Books › The It Girl
The It Girl
480 pages
A claustrophobic dive into the dark, lingering shadows of a toxic college friendship and the deadly secrets left behind.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like walking through a beautiful, ivy-covered courtyard while constantly looking over your shoulder. It masterfully balances the golden-hued nostalgia of college days with a creeping, dread-soaked present, creating an atmosphere that is both seductive and deeply claustrophobic. The dual timelines weave together seamlessly, pulling you into an insular world of privilege, jealousy, and toxic devotion. As the protagonist's certainty unravels, so does the reader's, trapping you in a labyrinth of unreliable memories and shifting allegiances. The prose is sharp and atmospheric, building a steady, anxious momentum that makes it impossible to look away. It is a perfect, chilling escape for anyone who loves untangling the messy, destructive bonds of a tight-knit friend group.
- Mood
- claustrophobic
- dread-soaked
- autumnal
- shadowy
- Tone
- anxious
- nostalgic
- suspicious
- reflective
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- toxic friendships · unreliable memory · class anxiety · guilt and obsession · loss of youth
- The writing
- Accessible yet deeply atmospheric, the writing relies on sharp observations of privilege and a creeping, psychological tension.
- The arc
- The journey shifts from a wistful, uneasy nostalgia into a suffocating spiral of paranoia before culminating in a breathless, shattering revelation.
- Who it's for
- Readers who devour dark academia and psychological thrillers centered on the messy, destructive dynamics of insular friend groups.
Content notes
- murder
- pregnancy anxieties
- gaslighting
- alcohol consumption
About the book
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide... including a murder.
Description from Open Library.
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