#thethingswedotoourfriends
#heatherdarwent
#generalfiction
#NetGalley publishing 1/10/2023
#Ballantine
#Bantam

🥂🥂🥂/5

This book is listed as thrillers/mystery. Meh. Maybe her past is mysterious. But that's about it. And in the end, even though there are almost 2 epilogues, there still doesn't seem to be a full explanation of her past. 🤦‍♀️ I kept wishing it was going to pick up for me. I didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Things just kept happening with no apparent rhyme or reason. The only thing that had a continuity was that "Clare" seemed to be willing to do anything to keep this group of friends. Especially Tabitha. The apparent leader of this clique.

I felt like the title should have been "the things we do FOR our friends". Not TO. Clare seemed like she would do just about anything. Including go along with Tabitha's hare brained scheme to make money. But I guess it seemed to be similar to an event in her past. No, I don't believe that to be a spoiler. That is mentioned right up front when the discussion of the scheme first starts.

Just not for me. I won't be trying any other books by this author.

#RandomHousePublishingGroup
#mystery
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I wanted to like The Things We Do to Our Friends. All the elements were there, a little bit of dark academia, a mysterious past, and messy, unlikable characters, but ultimately it just didn't work for me. There were just too many threads that failed to be tied together. By saying that, it's not that I need every thread to be tied in a nice, neat bow, but it felt to me like Heather Darwent kept throwing in plot elements to see what stuck instead of following a cohesive plot. After saying all that, I am looking forward to what comes next from Heather Darwent.

2.5⭐

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent follows Clare, newly enrolled in the University of Edinburgh History of Art degree as she embarks on a new life away from Hull where she lived with her grandmother. Viewing her move to Edinburgh as an opportunity to become a new person she promptly moves into a new flat with two other students, finds a job working in a bar befriending her boss, Finn and strikes an unlikely friendship with the charismatic Tabitha and Tabitha’s group of friends (a group of people Clare privately compares with a shiver of sharks, “The Shiver” for short) whom she is drawn to, curious about and eager to fit in with.

As the story progresses we see Clare being drawn into The Shiver and groomed to participate in an ambitious venture that will push them in a direction that spells nothing but trouble. Clare, for her part, has a past that she intends to keep hidden but apparently, her new friend(s) are privy to some disturbing information which they do not fail to leverage in persuading her to join them in their project. Can Clare withstand the pressures exerted by her new “friends”? How far will Clare go to fit in? How far is too far before she breaks?

Narrated in the first person by Clare ( a complicated and unreliable narrator)who shares her experiences with Tabitha and The Shivers with snippets from her present life, we are given a window into her psyche and it is not a pleasant picture. She is by no means as unassuming or clueless as she initially projects and we see the workings of a twisted mind as she navigates through toxic (to put it mildly!) friendships and manipulation and as she shares episodes from her past, it is evident that it is only a matter of time before she shows her true colors leading to an ending that is somewhat predictable and inevitable.

The prose is elegant and the author does an impressive job in developing the main characters (each of who is unlikable in their own way) but the narrative is relatively slow-paced and somewhat disjointed, slightly repetitive and rather long-drawn. It took a while for me to engage with the characters and the story, losing interest a little after the halfway mark. I did not find the story as compelling as I had hoped. I usually enjoy character-driven stories but in this case, I did not find the character interesting enough despite her psychopathic tendencies and there really wasn’t much mystery or thrill to keep me hooked to the story. Dark and atmospheric, The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent has a lot of promise but falls short in its execution.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on January 10, 2023.

After losing her childhood friends and becoming estranged from her parents, Clare reinvents herself at college in Edinburgh. She seeks connection with a foursome of friends who entice her to join their illegal business.

I had a hard time getting into the book because of the slow pacing caused by an overload of internal thoughts. The story is told from Clare’s perspective, but it jumps backward and forward in time between her childhood, her time at college, and when she is married. The time jumps, while often brief, nevertheless served to pull me from the story even more. The number of characters felt excessive and the relationship between Clare and her coworker boyfriend could have been developed more.

I did like Clare’s character arc, the setting descriptions, and the way various artworks figured into the story. Due to the slow pace and not feeling significantly invested in the characters and the plot, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book had I not gotten an arc from NetGalley. That being said, I did appreciate the ending.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Bantam Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

Clare arrives in Edinburgh, Scotland eager for a fresh start. Banished by her family, she has had to reinvent herself from the name up. Now she is about to start college, and she has just taken a job at a bar to help pay for things, since she has no one to fall back on for money. When Clare meets Tabitha, a charismatic, beautiful, and intimidatingly rich girl from her art history class, she knows she’s destined to become friends with her and her exclusive circle: raffish Samuel, shrewd Ava, and pragmatic Imogen. Clare is immediately drawn into their libertine world of sophisticated dinner parties and summers in France. The new life she always envisioned for herself has seemingly begun. Then Tabitha reveals a little project she’s been working on, one that she needs Clare’s help with. Even though it goes against everything Clare has tried to repent for. As Clare begins to realize just how far her new friends will go, it is too late. They already have her in their web, and they play for keeps.

