THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS
BY: HEATHER DARWENT

This phenomenal thriller was offered to me to read by the Publisher and at first I was skeptical whether or not I would like it, so it took me a few days to decide. I am so grateful that curiosity got the better of me and I decided to read it. It is Heather Darwent's debut novel and if ever before I have read a Fantastic thriller this year this one definitely is it. It gives me chills just thinking of it as I type my review for the second time. I don't know what happened, but I was all done typing this up the first time and when I clicked on the post, I lost the whole entire review and it redirected me to another page unrelated to this. It also erased everything that I wrote while my thoughts were fresh. I didn't mention this the first time, but I think that the Title is perfect for this with a very nice cover. I hope that the Publisher decides to keep both of them.

Seriously, this was so FANTASTIC I cannot believe that the talented Heather Darwent who wrote this is a debut novel. The writing is beautiful and this atmospheric novel takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is the type of thriller that is so fresh and unique, that I guarantee you that you have not read a story like it before. I LOVED IT! It is UNFORGETTABLE, also!

Clare has grown up in France where she along with two former girlfriends' has just committed an unspeakable act. It is at the University in Edinburgh where Clare thinks she can get a fresh new start and is trying to reinvent herself. I didn't like Clare at first because she seems sort of fake by trying to say just the right thing in order to be accepted by her new cliche of friends' instead of just being herself. Then she sort of grew on me and I liked her until the explosive finale.

Both of her parents don't want anything to do with her and before the semester starts she is living with her grandmother--her father's mother. Clare needs to work and she takes a job in a bar where she meets her friends' who she hopes to make a good impression on. Does Clare choose them or do they choose her?

Are psychopaths' born that way or is it from terrible neglect or abuse or a combination of all that I ask? Her parents used to lock her in her bedroom, which seems cruel. This is one thriller that you won't want to miss. It is not the Horror genre, but I can't stop thinking about this one and I hope that I don't have nightmares tonight.

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Thank you to Net Galley, Heather Darwent and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine-Bantam for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. I wasn't required to leave a positive review. This was just soooooooo Great!

#TheThingsWeDotoOurFriends #HeatherDarwent #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBantam #NetGalley

“The Things We Do to Our Friends” is a debut novel by Heather Darwent. My review is going to be in the minority, but I did not really enjoy this book. After reading the opening scene, I was reminded of Mona Awad’s book “Bunny” - which is and isn’t like this book. But at the end of both books I kept thinking “what in the world did I just read?” This book was incredibly slow moving (I thought I was about near the middle and realized I was about 24% into the book). The book is gripping and the writing engaging (though I will admit to skimming some pages when something was being described in a lot of detail) and the twists keep twisting, but like “Bunny” I found myself wondering “why is this being done, why are folks agreeing to this being done, and this is completely messed up.” I’m giving it three stars (rounded up from 2.5) for two reasons - a) the lovely cover that sucked me in, and b) for a debut novel this was pretty dang well written, just not to my taste.

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this book when I started reading. Certainly the cover and description peaked my interest and I couldn’t wait to dive in. It took a bit for me to get into the story and understand what was happening. Claire is interesting and the company she keeps is something else entirely. It’s twisted and a bit dark. You will want to give this a read if you are looking for something different and intriguing. 3.5 stars for me.

#TheThingsWeDoToOurFriends #NetGalley
Extraordinary. 5 ⭐.
Clare, then, who arrives utterly alone and yearning to reinvent herself. And what better place to conceal the secrets of her past than at the university in the heart of the fabled, cobblestoned Old Town? 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. Even though 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. Because they’ve taken the plunge. They’re so close to attaining everything they want. And there’s no going back. How much is an extraordinary life worth if others have to pay?
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for giving me an advance copy.

