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A review by tessa_talks_books
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
4.0
What's it about (in a nutshell):
The It Girl by Ruth Ware is a compelling story about a campus It Girl and her murder ten years ago. After the man imprisoned for her murder dies of natural causes in jail, doubt is cast about his guilt. Her college roommate and best friend, Hannah, feels like she must figure out who did it once and for all.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
My initial expectations are based mainly on the reputation of this author's works. I've never had an opportunity to read a book by Ruth Ware, and I've very much wanted to do so. I like the cover, but it doesn't seem to give much away about the story. It reminds me of how things look when seen from a moving car. The blurb mentions Oxford, which is always a great setting for me. The murder is an old case from the main character's college years, which intrigues me, as does the deceased's personality. It's always the outgoing, vivacious ones that get murdered, isn't it? I'm expecting an exciting mystery about the murder of a popular girl from all of this.
Actual Reading Experience:
The aspect of this novel that I absolutely loved the most is the locked room mystery. I adore a good, locked-room mystery, and this one is excellent. I never suspected the person until right before the reveal, and the reason was the last thing I would have ever guessed. I enjoyed that the murderer didn't reveal the why too. It seems small, but it frequently happens, so when the murderer refuses to divulge why I wanted to applaud. Let's face it, we all think that would never happen in real life – only in Scooby-Doo and Agatha Christie novels. Of course, someone who knew more about the murder's secrets reveals the reason, so the reader gets the satisfaction of the story coming together at the end.
The fact that the book is a slow burn and over 400 pages was a mixed bag for me. As a rule, slow burns are not my favorite. This one, however, is told in a dual timeline. I enjoyed the story from the past, so I easily remained focused during those chapters. The present timeline wasn't nearly as compelling for me. As it dragged on, I did find my attention span wandering as it often does during slow-burn stories. I would have loved that specific part of the story to be streamlined by about 50-100 pages. But that's just me. As I often mention, I have the attention span of a gnat, so it's much harder for a story to hold my attention than it is for it to not.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you love slow burn or locked room mysteries, The It Girl is just the mystery you are looking for.
The It Girl by Ruth Ware is a compelling story about a campus It Girl and her murder ten years ago. After the man imprisoned for her murder dies of natural causes in jail, doubt is cast about his guilt. Her college roommate and best friend, Hannah, feels like she must figure out who did it once and for all.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
My initial expectations are based mainly on the reputation of this author's works. I've never had an opportunity to read a book by Ruth Ware, and I've very much wanted to do so. I like the cover, but it doesn't seem to give much away about the story. It reminds me of how things look when seen from a moving car. The blurb mentions Oxford, which is always a great setting for me. The murder is an old case from the main character's college years, which intrigues me, as does the deceased's personality. It's always the outgoing, vivacious ones that get murdered, isn't it? I'm expecting an exciting mystery about the murder of a popular girl from all of this.
Actual Reading Experience:
The aspect of this novel that I absolutely loved the most is the locked room mystery. I adore a good, locked-room mystery, and this one is excellent. I never suspected the person until right before the reveal, and the reason was the last thing I would have ever guessed. I enjoyed that the murderer didn't reveal the why too. It seems small, but it frequently happens, so when the murderer refuses to divulge why I wanted to applaud. Let's face it, we all think that would never happen in real life – only in Scooby-Doo and Agatha Christie novels. Of course, someone who knew more about the murder's secrets reveals the reason, so the reader gets the satisfaction of the story coming together at the end.
The fact that the book is a slow burn and over 400 pages was a mixed bag for me. As a rule, slow burns are not my favorite. This one, however, is told in a dual timeline. I enjoyed the story from the past, so I easily remained focused during those chapters. The present timeline wasn't nearly as compelling for me. As it dragged on, I did find my attention span wandering as it often does during slow-burn stories. I would have loved that specific part of the story to be streamlined by about 50-100 pages. But that's just me. As I often mention, I have the attention span of a gnat, so it's much harder for a story to hold my attention than it is for it to not.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you love slow burn or locked room mysteries, The It Girl is just the mystery you are looking for.