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chelsmarieantoinette 's review for:
The Things We Do to Our Friends
by Heather Darwent
I love the dark academia genre. I recently finished Ruth Ware's It Girl and I was reading the physical copy of The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell at the same time as this e-arc of The Things We Do To Our Friends. That said, I don't think Darwent did this one *as well* as others in the genre. This book dragged for me. TTWDTOF was a little too "vague for the sake of suspense," which is fine for the start, but when I'm halfway through a book and I still feel confused, its irritating.
Darwent definitely knows how to excellently write a flawed main characters, though, and the way she drew Clare in to this troubled group while trying to fit in during her first year at school made the connection between these "friends" feel very real. The need for friendships made sense, but the general obsession with Tabitha was somewhat lost on me and I didn't totally buy that everyone simply went along with all her plans, which seemed far too mature for a group of college freshman. It just felt like some depth or building was missing.
I did definitely connect with Clare's relations and general discomfort with men and her constant feeling/descriptions that she was basically prey in her female body. Darwent captured that uncomfortable aspect of feminine youth very well and also painted a beautiful - if not dark and erie - picture of the city of Edinburgh.
This book is an examination of Nature vs. Nurture with familial relations and friendships as well as a character's ability to adapt to her surroundings. While it felt incomplete, it's still an interesting, twisty read.
Darwent definitely knows how to excellently write a flawed main characters, though, and the way she drew Clare in to this troubled group while trying to fit in during her first year at school made the connection between these "friends" feel very real. The need for friendships made sense, but the general obsession with Tabitha was somewhat lost on me and I didn't totally buy that everyone simply went along with all her plans, which seemed far too mature for a group of college freshman. It just felt like some depth or building was missing.
I did definitely connect with Clare's relations and general discomfort with men and her constant feeling/descriptions that she was basically prey in her female body. Darwent captured that uncomfortable aspect of feminine youth very well and also painted a beautiful - if not dark and erie - picture of the city of Edinburgh.
This book is an examination of Nature vs. Nurture with familial relations and friendships as well as a character's ability to adapt to her surroundings. While it felt incomplete, it's still an interesting, twisty read.