It Girl

A night changes Hannah's life to a nightmare when she witnesses her roommate April's death a decade ago. At present, Hannah is married and expecting her first child with Will, who was April's ex-boyfriend. Hannah receives news that John Neville has died in prison. She is not relieved with the news; rather, she gets overwhelmed with dread when a journalist knocks on her door, alleging to have evidence of Neville's innocence. Hannah reunites with her old friends and gets deeper into the mystery of April's death. However, she learns that the people she thought were her close friends all have secrets, one of which is a murder. Where she ends up risking her own life. If Neville didn't kill April, who did? This book is a psychological thriller, dark academia and whodunit mystery. The pace was moderate, with a dual timeline for the past and present. The plot and character development were both outstanding. It was packed with unsettling turns and twists. The ending was a complete shock. It could have been a 5 ⭐ read if it had gotten rid of some of the fluff because it seemed too long for the storyline. Furthermore, the plot was secondary to the characters. Though the pace was a bit slow for a thriller, I was engrossed with the writing. I'm looking forward to read more of Ruth Ware's book.

The book was amazing and in good n well condition and I am also satisfied with delivery and packaging 👍👍

It's well printed and has nice paper, but the story itself is one long drag of repetitive emotions by the protagonist. As thrillers go, there is not much to thrill, only 3/4 in the book it starts to go somewhere. However, as a bedtime story to go to sleep, it is fine. I wonder about the reviews of other authors on the back cover, did they actually read this?

Despite the predictable ending with no explicit motive, superb storytelling makes it a worthy read. Hannah may not be the brilliant of minds but the writer evidently is.

Rating: 4.4/5 There is something almost irresistibly appealing about a mystery or drama set within the hallowed walls of academia. So, when Ruth Ware, one of the most consistently impressive mystery writers around, decides to set a novel in the surroundings of a fictitious Oxford University college, I was always going to make sure that I read it at the earliest opportunity ... and it certainly didn't disappoint. Ruth Ware has delivered another fine example of contemporary mystery fiction. I won't rehash the core plot here - there is adequate information in the official marketing blurb to get you started, without running the risk of any annoying spoilers from me. Ruth Ware once again makes full use of the potential presented by her chosen atmospheric setting. She invariably selects appealing backdrops for her stories, but unlike some less accomplished writers, she doesn't waste the capacity it has to add to the overall impact of the narrative. If you have read this author's work previously then you would also expect her to paint well-rounded, credible characters and that is precisely what she provides. Ruth Ware is an exquisite storyteller. In this instance the events alternate between events around ten years ago at Oxford University and Hannah's current life in Edinburgh. The switches in time frame are handled nicely and the reader is able to see the relevance of earlier happenings as the full picture gradually develops. There are plenty of twists and turns along the way, along with some skilful misdirection. Regular readers of the genre may well piece together the various bits of information and work out the solution before the official reveal - but whether you do or not, it really doesn't matter. One of the things that I like and admire about Ruth Ware's mystery writing is that she is always completely fair with the reader. There are no rabbits being pulled out of hats, nor sudden, incredible developments that couldn't have possibly been foreseen. All of the clues are there for the astute reader to pick up along the way, or else to be acknowledged and appreciated in hindsight ... and that is just the way a proper mystery should be constructed.

I'm a major Ruth Ware fan, so looked forward to my pre-order of The It Girl arriving. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, keeps the interest going, mystery for sure. But, it's simply not as gripping or exciting as her other books. So, I will recommend it but can't justify a 5 star (for the first time).