I liked this book! It was quite easy to read and follow - even though there were quite a few characters. I loved The Things We Do To Our Friends so had high hopes for this! I went in a little blind because I feel the synopsis doesn’t give much away! I think I was expecting maybe a bit more of a reveal? But that was probably just me expecting it to be like a thriller 🙈

I’d recommend this book if you like a bit of a weird book!

This book sounded WEIRD and drew me in, the cover is cool too.

Betsy is a bit dysfunctional, she is an insomniac who is generally unhappy with how her life has turned out. She ends up going to a wellness retreat called Carn; a beautiful, mysterious place that claims to be able to heal people. She doesn’t know where it is, she’s blindfolded when she is taken there, and when she gets there she and the other girls are told not to question anything but just to trust the programme.
As it turns out not everything or everyone is as it seems and there are some extremely strange and unusual things going on.

The characters in this book are complex and interesting, although some of them could have been delved into more, I found myself wanting a bit more from a few of them. I didn’t like the main character and found her frustrating, but I don’t think as the reader you’re necessarily supposed to or need to like her.

This book is WEIRD. Absolutely weird, in a good way way. Nothing like anything I’ve read before. It started off quite light and fun but grew darker and more bizarre with each page

I rate this book 3 stars, it’s a very unsettling thriller/mystery, and I recommend picking it up if you fancy something a bit weird and outside of the box.

After loving The Things We Do to Our Friends, I couldn’t wait for A Sharp Scratch—and it totally delivered. Betsy heads to a mysterious wellness retreat called Carn, hoping to heal, but obviously things get creepy fast. Think rich-girl self-care meets secret rituals and emotional manipulation.

I’m in my weird-wellness-cult-reading era, so this hit the spot. Some twists were a bit obvious, but there were still gasp-worthy moments. Dark, moody, and just the right kind of messed up. Loved it.

This turned out to be quite different than I expected it to be, however, it does draw you in from the beginning. It's dark, tense, and overall it's very unsettling. The writing is disorientating, and I have to say, this is the first novel in a long while which has used that to good effect. The description of the setting is great; I could picture the vast house and all its creepy elements.

A dark and unsettling read with an interesting premise. I was drawn to it for the insomnia angle, but this fell a little flat for me.

Twisted, Dark, Tense..
Betsy has been reassured too many times. This time, is it the truth? Because Betsy really believes that it is. This time, it’s for real - and all she has to do is follow the rules. A twisted, dark and tense novel of psychological suspense where nothing is quite as it seems and relayed by an unreliable narrator - question everything.

I really loved The Things We Do to Our Friends, so I was looking forward to A Sharp Scratch and I was not disappointed. From the first few pages of I was hooked by the subtle, creeping sense that something was deeply, unsettlingly wrong. Heather Darwent’s novel is psychological suspense at its most insidious, with echoes of The Stepford Wives and The Retreat by Mark Edwards, but with a colder, more clinical core.

Betsy, the protagonist, is not your typical unreliable narrator. She’s exhausted, raw, and sharp in the way only someone who’s been struggling for years with severe sleep deprivation can be. Darwent crafts her voice with care—at times surreal, at others distinctly unstable and therefore unreliable. She is unable to recognise what’s real and what’s in her head . Through Betsy’s eyes, we’re taken on a jagged journey through mental illness, societal expectations, and the grotesque commodification of wellness culture. Her time at Carn is written with such tension that I found myself holding my breath more than once.

The characterisation here is first-rate. Betsy is layered and heartbreakingly real, but even the secondary characters pulse with motivation and ambiguity. Harry, her husband, is particularly well drawn. He’s not overtly villainous, but his actions and emotional withdrawal sharpen the knife Betsy already carries inside. Betsy’s decision to marry Harry seems, at first, like a misguided act of hope. But Derwent gradually peels this back to reveal how his personality may have accelerated Betsy’s psychological deterioration. Her sense of self begins to fray, not because she is innately unstable, but because Harry treats her instability as inconvenient. His desire to “fix” her becomes a quiet form of violence.

Carn, the wellness retreat where Betsy goes to “heal,” is rendered with unnerving beauty. It’s serene, expensive, full of soft furnishings and even softer threats. Elise, the founder, is a fascinating creation—a woman who, on the surface, champions acceptance, but underneath curates conformity with an iron will. The more you listen to Elise, the more you sense she doesn’t want to heal women so much as repurpose them. Her motive seems rooted in personal trauma—perhaps a need to regain control over a life that was once out of her hands—but there’s also a chilling sense of cultish pride. Elise believes she knows best, and that belief becomes dangerous.

Betsy has a fragile grip on reality. When she gets to Carn and meets the other female guests, the atmosphere tightens. The pacing is slow-burn but deliberate—tension builds like a low-frequency hum, and by the final third, it’s almost unbearable.