“Why not? I mean, the story always end the same. Best friends, some deep connection forged through some awful or fantastic drama, so what does it matter where it begins? The end is the only thing that matters, don’t you think?” Haven’t we all experienced the longing of wanting to be in someone’s inner circle? To have friendships that are deep and meaningful? Clare longs to start a new life after “the episode”. When she meets Tabitha in her art history class, she believes that she will get that new start with a new circle of friends. However, once drawn into the circle, she has to decide if these new friends are worth the price she has to pay to be included. Tabitha has a project brewing and the past that Clare has tried so hard to escape may not be escapable.

I could not put down this debut novel from Heather Darwent. Not a typical literary suspense reader, I was initially drawn to this book by the cover. Darwent does an amazing job of bringing to life the various characters from this book who are all very different from one another. And Clare? Just when you think you have her figured out, a twist is thrown in that leaves your head spinning. What I loved is that it’s not only Clare that changes through this book, but Darwent doesn’t leave the other characters out of the fun, either. I caught myself several times gasping when a character would do or say something completely unexpected, but in a good way that made sense with the flow of the story.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy. Make sure to check out this amazing debut novel on January 10, 2023.

Heather Darwent's The Things We Do To Our Friends quite honestly threw me for a loop right from the beginning. Reminiscent of the opening of Micah Nemerever's These Violent Delights, the scene is set in a way that can only be described as captivating. Darwent's writing is sleek while also being modern, which is a difficult task to accomplish in my eyes. It was almost hard to believe that this was her debut novel!

If there's one trope I find myself seeking out often, it's the toxic female friendship trope and if you do too, this is the book for you. There's something about being able to watch the spectacle of doomed friendship crash and burn from a distance that perhaps myself and others tend to gravitate towards in fiction. In this particular book, we find Clare trying to reinvent herself after "the episode." And as most lonely people do, she drifts towards Tabitha and her wild pack. On the surface, this is all Clare has ever wanted, but we all know Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will.

Every time I thought I had this book figured out, another twist was thrown at me, but these twists were so well crafted that I didn't mind. I wanted to be thrown for a loop because it was done so well. Not only does Darwent do a twist well, but she also gives a gentle but knowing commentary on how scary it is to be a girl. Clare, more than once, remarks about how frightening it is to be a young girl in a plethora of situations and how men don't have these same worries. They don't check over their shoulders in an alleyway. They don’t have to be aware of their surroundings 24/7. A man is never "asking for it." These thoughts make Clare even easier to connect to as our protagonist.

As we follow Clare through her time in Edinburgh, this strange thing happens. Clare seems to almost transform on the page right in front of us. She is constantly bouncing through emotions ranging anywhere from cool and collected to panic and rage. I think Heather Darwent has given us the perfect example of a morally grey character. Clare has done terrible things, but we can't ignore the terrible things done to her. At least for me, it's so hard to ignore the almost monster her parents made her into. It makes a reader wonder what she would have turned out like if she had been raised by loving people. Normal people.

All in all, I think this is a stellar debut novel. Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC and make sure to snag a copy of The Things We Do To Our Friends on January 10, 2023!

Favorite quotes:

"The dead are near in the city when the night falls, they press against you, but I think it's the living who come for you."

"This attachment to these girls, it won't always be like this, I promise. It won't always feel like everything."

Absolutely winner in story telling. One of the best books I have read all year. This book immediately draws you in and holds your interest until the last page.

Very enjoyable read. Clare is an interesting character, and I think book cover all sides of her, pacing in some spots, revealing in others and definitely tense in some. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC

Wow, this story was twisty and thrilling! I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see how it would end. If you thought Regina George is bad, wait until you meet Tabitha! Great read! Thank you for my copy!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Take The Secret History, throw in some foie gras and make it 100 x weirder.

Creepy bad girls torturing men and each other.

A misanthropic delight of a book.

Claire has arrived in Edinburgh to reinvent herself at the university there. She becomes fast friends with Tabitha, and by association, Tabitha’s circle of compadres. But Tabitha’s friendship comes at a price, she wants a favor from Claire, one that will destroy everything she has worked so hard to attain. Still, Claire craves Tabitha’s approval, and reluctantly agrees to consider her request, but by then, it’s too late and there’s no going back