“With friends like that, who needs enemies”

The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent hooked me from the chilling opening scene. It is not a fast-paced thriller, but a slow, intense build up to a surprising conclusion. The many alarming twists along the way make The Things We Do To Our Friends unputdownable.

“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”

Clare, the story’s narrator, is a young woman who has just started university in Edinburgh, and it is clear that it is not just the start of a new school, but also a fresh start to her relatively short life. She is withdrawn to the point of being reclusive until she meets Tabitha, Ava, Imogen and Samuel. Clare is drawn to their confidence and strong bonds, and she is desperate to belong. She refers to the foursome as “The Shiver”. The group does give off a questionable vibe from the start, making her nickname for them feel very appropriate.

As the story progresses, secrets are slowly spilled, relationships strained, and alliances questioned. It is not until the story’s zenith that we readers see just how twisted the tale has been. The Things We Do To Our Friends is a chilling tale that suspense lovers will devour.

I recieved this book as an eARC from netgalley.
these are my honest opinions.

I loved this story! I genuinely enjoyed reading about the characters, which were well written. I felt connected to the story and found myself losing track of time while reading!

I cannot wait to see what this author has in store next!

Clare narrates the story from her POV as she begins college in Edinburgh. There is a group of girls who she desperately wants to become friends with, though the draw isn't overly clear. Clare has a secret past that she wants to keep hidden, a mention of violent tendencies, but it seemed disjointed. The group she befriends, the Shiver, are all mismatched and quite unlikeable. While many enjoyed this book, it wasn't for me. I did enjoy the writing style, and would likely try another book from Heather Darwent.

The story seemed to drag on with limited progress. I had high hopes for this book, but it was truly a struggle for me to get into the story and I was left wanting more than it could give me. 3 out of 5 stars.

Things We Do to Our Friends is a time-twisting story that explores how one’s past actions or self, are always with us, for better or for worse. I struggled to deeply connect to the main character, although I’m still trying to decide if this was a deliberate move, as it definitely kept me on my toes throughout the read. I often found myself imagining each scene clearly in my head, as if I were watching a Gatsby-esque film. I definitely recommend if you are looking for a read that will leave you feeling uneasy, in the best way possible.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House -Ballantine, and Heather Daewent for this ARC.

This is a dark story with shades of dark academia. I say shades because there is minimal schooling involved. The atmosphere is a main character throughly this book and quite often dominates the chapters.

Heather is a talented writer. She creates a dark and lush story that feels like a hazy nightmare in a gothic setting. Clare is a great character but the side characters are rather thin and unformed. There’s a twist at the end that I really appreciated. I think that the pacing and plot would have benefited from a more strategic editor. I definitely would read another story from this author.

Mood Read: dark storytelling, female psychopaths, and female driven narratives.

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent is an amazing read! I highly recommend it and I could not stop reading it, I finished it in one night.

As we first confront the story of Clare, she seems normal—awkward, out of place, desperate for friends. To many of us, that IS normal. But as the story of THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS progresses, the truth of her unfolds like a train wreck: close enough to affect us, but just enough out of reach that there's nothing we can do.

Clare is trying to make a life for herself in Edinburgh as a college student when she finds herself in among a new set of friends. Nicknamed "the Shiver" (after a grouping of sharks), they're led by Tabitha: beautiful, confident, a big dreamer. And very, very convincing. Orbiting her are Imogen, Samuel, and Ava—each strange in their own ways, but compelling. Clare finds herself part of the Shiver, just on the edge of this orbit. And before long, she's pulled all the way in.

Giving away too much more—what they want with Clare, why they want her, and where it leads—would be to give away the most important part of this book's experience: the discovery. THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS is all about watching the truth of a person come to light in slow steps. Darwent's pacing is impeccable, as we find ourselves on a journey of our own that mirrors Clare's. At the end of it all, though, as we've been craning our necks to find out more about the mysterious Tabitha, we discover that we've been double-bluffed... perhaps even triple-bluffed.

Certain readers, myself included, will find aspects of this narrative all too familiar. If you've ever been pulled into the orbit of a compelling, narcissistic personality; if you've ever questioned your motives; if you've ever ached for acceptance; you may see a sliver of yourself in Tabitha's little constellation. For better or for worse. It's one of those reads that's uncomfortable, but compelling in its discomfort. Darwent depicts these personalities far more acutely accurately than much of modern fiction, and spins it out just right. It's a gripping, all-too-real must-read.