Darwent writes with a really strong atmospheric tone. The Carn is A Scottish retreat in a stately home in the countryside miles away from anywhere. The appointments are luxurious and the food is superb. But there’s no such thing as perfection, and the whole confected bliss begins to unravel. As Betsy has her first blissful sleep in a long time, Darwent begins to ratchet up the Gothic angles and what seems like a blissful escape turns into a horror of nightmare proportions.

What Darwent does so well is layering—not just in structure, but thematically. This is a novel about control, identity, and the weaponisation of wellness. Carn promises salvation, but at what cost? And who defines what “healing” looks like? The final twist isn’t a shocking reveal, but a devastating realisation. What’s really broken are the systems, relationships, and ideologies around her.

VERDICT: A Sharp Scratch is very dark indeed and also slightly surreal. The slow pace certainly won’t be for everyone but it does really create the tension and atmosphere that the book needs. This is terrific modern psychological fiction—claustrophobic, compassionate, and darkly terrifying in equal measure.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The synopsis totally drew me in. One of the big wins was the atmosphere. But the plot jumped around so much in the beginning that I was too confused to fully immerse myself for the remainder of the book.

I had this sense of "I must have skipped a few pages by accident" over and over again, but I'd gone back to re-read portions of the book and didn't have any clarification.

I can see the potential this has to be an absolute hit on TikTok and BookTube, once it hits the right audience, but it went straight over my head.

Reading this book was so unsettling in the best way, the description in this book of our main characters inner thoughts are creepy and grotesque. The setting will make a chill run up your spine. Our characters are all so unique and I spent my time reading trying to puzzle them out, the author does a fantastic job letting you get to know these characters on such a deep level. The plot twist within this book has my jaw on the floor. I was rethinking absolutely everything I just read in a completely different light. It’s one of those twists that’s only obvious in hindsight to me. This book is definitely going down in history as the perfect weird girl book!

I absolutely devoured this.

I was drawn in by the 'wellness but at what cost' premise as I'd recently read 'Natural Beauty' by Ling Ling Huang and was craving something similar- 'A Sharp Scratch' did not disappoint. This was an expertly crafted thriller with the creeping sense that something awful was going on beneath the surface building throughout the entire story. The twists and revelations were executed perfectly- once you've finished the book you see that all the clues were there but the conclusions were just out of reach.

I won't say much about the plot, besides the fact that it's brilliant- the description tells you everything you need to know and if you're hooked by that, then you'll eat this book up.

Thank you to Penguin General UK | Viking and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC- I actually enjoyed this so much that before I even finished I went and bought the physical copy!

This review can be viewed on Goodreads at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7604589620

Thank you netgalley and publisher.

This book had a slow start for me. The story followed a woman on her wedding day, but the day doesn't go as she had expected. But it seemed that she wasn't interested. She is struggling with insomnia and her mental health. Her now husband doesn't seem to be very understanding at times with her struggles. She decides to leave and go to Carn, will it be what she's expecting?

This book has you gripped from the beginning invested in what is going to happen. It is a curious story that at times was confusing for me. It definitely leaves you wondering if this is how the main character felt. To me the story seems to reflect her mental illness and how it can change, leaving you feeling for her and wondering if she will get the help she needs.

There is a weird atmosphere and the characters in Carn seem very strange. The events that follow are unsettling. You are left curious and daring to finish the story to see how it ends.

A weird dark and illuminating story. That has you invested all the way through.

A promising premise that doesn’t quite deliver.

In A Sharp Scratch, newly married Betsy abandons her life to join Carn: a health retreat for “broken” young women. Under the guidance of the retreat’s charismatic leader, Elise, Betsy begins to blossom. But the deeper into Carn she goes, the more questions arise. What exactly is Carn? What secrets do the other women hold? And will Betsy survive whatever is lurking beneath the surface?

Darwent sets the stage for an intriguing mystery, but the execution falls flat. The atmosphere is compelling and the set-up is promising, but the plot skims the surface, the characters feel one-note, and the prose lacks any of the sharpness and polish of her debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends. I found myself wanting more depth, more tension, more… everything.

I’ll still look forward to what Darwent does next, because there’s certainly potential, but A Sharp Scratch left me underwhelmed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Darwent’s A Sharp Scratch dives into the world of wellness retreats—with a dark twist. The story follows Betsy, who’s spent years trying to “fix” herself, when she gets invited to Carn, a mysterious retreat that promises real change. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally find peace. But as Betsy gets more involved, things start to feel off—and it turns out healing might come with some serious consequences.

The book has a cool premise and some eerie moments, but the pacing can be a bit slow. If you’re expecting a fast-paced thriller, this might not quite hit the mark. Still, the way it explores the wellness industry and the pressure to “fix” ourselves is really interesting.

Overall, A Sharp Scratch is a thoughtful, unsettling read. It’s not the most action-packed thriller out there, but if you like slow-burn suspense with a side of social commentary, it’s worth a look.

Something a little different i thought when i read and saw the brighty coloured book design.

This deserves every single five star! Well ..... i have read alot of different types of book but this one is unique in its features. It really did keep me on edge the whole way through , very difficult to predict and for this it was totally refreshing.

