I was really excited about this book! Mystery, unreliable narrator, and a slight dark academia feel? YES PLEASE. The prologue was also absolutely intriguing!

Unfortunately, the story ended up being slow. I found myself bored for the majority of the book. Though once the action started, it was enjoyable, I still felt disappointed.

If you are okay with a slow build, you may still really enjoy this book- Read other reviews and give it a try!

THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS is recommended for fans of slow-burn suspense novels. When I say "slow-burn," I don't mean this in a derogatory way, but rather as a way to distinguish this novel from what many refer to as "popcorn" thrillers. This well-written novel is not super fast paced. Readers who like to dig deep, who like a bit of character excavation mixed in with their thrills will love this one. The writing has a lovely dense feel to it. The friend group in question is pretty odd/unusual, I was a little surprised they didn't catch on that Clare was French; it seems realistic that she might have slipped up on her accent or idioms every once in a while. The overall atmosphere of this story is pretty dark. I liked the author's writing style and the way the story wraps up.

It’s hard to give this one a rating. I wanted to keep reading, to see what happened. But it was dark and uncomfortable. None of the characters are likable and they’re kind of unhinged, but in different ways. Usually there’s some redeeming qualities where you feel some sort of sympathy, even if you can’t stand behind a character’s actions. But it’s hard to feel that here.

I don’t think it was a bad story. It’s the kind of thing that you can’t look away from, even as it makes you uncomfortable.

What a fun twisted read, it is amazing as a young woman what we do to fit in and make friends. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys this genre and I’ve had 2 friends purchase it based on our conversations around it. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I will just say it is very well written with a thought out plot!

This was a different sort of thriller/suspense for me. A bit dark, with lots of complexity so you need to pay attention. Clare is attending college in Edinburgh, far away from Paris where she called home. Longing to reinvent herself and perhaps fix past mistakes, Clare takes up with Imogen, Ava and becomes obsessed with the golden haired Tabitha .
Clare even loses her French accent so her new friends do not realize she is French. Her boss quickly nicknames the group "the Shiver:" ( the name for a group of sharks")- are they predatory?
They sure are very strange- and for the most part, very unlikeable. The friendship is certainly on uneven ground as Clare is never sure just what her standing in the group is as they one minute vie for her attention and the next ignore her completely. There are some strange (and very weird) events that happen to Clare, both past and present- and at times I wasn't sure what in the heck was happening. The gist of it was the group wanted Clare to be part of their secret "project" and she was so desperate to fit in she went along to get along. (rolling eyes)
I kept on reading mainly because I wanted to get to the end to find out what happens in the future to this bizarre group- bit of a twist ending that will appeal to suspense/thriller readers.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a first-person, slow-burn drama with thriller undertones. It is great dramatic piece told from the point of view of Clare during her years at university and the relationship she has with some fellow peers as she tries to remake herself and fit in. Clare has a complicated past and we see the events and her emotional and mental status as she becomes friends with a group of fellow students. It is an interesting story with pieces parcelled out intermittently to help keep the drama and mystery going. A good read for a rainy day.

Heather Darwent’s debut The Things We Do to Our Friends combines the setting and tone of Dark Academia like The Secret History with the pacing and plot of thrillers like Gone Girl; the brooding and female manipulation almost overwhelms you.
Clare, the protagonist, is reinventing herself in Edinburgh after a secret “episode” in France. She falls in with the charismatic Tabitha and agrees to join her “project,” with Ava, Imogen, and Samuel, Tabitha’s sometimes friends/sometimes cronies. As they get deeper and deeper into the project, resentment and fears bubble to the surface, and hints of suppressed violence start to take a very real shape. Clare navigates through increasingly complex relationships, unsure of how to escape the toxic codependence.
Darwent’s writing throughout is fantastic, propelling the story in unexpected directions. Though the plot itself isn’t particularly groundbreaking – female friendships and revenge fantasies coalescing around college-age women – the characters are eccentric and fascinating. However, for a story that hinges on characters’ psychology, the interiority of the main 5—Claire, Tabitha, Ava, Imogen, and Samuel—remains surface level. Even when Claire presses her perhaps boyfriend to explain why he likes her, he scoffs her off and their relationship remains something of a mystery.
Overall, an incredible debut that promises more exciting novels in the future!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine – Bantam Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a very, very dark book. It is disturbing and a psychological story. It begins when Claire leaves home to go to the University of Edinburgh. She wants desperately to fit in and to form strong friendships but she comes from a very dysfunctional setting and has done terrible things that she wants to forget. She takes a job in a bar to pay her bills, and finally meets Tabitha who is very charismatic, and has an unusual circle of friends that Claire is eager to join.

This book is very slow to read and I really struggled with it. I did not like any of the characters at all and there was no one to cheer for. I kept with it to the end but never found redeeming qualities to the novel. It hits on all the dark sides of life. I like a book that is more uplifting but I am sure that other readers will feel differently. I do recommend this for those other readers..

