I like this one . I like dark academia and this was that . I felt it was paced well with engaging characters and plot and was just a good read
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

Atmospheric and entertaining - perfect for dark academia fans. A recommended first purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

The writing is beautiful, the setting haunting, and the characters are bewitching. The pacing is a little bit on a slower side for me, but I enjoyed the read!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for my advanced readers copy.
Review posted on 9/25/2022

RATING: 3.5/5

I thought this book was such a fun ride! I really enjoyed being in our main character's head, and Darwent did a great job creating an obsession-building atmosphere. I've been pitching this book as The Secret History meets Bunny, and while I still stand by that, the second half of the novel loses a great deal of the momentum that had me hooked in the beginning. The novel as a whole feels too long and I think it would benefit with a few scene removals. Once I had hit the 64% mark I started struggling to really get through to the end, though it was definitely not due to a lack of interest.

With a cover this beautiful and beautiful prose from debut author Darwent, I know I will for sure be keeping an eye out on what she publishes next.

When Julia Heaberlin blurbs a book and deems it one of the best suspense debuts they've read, I'm going to be intrigued. I read her blurb when I was offered the opportunity to read The Things We Do to Our Friends early through NetGalley and decided to take a chance.

The book follows Clare who has moved to Edinburgh on her own to go to university and reinvent herself. There's something in her past she'd rather distance herself from. She wants to be accepted and liked by Tabitha, a rich girl who always gets what she wants. Tabitha is the leader of a tight knit group of friends who are also rich and they're all strange in their own ways.

Clare is desperate to be wanted and liked by these people, she puts in the time and earns their trust. Eventually Tabitha is willing to include Clare in their secret project. Clare is shocked to discover what the project entails but of course she's on board. Until things start to get out of hand. But Clare can't back out because the group knows about her past and could expose her.

Sounds pretty interesting, right? Unfortunately, I didn't completely enjoy this book. The plot was promising but in my opinion it could've been executed better. I will say it was easy to read and atmospheric. But overall it felt...empty. Like there was no there there, if that makes sense. I don't expect to be blown away by everything I read but I also don't like coming away from a book feeling like it was pointless.

It's a three star read for me, didn't love it but I finished it and liked the idea of it. Others will love The Things We Do to Our Friends of course, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

This was well-written, but just not for me. It’s a story of a girl making new friends at university and tragedy following.

This book drew me in from its synopsis and the first couple of chapters. The plot was interesting, at first, but then it kind of fell off. It was hard to anchor myself to the book as I didn't really like the main character, as I found her to be very unlikeable. I really like the dark vibe that this book gave off because I really wanted to read more, but the plot wasn't really going anywhere. I think everyone will have different opinions regarding this book, so I would recommend trying it!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

🐷🐷🐷 / 5

This just wasn’t it for me. I wanted to like this book so much because we just visited Edinburgh, Scotland and London, UK—where parts of this book are set—but I was just lost the whole time. Every time someone asked me about it, I couldn’t really tell them what I thought about the book or what it was about. There were some great elements to this book, but it, unfortunately, wasn’t enough for me. However, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading this book, as I’ve seen some good reviews.

After an exceptionally dismal opening chapter, I found it hard to get interested in the unlikable characters presented by debut author Heather Darvent. I confess to not finishing the novel, which is unlike me. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was well written, but I just couldn’t get past the fact that none of these characters were likable. There were a few twists that I was expecting. Thanks Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Great opening for the book, but after that it just fell flat for me. It was very well written though. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This is a new author to me and I absolutely loved the style of writing. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

I really wanted to like the characters in this story but truthfully they are so unlikable. What happens when you have a group of very wealthy young adults with no moral compass?….. nothing good. A good story, that’s for sure, but I’m very glad none of these people exist in my life.

Clare arrives at university trying to find herself, when she meets Tabitha and her small circle of friends, and gets drawn into a “project” Tabitha has been planning, one with dark overtones. The Things We Do To Our Friends is a sinister journey where college friends decide to mete out their own brand of justice in a modern “man-hating” club, propelled by Tabitha and her bestie Ava. Little do they know that Clare has her own dark secrets, and the groups plans go awry. This is a slow and meandering book, with a plot that takes too long to develop and gets bogged down in too many places, making this a chore to get through. Tabitha’s motivations, beyond financial, are never fully explained, and Clare’s past, although a driving force behind her own reasons for her involvement, come to light much too late to pull this book together. Although the writing is masterful, it’s not enough to sustain the reader’s interest and plug the holes. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This novel did not hit for me, primarily because I didn’t find an anchor here. All of the characters were unlikeable and I lost interest because I didn’t really have anyone to root for.

This book was a slow burn. It started off slow for me and i was abe to put it down and pick it up later for most of the book. It picked up in the last quarter and was enjoyable. It narrator is unreliable which i sometimes like and sometimes dont and the book did drag in parts. Overall this was a good debut novel and i would read more by this author.

I wanted to enjoy this one but felt the overall mystery, plot and characters hard to relate to. I can totally see the potential here though, I might just not be the target audience.

"But don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire" – these lyrics of The Rolling Stone's song could be a motto for "The Things We Do to Our Friends" by Heather Darwent.

Clare is a young woman who moved from Paris to become a student at the University of Edinburg. Her move was not strictly for educational purposes – she wanted to escape her dark past: an event that happened when she was younger. Although terrifying, it was explained at the time by her immaturity. Now, she seems more grown-up. She gets a job as a waitress to support herself and has a boyfriend. She also attracts the attention of an elite group of students that her boyfriend calls "The Shiver" – a pack of sharks. There is a beautiful golden Tabitha, a practical Imogen, a tall, stunning, Russian-born Ava, and a handsome, different Samuel. Clare is drawn to them and fascinated by their confidence and disregard for rules. Soon, Tabitha invents a bizarre plan, which is supposed to punish unfaithful husbands or just teach men a lesson. Attractive Clare is going to play a significant role.

"You look like witches," I said. Tabitha squealed. Of course, it was the best thing I could have said." Clare repeats it in the language of her past, French: "I said it before I could even properly think it through 'Une sorcière.'"

The book is slowly brewing - like witches' brew - and becomes darker. The initial need for friendship that Clare sought is replaced by something evil. For Clare, this is a dangerous game. She knows she's different. "For some people, when they get very close to the edge of doing something bad, they draw back. When that happens to me when I get that close, it has to happen, and there is no other option." Will she stop in time not to step over the edge? And what be the price others will pay for "playing with fire," making Clare do things she thought she would never do again?

The novel can be compared to "The Secret Story" by Donna Tartt and perhaps to "The Maidens" by Alex Michaelides, but it has its own style – simple, strong, and action based. It's an engaging read and an exciting debut. Clare changes throughout the novel: we meet her when she is young, a bit naïve, but in the end, she apparently reinvents herself as an elegant wife. Still, there is that dangerous cliff by her house which can solve eventual problems and become helpful in the future…

I really do love a book with unlikeable and unhinged characters. This book immediately drew me and held my interest. It is such a fantastic debut novel! I can not wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for sending me a advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this one definitely isn’t a feel-good book. In fact, just about everything in it will likely have you feeling quite awful.

We’ve all read books where a naïve person is taken in by a group of toxic friends – well, in this one, a toxic person is taken in by other toxic people…and it’s toxic all the way down!

The book is well written. The plot has some unexpected layers, though they’re all covered with a miasma of nasty.

This is a good book for when you’re feeling mean.

Five stars for the writing style, the plot, and the fact that the author does not hold back.

• ARC via Net Galley