Unfortunately, for me to classify a novel as a "thriller" I need an element driving me to keep turning the pages, and this one fell flat there. I thought author Heather Darwent did a good job of creating an atmosphere, but for me, the characters fell flat.
While this is a personal pet peeve, I really dislike a story where everyone except the reader knows a big secret. I believe knowing more about Clare's "incident" and background by around 25-30% of the book would have made her more relatable/interesting.
While the story definitely picks up at the end, there is a long drag to get there.

**Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House-Ballantine, and Heather Darwent for an ARC of this book!**

“If you choose bad companions, no one will believe that you are anything but bad yourself.” ― Aesop

Most students head to university to come into their own as adults, to find new meaning in their lives, to broaden their horizons, and to leave their childhoods behind...but none with such laser-focused intent as Clare. Heading to dark and brooding Edinburgh to attend the aptly named University of Edinburgh, she is a on a mission: to leave her secrets behind and integrate herself into student life posthaste...and of course, finding herself amidst a group of the wealthy and popular wouldn't hurt either. She finds her targets in Ava, Samuel, Imogen, and ringleader Tabitha, when the group captivates her at a bar one night.

When they gravitate towards Clare in return and invite her to join their "shiver of sharks" (this is how Clare refers to them in her mind, anyway) she can't believe her luck. After a few weeks as part of the 'cool kids club', however, she gets invited to participate in a scheme with Tabitha at the helm and her fellow sharks all too willing to acquiesce. Though their games seem harmless to start, Clare soon learns that their status comes with a price and their devious plans have only just begun. Will Clare become hooked on the adrenaline and excitement this new life brings and succumb to the 'bad deeds'? And is a certain member of their little group privy to information from Clare's past...the same information she's been so desperate to hide? Will Clare stop at nothing to keep her past IN the past?

I was so hopeful going into this book that it would give me the dark academia thrills I've been missing in the past months, probably ever since I finished the fabulous For Your Own Good. However, this debut read as though the author put ALL her energy into trying to create atmosphere and scenes rather than focusing on creating an actual PLOT. I'm all for bizarre, when it's appropriate. But when I have to question HOW and WHY this plot would even work over and over again...that to me says that the author didn't really think it through in any practical sense of the term.

First off, Clare is so DESPERATE to keep her secret past safe...and yet she is simultaneously desperate to throw herself in the middle of a new friend group she knows almost nothing about, EVEN THOUGH her spidey sense is tingling from the get-go. Forgive me but...this doesn't make sense. There are arbitrary throwaway characters, like Clare's boyfriend, who sort of flit in and out of the narrative but could easily not exist. The whole group of these 'sharks' is frankly unlikable and really not that interesting. They all are sort of boring, stuck-up children which I guess was sort of the point...but didn't make them any more fun to read.

And though this book is supposedly a dark academia read...SCHOOL IS HARDLY MENTIONED. This drove me crazy. All of these students are in college together, yet they are rarely ever there, and other than some discussion of the art they are studying...that's about all you're going to get to remind you they think about anything other than power and their schemes. With the type of lifestyle these friends are leading, this honestly could have been a bunch of twenty-something roommates sharing an apartment and it wouldn't have made a difference. Not sure why this bothered me so much, but in some respects I think it just made all the events taking place even more unrealistic.

There are also spots of clunky and odd word choices: "I heard him stretch my name like he was chewing the the vowels up, like they all did---Clareeeeee." (Yes, there are that many 'e's.) For most of the book, it felt like the author caught very caught up writing scenes and sentences rather than a plot that took me from A to B. Sure, we finally get the 'big reveals' towards the end, but they are just a bit out there. There is also a very disgusting scene involving someone climbing inside a pig carcass. I'd really rather not think about it again, but you've been warned. Again, some of this weirdness would have played better if it was presented in a more believable or cohesive way, but I was so checked out by Part 3 (I think, the book was split up sort of arbitrarily) that it honestly didn't matter. To cap everything off, there's one of THOSE epilogues...

