Overview

The Things We Do To Our Friends follows Clare as she starts university in Edinburgh and sets out to remake herself. She becomes drawn to Tabitha, a wealthy and confident student who pulls Clare into an intense friendship group filled with parties, secrets, and a shared academic project. As Clare moves deeper into this world, past choices and present pressures begin to collide, and it becomes clear that belonging comes with strings attached.

Voice & Atmosphere

We found the atmosphere tense and quietly unsettling. Heather Darwent writes in a controlled first person voice that keeps us close to Clare’s thinking, even when we begin to doubt her version of events. Edinburgh plays a strong role, with grand houses, late nights, and closed doors creating a sense of privilege that always feels slightly threatening rather than safe.

Characters

Clare is sharp and observant but deeply insecure, always aware of her outsider status. Tabitha dominates the novel with ease, generous on the surface but clearly in control. The rest of the group move in and out of focus, each driven by their own wants and fears. Watching Clare try to balance desire, ambition, and self preservation is where the tension really builds.

Themes

This novel explores friendship as a form of power, and how class and privilege shape who gets to feel safe. It looks closely at performance and passing, and at the small compromises that slowly become harder to undo. It also asks how much of ourselves we are willing to give up in order to feel chosen.

What Worked

• Strong sense of place: Edinburgh feels stylish, closed off, and quietly hostile.
• Psychological tension: the unease builds steadily rather than relying on shocks.
• Unreliable narration: Clare’s voice keeps us questioning motive and truth.

Minor Quibbles

• The group’s shared project remains vague when it could have carried more weight.
• Clare’s decision making can feel uneven as the story moves toward its conclusion.

Final Thoughts

We read this as a sharp and unsettling look at friendship, power, and the quiet damage caused by wanting to belong.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)