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