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lee659's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual harassment
porshasmithh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Toxic friendship and Sexual harassment
aliyachaudhry's review against another edition
- 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
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
ashlislibrary's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Murder, Mental illness, Suicide, Alcoholism, and Torture
zxphyrean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Classism, and Toxic relationship
sovner736's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Mental illness and Sexual harassment
Minor: Suicide
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It follows Clare, in her first year at university in Edinburgh and on a mission to reinvent herself and stumbles into an unlikely friendship with a group of wealthy students she has almost nothing in common with. What started out as an exciting opportunity to become popular and interesting soon becomes an obsessively toxic friendship that takes a rather nasty turn (we’re talking stalking, blackmail and tons of narcissistic behaviour) when Clare gets pulled into their increasingly (devious?) schemes—culminating in that shocking ending.
I was honestly surprised by how dark that opening chapter was and how strangely invested I became in finding out what exactly happened (and why.) In fact, a lot of the plot revolves around the mystery surrounding not only Clare’s backstory but the backstories of all her new friends. Particularly queen bee,Tabitha—whose saccharine sweet demeanour masks her chaotic and quite often self destructive tendencies—and an upbringing far from the glamorously breezy lifestyle Clare imagines.
It’s told exclusively from Clare’s perspective and navigates dual timelines as we jump between a present day Claire and the memories of her days at Edinburgh university in the mid-2000s.
With every page dripping in suspense, the slow-burn build up was torturously good and the tension that Heather Darwent manages to cultivate definitely had me on edge. And the themes explored (class and privilege, obsession, toxic friendships and revenge) only add to the dark, seedy underbelly we catch glimpses of—behind the veneer of wealth and privilege that Tabitha, Ava, Imogen and Samuel wield.
Clare (our protagonist) was an intriguing character, though her appeal has far less to to with charisma or any endearing qualities (which she doesn’t really have) but with the intensity of her need to find the perfect friend group—one worthy of her time. but no matter how obsessive, callous or disconnected she became to the people around her, I genuinely liked her—in all her scheming unreliable narrator glory.
And the focus of Clare’s obsession, the glamorous and ruthlessly charismatic Tabitha was just as obsessively scheme-y and chaotic as our protagonist. Her saccharine sweetness towards Clare’s held a sinisterly, menacing undertone that I genuinely couldn’t look a what from no matter how much of a car crash I knew the implosion between them was going to be.
The group itself revolves primarily on the hierarchy that Tabitha dictates but, the drama and uncertainty that excites (and entices) Clare is what truly seems to make them all thrive and it’s this energy that inspires their unorthodox business which becomes the catalyst of all their problems.
It’s definitely a slow-burn type thriller, so if slower paced books aren’t your thing you make struggle with this one, but the build up is absolutely intoxicating and I really enjoyed the thrill of trying to guess what was gonna happen next.
Given some of the darker themes and subject material (such as violence,murder, suicide, sexual harassment & sexual assault) I’d definitely recommend looking into the TWs beforehand.
Overall a decadently dark and compulsively menacing mystery/thriller that will appeal to fans of the toxic friend trope or Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.
Also a huge thank you to Viking Books UK for the proof.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Stalking, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
daisywilkes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Classism, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Violence, Torture, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Child abuse, and Alcoholism