I am always here for a good novel about toxic friendships and this one really delivered. Brilliantly written and very well paced. Dark, claustrophobic, with a hint of unhinged. Thumbs up from me!

Unfortunately, I really struggled with this one. Although I’m definitely not opposed to unlikeable characters, this group of friends were so insufferable it did make it hard to invest myself in the plot. I’ve seen a lot of reviews talking about the tension and twistedness of this book, but I found there was nothing shocking about it.

Nevertheless, I do think this book would appeal to lovers of Bunny by Mona Awad and The Secret History by Donna Tartt and they would probably get a lot more out of this reading experience than I did.

This was a brilliant book, what starts as a teenage obsession morphes into something even more dangerous! I was fascinated by it and would not hesitate to pick up another book by Heather.
I was intrigued from the start and the short chapters really kept it flowing well and fast! Definitely recommend

The story had an interesting premise however it was disjointed and very slow and I felt it difficult to relate to the characters.

A deeply unpleasant prologue which is significant, though it’s unclear how it connects to our story at first.
Our main character, Clare, is about to start at university in Edinburgh. She is desperate to make friends, but is determined that these friends should be right for her, the kinds of friends who convince her to be better. When she finds herself taken under the wing of some wealthy girls from her course she doesn’t question their overtures of friendship.
The opening of the book establishes the group dynamic and it felt as if things took a long time to get going. However, as the year progresses Clare finds herself caught up in a scheme - a project as Tabitha (the leader of the group) calls it.
As we follow them through the playing out of their plan, we see how potentially dangerous this could be. It’s hard not to feel for Clare, even though we know she has been responsible for some truly awful things. She is exploited by someone who knows her secrets, and who uses this knowledge for their own twisted purposes.
It was a book that felt rather unusually paced, with a somewhat abrupt ending and a lack of detail surrounding some of the events that became of such significance. It also seemed unlikely that Clare would have continued in her friendship with Ava in the way she chose to.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

I was definitely drawn in by the cover of this book, and that it is being sold as having shades of The Secret History and Promising Young Woman, but this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the overall story of Clare as a bit of an outsider of a protagonist, hoping to worm her way in to the 'inner circle' as she perceives this friendship group to be at uni, but I wasn't a massive fan of the way that her former life, all the hints and eventual reveal, was integrated into the narrative. It seemed as though Darwent was attempting to portray Clare as two things at once that I don't think necessarily went well together - the outsider and the dark secret of Clare's past that is attempted to be hidden from the reader, when in reality most of the twists were predictable. I also think the whole 'honey trap' business plot would have been better served with a more naive protagonist. Overall this was well-written but the plot left me wanting more at times.

From the synopsis, I was very excited going into this one. However, it wasn't what I expected!
I didn't really like any of the characters, they we're very toxic. The story progressed too slowly for me and overall fell a bit flat.
I can see why people would love this, and there are some great reviews out there, but it just wasn't for me.

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Things We Do To Our Friends asap.

A millennial take on a man trapping trope, with added levels of complex friendships and layers of past mystery. I am not a thriller reader in general and didn't know this was a thriller, well until I saw the genre on GR, maybe because disturbing books are my everyday by this point.

For me this is a brilliant contemporary literary exploration of many layered friendships between already dark and disturbed characters, and the plot allows for those relationships to really be explored.

If you want a fast paced thriller, I'm not convinced this is 100% that, but I also don't think its trying to be. If you want something a bit deeper and more thought through, but not necessarily with shocking twists, this is the perfect book.

Intellectual intrigue.
Love these stories that take place at universities, the lifestyle and attitudes.
Clare joins university at Edinburgh, she seems to be a quiet anonymous person in a flat share with two equally unassuming girls. This all changes when she gets a job in a cocktail bar and meets another group, Tabitha, Ava, Imogen and Samuel. This group of attractive and seemingly well off students, claim Clare and involve her in their.plots and money making schemes. The dynamics inside the group is constantly changing, Clare is desperate to fit in and overcome her mysterious past, her involvement with Finn, the bar owner helps to keep her grounded.
Playing with other peoples lives can end tragically.

