Description 🔖

Clare is looking for a blank slate and the opportunity for a fresh start and so she enrols at Edinburgh University where she knows nobody.

Then she meets the charming and filthy rich, Tabitha. Clare is quickly taken under her wing and is swept along into the world of summers in France, champagne on rooftops and amounts of money she’s unable to fathom.

Clare is confident that she has found her group of friends and her new life has begun. But then Tabitha reveals the project she’s working on; which can’t go ahead without Clare. Clare doesn’t want to go along with the project, but she has no choice. Tabitha knows her secret.

General Thoughts 🤔

Firstly, I’ll forewarn that this is likely to be a pretty short review. Me and this book did not click and I found reading it a struggle. It felt like I read an entire book of nothing and then there was a reveal at the end that was predictable and not really that exciting.

The book was supposed to be dark but it wasn’t that that I disliked about it because that’s my jam, it’s what I’m into. However I don’t think that there was much that was particularly dark in the story.

Characters 👫👭👬

Clare was the main character and it was obvious that she was very troubled, but the reason for this was dragged on and on and I don’t feel like I truly understand her now, having finished the book. She was made out to have anger problems and be violent, however she actually came across as quite weak I found. It may have been because that’s what she wanted to appear to be to Tabitha and the rest of the group, but if that was the case, it wasn’t obvious enough for me to draw that conclusion.

Finn was really the only character that I could have liked in the story, but he was very much on the outskirts of the plot. I’m all for unlikeable characters, in fact I quite like them. But I didn’t enjoy disliking these characters. They were all superficial, lacked depth and were dare I say it; a bit boring.

Writing Style ✍️

I really don’t like to use the “B” word for a book, but this book did genuinely feel quite boring. I didn’t think that much happened overall and so progressing through each chapter was like waiting for something that never ended up materialising.

I would have liked to have found out about or at least had more information about Clare’s past earlier on and more often throughout the story. I think it would have helped with having some feeling (positive or negative) about her character and her actions.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

It’s sad that this book and I were not meant to be. Unfortunately we did not connect and I struggled through about 70% of the story. I didn’t have anything in common with the characters and couldn’t draw on my own experiences to relate to them which probably influenced how I felt about them and their stories. I do think that there are a lot of readers that will like the tone and style of this debut author and it’s 100% personal preference that it wasn’t to my taste. I hope that this book finds its people and it has lots of success.

Creepy, intense, dark and a completely unpredictable debut thriller offered by Heather Darwent!

Clare heads to University in Edinburgh, a chance to reinvent herself in a new place and new city . Originally from Paris, then Hull, she works to adapt to her new life and lifestyle, she quietly attends her lectures and classes, dulling her accent so she can disappear into the surroundings of her new home; getting a job in the local bar, perfecting her cocktail making abilities and befriending the owner. Secretly she loathes her roommates for their boring originality which she fears will lull her own personality, she craves excitement from her company, choosing her friends carefully, a spark that can fan the flames of her new life; and soon enough, she meets Tabitha.

Tabitha and her clique including sidekick Imogen, oligarch Ava and mysterious Samuel bring a bubble of excitement to Clare's life but at what cost? Tabitha's eccentric project for Clare brings back memories of her dark past, that she has tried so hard to escape. This time, to her horror, she realises her new found friends have no intention of letting her go.

The first chapter had my heart in my mouth, talk about setting a scene! I think that alone will make you realise if you're going to enjoy the book or not. It was a slow burn in the first half with the build up and I was not completely invested until 45% of the way in, I wasn't sure where we were heading with the plot (not a negative because I was intrigued and the writing is strong) but the last third of the book was especially gripping and I read it within a day!

None of the characters are likeable, and I think that worked here; they are all so disturbing you want to know who is more undone than the other in their eccentricity and it keeps you interested to find out what happens next.

It was a unique concept, unconventional and mysterious and I did enjoy it. Strong debut!

Thank you to @netgalley @RandomHousePublishingGroup @Ballantine for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. Get your copy on 12th January!

Three stars for the quality of the writing, which was really good. I liked the synopsis but the execution didn't do it for me.

A tale of toxic friendships, power and the potency of secrets.

The novel features classic tropes of dark academia that I’m drawn to: a close knit impenetrable group with a complicated, intertwining history and a dark and gloomy setting. There are also links between the character’s studies and the overarching themes at play such as references to Carravagio’s Judith, with its depiction of women triumphing over oppressive men.

Darwent has created an atmosphere that is claustrophobic, echoing how Clare is consumed by the group and its secrets, as well as her own.

The book also explored the classic theme of nature vs nurture. Is Clare inherently a bad person or is it her peers and surroundings that are a bigger influence?

