abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really could not put this book down once I got halfway through it. I actually procrastinated finishing my homework just to get to the ending of the book this morning. The plot was fast-paced and took so many twists and turns that I just wanted closure. Who DID kill April?
My biggest complaint with this book was that Hannah was very relatable in a way that made her very uninteresting. I do think she served her purpose as a main character, however, which was to live in the shadow of April and to be so plain that you knew she didn't have a real motive in killing April.
Similarly, Hannah and Will's relationship was not well developed. At times, I felt like I was reading about Hannah's infatuation with Will rather than her love for him. Yes, they went on dates, and he was concerned about her pregnancy, but I just didn't feel this romantic connection between them.
On the other hand, most of the side characters came off the page. Ryan was barely in the novel, yet you could feel his presence. (Honestly, Ryan deserved more time in this novel.) John Neville had the eeriness that made you think he did it and made a reader's skin crawl. November and April had this glowing aura without you having to see them.
Another thing this novel did really well was to create nostalgia for Freshman year of college. I honestly don't think I've wanted to go back to the awkwardness of freshman year more than reading the before sections of the novel.
Overall, this is a book that I would read again because it is very enjoyable.
My biggest complaint with this book was that Hannah was very relatable in a way that made her very uninteresting. I do think she served her purpose as a main character, however, which was to live in the shadow of April and to be so plain that you knew she didn't have a real motive in killing April.
Similarly, Hannah and Will's relationship was not well developed. At times, I felt like I was reading about Hannah's infatuation with Will rather than her love for him. Yes, they went on dates, and he was concerned about her pregnancy, but I just didn't feel this romantic connection between them.
On the other hand, most of the side characters came off the page. Ryan was barely in the novel, yet you could feel his presence. (Honestly, Ryan deserved more time in this novel.) John Neville had the eeriness that made you think he did it and made a reader's skin crawl. November and April had this glowing aura without you having to see them.
Another thing this novel did really well was to create nostalgia for Freshman year of college. I honestly don't think I've wanted to go back to the awkwardness of freshman year more than reading the before sections of the novel.
Overall, this is a book that I would read again because it is very enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Death, and Murder
tabrock518's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Took me a while to finish butttt the plot twist was so good definitely did not expect it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
greatexpectations77's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The thriller mystery of this was fine, but oh my god the main character just felt so incredibly clueless. I also wonder how much Ware had actually researched on PTSD because it didn't feel like the MC's reactions to the trauma, so many years later, made that much sense. She had already been through therapy, but she couldn't handle her mental health or seemed to have processed the event. And that makes me feel bad because healing isn't linear and everyone has their own schedule, but she's also fictional, so. I'm not sure if it's actually worse that the MC said over and over how stupid she'd been or if I would have had more sympathy if she was just incredibly clueless. May not try reading this author again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Classism, Drug use, Bullying, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Abortion, Blood, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail
kirstenhewitt1993's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was a good mystery book, not my favourite Ruth Ware, but an intriguing enough mystery to keep me reading. The twist was something you could have guessed, but not obvious. I think I was hoping for more thriller and ended up more mystery which may have lowered my rating by a little. Overall, enjoyable read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Drug use
madelinequinne's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
SPOILERS
Really enjoyed this, kind of reminded me of if we were villains.
I would have NEVER guessed Hugh was April’s killer until those last few chapters, i was so sure it was going to be Will the whole time up until then, and I love a plot twist so automatically loved this book
Really enjoyed this, kind of reminded me of if we were villains.
I would have NEVER guessed Hugh was April’s killer until those last few chapters, i was so sure it was going to be Will the whole time up until then, and I love a plot twist so automatically loved this book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Cursing, Alcohol, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
sampcole21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Mental illness
Moderate: Pregnancy, Violence, and Stalking
Minor: Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Drug use, Death, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
bibliochica's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Death
taliatalksbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Ruth Ware’s The It Girl didn’t pack the same punch as some of her other novels, but I loved the way details unfolded to keep you guessing for a large majority of the book. While I feel like the end was more of an “out-of-left-field” twist than a carefully planned “hidden-in-plain-sight” twist, I still really enjoyed it. I think this book as a lot of fluffy information, but it still flows pretty quickly. This is one of few instances where I actually liked the non-linear plot line, since I think it was the perfect framing device for the story. I think this story would have been much more boring if it was told through flashbacks, but making the action present and forefront (and juxtaposing that with the older versions of the characters) was incredibly effective in the pacing and movement of this story. Overall, not my favorite Ware book, but definitely a mystery you don’t want to miss.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Grief, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Murder, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Death
becandbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
While this wasn't the most mind-boggling Ruth Ware novel, it was glorious to read her contribution to the sphere of dark academia mysteries. The It Girl takes place at Oxford, where a rich girl who bought her way into the college is roommate to the book's main character, Hannah. Hannah is a small-town girl who has worked her way to get into Oxford's English program.
While cliche, it is incredibly entertaining to dive into this popular trope of an English Oxford student dealing with the murder of her IT girl best friend and roommate. There are many players throughout the story - most of them lovable - and while readers may guess the whodunnit before the final page, the uncertainty truly sticks around until the end. This is a pretty classic mystery, with good pacing, great characters and the ever-engaging writing style of Ruth Ware.
While cliche, it is incredibly entertaining to dive into this popular trope of an English Oxford student dealing with the murder of her IT girl best friend and roommate. There are many players throughout the story - most of them lovable - and while readers may guess the whodunnit before the final page, the uncertainty truly sticks around until the end. This is a pretty classic mystery, with good pacing, great characters and the ever-engaging writing style of Ruth Ware.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Stalking, and Pregnancy
→ trigger warnings: murder, death of a friend, absent parents, recreational drug use, alcohol consumption, possible stalking, harassment, home invasion, cheating, pregnancy, incarcerationkzkoni's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Stalking
Moderate: Death and Murder