This exciting debut was definitely one you want to check out. It left you wondering if you even knew exactly who it was that was the hunted, and who was the hunter. It made you side-eye people that you thought you had a firm grasp on their identity, and wonder exactly how you could be so wrong about someone. I almost wanted to re-read it after I was done, knowing all of the book's secrets, and see the book from a fresh perspective. The characters in the book weren't really likeable, which is usually a big turn-off for me, but this time it worked, because the book was about them being so messed up. There are a lot of trigger warnings for you though, things like assault, sexual assault, suicide. If you lke psychological thrillers, then add this to your TBR pile.

This was a wild read for me. It was more of a thriller then novel. The main character desperately wants to fit in at school and becomes part of a strange group of people that go on to do things that make the MC uncomfortable. I found myself screaming at the pages through the book going the MC would make a different choice!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy for the purpose of this review. 4 stars from me. The writing is very good just a bit winded at times.

I did not know what to expect with this novel. What I discovered is that it is definitely not my cup of tea.
I thought the characters were unlikable, specifically Clare. I wouldn’t want any of these people as friends.
This book wasn’t for me.
The only thing I did like was the name Tabitha. I’ve always liked that name since growing up watching Bewitched.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the advance read.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

Q: How do you rate books that you would DNF if it wasn’t for the audiobook?
A: I’ll give this one a 1.5 stars, but round it up to 2 for Goodreads (when will @goodreads allow for ½ stars?)

Things We Do to Our Friends is a story about a girl who’s desperate to belong, even if the cost of entry is her deepest secret. I had so much hope for this book after the synopsis, but I just could not connect. The characters all felt immature and the story line lacked the thrill and suspense this book was billed. I was flat out bored.

2 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #randomhouse #prhaudio #ltbreaderteam

An edgy, scintillating debut novel; I feel like the book could also be called A Study in Female Psychopathy.
Clare is an outsider reinventing herself while attending college in Scotland. It seems there was a "mishap" in her youth and Clare struggles to overcome this. She meets Tabitha in her art history course and desperate to belong, she plunges headfirst into the most toxic of friendships w/ Tabitha and those surrounding her, Ava, Imogen and Samuel. All seems perfect and Clare is pleased she is adapting to her new life. Until Tabitha comes up with a little "project" that she needs Clare's help with. Even though it goes against everything Clare has tried to repent for and their intimacy begins to darken into codependence. But as Clare starts to realize just what her friends are capable of, it's already too late.
Sinister, twisty, un-put-downable.

*Special thanks to Netgalley and Bantam Press for this e-arc.*

This book sounded so good and I couldn’t wait to read it when I requested it on NetGalley.
Unfortunately, it was a big disappointment for me.
It sounded like it would be twisty and dark, but I think it was almost trying too hard and didn’t quite give us a well fleshed out story. Despite having Clare’s POV, I still feel like I don’t know her or any of the characters very well. The pacing was slow after such a shocking prologue and I kept waiting for something crazy to happen.. while the events were a little bit dark, I think I just expected more in the end.
The book was slow, which would have been fine if it explored the characters a little more. Instead I felt like we just got to the surface of the everything and everyone.
I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as I’d hoped to.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a psychological thriller of toxic friendships. This read so different than what I expected from the description. For me the problem was I didn't find anyone likeable or to care about. That puts me off right from the start and I just couldn't enjoy this one.

Clare starts at a university in Scotland determined to reinvent herself. (Red flag) Her roommates are okay but not what she was hoping for. Clare goes on to meet a group of people that appear more interesting, but they are not Clare seems to have a fairly good sense of these new friends in the way she describes their interactions and her not always what they seem.

Sad to say I couldn't get into this book at all. The first chapter was intriguing but the rest of the story wasn't for me. I quickly found myself bored and didn't care at all about what was going on and figuring out where the first chapter fit into it wasn't enough to keep me reading. I DNF'd at somewhere between 40% and 50%. I think this had potential and since this was a debut book, I would absolutely check out whatever this author writes next.

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a diabolically evil story about “friends” and the manipulation used to get what they want no matter what the cost. The pressure they put on each other, the jealousy towards each other yet the inability to care for each other and most importantly how they are able to hurt each other in the name of “friendship”. But when is enough, enough? When do they go too far? And then what happens when they begin to turn on each other.

