This book was a slow burn. It started off slow for me and i was abe to put it down and pick it up later for most of the book. It picked up in the last quarter and was enjoyable. It narrator is unreliable which i sometimes like and sometimes dont and the book did drag in parts. Overall this was a good debut novel and i would read more by this author.

I wanted to enjoy this one but felt the overall mystery, plot and characters hard to relate to. I can totally see the potential here though, I might just not be the target audience.

"But don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire" – these lyrics of The Rolling Stone's song could be a motto for "The Things We Do to Our Friends" by Heather Darwent.

Clare is a young woman who moved from Paris to become a student at the University of Edinburg. Her move was not strictly for educational purposes – she wanted to escape her dark past: an event that happened when she was younger. Although terrifying, it was explained at the time by her immaturity. Now, she seems more grown-up. She gets a job as a waitress to support herself and has a boyfriend. She also attracts the attention of an elite group of students that her boyfriend calls "The Shiver" – a pack of sharks. There is a beautiful golden Tabitha, a practical Imogen, a tall, stunning, Russian-born Ava, and a handsome, different Samuel. Clare is drawn to them and fascinated by their confidence and disregard for rules. Soon, Tabitha invents a bizarre plan, which is supposed to punish unfaithful husbands or just teach men a lesson. Attractive Clare is going to play a significant role.

"You look like witches," I said. Tabitha squealed. Of course, it was the best thing I could have said." Clare repeats it in the language of her past, French: "I said it before I could even properly think it through 'Une sorcière.'"

The book is slowly brewing - like witches' brew - and becomes darker. The initial need for friendship that Clare sought is replaced by something evil. For Clare, this is a dangerous game. She knows she's different. "For some people, when they get very close to the edge of doing something bad, they draw back. When that happens to me when I get that close, it has to happen, and there is no other option." Will she stop in time not to step over the edge? And what be the price others will pay for "playing with fire," making Clare do things she thought she would never do again?

The novel can be compared to "The Secret Story" by Donna Tartt and perhaps to "The Maidens" by Alex Michaelides, but it has its own style – simple, strong, and action based. It's an engaging read and an exciting debut. Clare changes throughout the novel: we meet her when she is young, a bit naïve, but in the end, she apparently reinvents herself as an elegant wife. Still, there is that dangerous cliff by her house which can solve eventual problems and become helpful in the future…

I really do love a book with unlikeable and unhinged characters. This book immediately drew me and held my interest. It is such a fantastic debut novel! I can not wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for sending me a advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this one definitely isn’t a feel-good book. In fact, just about everything in it will likely have you feeling quite awful.

We’ve all read books where a naïve person is taken in by a group of toxic friends – well, in this one, a toxic person is taken in by other toxic people…and it’s toxic all the way down!

The book is well written. The plot has some unexpected layers, though they’re all covered with a miasma of nasty.

This is a good book for when you’re feeling mean.

Five stars for the writing style, the plot, and the fact that the author does not hold back.

• ARC via Net Galley

What a twisted tale! Clare is off to college to change her life! She has had a troubled past and is looking forward to reinventing herself. She meets a tight group of friends and slowly is pulled in to the group. Tabitha, the self appointed leader of the group is mesmerizing Clare would do anything to bask in her glow. The group embarks on some really crazy money making schemes, honey trapping men. Things get out of hand and Clare is left traumatized and wrestling with the need to leave the group. Moody and atmospheric, Edinburg is the perfect setting for this story. Well written, but it did drag on some. Short chapters helped to keep it moving and keep me engaged. A great debut novel!

I wanted so much to love this one. So many things were right up my alley. University setting, disturbing/obsessive friendship, secrets, twists....... Possibly if it was a little shorter. I felt this was slow, although the writing was very good, I found myself putting it down fairly often. I also had so many questions about Clare that I don't think were answered and I just had to wonder. I did end up enjoying this, but it took awhile. I would give this author another try.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Heather Darwent and Random House-Ballentine for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I give this book credit for one of the strangest and most intriguing opening scenes I have ever read. However, the rest of the book fell a bit flat for me. I have read this trope a few times: girl obsessed with it girl, school, going too far.

This novel is a dark and moody story that centers around the narrator, Clare. Clare is lonely when she starts school in Edinburgh and soon finds herself infatuated with a group of friends she meets. She is particularly fond or more like intoxicated with Tabitha who calls all the shots for the group. She so badly wants to fit in that she'll do most anything. As the friends start allowing Clare into their circle and she is spending more time at their beautiful flat, Tabitha mentions she has a "project" for them all to make money and they need Clare's help. As the story moves forward, we also find out a lot more about Clare as well. I won't give anything away here, but there are plenty of twists and turns. The Things We Do to Our Friends is definitely not a fast moving story. It's a slower moving and descriptive read, so if you are looking for a quick thriller, this is not that. It is however very well plotted, beautifully written and while you kind of hate the characters, you also want to keep reading to find out what happens next. It was a great balance for me and I'm excited for others to read it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an early copy. This is my unbiased review.

