I love the cover, that’s the main reason I chose this book. I wish that this book had been more thrilling, there were many times when I was wondering where the story was going. Overall it was just ok.

Normally I am all about a messy, toxic relationship book with questionable characters, especially if it is well done and coupled with a dark, twisty mystery. The Things We Do to Our Friends though just never quite came together for me. There was promise and potential throughout, but it felt disjointed and some of the mystery felt forced.

All in all, this was just a mediocre mystery that has been done before, and done better. However, there were aspects of the story that interested me and I would read another book by this author to see if perhaps I connected more with a different story.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a dark debut thriller by Heather Dawent. Clare wants to leave her dark past behind and enjoy a fresh start in life. As she heads off to University she meets a new group of friends who are in a type of secret society. As she gets to know them she must decide if she's willing to play their games and if a friendship with this group is worth it.

I am not sure if I was just going through something and couldn't get into this book, if I'm too old for high school/college drama, or if it was this book. I found that I did not like the characters - like ANY of them. I thought they were insufferable and unlikeable. I do tend to like unreliable narrators, but even Clare was too much for me. I just didn't really feel the urge to continue to pick this book up which caused me to take forever to get through it.

There are many great reviews for this book, so even though it wasn't for me - I encourage you to check it out if you like dark thrillers.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I think my review is a solid 2.5, rounded up to three stars of course. This book just was not for me. It never really grabbed my attention, so I had a difficult time reading it as I kept forgetting to pick it back up to read. I think I had higher hopes based on the description, title, and supposed plot.

Ugh. I was so bored by the book. It began so incredibly interesting and wild! But by the time anything was actually happening, I no longer cared. I hated every character. I hated every subplot. I really wanted to know what happened and what was going to happen next, but none of this played out how I expected (and not in a great way). Strong intro, but the pacing is absolutely horrid, and the characters give you nothing and no one to root for.

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent is a gripping look at friendship, loyalty, and the darker aspects of human relationships. Set in a lively university setting, the novel follows a group of friends whose strong bond starts to fall apart as secrets and betrayals emerge.

Darwent's writing is engaging and insightful, drawing readers into the complicated lives of the characters. The story is filled with emotional depth as each character faces their insecurities and desires. The author skillfully shows the complexities of friendship, illustrating how love and loyalty can sometimes blur the lines between support and manipulation.

The plot unfolds with a tension that keeps readers engaged. As the story progresses, the group's dynamics change dramatically, revealing hidden motives and unspoken grudges. Darwent builds suspense effectively, making it hard to predict how the relationships will change and what consequences will follow their actions.

A key aspect of the novel is its examination of how social media and societal expectations affect friendships. Darwent explores how the pressure to present a perfect image can lead to toxic behavior and ultimately damage relationships. This theme is especially relevant in today’s digital world, making the story feel timely and relatable.

The characters are well-developed and complex, each offering their viewpoints and challenges. Readers will empathize with their struggles, even as they confront the moral dilemmas of their choices.

Take me to Scotland! I loved that this book took place at the University of Edinburgh where our main character moves to start over. The atmosphere and visuals in this dark academia novel were wonderful. Unfortunately, the plot was very lacking. for one, the school is actually rarely mentioned, which is hard for me in a dark academia book. Ultimately, this thriller fell flat for me.

Cover amazing. Edinburgh amazing. Pacing not so amazing, took too long to get going in my opinion. The ending felt rushed, maybe should have spent more time there then in "setting" up.

I was drawn to reading The Things We Do To Our Friends based on the reference to dark academia. It proved to be enticing enough to get through, but felt a bit more rigid than necessary at times. Darwent does a good job of leading the reader along, but I didn't always feel engaged with the characters. I recommended this book to a few of my friends based on the strong sense of location as character and the fact that I didn't always know where it was going to go.