Clare has just come out of a pretty horrible period in her life. She has left her family, not by her choice, left who she believed were her friends all due to circumstances she created. She is hoping this move to Edinburgh, Scotland to go to college will wipe her slate clean. She wants to start again, meet people like herself. Move on.

Then she meets Tabitha, the alpha of a group of college students. She sees how Tabitha is able to manipulate her group of friends, Samuel, a childhood friend, Ava, her second in command and Imogene, a hanger on. She finds herself drawn to Tabitha. And Tabitha begins to manipulate Clare, even trying to make her into her own image. Clare is thrown into this clique and enjoys not only the comradery but also the secretiveness of the group.

But when Tabitha suggests they all work together on an enterprise she has created, Clare needs to be convinced. You see, she has some secrets from them. She is very unsure she should participate for fear of repercussions. But she finally relents and becomes embroiled in this new “job”. She soon realizes that what this entails is dangerous to others but especially to her and her life. But trying to get out of Tabitha’s grasp could mean death and Tabitha will do just about anything to keep Clare in line.

What will happen if the pact these friends have made dissolves? They all know so much. Will Tabitha destroy each one of them? How can she be stopped? Can she be stopped before she destroys them all.

Heather Darwent’s story is devious, fiendish and filled with psychological trauma which makes for an incredible can’t put down read!

Thank you #NetGalley #Bantam #ThingsWeDoToOurFriends #HeatherDarwent for the advanced copy.

Look, this wasn't my favourite thing I've read, but it had me hooked. I needed to know what the climax would be, I wanted to know what was holding this group together, I needed to have that creepy prologue explained, and by the end, I needed to know exactly how unreliable the narrator was. I do think that the plot was winding itself along nicely and then gets weirdly fast in a way that's not in keeping with the rest of the novel about about 65-70% of the way through, but it's a debut. Not sure I'd say this is dark academia, but of course it is for about 40% of the book, a campus novel, so I guess it qualifies. Not sure I'll be recommending it, but I'll be talking about this debut, and will be curious to see what Darwent does next.

*Thanks NetGalley for a copy in exchange for review* This novel is due out 10 Jan 2023.*

There were some things I really enjoyed about this book, but overall it just didn't really work for me. I loved the setting, I loved the dark atmosphere. But I didn't like any of the characters, and I didn't really feel invested in what happened to anyone. It took me a while to get through and when I put it down I didn't really care about picking it back up again. I think if you really love dark academia, friends keeping secrets, and slow burn thrillers it's worth a try though!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC of this book!

I honestly couldn't tell you what the actual plot of this book was. Maybe it just wasn't for me but it was so long and drawn out, the characters are uninteresting and unlikable, and I spent the entire book waiting for a climax that never came.

This book rambled about a young woman who enters college trying to cover up her past, but finds friends who get her tangled up in their plans, thus uncovering her past.

2.5 ⭐️‘s
The first chapter in this book drew me in, but it quickly became quite slow. Clare has moved to Edinburgh in hopes of recreating herself. She quickly becomes enamored but a group of friends she’s named the shiver of sharks. She desperately wants to be in their group and hangs out on the sidelines for ever so long when finally she’s in the center of everything. When she’s invited on a vacation to France with the group it’s not just a vacation there are strings attached. Tabitha has a project in mind, one that Clare isn’t sure she wants to participate in … but Tabitha knows about Clare’s past, a past she’d do anything to keep hidden. It’s a bumpy ride that often makes no sense, filled with characters that are unbelievable as well as unlikeable. Marketed as a thriller, this book held no thrills and is very much drama filled. Not what I was expecting and one I didn’t enjoy! Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I read this one rather quickly. The synopsis sounded so good. Sadly I just wanted to get to the end to find out why they were so nice to her. It all seemed fishy from the get go. It was more interesting as I got further into it.

The Thing We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent

Published: January 10, 2023
Bantam
Pages: 335
Genre: Suspense Thrillers
KKECReads Rating: 3/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Heather Darwent was raised in Yorkshire and moved to Scotland to study at the University of Edinburgh. The Things We Do to Our Friends is her debut novel.

“This is not that story.”

Clare is excited to be going away to university. She is ready for a fresh start. New friends. And distance. When she finds a group of friends, she thinks things will be better. She expects to be happy and secure until the secrets become a topic of conversation. Secrets that should have stayed in the dark.

This was a different book. It’s more on the literary side, with some thriller elements. But overall, it wasn’t exciting.

The character development was pretty decent. I was intrigued by all of the characters, individually and together. The dynamic was well-played, and the elements came together nicely.

It took me longer than usual to finish this book, and I kept waiting for the big twist to be revealed. There were some twists along the way, but this was not a typical thriller.