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a great debut novel with Heather Darwent being an author to follow. Beautifully written with an undercurrent of suspense and subtlety. Highly recommended for fans of literary fiction, stories about friends (both toxic and non-toxic), and readers who enjoy the question, Who can you trust? Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

The writing style drew me in initially. I love the descriptive words the author chooses and the setting was beyond perfect for this dark and twisty thriller. I have never read a story with such a complex and untrustworthy narrator, but Clare was somehow perfect for this story. Her backstory was a mystery up until the very end. I enjoyed that aspect!

Each character within the main friend group has a complete and developed personality. They were all complex, flawed, and unique in their own ways to where it didn't get confusing.

I really enjoyed the twists that were revealed so nonchalantly throughout the story. I enjoy a story that I really have to read into and figure out, because it is not quite so obvious.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others. It reminded me somewhat of The Secret History, but with a very unique and dark twist.

This was interesting. The cover is so pretty. The story is intense, dark, & frustrating. I had a hard time understanding what was happening for much of the book but overall it was different & I would recommend.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and plot and I wanted to like it, but there was not enough action for my tastes. I kept waiting for a reveal that took way too long.

The plot was good, the characters seemed interesting, but maybe not fleshed out enough. It seemed to be bordering on gothic in atmosphere. The most active scene was The Pig (no spoilers - you'll recognize it when you get there), and if the momentum was sustained for the rest of the book it might have worked for me. I couldn't reconcile the age group (young college students) with their actions (entrepreneurial and dark).

My disappointment might be with the book being classified as mystery/thriller when I would probably call it women's fiction, although it had some very dark moments.

I do appreciate the opportunity from NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam to read this advance reader's copy.

The Things We Do To Our Friends was a very interesting story. We have Clare who is desperate to start over as she goes to university in Edinburgh. She gets a job in a cocktail bar and meets a couple of new friends who she is immediately intrigued by. As she gets closer to them, she starts to realize that they are into something she is not sure she wants to be apart of, but she cannot seem to stay away no matter how hard she tries. When she does try to get out, her past seems to haunt her into going back to her "friends." This was really interesting because the prologue does not seem to make sense with the rest of the book but towards the end you find out how it's connected and it was WILD. There were parts that were a little confusing to me because the narrator was telling this in the past tense, but kept making references to the present, but otherwise, I thought this entire story was super interesting and did not head in the direction I was expecting. Overall a great read.

The debut novel The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent is a strange and twisty tale that is very enjoyable. The group of friends at an Edinburgh university are all incredibly unlikeable yet they draw you in to their small circle. The crew start a company to come to the aid of wives who are convinced their husbands are cheating. One of the encounters proves more dangerous and changes the dynamics of the group. In the end it is clear who are the true strong characters.
The author’s use of flashbacks to help understand the main character, Clare, and how her past impacts her current situation, unfolds slowly so that the reader is always left wondering. This subtle strategy adds to intrigue of the story.

First off, what a gorgeous cover! That’s what initially drew me to the book. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading it. It took me a bit to get into the story and understand what was happening. Clare is interesting and the company she keeps are quite interesting to say the least. I found this dark, intriguing, intense, frustrating, and full of unlikeable yet slightly delightful characters. You will want to give this a read if you are looking for something different. Many thanks for this ARC that was provided to me via Kindle, from Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley.

This book is unsettling, unhinged, and deliciously disturbing. The author does not hold back, which I respect. The opening is intriguing and raises a lot of alarm/questions. At first, the pace is slow but tantalizing enough to hold attention. The middle picks up, and then the last 40% or so feels like hurtling through the air after being shot from a cannon. Pieces of the full story are gradually revealed, and the flashbacks are perfectly placed. All of the characters are generally unlikeable, yet it is impossible to not root for them. Just when I thought everything had been wrapped up, the last big twist happened, which I did not predict. The ending is also satisfying--this is a well-written, self-contained story that offers insightful perspective into the volatile cocktail created when toxic friendships and group dynamics combine with instability. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an atmospheric read. After finishing this book, you will likely feel disgusted, but you will enjoy it.

Sometimes you need a feel good book, and sometimes you need a book that embraces all the nasty, awful, and toxic things in the world. This book is the latter. The characters are unlikeable, horrible people. This story does not have a pleasant ending.

I want to make sure readers know what they’re about to open because on the flip side this book is pure brilliance. The author wholly embraces the evilness of her characters - their motivations, the ways they think, how they treat each other. The plot is sinister and seductive. This book is about awful people finding other awful people and feeding off each other to a horrible end. You’ll be drawn in - despite your attempts otherwise.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was ok. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It was ok. The characters are all completely unlikable. The story dragged a bit for me, and I had a hard time getting into it. I'm growing weary of the trope of having the characters refusing to communicate with each other. I think authors use it to build suspense, but all it really does is make me uninterested in the story.

Very well written book by an author Ive never read before. Unfortunately it just wasn’t my type of book. I will definitely still look for more by this author.