‘The IT Girl’ is a dark academica novel at its best, it was thrilling, confusing, action-packed and kept me up waaay past my bedtime! Set in Oxford and full of all the locational details you need to be immersed into uni life there. Sometimes, I wish I had taken up my place there and it's books like these that make me regret it even more. Who wouldn't want to live in a ‘set’, wear robes to dinner and be involved in academic debate whilst making life long friends in the process?

When Hannah starts at Pelham college she has no idea what to expect and when she is introduced to her roommate April Coutts-Cliveden she is pulled into a brand new world. April is the typical ‘it’ girl of the period - attractive, beguiling, pots of money, intelligent and interesting. Hannah is pulled into her world where people went to private school, drink champagne and basically have the good life. But before the year is out April is brutally murdered and it was Hannah who found her body. Ten years later Hannah is in a relationship with Will from their group and when the man convicted of the murder, John Neville, dies in prison Hannah believes it is all now finally over. However, when a young journalist turns up saying he has evidence that John was innocent, Hannah’s world is rocked and she decides that she finally needs to get to the truth... with devastating consequences.

This was such a compelling read and although it was a slow build whilst we were introduced to the characters, the tension was nail-biting and it built to a spectacular ending! As the chapters swapped from Hannah’s viewpoint whilst she was at university and the present day it allowed the reader to get to know the characters and Hannah’s life both then and now. I felt very drawn to Hannah as she reminded me a lot of myself. I also suffered a trauma whilst at University as my mother died of cancer and that sent me into a head spin and I feel as it I didn't make the most of my potential. I'm now at peace with that but it made me relate to Hannah and her life. This was a multilayered story, where every character could have had a motive and there were red herrings everywhere you looked.

Loved this one! Let me know if you read it!

This was a very enjoyable read lots of twists and turns to keep you gripped and up reading all night. I did not expect the ending of this and definitely had me shocked. Though I expect nothing less from Ruth ware this was a highly anticipated release for this year for me and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it early. Highly recommend.

"It was Hannah who found April’s body ten years ago.
It was Hannah who didn’t question what she saw that day.
Did her testimony put an innocent man in prison?"

Hannah thinks she's moved on from what happened at Oxford all those years ago, but as she begins to question April's death, she unwittingly brings herself and her unborn child into grave danger. The It Girl was, as always with Ruth Ware books, well written and pacy. Although I did figure out who- (and how-) dunnit, it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. However I did find Hannah a frustrating archetype, one who seems to feature in this sort of psychological thriller frequently: somehow we're meant to believe that a woman who is so fragile and easily derailed by trauma that she would drop out of university and move to another country after her roommate's death, is simultaneously ballsy (or stupid) enough to take it on herself to play detective up and down the UK while ordered to rest during her third trimester. It just didn't ring true to me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Ruth Ware is the type of author that can do no wrong in my book, no pun intended, and this whodunit was no exception. An excellent plot line set in the world of academia is everything I hoped for and more. Highly recommended!

When Hannah Jones arrives at Oxford she is overwhelmed to find that April Coutts-Cliveden is her roommate; April is a notorious party girl but the to despite their differences form a firm friendship. However, all changes when April is killed and the lives of Hannah and her friends irrevocably changed. Years later the convicted murder dies in prison and Hannah is determined once and for all to discover the truth; were his claims of innocence an act or has the murderer been free all these years.

This is probably my favourite Ruth Ware to date; the Oxford setting and the friend group who were all hiding their own secrets and resentments was fascinating and the list of suspects was endless which made the the whole thing more tense as Hannah slowly uncovers the truth about what happened all those years ago.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review

The IT Girl begins with Hannah Jones, working in a book store, trying to forget the devastating murder of her friend April whilst they were roommates at Oxford University.

Hannah meets April Coutts-Cliveden who has everything a girl could want - money, successful parents and looks.
Hannah is on the outer edges of April's vivacious life, involving herself in parties and all-night champagne drinking, When April is murdered and Hannah finds her body, all fingers point to one of Oxford's custodians who has always made Hannah feel nervous - but was it really him or was it someone else that wished April dead?

Hannah's search for the truth puts her and her unborn baby's life in danger - but she won't rest until she finds out who really did murder April.

An edge-of-your-seat read, with a great twist at the end.

