Intensely dark but compulsive. It’s written so evocatively that you can’t help but be drawn in. Atmospheric and compelling.

As a character, Betsy is complicated and probably all the more real because of that. With her lucid dreams and insomnia, how can she not be enticed by a clinic that suggests she is special rather than the nuisance her family, friend, and even her new husband say she is.
I found the set-up of the novel plausible, mostly, and while a few plot twists felt engineered the overall structure was satisfying.
The ending worked for me, although I think I’d put this in a cross genre of mystery/horror to prepare readers for the outcome.
Thank you to NatGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this novel.

Excuse me whilst I piece my brain back together!

This was such a suspenseful read - I now understand the ‘I released the breath I didn't know I was holding’ phrase. This book was so bizarre and tense I was peeking through my fingers for most of the chapters!

The way we gradually learn about Betsy, the main character, and the way her condition has affected her life in the past and present day, felt very unnerving. Purely because my brain kept trying to fill in the gaps and I kept imaging the absolute worst. I also felt very angry on Betsy’s behalf, the way her family treated her and the way her friend and fiancé dismissed her.

As if I was there myself, I had no trouble imaging Carn, and all it's various rooms. Like Betsy I would have probably explored but upon discovering certain things, I don't think I would have continued to be so trusting of everyone there. Especially as the story progresses and everything gets even more dark and disturbing. And even more so when I learned the cost of what it took to help me! Those final few chapters I did not see coming!

The plot of the book is very intriguing! I kept being on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how it will all pan out and the mystery behind Carn.
The characters are very mysterious which adds to the mystery of the plot and make the book a quick read.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending but perhaps it just didn’t suit my style.

It is a very unique book with a rich, twisty, dark and tense plot which I would recommend to fans of tense and out-there mystery. My lower rating is due to the type of the plot not being in my usual reading style - but nonetheless it was an enjoyable read and one that many people will definitely enjoy.

I just don’t know.

From the blurb I was completely in, I was on the way with Betsy to Carn and I love a dark wellness trope. My problem was none of the writing felt cogent.
While I wanted to see the likely lethal consequences of Carn it felt flimsy and I couldn’t be as horrified as I wanted to be because there were too many flaws.

Safe to say Darwent is still a brilliant writer but this was not the right fit for me.

I enjoyed the first three quarters of this book, as I found the story interesting and wanted to find out the secrets of Carn. By the end, however, i felt the book had lost its way and was becoming more and more far fetched and less engaging.

This book starts off quite normally but it quickly becomes so dark and bizarre. I really enjoyed trying to solve the mystery around Carn and what exactly was going on there. I wanted to shake Betsy throughout the story especially at the start as she passively lets others rule her life. It’s a slow burn but the pay off was worth it. I enjoyed this weird little book.

This was a strange and deeply disturbing book. Set in a wellbeing centre of Carn, Betsy seeks their help with her ongoing sleep issues. When she arrives it seems like a glamours place, where she finally might seek answers to her ongong health issues., but the longer her stay goes on the more un-answered questions she has about the place. Somthing darker seems to be lerking within the walls, and there is a hidden sude to this wellbeing centre.
This is a fascinating look at the ever growing wellbeing industry, and the links it has to the patriarchy. Perfect for of Mona Awad and those that like disturbing books about the wellbeing industry,

An absolutely unique book. I loved this writer’s first book and wondered what she would follow that up with. Well……it’s dark, it’s beautifully written and it’s a full five stars from me. If you are going to buy one book this month yhen. Buy this one. Absolute genius.

Incorrect review entered in error. Review to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Darwent really knows how to build suspense! I enjoyed her debut novel a lot so thought I would give this a chance! I thought the plot twist was a bit of a let down, but overall I enjoyed reading it as the atmosphere she creates is unmatched.

I loved the slow burn of this book. The unknown and the unreliable narrator. I was swept along with Betsy to Carn. I was intrigued by the concept of a retreat that could help sick girls. That they are special.

The book has a halcean vibe to it with a dark undertow that could have taken many turns. The turn it did take was dark and somewhat delicious. It did feel a little clunky through the last 10%. But the journey was oh so sweet.

I really wanted to love this one because the premise sounded so interesting, but sadly it just wasn't for me.

I found the main character so strange, it was as if she had one personality where she was meek and sickly but then would be snappish and forward when it was needed to drive the plot forward quickly.

