While I did enjoy it, it was not the dark academic mystery I was hoping for. Although I do always love an Oxford setting

Ruth Ware always writes a good twisty thriller, and this is no exception. From the outset, it is clear that Hannah's new roommate and friend at Oxford, April, was going to end up dead, since the book is told partly in flashbacks. In the present, the recent death of April's convicted murderer, who went to his grave proclaiming his innocence, is causing Hannah to have second thoughts about the testimony that helped convict him. Since the murder, she has suffered from anxiety stemming from her days at Oxford, and with the publicity surrounding the murderer's death, she begins to fall apart. Her only recourse is to put her doubts to rest, regardless of the consequences.

This is the story of a much-intertwined group of students at Oxford, and how one of the group's members need for attention eventually led to the estrangement of most and death of one. There is an undertone of predatory male behavior that suits these modern times and casts a light on how it may have been handled in the past. As always, Ware imbues the story with a strong sense of menace and lots of red herrings to keep the reader engaged. The descriptions of Oxford and its surrounds are deftly rendered, transporting the reader to the locale.

Characterization is well done, with one exception. Although some hints are dropped to provide support for a very sudden change in behavior of one of the characters, a change that is crucial to the plotting of the resolution, I was not convinced. As a plot device, it works; as a piece of character development, it does not.

Overall, this was an immersive diversion that I very much enjoyed.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

initial thoughts: good, not great.

what worked: the multiple timelines, and I felt like I knew Hannah and April at the end of the story. the ending was a surprise, and it was fun getting there, to find out ‘whodunnit.’

what didn’t work: I felt like I’d read this story before. maybe I’ve just read lots of “dark academia” lately, but there wasn’t anything new or exciting in this book. it still worked and I’d recommend it, but definitely not my favorite of this genre.

Another solid mystery by Ruth Ware - brisk, fully developed characters, and a lovely way with language.

I really enjoyed turn of the key by this author. This one was a who done it Agatha Christie style book. The story was good but it moved a little slow for my taste. I still have it 3/5 stars. I do recommend to read it if you like a light mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ruth Ware for this digital ARC.

This book was a bit slow to get into... but it got more thrilling as the story went on. The slow burn feel and university setting had me guessing until the end! Did not see that end coming.

The best mysteries are the ones with multiple suspects, motive, and the narrator being as uncertain as the reader.
I love Ruth Ware and ber books continue to surprise me.
This one is another home run!

This book was engaging from the start. I enjoyed the twists and mystery surrounding April's death and the journey our main character must endure for the truth about her friends to be revealed. I would certainly recommend it to our older readers and friends alike.

I love Ruth Ware! However, the book missed the mark a few times. In some places it was slow and the book was so long. I was invested though. I loved the characters. Ware made the reader feel a part of the story and have emotions toward the characters. At times, it felt like the tv show Friends and a bit like my college days which I enjoyed. Ruth Ware can be a hit or miss, but I think this is one of her better books.

The best academia thriller I have read and perhaps my favorite Ruth Ware novel. I thought I had it all figured out, but I definitely did not!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth Ware is one of my authors that I immediately must buy if she comes out with a new book and the latest did not disappoint. The It Girl is by far one of her best. It's the perfect combination of young adult drama and suspense to keep you drawn into the twisted lives of college students. Honestly, none of the characters are particularly likeable, which makes the story that much more interesting. Overall, it's a great suspenseful read that I'll recommend to others.

An unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, April quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends —Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term at Oxford. By the end of the second, April was dead.

A whodunnit that kept me guessing the whole way through! While it is slow burn mystery (the book clocks in at over 400 pages), the plot and characters kept me invested. It is well written and smart with intricate details that make you suspect every character at some point in the book. I loved the ending - the twists, the action, the conclusion were all so well done in my opinion.

Read if you love:
- Slow burn mystery
- Dual timelines
- Dark Academia

It's been awhile since I've actually liked a book by Ruth Ware. It still could have been better, but this is more on par with her earlier work.

Hannah's college roommate, April, was murdered ten years ago. April has moved on and is not expecting her first child with her husband, Will. But, the man who was convicted of April's murder has just died in prison, setting off a trip down memory lane for April that will lead to dire consequences.

This is a taut thriller that grabs the reader and won't let go. The story is told in alternating chapters that detail events from Before and After. Gradually, the reader learns of the events that led up to April's death on that night a decade ago. The author weaves the story so well that you feel like you are there. The scene-setting was particularly rich and detailed. I loved how it made me feel like I was right there with the characters! The writing was amazing. Ruth Ware is an incredibly skilled writer. The characters come alive through their internal dialogs and thoughts. The attention to detail here was superb. I felt like I knew these people, that they were real.

The ending was surprising. I went after the red herring and thought it was someone else whodunit! I could not figure out how the deed was done until it was explained. I highly recommend this book! You won't be disappointed.

I'm a huge Ruth Ware fan. Her writing is always enjoyable, thrilling, and original, but this story was a little slower to start and took me longer to get into than usual. Nonetheless, once I finally got invested, as always with this author, the rewards were great. I would have loved to have had this on audiobook format.

The questions of the past never just die. Hannah hoped they would when she fled her dream school after the death of her roommate, April, never planning to return. Although the unanswered questions have continued to be a burden to Hannah, she has managed to move forward with her life; marrying the guy she crushed on through most of college, having an adequate (albeit not dream) job and now expecting her first child. When her mother called with the news that April's murderer had died in prison and a reporter showed up asking questions and saying there was something to the convicted's proclamations of innocence, Hannah knows she will never rest or find contentment until she figures out what really happened on the night she found April strangled in their shared room.

Ware's books are always a little difficult for me to read because I find the characters to be somewhat sad pandas who struggle to stand up for themselves. Having stated that, those characters are the ones who realistically would find themselves wrapped in the twisting and turning domestic thrillers this author is known for, and that keeps me turning the pages because I keep second guessing who did it until the very end. This is probably my favorite book by this author, and a great recommendation for a suspenseful read.

So far i have thought Ruth Ware's books have been solidly good, I think this one was GREAT. My heart was pounding as I reached the end, and I couldn't wait to see what happens. Truly so good. If you like any of her other work I think you will love this one! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.***

This was my first Ruth Ware book and I was, unfortunately, slightly disappointed. Despite the ending, not being what I had expected, I found myself still underwhelmed by the ending of this book.

A couple of things that I liked about this book were the main character’s vulnerability and strong ties to her deceased friend (April)..

Some things that I think were lacking, for use of a better word, included an inability for myself, as the reader, to build a connection with any of the characters. I really wanted to like Hannah; however, I struggled when I found out that she was married to her deceased, friends, ex-love interest.

Unable to make any real or exciting, for lack of a better word, ties that invested me in the overall plot, made this book difficult for me to finish. I know this might be an unpopular review of a Ruth Ware book, however, I promise not to hold it against her as I know she has several other best sellers.