Dark, twisty and a rather thrilling ride. I really enjoyed this tale of toxic university friendships and thought I had the storylines sussed, until the author revealed a different path. Edinburgh provided the background, a mixture of the academic and seedy which well suited the cast of charatcers. Unexpected and gripping, highly enjoyable and I definitely recommend.

It’s a delight to welcome a new author into the crime and thriller world and I have no doubt at all that Heather Darwent will have a sparkling writing career. The Things We Do to Our Friends is a delightfully dark story of dangerous and toxic friendships. Clare has not had an easy life and has come to study at Edinburgh University, putting her old life behind her. This is her opportunity to reinvent herself; to become the woman she wants to be.

She finds herself a job in a bar and even begins a tentative relationship. But in her art class she meets Tabitha. Tabitha, for reasons Clare cannot fathom, pays court to Clare, drawing her slowly and inexorably into her tight, glittering circle. Their hedonistic lifestyle is seductive, but more than that, Clare enjoys a strong feeling of belonging and being wanted as part of this exclusive clique.

Heather Darwent beautifully creates the dark and twisty atmosphere of Edinburgh’s Old Town and the contrast with the glittering Georgian apartment that is Tabitha’s New Town abode. Her Clare is quiet and in need of nurture, and Tabitha’s flattery is insidious and persistent.

The Things We Do to Our Friends is a study in understanding character and showing how easy it is to play on the need for acceptance and inclusion. It is full of calculated manipulation and a perverted view of feminism that feels exciting and just dangerous enough, but is full of danger and poor intent.

The dynamics of the relationships in Tabitha’s inner circle are venal and unpleasant and Darwent beautifully draws this out with skill and intrigue

Verdict: I thought this was cleverly written with good pace and excellent plotting, conveying a dangerous atmosphere that the reader is constantly aware of in the background. You know something is not right with this disturbing friendship and that the power dynamics are seriously skewed, but Clare becomes like a fly trapped in Tabitha’s web. Beautifully executed, this is a dark and intoxicating read that is bound to do very well.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I have seen so much about this book on Twitter and I was intrigued from the start. The details are beautifully written and I would love to read more from this author. I stayed interested the whole way through and thought it was a good read. The characters are well written, if all a little bit unlikeable which adds to the intrigue for me. A good story that I would read again.

A great read, full of twists, turns and toxic relationships. Loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

I’ll start by saying that I definitely agree with some of the other reviews that said this book was slow-placed. I understand when you’re trying to world-build and provide background, but sometimes things were too descriptive to the point it would take you out of the story and cause you to disengage from the story.

I think the concept and themes including dark academia, murder etc could have been interesting but even the ending was a bit of a let down unfortunately.

This was kind of disappointing, i was hoping for a dark academia thriller and this was just a little bit too slow paced for me. I feel that the characters were not always fully fleshed out and they felt more like 2d versions of what they could be for sections of the books. Clare's voice fit her blank slate persona well but it did feel at times like she was a little too bland and i wasn't even sure what here character was at points.

When I read the synopsis for this one, I just knew I was going to love it and I was so excited when I got accepted for the ARC.

From the opening chapter you just knew you were in for a disturbingly, wild ride! I’m a f fan of dark academia and this one really hit the mark. Although I found the pacing on the slower side I was never bored or distracted.

Written through the view point of ‘Clare’, who was very much an unreliable narrator, we switch between past and present. This added to the mystery and intrigue, never knowing quite what was going on right until the end. Even at the end I still had questions and wasn’t entirely sure about everything.

The characters are all very unlikeable, unreliable and generally not a nice person. All of that worked perfectly for the plot and added another layer to it. It has a range of very complex and messed up characters leading to a twisted and dark plot line.

Teenage angst, toxic friendships, atmospheric, the story has it all. The perfect dark, psychological thriller! I don’t think this will be everyone’s cup of tea (possibly quite a marmite kind of read) but I bloody loved it!

A dark and atmospheric debut.
A tale of toxic friendships involving a group of unlikeable, well written characters. Each time I put it down, I found myself picking it back up as I was intrigued by where it was going.
It was a little repetitive at times, and there were some bits I'd have liked a little more detail. But overall I enjoyed it and would read more by this author.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc ebook.

The Things We Do To Our Friends is a beautifully imagined novel centred on manoeuvrings of students and friendship groups attending university in Edinburgh in the early 2000s.

The novel is atmospheric, with a well curated sense of threat and unease which steadily increase throughout. As the novel develops, secrets of the central characters come out of the woodwork.

It’s a fun tale of friendships, femininity, and the need to fit in. For Clare, the main character, she finds herself caught between a normal life with friends and a boyfriend, or the intriguing appeal of something more exciting, and perhaps more dangerous. The friendships develop quickly to become all encompassing and obsessive, demanding more from her than she expected.