A debut author writes this novel about a group of friends in Scotland who befriend an outcast named Clare. Clare tries so hard to make friends with this group and she will do almost anything to make them like her, even if it ends up hurting someone in the group. I really disliked this book at the start, it was pretty slow, but it ended up being a pretty interesting read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was a bit of a mess. All over the place plot-wise, confusing prose, and odd characterization. I unfortunately had to put it down about 60% of the way through because I wasn't connecting with it at all.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Clare dives into her new life in gloomy Edinburgh just as deeply as her desire to bury the past. She takes a job as a bartender and befriends the owner. She attends classes at the university with a goal to assimilate and blend in quietly.

Quietly, that is, until she is enchanted with beautiful, adventurous Tabitha. When she gets drawn into her “friend group”, she is excited that the cool kids have let her in. Until she starts to question their actions. She quickly realizes that her past may not be a secret and the sinister, evil, character of her new friends is frightening to her.

This book was very descriptive and very dark, both in actions and descriptions. While I am a fan of twisted thrillers, all the characters and their actions were too dark and made no sense to me.

Thanks to @ netgalley @randomhouse

I had very high hopes for this book, but it fell short. I love academia-set books, I love dark and twisty. This book just didn't hit whatever mark it was trying to meet. 2 stars.

Having visited Edinburgh in 2021, I am always drawn to books set there. I also love love a dark academia vibe and I am forever chasing the high of The Secret History. First, what worked for me: the atmosphere was so moody, dark, gothic, absolutely vibrating with that moodiness. However, the characters themselves? Unfortunately, I didn't find them that interesting or really get why our MC wanted to be in this friend group. And even though it's supposed to be a psychological thriller, I wasn't that captivated. Probably just a case of debut novel but it felt a little long and dull, and I kind of am mad at myself for finishing it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher, Random House, for an advance copy in exchange for and honest review.

This book was not easy to get into. I’ve started realizing that the university setting just isn’t enjoyable to me anymore. I don’t think the story held up very well throughout and it just wasn’t as thrilling as I’d hoped it would be.

Thank you Netgalley. & Bantam for an eARC of The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent!

This one was different from my typical reads - If you love a character-driven novel, this will stick with you. I love plots that circle around students and dark academia - This one follows a clique in Scotland (Great setting), strong writing - and MC Clare. She meets Tabitha, seemingly perfect, and instantly wants to become her friend. Just how far will this circle of friends go to get what they want?

Less thriller but not a lack of suspense - Enjoyed the story but wanted a bit more "action"!

The Epilogue is based in France where we discover is how the story ends and we have to read Clare's account of the events which leads to the disturbing scene of girls dancing and force feeding some guy until he chokes and has convulsions. So, it starts on a dark note preparing you for a twisted tale of unreliable characters with secrets and devious minds.

Clare was sent to live with her grandmother by her parents before she eventually moves on to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her plan is to reinvent herself including her dark past. She wants nothing more than to blend in with the college experience studying art history. She needs to make money and finds a job at bar where she befriends her boss, Finn. It seems fortuitous that Clare should encounter a group of obvious "popular" wealthy students while working at the bar. She recognizes Tabitha from her art history class and is delighted when she is welcomed to spend time with her friends Samuel, Ava and Imogen. Eventually, what felt like a privilege being accepted into the group, it doesn't come without a cost as she discovers her initiation has a connection to the sordid past she thought she buried. The story is filled with suspense and foreboding as you wait for the story to unfold revealing sinister obsessions and alluring toxic characters.

Unfortunately, this story resonated as a familiar story for me which held my interest but felt like the characters needed more dimension. I'm rounding my review up to help balance the many 3 star reviews as it has potential.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Random House for providing access to this digital review copy. This review contains my personal, honest and unbiased opinions.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I tried so hard to get through this story. It was so slow and I really spent a lot of time trying to just move forward, but I ultimately gave up about half-way through. I didn’t like or care about any of the characters and I just didn’t find the story interesting enough to push through. I know there are readers who will love the plot and think it is fascinating, but this one was just not for me.