Though this is a debut novel and there's certainly a possibility I would enjoy another book from Darwent down the line, this book reminded me of a Sum 41 album title. But rather than "All Killer, No Filler" I'd probably call this one "All Filler, No Thriller."

2.5 stars, rounded up to 3

An odd book of toxic friendships. I was never quite sure where it was going. I liked the idea of reinventing yourself but some of the choices she made were puzzling and not fully examined. I guess the author wanted to move the plot along so it would be more of a "thriller" but I would have liked a little more character depth. Why is Tabitha so alluring? I'm not sure. I did like the backdrop of Edinburgh.

Clare is new to Edinburgh. She is lonely and feeling a bit sad. She hopes she makes some new friends soon. Before too long she has a job at a bar and has enrolled in the university. One evening, she observes a group of college students. They look fun, charismatic, and mesmerizing. She wonders what it would be like to have them for friends. Their leader is a beautiful, mysterious woman who draws the others toward her like moths to a flame. She is beguiling and Clare can’t believe her luck when this woman takes an interest in her.
Tabitha quickly takes Clare under her wing and introduces her to the others in her group, Samuel, Eva, and Imogen. At first the others are not sure about her but as time passes, they all grow close with Tabitha at their center. Tabitha is generous with her time and with gifts. They would all do anything for her. The next time they are all together, Tabitha announces a business proposal. Each person will have a role. The idea is scary and titillating at the same time. What could possibly go wrong?

This was a very twisted novel – I loved it! The characters were all dark and needy and selfish. The toxicity of the friendships made me think of sharks circling a tiring swimmer. Nobody leads the frenzy – they are all out for blood. The negativity of the characters reminds me of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl – all of these people are despicable and I would never want to meet them in a dark alley. This book is intoxicating and you won’t be able to put it down.

The setting of this book is perfect for an air of intrigue: Edinburgh, Scotland, a rambling university with meandering hallways, cold stone construction, and views inhibited by fog most of the time. Clare felt like it would be the perfect place to reinvent herself, keeping her past a dark secret.
But for an enterprising group of friends, nothing is unknown. As they go out of their way to befriend Clare, they slowly reveal to her that secrets aren’t possible. They use their sleuthing to attack philandering men, and their methods become more and more violent with each assignment.
Fast-paced, but a little “untied” in the logic process, I enjoyed this book and would love to see more from this promising author. A 3.5 rounded up to 4.
I sincerely thank Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is January 10, 2023.

2.5 stars, rounding up. Clare arrives in Edinburgh to start university, quickly falling in with a toxic friend group that she dubs "The Shiver." At first, they partake in normal young adult shenanigans, but their nefarious business ideas quickly start to spiral into dangerous waters and Clare begins to feel trapped. Her friends won't let her walk away without a fight, however, and she'll have to play their game to get herself out unscathed.

This book was super flat for me. I don't know if it's the case here, but I've seen a handful of authors lately using "my main character is a psychopath" as an excuse to make their MC completely unlikeable, unrelatable, and possessed of zero character depth. It's bothersome to me to spend multiple hours with a character I feel nothing for — neither like nor dislike, just apathy. That's how I felt about Clare and the rest of the characters in this story. There was no twist or reveal that added anything to the story here either, so that was disappointing.

I think younger readers may find this story more enjoyable, as I am well past university age in my mid-thirties. The writing itself has no flaws, though I found the pace to be excruciatingly slow in some places. The cover is stunning, obviously, but it's not enough to redeem the narrative itself in my eyes.

Nonetheless, thank you to Heather Darwent, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Loved the cover art and the short preview of the book. Sadly I just couldn't get into it after that. I pushed myself to get at least 20% into the book, but there wasn't the hook that kept me. The "what happened and how did it happen" never came, or at least not quick enough.

This book has the makings of a contemporary Secret History, but from an all female perspective. Were it not so slow-paced, I would have enjoyed this a bit more.
Even still, the larger problem that I had was that I couldn’t find a single character worth rooting for.
I think this book has an audience, but it isn’t me.
I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy and hope it finds the right reader.

