The It Girl

3.5

Oh, I do enjoy Ruth Ware books! This was no different. It's always nice to have an author one can count on as a go-to and she's one of mine.

Ugh. Yet another who-done-it for whom "it" was, I didn't see coming. Shocking-not-shocking. In my defense, the author did a nice job leading readers around the bend and back again. Or, left it plausible for us to see how it could have been him or her or her or him or or or...

Totally not the point of any of her books (with high probability), but I thoroughly enjoy all the British terms and phrases!

I listened to this book and it was a slog. In the audio performance, the main character’s voice was too quavering to listen to for long stretches. The book provided enough information to determine the who and the why and while I like being able to do that I hated having to listen to the ending.

This is my favorite Ruth Ware book. It is a creepy, dark academia thriller. Reminded me of The Secret History and Dead Poet's Society; that elite school, well monied students, dark, gothic old buildings....It is very well written, told in before and after storylines which worked really well. A group of 6 friends all meet in their first year at Pelham College, one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges of Oxford University. Hannah, shy, quiet and smart finds she has a roommate at Pelham, April, the IT girl. They seem to be quite opposite and form an unlikely friendship. By the end of year one, April is dead, and Hannah's testimony helps convict a creepy old Porter at the school of the murder. But 10 years later, Hannah is drawn back into the murder mystery when the man convicted dies in prison. Did she really remember things as they happened or was there more to it? Was her husband, Will (April's old boyfriend) involved? How have the other friends in their group moved on?

This is a very good suspenseful thriller. Lots of creepy characters (John the school porter, Dr. Myers) and enough twists to keep you guessing.

Loved this book. A great twist at the end.