Female university friendships morphing into something more sinister and predatory, The Things We Do To Friends is a propulsive and compelling page-turner, I was keen to see how the story developed and where the author would take us

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a thought-provoking and nuanced exploration of the complex dynamics of female friendship. The book follows the relationships between three friends – Daphne, Ruth, and Zara – as they navigate the ups and downs of their lives and their friendship with each other.

One of the strengths of the book is its well-drawn and relatable characters. Daphne, Ruth, and Zara are all flawed and complicated individuals, with their own insecurities and desires. Darwent does an excellent job of exploring the nuances of their relationships with each other, capturing the sometimes-awkward and sometimes-intense dynamics of female friendship.

Another positive aspect of the book is its exploration of themes such as jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness. Darwent doesn't shy away from the difficult emotions that can arise in any friendship, and she handles these topics with sensitivity and depth. The story offers a rich and multifaceted exploration of the complexities of human relationships.

Some readers may find the pacing of the book to be somewhat slow, particularly in the first half of the story. While the character development is strong, the plot itself may not move quickly enough for some readers. The structure - which shifts between perspectives - allows for a more complex exploration of the characters and their relationships, but it may not be to everyone's taste. I love this format, so I really enjoyed it.

Overall, The Things We Do To Our Friends is a well-written and engaging book that offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of female friendship. While it may not be the most fast-paced or straightforward story, its well-drawn characters and exploration of difficult emotions make it a worthwhile read for fans of contemporary fiction.

This story is based on Clare who moves to Edinburgh in order to create a new life for herself. Everything seems to be going well initially as she manages to bag herself a job in a bar, attend her lectures etc. until one day she meets and becomes enamoured with Tabitha and her friends.
I feel like this book was written beautifully and the author managed to capture the dark academia vibes perfectly, especially with the atmosphere she tried to create. The book was full of shocking twists and weird events but I especially loved how it all came together at the end. All in all, this book is perfect for any reader who likes exploring toxic friendships in a dark academia setting.

A gorgeously dark novel. I loved every second of it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

I loved this! What a debut!

This is proper dark academia and the parallels and influence of The Secret History were trailed throughout the novel, but it was also very much it’s own novel. From the Edinburgh settings, the twists, the psychological element, the secrets, and the toxic relationships - SO much fun to read, and such a clever novel. Easily one of my favourites books of the year so far, and of the podcast.

A fun, twisted, engaging tale about Clare, a young woman with a secretive past who seeks a fresh start in Edinburgh.....and gets entangled with a rich, enigmatic friend group with secrets of their own.

I found this very readable and flew through it in a couple of sittings, as it reminded me of a more accessible and much less deranged "Bunny" by Mona Awad. A highlight was the atmospheric writing, which vividly sets the scene in Edinburgh and the beautiful, elegant lives of Clare's wealthy friends. I also enjoyed the second half of the book much more, when the buildup of events finally starts to pay off.

However, personally, the book did not go to nearly the dark and disturbing lengths I expected. I wanted more of the vibes in the "France" prologue, and it just did not feature again. The characterisation of Ava, Imogen and Samuel also felt surface-level in comparison to Clare and Tabitha, and I felt that there was too much "telling" and not enough "showing" their personalities.

Overall, a worthwhile read for those who enjoy thrillers, toxic friendships, and elite settings. As always, thanks very much to Penguin General and Netgalley for the ARC.

Wow!! Just wow!! I’m speechless and that doesn’t happen very often.This is just completely addictive and impossible to put down.

The Things We Do To Our Friends has the most fascinating friend group that I’ve read about in ages. Imagine the plastics from mean girls only somehow crueller and more pretentious.

We follow Clare who’s planning on starting her life fresh when she becomes enamoured with Tabitha and her circle of friends. Tabitha has big plans and with The Shiver, you’re either all in or you’re out. I adored the setting, this is the first book I've read about university students that actually felt like they were in university - even though not much of the story revolves around the uni. Every student has this grand idea that their friend group is special, that others notice and envy them. The Things We Do To Our Friends perfectly captures and then shatters that idea.