We meet our main character Betsy who faces challenges with her insomnia and just wants to feel better, welcome to Carn a chance to rehabiliate; accepts its all a bit strange . I wont say any more to give it away but this is totally different and for this i devoured this read very quickly , two days gone. The characters are easy to resonate with as we can see lots of characteristics in ourselves. Betsy undergoes her treatment and the food sounds amazing and of course its for free ? Does anything come for free ? Already i felt my suspicions start to build, and the captivating place of Carn and what it offers. Although the helpers and people seem so genuine but after a while the fascade starts to slip as we know people dont run and work to clockwork. The complex characters in this book dont appear to be playing along as they should be. What will become of them ?

The writing is highly descriptive. unique and totally absorbing. If you want to be engrossed and immersed and slightly horrified at times then please do read this .

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this prior to release. Good scene setting but very slow pacing which made it a challenging read for me. Have heard great things about this author so will read her other work

An interesting premise that hooked my attention at the start however quickly dulled after the 20% mark. I liked how there were girls with different illnesses that couldn’t be treated by regular doctors so they try an unconventional retreat to help them be “cured”, however unfortunately it doesn’t get that interesting again until about 80% into the story. We never really learn about the origins of Carn and its leader Elise or the backstories of the girls and that’s something I would be interested in.

I can’t fault the author’s writing and would definitely try another book of theirs.

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

7/10

I had such a good time reading this. Just like with her debut, Darwent offers a tense, complex and intriguing experience with an incredibly interesting character at its centre. I really didn’t want to put this down once I stared reading because the purposeful withholding of information, both about Carn and Betsy, kept me in the dark but wanting to learn more.

I also really appreciated the conversations this book touched on; in particular the discussions of what it means to be the right amount of ill for those around you felt poignant and complex. And its complexity is what I think the book does best. It doesn’t offer easy answers, easy topics, or easy characters to read about. I absolutely loved the way that the book challenged me to take it apart and put the plot back together through its tangents and anecdotes.

My only real issues with this book come with its reveal and pacing in the second half. As the plot intensified throughout I felt some aspects of its escalation felt a little rushed, before coming to a halt early in the book’s third act. As for the unraveling of the mystery, I feel that really, with the amount of intrigue and suspense built through the book’s careful guarding of information, my expectations may have been too high. Now, this is not to say that the events here were not horrific, but perhaps the delivery of this information or the consequences thereafter could’ve had more punch. To me the tone of the book, and perhaps my expectations from reading Darwent’s debut, lead me to wanting more detail and perhaps something even more extreme. Despite this, I do really love the thematic implications of every going on here.

On the whole this was great! I had so much fun really digging into this story and I am very glad to have read it. Really it exceeded my expectations.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

I don't like to give two stars so I will say 2.5 rounded up to 3.

I have not read the author's previous book which seems to have been well received. I did not enjoy this book very much. I did not engage with any of the characters or with the bizarre and unlikely storyline and and it took me ages to read it. I found it quite odd and distasteful, shock for shock's sake really.

The book reminded me of The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi but The Centre is more coherent and believable and the processes, distasteful though they are, at least work!.

It was clear that something very odd was going on at Carn but I don't think the book explained why people would think of doing these things in the first place, let alone do them and why they imagined it would work. I suppose the men were just as much dupes as the patients.

I felt that we knew very little about Betsy - what actually was wrong with her anyway? Some kind of sleep disorder and bad dreams I think , surely something which could be treated by conventional medicine. How did Patrick and Elise identify their special girls? What exactly did Betsy do to Harry? I must have missed that. What did he do to her? Did he lock her in her room or was that her imagination? Was it a human bone in the forest? If so, whose?

i think there is a better story in there somewhere but for me it needs more development and explanation and the pacing could be better as it is very slow for most of the book and then finishes at breakneck speed. As this was an advance copy, maybe it is a first draft that I have read and it will change before publication..

A slow paced , gothic/ dark academic story involving mental health struggles and a wellness centre that doesn't quite help the way they should. I went into this book expecting a faster paced thriller purely based on the cover , it didnt quite live up to my high expectations however I did like the premise of the book , I just wanted more from the story , I felt parts were a bit vague and a lot of important information was left out . I would recommend this book more as weird girl literary fiction rather than a thriller. I would read more from this author and definitely suggest trying this book.

I absolutely adored The Things We Do To Our Friends so I was super excited to receive Heather’s latest book in advance of its publication for a review

This book follows Besty, a troubled girl who is in need of a cure for her insomnia. She is invited to Carn, a wellness retreat for girls like her. But it’s maybe not exactly what she had in mind. This twisted thriller will have you second guessing everything.

I felt extremely suck in reading this book. Elise’s character gave off major cult leader vibes and I could easily see this plot as something out of American Horror Story. The psychological aspect of it was eerie and blurred the lens of reality. I definitely would recommend this read but please do check out the trigger warnings first!