Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book to review.

HOLY SMOKES! This is truly one of the best books I’ve read this year - and I’ve read quite a good few. The author captures obsession, all sides of it and all effects of it in a fascinating way.

I truly must tell you, there isn’t a single likable character in this book. I found myself hating almost everyone and I have never been happier with that. The characters are not meant to be liked. I don’t even think they are meant to be pitied. You see these characters through rose colored glasses that the main character gives you but you also see that they (the MC included) are just wholly terrible people.

I was not expecting the twists and turns that happened in this book and I am not disappointed at all at how deranged this ends.

Definitely a book to read once it publishes!

I freaking loved this book!! It was dark, and twisted, and messed up in the absolute best way!! A group of female friends hitting back at men in twisted ways? Yes, please!! I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next! I’ll be waiting!!

For me to give a 5 star rating means I couldn't put the book down and couldn't wait to read each night. This story reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt which I absolutely love. I couldn't tell whether the narrator was truthful, harmful, good, etc. Such a distinct voice kept me intrigued.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a sort of thriller and mystery that is hard to put down, though I went back and forth on whether I actually liked the book. Many of the characters felt familiar, especially if you have read books in the dark academia theme: Clare is the main character, the socially awkward girl with a secret who is drawn to the beautiful and charismatic girl, Tabitha. Tabitha is self centered and slightly unhinged but for some reason the people in her orbit mistake this for being interesting. It’s a formula in a lot of thrillers with female leads in an academic setting (college or boarding school) and I felt others did it better (Ruth Ware’s The It Girl for instance)..

On the other hand I wanted to see where the story would lead and found myself reaching for the book constantly to find out what happened next. Maybe the book just didn’t quite click for me as I found the characters and their actions just too awful.

really enjoyed this one! unsettling, unhinged women committing crimes against men! i honestly was pretty confused about what was going on throughout this book but i enjoyed how it all wrapped up!

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