The It Girl
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Two stories, 10 years apart, weave slowly together in The It Girl, the new psychological thriller by Ruth Ware, master of the genre. They are both narrated by Hannah Jones, former student at Oxford University, now an expectant mother. At Oxford, Hannah’s roommate is the fey, charismatic, sometimes cruel April Clarke-Cliveden. Together with Emily, Will, Hugh and Ryan, they form a close friendship. But at the end of the second year, Hannah discovers April’s dead body in their rooms. She has been strangled, presumably by eccentric University porter John Neville. Now, Hannah is married to Will and expecting their first child when she learns that John Neville has died in prison. The memories of the night April was murdered and the ensuing trial where she was the main witness plunge Hannah into the past. And when a reporter comes to her with information showing that Neville may have been innocent, Hannah questions her memories. She and her friends have very different recollections and all have secrets they do not want to share.\n\nThe It Girl is the perfect psychological thriller. Two compelling plots, multidimensional characters and locations at Oxford and Edinburgh quickly pull the reader into to this fast paced mystery. 5 stars.\n\nThank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Ruth Ware for this ARC.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I liked the book. Read it in 1 day. Parts were not always believable'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Loved it from beginning to end- it was all I could do to keep myself from reading ahead but of course I did not-Really big shock at the end!!it’s another good one for Ruth Ware !'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Great characters, truly a modern day Agatha Christie. Could not figure out the murder even when the answer was right in front of me!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I love Ruth Ware and I devoured this book. I figured out whodunit pretty early and guessed the why (motive) not long after I became certain who must have done the horrible deed. But no matter how confident I felt in the who & why, the crime seemed impossible. So when I realized how the murder was committed (pretty much around the same time as the POV narrator) it was deeply satisfying. So I would recommend this book for the howdunnit alone. That said, I\'ve read many similar books, and this story seemed all too familiar at times. That isn\'t a deal-breaker for me. Ruth Ware is a thoroughly masterful storyteller. However, I did start to feel I\'d heard it all before at certain points in the novel. I do wish at least one of my favorite authors (of which I count Ms. Ware) would write the "my-bestie-was-murdered-in-college-and-x-years-later-doubts-creep-up-and-I-just-have-to- unravel-it" mystery from the point of view of the poor little rich girl who LIVED. Just once! Why can\'t the everygirl be the victim? Surprise me by making the promising life that was cut short be the shy, intelligent, middle-class girl who was emerging from her cocoon into a whole new world. And show us the ridiculously attractive and wealthy "IT girl" 10-20 years down the road as the one who lived and who never got over the tragedy. Now that would be a memorable twist that would make the whole storyline fresh and new.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I love dark academia thrillers 📖🎓🔪.. and this definitely filled my craving. 😋 It was freaking fantastic!!! 🖤💃🏼\n\nThis follows a group of Oxford coeds 👥🏫👥.. with the most popular of them all, April Coutts-Cliveden aka the “IT GIRL” 👱🏻\u200d♀️🛍.. found strangled in her dorm room. A porter (John Neville) takes the fall for her murder. Her roommate/best friend Hannah Jones helped to convict him.\n\nFast forward ten years.. Neville has died in prison and now there are claims by a journalist of his innocence.\n\nWhat’s up with that. Unbelievable right.\n\nHannah is strongly second guessing herself. Did she help convict the wrong person?\n\nHannah.. now married with a baby on the way 💍🤰🏻.. takes a deep dive into her past to find the truth.\n\nAnd OH BOY.. the answers she finds completely blew my mind. 🤯 The ending was off the rails and I LOVED IT!!! 🖤 Who knew!\n\nThis was such a fun, scandalizing ESCAPE, bringing with it suspense, danger and intrigue.. never a dull moment! Can’t wait to see how RW tops this with her next.\n5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️\nPub. 7/12/22'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'She is one of the few students to have a roommate - shared living area with separate bedrooms. Her roommate is April - rich, smart,beautiful. Hannah is smart but from a public schools background and is swept up into the life of April and her friend - Will (April’s boyfriend, Hannah’s crush), Hugh (nerdy, Will’s best friend), Ryan, and Emily.\n\nThen April is murdered and Hannah is the one to find her. Neville, a creepy porter that has been bothering Hannah since the beginning of the school year, was seen leaving the staircase to April and Hannah’s rooms minutes before the body was found. And upon Hannah’s testimony is convicted of her murder, even though he still claims his innocence.\n\nTen years late Neville dies in incarceration, still claiming his innocence. And Hannah begins to second guess the testimony that sealed his fate.\n\nTold in “Before” - when April was alive and “After” - 10 years later, chapters, which are easy to follow. This is an excellent book.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "Many of the aspects of The It Girl have been done by others: The alternating chapters going back and forth between a time when most of the characters were first year students at Pelham College of Oxford and a time a decade later; the particular setting of a crime in the rarefied academic atmosphere; the exploration of the long term impact of a crime on a group of friends.\nBut somehow Ruth Ware takes those familiar elements of the formula and makes it all fresh and surprising. You care about these stock creatures in ways that rationality says I'd uncalled for . . . and , yet, they become warm, living characters in the hands of this author. A quick, satisfying read."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-3 review-rating', 'review_body': "Worth the read on a summer afternoon, but geeeeez, how many times can you say the same thing? She blushed, she flushed, his cheeks flamed red, she colored. She cried, she cried, she cried, she cried. The baby moved inside her. The baby turned. The baby kicked. The baby ... well, you get the idea. I also find the Before / After structure that's so popular these days kind of annoying. Makes me want to just read every other chapter. Still, it was well copy-edited, as so many others these days are not, so at least the reader isn't constantly stumbling over typos. All in all, an entertaining diversion."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2022', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Buckle your seat belt for an amazing ride. Six people meet opening day of Pelham College at Oxford. The story is told in two parts Before and After. There is a murder and it takes 10 years for Hannah to solve. Her initial testimony puts someone in prison but she always has doubts Everything you think you know is not what it seems. The ending is well worth the wait. I loved this book.'}]