A unique and complex story of a toxic friend group and the lengths they will go to get what they want. It took a few chapters for me to figure out what was going on in the book. I believe the author did a great job developing atmospheric scenes, but the plot and character development were lacking.

Read if you like:
- unreliable narrators
- toxic female friendships
- dark academia-esque

When I received the pitch for this one, I was so excited. This book has everything I usually seek out: a thriller with strong female characters. I am absolutely obsessed with the cover; I knew I’d be hitting the widget link the moment I saw it.

I am saddened to report that I did not jive with this book at all. I found it slow and repetitive and did not make it past 12% either time I tried to read it. I will not be recommending to my followers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The Things We Do to Our Friends follows Clare as she moves to Edinburgh for university and for a fresh start. When Clare is folded into her classmate Tabatha's inner circle of friends, she thinks her reinvention has succeeded... until she becomes embroiled in a sinister project of Tabatha's.

I might have enjoyed this book better if I had gone in with some different expectations, most notably that this would be a book with dark academia vibes. While it was certainly dark, the academia was somewhat lacking, with very little of the scenes or plot involving any sort of school or education beyond the occasional mention of a famous painting.

Beyond that, I struggled with many of the characters, Clare especially. Many of her choices felt contrary to each other, and often her narration would indicate thoughts or beliefs that didn't quite make sense in the grand scheme of her character. This was only further complicated by our knowing her in multiple moments in time simultaneously, with the dramatic purposes of all of those moments being withheld until the end of the book. Rather than finding myself wrapped up in the mystery of it all, trying to figure out what would happen next, I spent most of my time simply confused.

That said, I do think this book has some good things going for it. This cast of characters is interesting to watch in the same way it's interesting to watch two jungle cats fight in a nature documentary. I was certainly interested in what awful things they would come up with next, and the trajectories of their choices did have me wide-eyed and open-mouthed by the end. Additionally, the book does have a solidly established atmosphere, even if it isn't the atmosphere I expected when coming into the book. I do think this is a read that will find its home with a dedicated group of readers, though it might be unfulfilling for readers who are looking for their next favorite rich dark academia thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC. Sorry for the late, review - life has been hectic.

This book was wonderfully written. The Things We Do to Our Friends atmospheric and haunting exploration of friendship, belonging and the spiral of destruction. I'd love to discuss this book in a literature class, in the same vein as The Secret History. It's brutal and unflinching, holding a mirror up to our own voyeuristic nature: how we consume the gruesome and macabre, unable to look away from something disturbing. The characters are expertly crafted.

Though, for me, the book struggled with its pacing at some times. Making the book feel a little janky and disjointed, in an otherwise very well-paced narrative. I also found the ending a little disappointing.

What an intense, compelling story. I felt uneasy from the first chapter through the last. All of the characters in The Things We Do to Our Friends make you wary of them: you think they have secrets, are lying and deceitful and any one of them could be capable of violence. The story starts with a chilling description of something happening between three young girls and a man. You the reader are purposely left uncertain if this is then or now and who these girls are is not clear. It doesn’t become clear until far, far into the story, at which time it’s more confirmation than revelation.

The author refers to The Things We Do to Our Friends as a campus thriller but it isn’t really. Very little of the action takes place on the campus or even involves more than passing references to school, and Clare is not the typical shy, nerdy little girl on the outside wanting to be part of the popular girls’ clique. Instead, she has anger issues and a past, a very creepy past if the oblique references to “the episode” tell you anything. Her childhood does not seem to have been happy. And her determined, methodical approach to becoming part of Tabitha’s gang is impressive. She works her way into the group, or do they manipulate her into becoming one of the chosen few? What they get up to after that is truly disturbing.

The Things We Do to Our Friends moves back and forth in time and keeps your interest throughout. It is hard to like or even feel sympathy for any of these young people, but it is harder to turn away from their lives. Clare seems to have a plan and be adrift at the same time. Tabitha has that mesmerizing hold over people we can only marvel at. Samuel, Ava, and Imogen are supporting players but they all have their own issues and objectives that come together in a dark, sinister tale you won’t soon forget.

I was sent a free book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this honest review. All opinions are my own.

