Having visited Edinburgh in 2021, I am always drawn to books set there. I also love love a dark academia vibe and I am forever chasing the high of The Secret History. First, what worked for me: the atmosphere was so moody, dark, gothic, absolutely vibrating with that moodiness. However, the characters themselves? Unfortunately, I didn't find them that interesting or really get why our MC wanted to be in this friend group. And even though it's supposed to be a psychological thriller, I wasn't that captivated. Probably just a case of debut novel but it felt a little long and dull, and I kind of am mad at myself for finishing it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for an advance copy in exchange for and honest review.

This book was not easy to get into. I’ve started realizing that the university setting just isn’t enjoyable to me anymore. I don’t think the story held up very well throughout and it just wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be.

Thank you Netgalley. & Bantam for an eARC of The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent!

This one was different from my typical reads - If you love a character-driven novel, this will stick with you. I love plots that circle around students and dark academia - This one follows a clique in Scotland (Great setting), strong writing - and MC Clare. She meets Tabitha, seemingly perfect, and instantly wants to become her friend. Just how far will this circle of friends go to get what they want?

Less thriller but not a lack of suspense - Enjoyed the story but wanted a bit more "action"!

The Epilogue is based in France where we discover is how the story ends and we have to read Clare's account of the events which leads to the disturbing scene of girls dancing and force feeding some guy until he chokes and has convulsions. So, it starts on a dark note preparing you for a twisted tale of unreliable characters with secrets and devious minds.

Clare was sent to live with her grandmother by her parents before she eventually moves on to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her plan is to reinvent herself including her dark past. She wants nothing more than to blend in with the college experience studying art history. She needs to make money and finds a job at bar where she befriends her boss, Finn. It seems fortuitous that Clare should encounter a group of obvious "popular" wealthy students while working at the bar. She recognizes Tabitha from her art history class and is delighted when she is welcomed to spend time with her friends Samuel, Ava and Imogen. Eventually, what felt like a privilege being accepted into the group, it doesn't come without a cost as she discovers her initiation has a connection to the sordid past she thought she buried. The story is filled with suspense and foreboding as you wait for the story to unfold revealing sinister obsessions and alluring toxic characters.

Unfortunately, this story resonated as a familiar story for me which held my interest but felt like the characters needed more dimension. I'm rounding my review up to help balance the many 3 star reviews as it has potential.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Random House for providing access to this digital review copy. This review contains my personal, honest and unbiased opinions.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I tried so hard to get through this story. It was so slow and I really spent a lot of time trying to just move forward, but I ultimately gave up about half-way through. I didn’t like or care about any of the characters and I just didn’t find the story interesting enough to push through. I know there are readers who will love the plot and think it is fascinating, but this one was just not for me.

A combination of really good writing with a plot that too disturbing for me. The disturbing part started in the opening chapter, but I held on because I was grabbed by the academic setting in Scotland - all of which engaged me until about the 40% mark where the plot got really weird. The usual trope - a plain girl goes to college to reinvent herself and is enveloped into a friend circle with a charismatic leader - but the story is not what it seems. I read until the end - I wanted to see what happened and really liked the writing style - but the story was ultimately not for me.

Heather Darwent's “The Things We Do To Our Friends” proved to be a difficult reading experience that fell significantly short of expectations. Despite the atmospheric backdrop of Edinburgh's labyrinthine alleyways and buried history, the narrative failed to engage me, leaving me with a mere gist of the storyline.

As I trudged through the pages, it became apparent that the characters, especially the charismatic Tabitha, failed to evoke any genuine interest or connection. The plot, centered around dark secrets and toxic relationships, lacked the depth needed to captivate my attention. Frankly, I found myself finishing the book solely out of obligation after agreeing to review it.

This literary journey turned out to be a unique disappointment, marking the first time I've ever harbored such strong disdain for a book. The writing failed to resonate with me, and the overall experience left me questioning why I invested time in a narrative that struggled to hold my attention. Penning this review becomes an unfortunate task for a book that, in my opinion, failed to live up to its potential and left me with an overwhelming sense of regret, earning it one star.

Where is the plot?! The writing was beautiful and the atmosphere was very present as a result...but what was the actual plot. I know this was likely meant to be character driven vs plot driven as a result but the characters needed more depth for this to work!

The novel delves into the complexities of human relationships, particularly the bond between friends, and sheds light on the darker aspects that can emerge within these connections. Darwent skillfully navigates the intricacies of trust, loyalty, and the fragile nature of friendship, weaving a captivating narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

I got 20% of the way through this and was bored to death. I DNF unfortunately. The story was taking a very long time explaining the relationship between the group and while I could see the author was trying to set the scene, it felt so much like we were being told rather than shown.

Dark, twisty, & creepy but not in the way that makes a good suspense novel. Clearly, this one wasn’t for me as I didn’t like any of the characters and was not invested at all. So wishing I just would’ve moved it to the DNF pile

DNF @ 70%

I tried to keep going with this one but I couldn’t. Maybe it’s me!

I love an unhinged, unreliable MC, but I could not connect with Clare and everything felt a bit underwhelming.

I love a dark academia story, so I was captivated by The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent. This is one for lovers of the genre and fans of books like The Secret History.

Darwent weaves a fascinating tale of ambition and power and the costs associated in this one.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Clare looks to reinvent herself at university. She makes some friends, but they are not exactly good people. Clare’s not a good person either though.

The Things We Do to Our Friends has toxic friendships, entitlement, and manipulation. The story is told from Clare’s point of view, and she’s a bit of an unreliable narrator. The characters are unlikable. The setting is atmospheric.

Slow-burning and dark mystery. An entertaining debut novel.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a solid novel, the cover is stunning, and the writing was good. Thank you for the early copy!

Ugh, I loveee dark academia, but this one just didn’t do it for me for some reason. That cover though, amazing.

This was not the story I thought it would be when I requested or started it. However that is not a bad thing. I enjoyed reading it and it kept my attention well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent.

I just love books about young people in college, especially if it involves a "cool" group and an outsider who somehow manages to join! Because of this, I couldn't help but request this book, and I was absolutely not disappointed. Bad decisions, backstabbing and questions are aplenty as this story weaves on. Highly recommend to anyone who loves well written characters and a little bit of darkness.