meeklovestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I don't think I'll classify this as a thriller because there wasn't anything "thrilling" anything about it. No bread crumbs to leave you guessing. It really just centered on Hannah's guilt that she could've potentially put an innocent man away. Speaking of him, I know she wrote him as this creepy guy to establish why Hannah felt the way that she felt about him, but even as I was reading his scenes I couldn't help but feel creeped out with her. He was a very odd bloke and his actions towards her were unsettling. Although his actions were creepy, I did see a comment that stated that John Neville's behavior was consistent with someone on the spectrum. I don't want to stigmatize so this is just a theory, but as I was reading about him and his mannerism I couldn't help but think the same thing. I don't think he meant much harm to Hannah. He may just not have understood her discomfort ( just a theory). Also, that teacher is also disgusting. I know good and well he was sleeping with his students.
As for the portion of who did it, I honestly would've preferred if this specific character that they were pointing out for most of the book was the killer.
Spoiler
Although predictable I wish it would've been Will that was the killer. They were alluding to it for a good portion of the second half of the book and I honestly think it would've made more sense. It being Hugh wasn't predictable, but his reasoning did add much impact in my opinion. It just felt like a twist that can out of nowhere. And what was the point of her finding out about that window shortcut if it was;t going to be an important element later? I feel like that was a waste of a potential plot point.Also, can we just talk about how Hannah barely prioritized her child's health this entire book.
Spoiler
The fact that her baby survived all that stress feels extremely unrealistic even by book standards. I was honestly expecting her to lose it in the end and have Will be the killer.Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Murder, Cursing, Violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Misogyny
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
2.25
“Don’t let yourself get caught up in what-ifs. That way madness lies.”
WARNING: it's unpopular opinion time again!!
I somehow tend to have a love-hate relationship with Ruth Ware's books. Some of her titles are on my list of favorites, while others fail to hit the mark completely instead... I tend to love her gothic thrillers most, so part of me was a bit hesitant to pick up The It Girl because I wasn't sure how I would react to it. Most people seemed to enjoy the story and I did like the sound of the blurb, so I still had hopes that I would enjoy it... But in the end it just wasn't ment to be. I think part of the issue was that the pace is considerably slow, and it took a LONG time for anything substantial to happen. Add the fact that I didn't like any of the characters, which is always an issue in a character-driven story, and I struggled considerably to find the motivation to keep reading. Sure, we have the mystery around April's death, but I honestly couldn't care less who did it and I personally thought she had it coming. Hannah was very frustrating as a character, both the past and present chapters. The It Girl is mostly a story of toxic friendships, characters not standing up for themselves, infidelity and a not exactly credible hunt for the truth in the present. By the time things got a little more tense near the end, I had already long given up on the story... And I didn't find the reveals exactly worth the wait either. In short, The It Girl was overlong, way too slow and had a disappointing cast of unlikeable and frustrating characters. This is probably one of my least favorite Ruth Ware stories to date... I do hope she will return to the gothic thrillers at some point, because otherwise I might just have to leave her books be in the future.
Graphic: Grief, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Stalking, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Classism, Kidnapping, and Violence
jakobmarleymommy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Pregnancy, and Murder
mouwuol's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Child death, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Gun violence, Grief, Violence, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Classism, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Murder, Blood, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Death
doreyghc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Drug use, Blood, Bullying, Gaslighting, and Gun violence
Minor: Vomit, Cancer, Cursing, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders
bleepbloop's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
Moderate: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Gaslighting
toriwatson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Stalking, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Gaslighting
Minor: Medical content, Gun violence, and Alcohol
theonlybaillie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Stalking
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Murder, Rape, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Sexism, Vomit, Classism, and Emotional abuse
undersea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Gaslighting
shereadsmysteries's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Pregnancy, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Death
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, and Drug use
Minor: Infidelity, Medical trauma, and Blood
Stroke, Pregnancy Assault