Pub Date: January 10, 2023
Pages: 336

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel has diabolical characters and a storyline full of unexpected twists. The ending was completely shocking.

🌷 Debut Novel

🌼 A Pig Skin Suit

🏵️ Strong Female Representation

🌻 Juicy Backstories

🌸 Nefarious Business Plans

🌺 Character Development To Die For

🌷 Reminiscent Of "Jawbreaker"

🌼 Revenge, Blackmail, And A Different Type Of Justice

🏵️ Page Turner

🌻 More Twists Than Twister

I loved this book so much! The setting, the characters, the entire concept, all of it! I can't say much more, as every single morsel of this book hemorrhages secrets!

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. I could not get into this book because it went on and on…although the characters do come alive on the pages, it took forever to get to the end…the main character is a mystery…what did she do? What will she do? This author is talented in characterization…just needs to write with fewer words…

I liked this, but I have mixed feelings about it. I think the premise was exciting and obviously well-thought-out as were the characters. The setting was significantly fleshed out and Darwent did an excellent job of bringing in that gothic horror feel that I crave from books like this. I think the book was far too long. Everything was dragged out to a point where the last TWENTY chapters were a trudge. I also wish Darwent hadn't shied away from gruesome, gory details - every part of the book that I showed up for, things like murder, mystery, and a little gore, was too vague. We were left to fill in the blanks far too often. Especially with the ending, I felt unsatisfied, and honestly just wished that she'd made it shorter.

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a slow burning, page turning, suspense filled novel that is unputdownable. It’s like a car that won’t start, but once it gets going, you can’t stop it. It takes on a life of its own and you are not about to be left behind. This book is scandalous, dark at times and oh so twisty.

Clare needs to reinvent herself and moves to Edinburgh to start a new life. She meets a group of friends and just knows that she’ll fit right in with them. What she doesn’t know is that she’ll have a lot more reinventing than she anticipated. She has secrets, they have secrets, and you’ll be caught up in their web, unable to find your way out until the very end.

This book is absolutely a five-star read and y’all need to read it. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest review.

A story of heading off to college and trying to fit in with the 'popular' crowd, and the things that can go wrong. The book had promise and was well written, but unfortunately I found it so tedious and such a slog to get through that I kept having to put it down. For the longest time I couldn't tell what the book was supposed to be about. Since we know nothing of Clare's background or the things she's done, it's really difficult to root for her or really even care. The story picks up a little about 1/3 of the way through, but then tailed off again, then picked up about 3/4 of the way through. Not my type of book, but perhaps others will be a fan.

Everyone who goes away to begin college or university can relate to the feelings of wanting to fit in and "find your tribe." Clare is no different. She heads to Edinburgh to begin her studies not knowing anyone in the city. Clare's background is also rather murky with something having happened in her past that caused her parents to disown her. She has two roommates, but she doesn't really feel any close connection with either of them. In one of her classes, she becomes intrigued by a striking girl, Tabitha, and is soon thrilled to be befriended by her and her group of friends. Ava and Imogen live in Tabitha's house, and her old friend Samuel is also around frequently. They all seem rather wealthy and Clare can't imagine at first why they want her to join their circle. When Tabitha invites her to France with the rest of the group, Clare is excited but also wary -- especially when she's told there is a "project" the group wants to propose to her.

The book moved at a glacial pace while Clare was taken into the circle of friends. Chapter after chapter of her wondering what every glance or phrase meant or didn't mean. It was very tedious. Things picked up about 1/3 of the way through the book when the group's interest in Clare was finally revealed. It took way too long for anything to be explained, and the events played out in such a drawn-out fashion that there was no tension. It's one of those books where you really don't like anyone, so there's no real investment in how any of them end up.

I thought this book had a ton of potential and an interesting premise, but very poor execution. It seemed to wander off in random directions at times and the plot was very clunky. Threads were started and then abandoned, which is super frustrating as a reader. I finished it but I question why, as the big twist was real meh.
I would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC!

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

Disclaimer: I received a gifted copy of this book via Netgalley and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Girl 𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏
What did I just read??
This is definitely an unreliable narrator story through and through, and the author drops some bread crumbs, but not so many that it's obvious from the get-go. It isn't just her friends that are crazy -- she is not who she seems to be.

How far would you go to fit in? Socially awkward Clare has a troubled past and is looking to make a fresh start on her own. She's starting university in Edinburgh and is instantly drawn to a group of highbrow fellow classmates that she encounters at a bar she works at to make ends meet.

What ensues in a psychological slowburn, rife with diabolical characters and deep wounds that will linger long after the book is finished.