Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent

3 reviews

nialiversuch's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Body shaming, Death of parent, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Alcoholism

Minor: Vomit

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Sexual content, Violence, Suicide, Infidelity, Murder, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Animal cruelty

_bookishbella's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Since it’s been pitched to fans of The Secret History, but with a feminist twist, I was really hoping for a deliciously dark and intoxicating thrill ride from The Things We Do To Our Friends. I’m happy to report that I did enjoy this dark and twisted tale of a pretty toxic friendship gone all kinds of wrong.

The Things We Do To Our Friends has all the right elements:
🤔an unhinged and not-quite-unreliable-but-definitely-untrustworthy main character
😈a seemingly impenetrable group of mysterious and complex rich kids who will stop at literally nothing to get what they want
🏰a luxuriously dark and gothic Edinburgh setting
🌪a whirlwind of a plot with twists and turns for days
☠️sharp and almost venomous writing style with a toxic undercurrent that hints at the horrible and is completely compelling

I was obsessed from page one. It’s been ages since I’ve read the first 100 pages of a book in one sitting and so that was a real joy. I, like Clare, found myself completely hanging on to every word of Tabitha and her friends, and even though the foreboding sense of a car crash waiting to happen was always in the back of my mind, I couldn’t seem to look away. Clare is unlikeable and her actions and thought processes hint at a shameful past, but it’s not til the end that you get a true glimpse into who she really is, despite being in her head for the entirety of the novel. I was repeatedly surprised and sometimes disgusted at the secrets revealed, and while I do think it loses its way slightly towards the end, for the most part I couldn’t put it down. It’s one that’s best to head into blind, so I won’t say much more, but it’s definitely one to mark in your calendars for a dark, wintry afternoon in January, when it’s released. You won’t want to miss it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Vomit