The It Girl

This might be my favorite so far by Ruth Ware. I actually think it is a 4.5 star read. I never guessed the outcome. I think the character development was impressive. I felt like I knew each of the characters.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ruth Ware. I enjoyed it enough to say it won't be my last. Ten years ago, a jury found John Neville guilty of the murder of April Clarke-Clivedon, a young, vivacious, beautiful, brilliant, prank-loving Oxford student. Now, having steadfastly maintained his innocence for all those years, Neville dies in prison. Main character Hannah Jones was April’s best friend and roommate. She provided evidence that helped to convict Neville. When Hannah learns of new information casting doubt on Neville’s conviction, she feels compelled to find the truth about April’s death, despite the wishes and warnings of close friends and family, which, Hannah realizes, she may sorely regret not heeding. It was a pleasure to read this novel. After suffering through several poorly written supposed best-sellers, I was relieved to be reading a work in which the author clearly cared about what words she put on the page. The prose is descriptive without being overwrought. The dialogue is realistic and moves the story forward. The mystery is basically a “whodunnit?” Although at least one other reviewer has said they figured out the answer early on, I found that not to be the case. So as not to spoil the plot for anyone, I'll just say that author Ruth Ware had me guessing, and guessing again, and guessing again, until the reveal. I thought Ms. Ware did a fine job with her settings: Oxford University 10 years ago and present-day Edinburgh. I particularly enjoyed learning what it was like to be an Oxford student. And I came away from the novel hoping to visit Edinburgh sometime soon. The characters are well-drawn, for the most part. April is a wonderful “It Girl.” Sometimes, she’s an angel; sometimes, she’s a devil; sometimes, she's loved; and sometimes, she's hated—all of which makes her lots of fun to read about. Other, lesser supporting characters are distinct and interesting. I wasn’t quite as taken with Hannah as I might have been. She may be the heroine of the tale, but she spends a lot of time blaming herself for Neville’s conviction; and that self-blame doesn’t seem entirely justified in light of the facts Ms. Ware gives us. Also, Hannah ruminates a lot over her feelings. All of which gave me the impression that she was more self-centered, and self-righteous, than she needed to be, especially considering what she puts at risk. And all that ruminating slows the pace of the novel, IMO. There are also times when Ms. Ware almost crosses the line separating drama from melodrama. But only a few and only almost. But, whatever flaws there may be are counterbalanced by an engaging, realistic mystery with lots of twists and turns down a variety of Scottish lanes. All-in-all, "The It Girl" is a solidly entertaining four-star read.

Good murder mystery. Interesting characters and a well described setting. A very likeable main character. Simple twists and turns and I found myself skimming a bit during some heart pounding scenes impatient for the action.

I couldn’t wait to read Ruth Ware’s newest book The It Girl and I am happy to report it did not disappoint. This book was everything I was hoping it would be. Hannah Jones was excited to start a new chapter of her life at Oxford. Hannah and her roommate April Clarke-Cliveden became fast friends, and rounding out their friend group was Will, Emily, Ryan, and Hugh. These six friends formed a close bond and were enjoying their time at the university. That is, until April was murdered at the end of the second term. The school porter, John Neville, is found guilty of April’s murder, mostly due to Hannah’s testimony. It is now ten years later and Hannah and Will are married and expecting their first child. Hannah has done all she can to try and put the past behind her and now that John Neville has died in prison, she can truly move on. But when a journalist contacts Hannah and presents evidence that John Neville may have been innocent, Hannah’s world and all she thought she knew is about to come crashing down. I loved how Ware presented this book in a dual timeline. One timeline was during Hannah’s time at Oxford and we got to see the events that lead up to April’s murder unfold. This was my favorite timeline. I really liked getting to know Hannah, April, Will, Ryan, Emily and Hugh and watch their friendships form. I especially liked learning more about April and how she was not the nicest person all the time. That just made the suspect pool increase for me. The second timeline is in the present, and in this timeline, we follow Hannah as she tries to come to terms with the fact that she may have been wrong about John Neville. Hannah is determined to figure out what actually happened the night April was murdered. I really loved her determination on uncovering the truth; even when she did not like the direction it was taking, she still pushed forward. Hannah owes it to April and to John Neville to make sure the right person pays for the crime. I was all over the place on who I thought murdered April with all the twists and turns this book had. The more information Hannah uncovered in her quest to find the truth, the more my suspicions of everyone grew, especially when we learned of some of the mean things April did. By the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat, especially when it was revealed who the killer was. I really don’t want to say too much because I think you need to go into this book not knowing anything. But if you are a fan of Ruth Ware, then I think you will love The It Girl.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It did take me a bit to get into it as it had the past and present point of view 10 years apart. It would go back and forth and did take me a bit to get used to it but once I did I thought that the book was an easy fun read. You get to know Hannah and how she became friends with April, Will, Ryan, Emily and Hugh. It goes thru her point of view for both past and present with her questioning what actually happened the night her best friend died. It took you on a nice journey and definitely gave a twist at the end. One that I was not expecting. This is not the type of book I normally read but I’ve been more and more interested in the murder/suspense category as of late. I think this is worth the read! 4 ⭐️