Best thriller I’ve read this year!!! This book left me on the edge of my seat, I couldn’t put it down, a classic whodunnit book but with a very eerie atmosphere throughout.

Hannah and April were inseparable best-friends, April was the “it girl” with her extravagant personality whether as Hannah was the opposite and much more introverted… however they are as close as can be. One night however, April leaves the pub alone and is found dead the next morning.

The porter at their school was charged with murder, dying 10 years later in jail. However, as new evidence surfaces … a journalist decides to find out the truth. The only evidence that locked this man up was that Hannah saw him leaving the area at the time of Aprils death … or did she?

The shocking truth of what really happened will be revealed .. but beware .. you are NOT ready.

I devoured this book, Ruth Ware never disappoints. Please pick this up, you won’t regret it.

I knew immediately from the title and description that I wanted to read this book and it did not disappoint. Dark academia at its absolute best. The characters are richly drawn and the right side of complex and the setting is perfect. Every time I thought I had guessed the outcome I was foxed which made this a hugely compelling read. Highly
Recommend

It has been 10 years since Hannah found her roommate and best friend April dead in their room and she has tried really hard to get on with her life since. But when the man jailed for April’s murder dies, the story is thrown back into the limelight, as is Hannah. Still avoiding the majority of media requests, one determined reporter manages to get through to Hannah and their revelations make her question what happened back then and more importantly, if she accused the wrong person.

Using a dual timeline in the present and back to the lead-up to April being found, this was the best kind of slow-burn with the story unfolding at the perfect pace, gradually gaining momentum while gathering revelations and twists, culminating in a gripping finale. My only issue is that I struggled to warm to any of the characters, even Hannah who I found a little annoying and still seeming very naive 10 years later, despite everything she had been through.

All in all, an entertaining read that will keep you guessing!

I love Ruth Ware and have read and enjoyed all her books. The It Girl is no exception, I devoured it at lightning speed as I just could not put it down. There are plenty of twists and turns which all heighten the tension. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for my ARC.

💫 Book Review: The It Girl - Ruth Ware 💫

❗️Spoilers may be below❗️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

❗️Content warning: pregnancy, murder, death, drug abuse, death of parent❗️

Blurb: April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she 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. By the end of the second, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

Review: as much as this is a good book, does a thriller ever need to be over 400 pages? I would argue not.
The general plot was good. There was lots of false leads to trip the reader up, but the answer was always there. And that is a mark of a very good book, when the reader can look back and understand that the answer was there from the beginning.
The character of April was written particularly well, and you really do end up disliking her, even though she is the victim.
The last 2 chapters really got me. They were intense.
So yes, 4 star overall. But could have done with being 75-100 pages shorter.

A twisty & gripping dark-academia thriller packed with creepy vibes & unexpected surprises!

Synopsis –

April Cliveden & Hannan are room-mates at Oxford. A perfect combination of beauty & brains, April oozes charm, glamour & class – the famous “It Girl”. Soon after they form a like-minded group of friends with Will, Hugh, Emily & Ryan, April is found dead.

Presently, a decade later, Hannah is married to Will – expecting their first child. But when a reporter brings up the ghosts from the past, Hannah can’t help but wonder if her crucial evidence that convicted John Neville as April’s killer might be faulty.

Review -

We have the first person narrative of Hannah moving back & forth between “before” & “after” & I quickly took to her & began enjoying her company. Ware does a great job with the setting of Oxford, using its centuries old gothic architecture & traditions, to evoke just the right kind of atmosphere for this plot.

The entirety of the plot construction revolves around our “It Girl” April. I loved how her character gets portrayed as the most happening girl at the college, attracting people like fireflies to light, while at the same time giving us glimpses of her dark & spiteful side.

As Hannah begins to dig into the past, we come to understand her relationship with April & her other friends, the kind of impact April’s death had on her, the media bombardment that lasted years & the toll it now takes on Hannah & Will’s marriage.

One thing I liked best about the book was how realistic it all felt. The storyline & all the characters especially Hannah & April felt so real for me - I could almost picture it all happening in my mind.

By mid-way the book becomes utterly compelling especially as Hannah gets deep into the maze of the past. Her need to find the truth turns into an obsession – as she revisits Oxford, reconnects with her old friends uncovering secrets, the red-herrings are everywhere!

