Book Club Questions for The It Girl by Ruth Ware

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Book club questions for The It Girl by Ruth Ware covers all the twists and turns in this compelling murder mystery. There will be spoilers so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.

I will say this is one of the best mysteries I’ve read in years! I loved the setting at Oxford as well as the present day one too. I thought all the main characters featured brought something to the table.

Did you see that big reveal coming? I didn’t at first but it really became apparent to me as the book went on. But I still was surprised by some of the revelations. A very solid read overall!

The Synopsis

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.

“The Agatha Christie of our generation” (David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author) proves once again that she is “as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime” (The Washington Post) with this propulsive murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Book Club Questions for The It Girl

1. Why did people call April the ‘it girl’?
2. The novel is told both in the present timeline and also in the past during that year in Oxford. How did this storytelling style add to the tension? Were you more engaged with one timeline over the other?
3. What are your thoughts on Hannah as the main protagonist?
4. After April’s death, both Hannah and Will try to separate themselves as much as possible from the tragic events—even cutting off previous friendships, except for Hugh. Why did they quit talking with almost everyone from the past?
5. On a similar note, do you believe Hannah and Will are a good match? Why or why not?
6. It quickly becomes apparent that John Neville was not the killer. Who did you suspect and why?
7. Were you surprised it was Hugh or did you see it coming? Why did he kill April?
8. At one point, Hugh has Hannah convinced that Will is the killer and she even seeks his help, which of course results in our dramatic climax. The fact that Hannah briefly did think it was Will—is there more than meets the eye with Will or was this simply a misdirection from the author?
9. Through the past, we learn more about Hannah and April’s friendship. And while pretty much everyone became disgusted with April, Hannah never quite gets there. What did Hannah see in April that no one else did?
10. What are your thoughts about the ending overall? Did Hannah finally receive the closure she needs?
11. How do you feel about true-crime podcasts? Do you listen to them?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed book club questions for The It Girl! Here are some more recommendations along with links to book club questions.

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my book club questions here.

The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members’ clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.

The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.

But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group’s CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that’s before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island. 

As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.

Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

You can order the book on Amazon here. Check out my book club questions here.

Happy reading!