My only problem with the book was that the buildup was so good I felt slightly underwhelmed by the conclusion. I believe a lot of this is due to reading fantasy and sci-fi where truly atrocious acts are a given. I’d be horrified if anything in this book actually happened to me. I would love a glass of champagne on the roof though!

When a book promises to be as dark and mysterious as this cover suggests, I am definitely going to want to pick it up. I was expecting some dark academia mixed in with some kind of fairytale-esque wickedness (although I knew it wasn’t a fantasy) but I’m afraid I found it to be a bit of a slog.

Clare arrives in Edinburgh with a desire to reinvent herself. So, when she meets Tabitha, a rich art student and university Queen Bee, she feels that she may have found her place amongst Tabitha’s circle. But Tabitha has a business idea that she needs Clare’s help with. A business idea that might put Clare back in trouble, similar to the type of thing she’s already running from. But these friends are capable of anything and they won’t let anything get in the way of what they want.

University is often seen as a fresh start and clean slate for everyone, so relating to Clare is easy at first. We know she has a dark past and we expect that we’ll discover it at some point. As the story developed, I guessed part of Clare’s secret but I don’t think I could have imagined the true extent of it. This isn’t some run-of-the-mill teenage drama and I did find it hard to suspend my disbelief. I thoroughly disliked Clare by the end of the book, causing me to do a U-turn quicker than I’ve ever done before with a character.

Clare is a victim of sexual assault within the book, so please be aware of this, if you intend to read it. It’s a horrific scene but her ‘friends’ display almost complete indifference in its wake. We already know that they’re toxic as hell by this point but I couldn’t get over how it was almost brushed over. Perhaps the author was trying to make a point that this kind of thing is normal in the lives of privileged teens, so they didn’t see it as that big of a deal. It was a turning point for Clare’s involvement with the group but they continued to haunt her.

Tabitha is very much the Queen Bee stereotype. If you know Regina George, Heather Chandler and Blair Waldorf, you know Tabitha. She comes from money, relishes her adoring fans and is prepared to cut anyone who tries to take her crown. I think Clare’s motivation for befriending her came from the idea of ‘it’s better to be her friend than her enemy’ but in a normal society, I don’t think Tabitha would have been interested in Clare at all. I never really understood the connection between them but it eventually transpires that perhaps it wasn’t actually Tabitha’s decision.

Ava is another girl in the clique and it’s her who insists that Clare belongs with them. I wondered whether it’s Clare’s secret past that makes her interesting to these smart, ruthless characters but I had a feeling that Ava was up to no good. She has a very questionable vibe about her and she appears to know things that she shouldn’t. She’s a very interesting character but I question the plausibility of her actions and wasn’t entirely convinced by her authenticity.

Tabitha’s business idea made me laugh at first. She has a very pessimistic view of marriage and love in general, which clearly comes from her broken home life but her drive for revenge felt quite misplaced. I wasn’t sure why she was so hell-bent on proving to herself (and to the world presumably) that all marriages are loveless and all men cheat, purely because that was the case for her own parents. I couldn’t really understand why this was the approach she chose to take rather than simply learning from her parents’ mistakes.

The Things We Do To Our Friends was an interesting read. It has echoes of The Secret History and a twist that I didn’t see coming -although I’m not sure I liked it. Other than Clare, the characters really didn’t feel all that original and the plot in some very strange directions. I would have loved to have been able to have a greater attachment to the characters, so that my interest could have been held a bit better. I think dark academia lovers will lap it up though, as it has all the features of that sub-genre but for me, not a lot of the grip.

I wanted to love it… but I did like it.

Our narrator Clare is a student at the University of Edinburgh. Early in the story she meets the captivating Tabitha and her friends ‘The Shivers’. In a tale that unravels both the past and the present, we learn the lengths Clare will go to for her friends…

Although the writing was fantastic, Clare as a narrator was brilliant and allowed us to explore each character through her lens in such an interesting way. The story fell slightly flat for me. I wanted to know what happened but I didn’t find myself obsessively reaching and desperately turning the page to find out all the answers.