'“The things we do for our friends,” Tabitha said to no one in particular. “We help them. We have to”’

Another central theme of the power imbalance between men and women. Darwent mentions the treatment of multiple women at the hands of men throughout the novel, as well as the status quo of society resulting from this inequality. This is then countered by the attempts by Clare and her friends to play the power imbalance and win.

‘And how different this was for him than it was for me or for any girl alone at night. To never be thinking of soft footsteps behind him. Certainly, no sense of danger.’

As the novel progresses, identity and one's sense of self are drawn into question, as the plot reaches an almost dream-like frenzy. With the push-and-pull of power within the group, and increasing pressure and desire from all sides, decisions are made and lives are changed.

‘However far you think you’re able to go, you just go further. That’s what it’s all about. It’s what life is about’

The Things We Do To Our Friends had a great deal of potential, however it all came to a head in a climax that I found slightly underwhelming.

The Things We Do To Our Friends follows Clare, who moves from Hull to Edinburgh for university and it’s very clear she’s hiding something. She soon becomes enthralled with the mysterious Tabitha and her group of equally glamorous and enigmatic friends. She’s quickly drawn into their world until one day they let her know that they know what she did.

There’s a lot going on in this book, it tries to be too many things. It’s an enjoyable mystery with a few twists and turns but it wasn’t anything mind blowing.

And one final thing - stop comparing books to The Secret History when they’re not even remotely similar - it sets them up for failure!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. While there was some beautiful prose, especially in the first two thirds of this university setting women centric psychological thriller, and i enjoyed the Edinburgh setting, this novel was rather too slow paced and disjointed for me and the conclusion left me feeling dissatisfied and perplexed. There are some good ideas here but the execution could have been better.

Set in Edinburgh, this book has a rich dark academic vibe to it where secrets and an imminent sense of danger appear to lurk just at the edges. We follow the story of Clare as she befriends a mysterious group at university, and the resulting changes in her demeanour and life.
While the pacing is slow, I found myself wanting to find out if something would happen.

I can’t quite figure out if I enjoyed it or not because this was completely unexpected, and there were parts that made my skin itch (there’s a mention of a pig carcass at one point which made me go eeek!) but other times I found it a little flat. It’s intriguing and unlike anything I’ve read before, but I’m unsure if that’s a positive thing or not.

The Things We Do To Our Friends is Bunny by Mona Awad meets The Secret History by Donna Tartt. And that alone should have made it the perfect read for me, but I felt that this just fell a little...flat.

The premise was interesting and I thought that Clare was a really interesting protagonist, as well as Tabitha, Ava and co but I feel as though it could have done with another round of edits to make it perfect. I wanted more details about the 'business' that they were running and at the risk of sounding like a crazy person, I wanted it to be more violent.

Still, it was an enjoyable read and I really enjoyed Heather Darwent's writing (I loved her descriptions of Edinburgh!), and I would defintiley pick up any future work by her!

Im not quite sure how to sum this book up as I really enjoyed the writing style and there was plenty of potential for it to be a great read. However, the plot was seriously odd and was lacking in any real direction which did make it a bit of a slog for me to get through. I felt like the majority of the time I wasn’t completely sure what was going on and there were some questions that remained unanswered which frustrated me. Overall not my favourite.

Thank you Netgallley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!


ok this is the perfect dark, intense and very immersive dark academia book. This had a very different feel to it compare to other dark academia books i have read.

Firstly the most reliable narrator i have met thank you Clare!!! I liked Clare’s backstory and how it stayed with her throughout and how they all owed Tabitha in some way despite Tabitha not even caring really. In the end Tabitha just wanted friends and to have fun in her own way.

Ava was a well written character, when she explained herself at the end. She felt genuine and very sincere idk i really loved Ava.

Samuel i felt i connected to a-lot with the different aspects of his life and how dealt with his demons and how he presented himself.

Imogen i only really remember her character at the end. But i felt like despite her character had a good ending as she was able to get out.

Ava and Clare staying together at the end and Samuel and Imogen splitting off from them and staying together makes me happy and makes so much sense.

i can’t remember now but was a plothole that wasnt explained in the end maybe it was but at the it felt there was so much dumping in it to tie it all up.

I also didn’t like the last sentence of the book. SORRY

some quotes i picked out that i connected to:

I liked the world we’d created until it had all gone wrong.

‘I didn’t realize properly for too long, I was so busy doing what I’d always done  –  trying to please her,

I’ve saved her once, but I won’t do it again. Now it’s you and me, and you can be the star.’

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC

3.5/5.