Tiktok made me wanna read this. I was not disappointed. I loved this book so much.
_ autistic book lover

Clare arrives in Edinburgh almost destitute, but realizing that this is her fresh start. She can move on from her past - she gets a job, starts attending classes and even seems to be getting along with her flatmates. But then Clare meets Tabitha and is quickly dragged into her orbit. Tabitha is everything Clare isn’t and Clare cannot help but wonder why she was chosen to be a part of her group. But not too hard, because she is slowly becoming obsessed with being a part of their world. As time goes on, Tabitha starts to ask more of Clare, starts to ask her to go back to being the girl she was trying to forget. But Clare is in too deep and is hard pressed to turn back. How far will she go for her friends?

A twisted thriller, one that definitely left you wondering at each chapter what you really knew about any of the characters. However, it fell a bit flat and it was a little sluggish to get through. I know there are many out there who are going to think it’s brilliant. But it was just a little slow moving for me!

This, unfortunately, was a DNF for me. I just could not get into it. It was long and drawn out, too much of a slow burn, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters

Oh, it’s so obvious this book wants to be dark academia with a surreal corona made up of a cult of mysterious and unstable personalities. And that’s fine! That’s fine. That sounds like a cool idea for a book. It would definitely be a character-driven book more than plot-driven, but a lot of dark academia books are driven by their characters anyway. As long as there’s some semblance of a plot, and that plot is clear, fits with the characters and setting, and is written well then you shouldn’t have any issues. Right?

Well, debut author Heather Darwent obviously took copious notes on what the elements of a dark academia novel are, but somehow this book comes together not as a cohesive novel, but as a series of discordant events, inner narrative chapters, flashbacks, clumsily-written passages set in the future, and hazy vignettes speculated by the narrator to have been spent in a drug-fueled haze or under coerced sedation. So much time is spent on Clare, our protagonist: establishing who she is isn’t, showing how easy it is to shape her to someone else’s will and how willing she is to let it happen without complaint, watching how other people pull her strings and maneuver her, seeing her let trespass after trespass go… but her characterization isn’t consistent. This obsequiousness isn’t consistent; but, then again, nothing of Clare’s personality or character is and nothing in the narrative or in the plot gives any allusions or reasons for it.

What there is of a plot in this story, once one comes up (much too far into the story to ever have a hope of fully forming, coalescing, and being carried out in a comprehensive manner) is a plot far more tawdry than this novel calls for. It just doesn’t fit. This whole book started out because they were all going to the same school, but by the halfway point in the book it seems school is something that only comes up sporadically, like a novelty to mention, and this tabloid-worthy central plot line (which is also wobbly, for reasons mentioned above) takes precedence, even though the point of the whole venture isn’t ever made clear. The whole second half of this book is as foggy and muddied as Scotland.

There is some stunning writing inside this book: evocative imagery, creepy atmosphere, horrific scenes, surrealistic dreams and nightmares, and more. If only Darwent could’ve spent more time on this book and this idea before bringing it to an agent, and if only her editors would’ve maybe worked with her more on the content. I think Darwent has the makings of a great thriller writer, but she’s just not there yet.

NetGalley and Ballantine Books provided me with access to this title. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you. As per my personal policy this review will not appear on social media or any bookseller website due to the 3 star or lower rating.

File Under: Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction/Suspense Thriller/Psychological Fiction

This book dragged to the point of no return. It was slow, had nothing to really grab you and was just all around flat. I was so drawn in by the cover, as you can see is breathtaking. But the story itself was not. I ended up DNFing it at about 35%

Beginning was promising but not entertaining enough to continue on. Main character was not someone I could follow.

The Things We Do to Our Friends was...interesting, and not in a great way.

The story is told in 3 parts, but didn't need to be. It dragged and made unnecessary allusions to other "dark times". It felt like it was building up to something big, but then the ending couldn't possibly live up to all that hype.

Am I mad that I read it? No. Will I tell any of my friends or followers about it? Also no.

This was maybe even a 2.5 star for me. I felt like the story was being conveyed to me so vaguely and it left me very underwhelmed. The writing was fine, but I was bored and pushing through because I kept thinking it would get better. Finally at around 50% I thought, here we go! We were finally going to get somewhere with what the author had been leading up to and then, boom, it was over with barely any explanation. The ending was a bit predictable and I just was not intrigued or attached to the characters in any way so I was relieved when it was over. Thank you to Net Galley and Bantam for allowing me to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.