The idea of a health retreat having a dark and potentially deadly underbelly was one that made me so excited when I picked up the e-ARC but it fell short pretty early on. I wish that wasn't the case but my star rating reflects this!

Thank you to Viking and Netgalley for the advanded copy exchange for my honest review.

Betsey has problems with sleeping and bad dreams, and after her wedding, it all gets worse. She meets Elise who invites her to Carn, a retreat where she can be healed in a small group of women.
Elise and Carn are increasingly bizarre, there is obviously somebody funding it, but it is not clear what they are getting out of it.
The characters were all quite unpleasant, and kept changing personalities. The revelation didn't feel very plausible. I didn't really enjoy this, but
I did read to the end because I wanted to know what happened.

This was a weird one, there were a few plot holes that just didn't make sense to me so I found it hard to enjoy this book. The premise is great, a woman, just married, with some health concerns ends up admitting herself to a rehab of some sorts, however it becomes very evident that this is not a licensed center and there are weird things taking place. I really wanted to love this but it just fell a little flat for me.

3.5 rounded down

It’s insomniac Betsy’s wedding day to Harry, it’s a hot day and as the day unfolds it’s not quite as expected. It changes her and her memories of the day are hazy as if seen through a veil. After a short while, she chooses to go to Carn, leaving home with nothing but excited anticipation. Carn is a place for people like her, people with problems such as sleep but will it be the solution? Can the place, run by Elise, fix her as they claim?

Gosh, what have I just read? I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like it and it’s an unsettling feeling. I really like the start, especially the tone, as it’s questioning, wondering, mysterious, suspicious and definitely surreal as if everyone, including Betsy, are playing a role. Are the weaknesses of those at Carn being exploited? It’s extremely weird and increasingly so but for a long time I want to understand what’s at play here. It’s atmospherically strange, an odd place and very hard to figure out as most of those there act so strangely. The sense becomes off kilter and hallucinatory, what is real and what is a nightmarish dream? I feel like I’ve lost all sense of reality, never mind how Betsy might feel. I keep asking the question, what is this place? It’s as creepy as and it’s increasingly clear the characters are being manipulated in some way. However, for what purpose?

Adding to the strangeness are the characters themselves and their dynamics which becoming increasingly puzzling. As for Betsy, I swing from feeling sorry for her, to being horrified by her and on more than one occasion her actions totally throw me. I have no idea why she marries Harry and indeed, have even less idea why Harry marries her. What do they see in each other? It’s all part of the unsettling whole that’s hard to put your finger on.

When the truth of Carn emerges all I can say is, it’s not just dark, it’s beyond warped and utterly jet black. I suspect this book will be talked about a lot and people’s reactions to it will hugely vary. You’ll either love it for being creatively different or find it too much. As for me, I sit somewhere in the middle, admiring aspects of it but it’s just too unsettling to suggest it’s a novel that I can fully enjoy.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.

This started out strong, I was enjoying the mystery and intrigue that surrounded Carn. I also enjoyed the unknown pasts of the girls, it added to the sense of dread. However as the book progressed I found myself getting more and more annoyed with Betsy, in some moments she was placid and others she was arguing and questioning everything. The last 30% or so felt both rushed and chaotic, the answers were a little disappointing and I finished this book feeling underwhelmed.

This book was like nothing I've ever read before and although I wasn't quite sure at the beginning, by the end I realised that the nightmare-like unreality of everything Betsy is witnessing at Carn was exactly how I was meant to be finding the book. Even by the end I'm not 100% sure if I loved it or hated it, or sat somewhere in the middle!

I loved Heather Darwent's 2023 debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends. If you've read it, you'll know she can go dark. Very dark. Which is fine by me.
So I was delighted to receive a proof of her next novel, A Sharp Scratch. It explores the idea of the wellness industry retreat and takes you in directions you definitely won't be expecting.
It's a creepy and compelling read that digs deep into women's frailties and, more importantly, those who seek to exploit them. Heather Darwent is a superb observer of warped and devious characters and, in A Sharp Scratch, she's definitely on top form.

This book was kindly sent to me without request as I had previously read and enjoyed this authors last book. But unfortunately I struggled a bit with this one. I found it quite slow paced and felt like nothing really happened, nothing that gripped me anyway. I have read my fair share of thrillers and this one just lacked unfortunately. Quite forgettable.