THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS is a twisted tale of twisted friendship that will send shivers down any reader's spine as the bonds that bind these characters perform a seductive yet chilling dance that weaves together a deluded hope, a business proposal, and a dark need. A bit academia, a bit psychological thriller, a bit gothic horror...it all combined with a slow and steady chill that had me clutching my blanket tighter and tighter without lifting my eyes from the page.

This book was dark and twisted and quite enjoyable. I felt like I was watching a train wreck and couldn’t look away. I didn’t like any of the characters, and my dislike grew as the book went on. It was a good psychological thriller. I just wish at least one of the characters had been likable.

The things We Do to Our Friends was an interesting idea and I certainly enjoyed it some. But the characters really ruined the book for me. They were all completely unlikable and frustrating. Even the “poor” student that the rich students brought into their group had a haughtiness to her. She’s special by being poor. I was interested in the big plot that the group was planning, but again, when it came to fruition, it was just more evidence of their hubris and ego.

Dark Academia is one of my favorites so I really enjoyed this one even though it moved along incredibly slow.
Every character is unlikable and unreliable and I enjoyed the little twists and flashbacks to what to Clare had previously done

If you like twisted thrillers set on college campuses you'll enjoy The Things We Do to Our Friends

This is a very dark and twisted book. There is nothing about Clare that I liked. She’s a very troubled person. None of the characters in the book are nice. They’re not supposed to be. For me it was an uncomfortable book to read. I love thrillers but this wasn’t really a thriller. It tended to be slow for me but I think that’s because it was a book I never really got into. There’s nothing wrong with the book it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The writing itself was ok, but the characters were completely unlikable…and not in a “love to hate them” way. The plot sounded intriguing, but quickly became ridiculous to an eye-rolling degree.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an advanced copy of this book. A group of friends, trying to prove themselves, secrets, egos, and money. A recipe for a fast-moving thriller. The characters were hard to like/relate to, but I remained entertained.

Wow. This book did not go in the direction I thought. It was incredibly provocative, dark, twisted and a great story. A great psychological thriller - Clare is off to Edinburgh and trying to make friends. The group of friends she finds is surface level and fake at best, but the reasons are much more deeper than that. As they start a "side hustle" things get out of control and there's not coming back from the line in wish they've pushed the boundaries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Stories set on college campuses and this one was no exception. Very twisty and dark, a great psychological thriller!

I too wish more books were “The Secret History.” But really, no book is going to be. Doesn’t stop them for getting g written. This book has too much romance in it for my taste. Still, an elegant read.

I wanted to like this but the author kinda got lost in the woods. it was a slow start and the stuff I wanted to hear about details seemed slow. However, the character development was good, and the story was interesting but there was something missing.

I think 3 stars might be generous for this one but I let it slide because it did keep my interest only because it alluded to something through the whole first half that I held on thinking it would be worth the clunky writing and ridiculous plot. I could not get into this one at all. It seemed like it was trying to be a combination of several other recent books or plotlines and it just did not deliver for me. I will say I do love this cover though!

I was excited to be given the opportunity to read The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent. I read the description and it sounded like a book I would enjoy reading. I found it to be a quick read. Unfortunately it was just one that I did not enjoy. I didn’t find it be a thriller or much of a mystery. The characters were just bad people that made me less interested in how their stories played out. They seemed to me to be not very developed characters and found their relationships with each other lacking. Made for gaps in the plot line. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC.

A deliciously dark, creepy story. Clare is attempting to reinvent herself and put her past behind her by moving to Edinburgh to study. She is working in a bar to make ends meet. In one of her classes she meets charismatic, enigmatic Tabitha, who is the queen bee of a golden circle of friends. Clare is lured in by their inexplicable offers of friendship only to realize there is a definite downside and she must decide if it is worth being a part of this group.

if you liked the secret history, if we were villains, or bunny, you MIGHT like this?? maybe???
but this book has none of the compelling characters or interesting plot that those three other books have
i was bored. sorry lol. i kept checking how far i was in the e book and every time i thought i was 50 or 75% done i would look to see 30%, 40%, 45% like move the story along please!! it’s a dark academia thriller!!
didn’t care for any of the characters - i know that’s the point - but i didn’t care even for their ‘evil’ actions so what’s the point
the book felt like it was trying too hard to capture the vibe of those dark academia books and ended up w none of the solid plot or messaging
and the epilogue was bad - should’ve been included somewhere in the middle of the book, did nothing except say blatantly ‘hey!! i’m cRazY and a psychopath lol!!’
ALSO THE COVER IS DOOKIE - i thought it was womens lit fic the first time i saw it?? why is the better homes and gardens version of elizabeth holmes on there

First of all we need to define who the friends really are! Why are they friends? I didn't understand why these people were together. Then, I realized they had the same warped needs. Thanks, net galley for an interesting read.

This starts with a strange and gruesome prologue that doesn't seem to fit with the story until later. But once the rest of the story is revealed, it all makes sense.

Clare goes to college in Edinburgh, hoping to make a new life for herself. Part of this new image requires acquiring the right friends. She gets added to a group that is already well established. But who chose whom? And why?

I love a good psychological thriller and this one kept me guessing all of the way to the end. If that is also your jam, I would definitely recommend this.

I had such high hopes for this book. I loved the premise idea, but I just struggled to get into it. The characters were bland and it took 40% of the book to get to a new topic. I ended up DNFing it at 50%.

This cover is so beautiful. The story was a little bit too much of a slow burn for me. I ended up not finishing the whole book because I felt like nothing was really happening and it wasn't holding my interest. This is a rare occurrence for me as I try to finish all books that I start. I was excited to read a creepy, dark academia novel, but this just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Things that worked well in the novel: Clare. I did not see what was coming until about halfway through the book. Either I'm naive, or this author has nailed it in her debut novel.

Things that did not work so well: the "dark academia" format seems to be a cut-and-paste template that has been worked and reworked, and it doesn't seem to be an appropriate place to shelf this book. Clare wants to be friends with the rich and attractive clique at the University of Edinburgh. That's as far as the "academia" extends, really. The group of friends seem to be bound together out of fear of each others' secrets, but as readers we don't get a glimpse of that. We are just as in the dark as Clare. I never had a chance to feel sympathy or empathy for Clare, but maybe that was the point. Everyone is just unlikeable. Except for maybe Finn.

The novel takes on an almost entirely different tone in the last half. It felt like it decided to become a type of thriller/revenge story. I really had to power through the first 30 pages or so before the story started picking up.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a great first novel--I'll be interested to find out if Darwent hammers out a better outline for her next novel.