Arriving at college in Scotland as a new student, quiet Clare is eager to start over. Clare is prepared for a quiet life as a student. Then, in one of her classes, she meets Tabitha, who is charming, beautiful, and clearly popular. Clare is drawn to her, and slowly feels herself brought into the world of Tabitha and her glamorous friends. Clare never feels fully on the inside of the group, until a trip to France when Tabitha reveals she is working on a project -- and sees Clare as a key part of the project being a success. Against her better judgment, Clare agrees to participate and soon finds Tabitha and the other members of the group are quite a bit more complex than they appeared -- and that they are all hiding secrets that may prove dangerous ... and not just for their friendships.

This is a strong thriller. At the center of the novel, Clare is completely intriguing -- both as a view into Tabitha and her friends' mysterious world and mysterious in her own right. This book will keep you engaged through the very last page.

Highly recommended!

This is an interesting debut thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The story focuses on Clare, who is studying art history at university in Edinburgh, and two women (Tabitha and Imogen) from her lecture hall who eventually let Clare into their small circle of friends. Not only does Clare have secrets she would like to keep hidden, but Tabitha and Imogen may have even more. None of the characters are particularly likable, and the storyline moves along at a very slow pace, but the excellent writing style and the surprise the reader gets from some of the twists that occur along the way make this a pretty good read. I look forward to the author’s next endeavor!

I was completely drawn in by this beautiful cover. Wow, what a ride this one was. The novel follows the story of Clare, an MC with a mysterious past who is looking for a fresh start at university in Edinburgh. She gets a job at a local cocktail bar and eventually meets Tabitha, an alluring woman from Clare's classes who takes Clare under her wing.

Tabitha, Clare, and their friends embark on a new...we'll say...project...and Clare is forced to face her past and wonder if these new friends really have her best interest.

This one fell a bit flat for me, the ending really didn't have the buildup I hoped it would have, and I thought there was opportunity for a more action-packed plot. The characters were well-written and alluring, and I liked the Mean Girls vibe of the clique of friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Things We Do to Our Friends.

This was a miss for me, but that's on me.

I'm not a fan of narratives featuring a clique and the outcast who wants to fit in.

I've read quite a few of those books this year and the year isn't over yet.

Also, this is the fifth or seventh book I've read set in Scotland so either Edinburgh is the trendy location for genre novels or I'm purposely selecting these types of books to read because I miss Edinburgh (it is a cool city).

Clare is a socially awkward and desperately lonely college student desperate to fit in. Hiding from a tragic past and forgotten by her parents, she quickly falls in with the 'in' crowd headed by Tabitha, a charismatic, privileged young woman.

Nothing much happens in the first 90% of the novel; unless you enjoy reading about a group of privileged, entitled white kids boozing, clubbing and eating rich food, you'll enjoy this.

Naturally, these decide to turn their antics into a money making scheme because capitalism rules and brats drool.

Stuff happens, nothing earth shattering, no suspense, no urgency.

I called each and every 'twist' and revelation before they happened so nothing surprised me.

This isn't a mystery so much as a character study of Clare. Is she awkward or a psychopath just waiting for the right moment to strike?

You decide.

Personally, I didn't care for Clare, or any of her silly, one dimensional friends.

No one was likable, and I'm all for unlikable characters. A well crafted unlikable character has interesting qualities like cunning, devious charm, or a Machiavellian personality.

Everyone here was forgettable and unmemorable. I was SOO bored.

The writing was good and I did enjoy the backdrop of old timey Edinburgh, the Highlands, and its old world charm.

I miss Edinburgh. I hope to go back and visit again.

I found this book well written, intriguing, and it kept me thinking. Of course, taking place in Edinburgh is an automatic plus for me! :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the chance to read this book!

