A review by savvyrosereads
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Out now! [Thank you Tandem Collective Global and the publisher for my gifted copy!]
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Hannah has spent the past ten years rebuilding her life after her college roommate, April Clarke-Cliveden, was murdered in their first year at Oxford. But when the man convicted of killing April dies in prison, Hannah is unwillingly pulled back into an investigation she thought was concluded long ago.
I ADORE anything with an academia vibe, so I had a feeling The It Girl would be right up my alley—and I was right. I was so engaged with the setting and the dual timelines, and really liked the characters as well (somewhat rare as I often find myself annoyed by all of them in this type of thriller). I haven’t read a thriller in a while where I found myself so eager to get to the end just to find out who did it, so this was a refreshingly fun read for me!
That said, I do think the book was a tiny bit long, and something of a slow burn for the first half. I didn’t mind that too much as I liked getting to know the characters well, but in a perfect world it might have been streamlined a little more. I also have a couple burning open questions—but such is life. In a nutshell, if you like academic thrillers, read this one right away!
Recommended for anyone, but especially if you like: dark academia; In My Dreams I Hold a Knife; British thrillers.
CW: Death/murder; pregnancy; stroke/disability; alcohol/drug use.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Hannah has spent the past ten years rebuilding her life after her college roommate, April Clarke-Cliveden, was murdered in their first year at Oxford. But when the man convicted of killing April dies in prison, Hannah is unwillingly pulled back into an investigation she thought was concluded long ago.
I ADORE anything with an academia vibe, so I had a feeling The It Girl would be right up my alley—and I was right. I was so engaged with the setting and the dual timelines, and really liked the characters as well (somewhat rare as I often find myself annoyed by all of them in this type of thriller). I haven’t read a thriller in a while where I found myself so eager to get to the end just to find out who did it, so this was a refreshingly fun read for me!
That said, I do think the book was a tiny bit long, and something of a slow burn for the first half. I didn’t mind that too much as I liked getting to know the characters well, but in a perfect world it might have been streamlined a little more. I also have a couple burning open questions—but such is life. In a nutshell, if you like academic thrillers, read this one right away!
Recommended for anyone, but especially if you like: dark academia; In My Dreams I Hold a Knife; British thrillers.
CW: Death/murder; pregnancy; stroke/disability; alcohol/drug use.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying