What starts as a compelling premise—a group of elite college roommates bonded by tragedy and a bizarre secret game—quickly unravels into a muddled and implausible thriller weighed down by cardboard characters and tired tropes. The so-called “Circus” game, meant to be a thrilling homage to lost youth, feels more like a half-baked plot device than a believable tradition among grown adults with allegedly high-powered lives.

The narrative bounces between melodrama and mystery but never fully commits to either. Sara, our main narrator, is meant to be sympathetic, but her motivations shift so erratically that it’s hard to invest in her journey. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast blends into a blur of privileged, interchangeable personalities whose “secrets” are telegraphed so early that any suspense fizzles out fast.

Unfortunately, the novel leans on the emotional weight of a past tragedy without ever exploring it with depth or sincerity. Instead, it treats grief like a narrative gimmick to justify increasingly absurd behavior and forced plot twists.

In the end it was a disappointing read that wastes a promising setup on shallow stakes and even shallower characters.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wish this had been written in different POVs - I found many of the other friends to be more interesting than Sara, and being stuck in her mind made this book slow at times. The premise was intriguing but I feel something was missing here by the end. The twist felt a bit like a cheap shot. This author has potential and would be interested in her future works.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With Friends Like These" follows a group of Harvard roommates - Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine- who began playing a high-stakes game called the "Circus" during their years at school. School ended but their game did not and they had continued to meet every year since to continue the game - minus Claudine who tragically passed away at school. Now 42 years old, they are ready to play the game one last time and the stakes are high.

The storyline sounded intriguing and I was geared up to read about the game and the journey to the end. Who would be the ultimate winner and how would they do it? However, the game was almost a secondary storyline to the relationships of Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, and Wesley. It was more of a complex dramatic read than a thriller.

The story had a lot of layers to it and because the book is only 240 pages, it didn't go as in depth to the story as it could have. As a result, with the character development, it was hard for me to really like or get to know any of the characters.

Overall, a good debut novel by Alissa Lee. Kudos to anyone publishing for the first time! Because it is a short read, if you are looking for a quick, dramatic read, this might be a good fit for you!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Thank you to the publisher for emailing me and recommending this read. I was intrigued by the idea that this group of women is still playing a game they started in college well into their 40s.

But I struggled with the writing. The prose feels like it’s trying a bit too hard. There are six roommates to keep track of, which felt like a lot, and I could tell early on that remembering who’s who was going to be a challenge. I read this on my kindle and I know that the time to read rate is baesd on your personal reading speed. That said, I was baffled that one of the early chapters stated that it would take 25 minutes to get through…Half way through that chapter, I realized it’s because the content is dense. There was a lot of unnecessary context and overly detailed writing that didn’t really move the story forward. There’s also a ton of Harvard name-dropping and background, and it doesn’t add much—if anything, it slows things down and felt a bit like “hey look, I also went to Harvard.”

In the end, the premise was interesting, and I liked the general story arc, but I couldn’t connect with the characters. The constant Harvard references were distracting, and the idea that five women are still playing this college game in their 40s was ehh. Not saying that you can’t be active after a certain age, but this intense level of assassins is a bit ridiculous.

Also, random side note: the book references “Brahman families” in some Harvard social club but gives those characters American surnames—incredibly conudesd as an Indian…

I enjoyed this. It was a little Harvard -heavy, which was unnecessary and a misdirect (as if it were added later to capitalize on Dark Academia). We played a version of this came when I was in college. Believing adults would play it decades later (before they remember the money) was a bit of a stretch. Sounds like I’m complaining, but I did read right through it.

3/5 ⭐️’s for “With Friends Like These”
by Alissa Lee

For this being a debut thriller book this was good! The main idea of “The Circus” was such an interesting concept to read about. It was reminiscent of “The Secret History” for me with it being a more milder and all female version. I enjoyed the characters in the book. I thought they were entertaining with them all being so diverse in every way. The novel was incredibly fast paced making it an easy page turner if you’re looking for a quick thrill!

However, I do feel the novel could have benefited from being longer and more fleshed out. There were times when I wished Lee would have gone more into depth because the characters/narrative she was creating had great potential but ultimately felt very flat. The relationships of the novel are what makes it great but I also feel like since the relationships are so strong that this being labeled a thriller makes a little misleading.

I look forward to reading more of Lee’s book in the future because i do feel like they she has so much potential that will only strengthen as she develops as an author

Thank you to publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Friends since they met at Harvard 20 years ago, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, and Wesley have kept one tradition alive. They have played a faux killing game every year. This year might be their last game though. Sara, decides she does not want to play anymore. Until a life-changing monetary reward to the winner makes her decide to stay in the game.
Shortly before the game begins, Sara is sure she saw Claudine. But that is just not possible. The sixth member of their group died tragically in a horrible accident. So, who did Sara see and why now, just before the last game is about to begin.
It took me a bit to get these characters straight. Told entirely from Sara’s perspective, I kept wondering if she was indeed a reliable narrator. Soon, strange things start to occur, and this game suddenly feels like someone has a reason for them not to play. I had my suspicions about one of the characters and I was correct. The reason, though, I got wrong. I must have written several of my own chapters in my head. Alas, they did not agree with the author’s story.
This was a quick read, only 240 pages. While I had hoped the ending would go in another direction, my vision did not mesh with the authors yet again.

With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee was a short trip down memory lane, until the story unravels. The book starts with college roommates, some of whom arrived at Harvard by being exemplary students, not necessarily wealthy offspring. The experience was different for them than people whose families had money. However, it did not seem to matter over the years. Twenty years later, they still spend time with each other. In fact, every year they recreate an activity they participated in at Harvard and they call it The Circus.

The Circus is a Hunger Games type situation where during the week after New Year's, the former roommates go hunting for each other armed with realistic-looking water guns and try to obtain a medallion that each one has. The winner is the one who gets all five by the end of the week. There are rules, not many and loosely enforced. The potential for harm is high enough that spouses have argued with the ladies not to participate, but when one person says she is out, the rest have to stop, so the game goes on.

As they are aging and have children, they decide this year should be the last Circus. The stakes become higher during the "last" time they play. It is a suspenseful story, there are mysteries involved. It is well written with well-defined characters. A great read overall.

I found this short novella to be boring and not my cup of tea. I felt like it lacked in a lot of areas and could have been a lot better. It was not well executed and I found all of the characters in this book unlikable. I was expecting this to be very action packed, along with having mystery and thriller vibes. However, I didn’t get any of those vibes in this book. It felt like I was reading a drama book. It is about five friends from Harvard playing circus one last and final time. Just because it was not for me, does not mean you won’t like it! Be sure to read the content warnings! Overall, I rate this a 2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Alissa Lee and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on November 4, 2025.

Alissa Lee’s, With Friends Like These, follows a group of Harvard alumni as they revive their old secret elimination game, "The Circus," only to find themselves caught in a web of deceit, ambition, and hidden truths. Lee navigates past and present, crafting a suspenseful tale of privilege, loyalty, and betrayal. I would’ve liked a little more details about Clementine, and more back story on Claudine. Overall a quick read, a solid 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alissa Lee, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.

Wow! This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will find it hard to put this one down. Definitely a page turner and I highly recommend this unique thriller. I can't wait to read more by Alissa Lee!

I had the honor of reading this as an advance copy, my first by this author.

The story starts out a bit slow as characters are built and braided together. It's the story of old friends, remembering one that passed and trying to unravel the mystery as the friends play one last game of Circus. The twist at the end was woven in expertly and made sense when all was revealed.

1⭐️ This book just didn’t click for me.

The story follows a group of former Harvard roommates who, twenty years after graduation, are still playing a secret “Circus” game — a mock killing competition played across New York City. But when the stakes are suddenly raised, secrets surface, and the game turns deadly.

The whole premise just felt off. A group of Harvard grads running around NYC with fake weapons (that could pass as real ones) for a “killing” game in today’s world? It struck me as tone-deaf and unrealistic. And the whole female empowerment message didn’t land with this one.

This is a skip for me!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

With Friends Like These is about five Harvard roommates who devised a game they named The Circus which they continued for twenty years. The story was offered as a thriller but i found it to be slow reading at the beginning. Although the premise of the game which was to grab the medallions of the other players by any means sounded good I did not understand what was happening until the later part of the story. It got better towards the later part but i could only give it three stars since it took me a while to get there!!

This didn’t captivate me but it definitely had some good parts!
The game seemed very interesting and I really wanted more focus on that.
The emphasis on the characters’ relationships and backstories felt a little overwhelming. I think if that was traded in for more focus on the game, this would’ve been rated much higher for me.

Friends Like These by Alissa Lee is dark and twisted, and will keep you guessing until the very end. The story centers around a group of Harvard alums who’ve been playing a secret elimination style game called the Circus for twenty years. What starts as a nostalgic tradition quickly unravels into something sinister when real danger and old secrets start surfacing. I loved the Ivy League setting, the layered dynamics between the characters, and the slow burn unraveling of the truth. This book was the perfect suspenseful thriller that dives deep into toxic friendships and privilege. It’s fast paced and a bit unhinged, and I was left with that unsettled feeling I love after reading a good psychological novel.

I can’t believe people think a story including a ‘killing’ game with fake guns is a good idea in today’s day and age. How ridiculous that Harvard graduates think it celebrates their feminism by playing this ridiculous game for twenty years! Even at that age, it’s a stupidly unsafe idea. Of course, people will think the weapons are real. And even when the characters got hurt playing it, they still kept going. The whole idea of it is just ludicrous, and the story wasn’t much better. If these characters are typical Ivy Leaguers, then our country is in big trouble.

And then the idea that in twenty years, a few thousand (I’m guessing, it’s of course never specified) would be close to one million? Vaguely described as some ‘killer investments’? Ugh. And then almost every one of the characters acted like that much money is just enough to catch up and get by on? If that’s all it is for you, then you don’t even need it!

I really can’t believe I finished this book. It just kept irritating me more and more. The author should have just stuck with the friendship theme and left the game out of it. Or had it changed as time went on, with current events forcing them to alter the rules. I don’t know, it just seems like poor taste, especially the way they justified it, because it somehow shows they are empowered women. What?! Sorry, but I can’t recommend this one.

With friends Like these reflects on friendships made long ago but are still present. The girls depend on each other even though their secrets are still hidden. The character development is wonderful based on the$1,000,000 price money for the winner of the game.. There is a shocking ending that I didn't see coming but it proves true friends are always true friends.

I was not able to get into this book and chose not to complete it

Seems to be about old college friends who share the history of a friend who passed and reuniting for traditions.

Roommates from college meet every year to play an intense game and things take a turn on the 20th anniversary when the steaks are even higher! I enjoyed this book and it kept me interested throughout the entire book. It’s not in my top favorite of thrillers, but I would definitely recommend it for a good read! Thank you, NetGalley for the arc!