I went into this book kind of blind. I mainly picked it up as I spent November reading dark academia stories. The premise intrigued me and I wanted to love this book but it fell flat for me. The storyline was interesting enough though since I finished it and wanted to know how the story ended. The main thing that bothered me was that it seemed like a lot of events happened off page and we only received short summaries to fill in the blanks. The characters and the events existed in a very surface level way so I didn't quite become as immersed as I wanted to.

Unlike some of the other reviewers, I had no expectations about this book. The recap sounded good, I sometimes can really get into a good suspense novel, and learning about
Scotland was the cherry on the ice cream, and that is why I decided to ask for an ARC of it.

I am thinking that my age is what made me dislike these characters and the premiss so much. Why this wasn't advertised as Young Adult (18-35 years old) is beyond me because that is exactly the age of its main characters. I liked none of them, I felt nothing for all of them, and I couldn't care less about what happened to each of them. Clare and Tabitha seem to have some serious psychological problems that I just didn't feel comfortable with.


No, I did not finish this book -I'm afraid that my review might be a bit scathing had I read more of this book.

I love dark academia. I wanted to love this book, but I didn’t. I did love the Edinburgh setting and all of that worked so visually well for me. I also felt a kinship with Clare. But it just felt like nothing was happening and things were dragging. I didn’t feel this was a thriller, but rather a heavy drama. 3 stars.

The Things We Do to Our Friends was a dark, moody and extremely atmospheric novel set in Scotland. I loved the setting, the vibe and the eerie mood that Darwent set up for us. Unfortunately it sort of fell flat for me after that. I just never connected with the story or the characters. the writing was superb, I just think the story missed it for me.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a twisted story of toxic friendships, unlikeable characters, and an unreliable narrator filled with tons of teenaged angst.

Clare has started studying art history at a university in Scotland. A rather unsophisticated young woman, she decides to reinvent herself by becoming more calm, shouting less, not being so intrusive, improving her accent, etc. The book does an extraordinary job of showing Clare’s insecurities. She knows enough to not rush into friendships but is drawn toward a group of rich golden people: Tabitha, Imogene, Ava, and Samuel. The three girls live together in a fancy flat while Clare shares a dumpy flat with girls she doesn’t particularly like. Eventually “The Shiver”—as Clare calls the golden group—notices her and pulls her into their clutches. Tabitha is the sun around which the others rotate. The Shiver gets involved in Tabitha’s “project,” or le projet as she calls it in her poor French, which involves rather sinister activities in lieu of the party-hearty stuff college kids are known for.

Clare’s story is revealed slowly in flashbacks interspersed with the workings of the project and these gradually unfolding details reveal Clare to be an unreliable narrator scarred with psychological baggage from her family and from events that happened in her early teens. Edinburgh is described well with atmospheric details of the various nooks and crannies of the old city versus the new.

For young Clare, the opportunity to study at University of Edinburgh means a chance to reinvent herself. Looking to leave the shadows of an unruly past behind her, she quickly finds herself unmoved by the mystique of Scotland and longing for excitement to find its way back to her.

Enter Tabitha and her group loyal confidantes. What begins as an intriguing friendship soon proves to be much more than Clare bargained for, as their lives become intertwined in dark and devious ways.

"The Things We Do to Our Friends" tried nobly to establish itself amongst the ranks of timeless, dark academia novels. Unfortunately, it fell completely flat for me, due mostly in part to its one-dimensional character development. Despite Clare, Tabitha, and the rest of our cast of characters having the bones of what makes for a great dark academia story (morally-ambiguous, complex personal histories, a yearning for beauty & the finer things), they ultimately felt shallow and overly-simplistic; I simply couldn't connect to any of them.

As for the story itself, I'd be remiss not to say that Darwent's writing is beautiful. That alone brought the story to 3 stars for me, as it's descriptive and very atmospheric in parts. Overall though, the story felt clunky and was too much of a slow burn with minimal payoff. For someone that's read lots of dark academia and loved most of it, the plot's originality paled in comparison to what's currently out there--I'd encourage readers to skip this one.

Interesting read about toxic young adult female friendships. Heading to college and finding their way to be in a popular club. There were slow parts but picks up quickly.