Ware has an impeccable control over her plot construction & some of the traps she weaves into it were simply unavoidable. The readers can’t help but play the guessing game of who might have killed the “It Girl” & the “why” of it is where the real fun lies.

Towards the end, I almost believed everything I was being fed & when the murderer is revealed I could only close my eyes & wonder how I didn’t see this coming!

The climax was brilliantly entertaining & I found that I had no complaints whatsoever!

Highly recommend to dark-academia thriller fans!

Thanks NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC!

A fantastically thrilling read that had me second-guessing my suspicions every 5 minutes and pointing the finger at literally everyone.
A little slow in places but the great characters and well developed story were more than enough to keep me on the edge of my seat through all the twists and turns. Loved it!

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dark Academia meets a great modern day mystery in Ruth Ware’s latest novel. I’m a huge fan of Ruth Ware, and this one has firmly jumped to the top of my list of her books! Thank you so much for a chance of an early read!!

When Hannah arrives for her first term at Oxford University, she meets her roommate April. April is beautiful, clever and wealthy. But, eight months later, April is also murdered. This pulse pounded thriller moves between the events leading up to the murder over a decade ago, and the current day where Hannah is still trying to move on with her life.

The killer has been in jail this whole time. Or has he? The twists were kind of brilliant, and I certainly didn't see the final result coming! A really excellent mystery with a nail biting conclusion.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is a Marmite book that most will love or hate, some will think it's a mixed bag.
I belong to the "mixed bag" group: I love Ruth Ware's books but this one my less favorite.
I liked the descriptions of Oxford and the last 15% of the book.
I wasn't a fan of Hannah, April or any other character. Hannah seemed a bit too spineless and repetitive, Aprile was a unbearable spoiled brat.
The plot is slow burning and some less pages would have made it more compact and exciting. There's a lot of repetition that seems to be there to recap what we already knew.
The last part is fast paced and exciting, the solution surprised me and I liked it.
3.5* upped to 4
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed this dark academia thriller. The plot sounds quite simple but I thought it was well-written and I LOVED the atmosphere. The characters were interesting to follow and I always appreciate a clever mystery!

The only reason this didn't get 5 stars from me was because I thought it dragged a little in places but otherwise this is my second favourite Ruth Ware book after The Turn of the Key!

𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙄𝙏 𝙂𝙄𝙍𝙇 𝙗𝙮 𝙍𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙚

I really enjoyed 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 by Ware, way back when I first joined bookstagram, so I was excited to get stuck into this when I received a copy via Netgalley. I loved parts of it but just didn't love it, overall. Why? I'm not sure. 

We follow the sole perspective of Hannah, across dual timelines of 'before' and 'after'.  I loved the dark academia vibes and the Oxford setting, and the story was intricately plotted. There weren't many mind-blowing twists, but it was gripping, well written and absorbing, and the ending was well done. I was suspicious of everyone and constantly changing my mind about the culprit. 

See? There was nothing I disliked. It just wasn't outstanding for me. Do you ever read books that you liked but for some reason can't put your finger on why they are just average for you? This was a great thriller, it just didn’t give me the wow factor I’ve come to expect from thrillers.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 + 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂!

Picking up a Ruth Ware book is like putting on one of your old favourite jerseys. It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling of utter enjoyment.
Her writing seems effortless and her storytelling is again superb in this book. The characterization is extremely well done. AND..... she got me, AGAIN! The final twist in the book was brilliant and in retrospect, I can see all the red herrings that were left throughout the book.
This is a story of friendship; of love, hate and revenge. It is the story of the It Girl.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

Ooh there is lots to enjoy about this psychological suspense novel set in Pelham College at Oxford University. Two girls with everything going for them meet on their first day; Hannah whose background is less rarified than her roommate's April, but nonetheless the girls bond.

The story is told in short chapters alternating between now, and before. Before was ten years hence when April was murdered and Hannah was chief witness for the prosecution. In the now is the questions that surface about the rightness of that conviction.

The writing is good and the plot sufficiently complex to not only entertain but hold my attention and, as with her previous books Ruth Ware has created fully-rounded characters that are distinct and engaging.

I'd highly recommend this for a holiday read.