I was excited to read this due to it’s setting and its supposed similarity to the secret history, but unfortunately it just isn’t there. I think it played too much into the trend of dark academia and didn’t actually successfully represent dark academia.

Had such high hopes for this but it sadly didn’t deliver for me. I wasn’t gripped or connected to the story and found it a little slow.

Ugh. Too slow. Too long and everyone was too awful. The Secret History this is not. I really thought I would enjoy this book, but I couldn't.

This had such a strong premise and since it was compared to my faveeee, The Secret History, I was very keen. And it started off strong, and initially, I couldn’t put it down. But as the book progressed, it kind of lost my attention, and I wasn’t convinced by the ‘business’ that they started up.

I liked the Gothic Edinburgh setting, but the characters felt kind of 2D and flimsy. Given that they were also so unlikeable, it was really hard to feel invested, and ultimately, it ended up just feeling a bit slow and boring 🫠

To sum it up, this was a bit…meh. Not one I’ll remember. In fact…what happened at the end, again? 😅

This book has a very tense feeling and is a thriller that can feel suffocatingly gripping. I think i’m veering away from university set novels partly because im now too old for that but I also thing its very common and not always done well. This was a good read but can be very intense too.

This is a dark, twisty debut novel. It is a slow burn but that helps you to get into the story. This is a tense atmospheric read. It is full of lovable characters.

Absolutely LOVED this book. The vibes were immaculate, the characters were so messy and it was honest about it. 100% want to read more in this genre and from this author!

I had high hopes for this but was left disappointed. Unlikeable characters and it's quite slow and boring in places, but I persevered.

Having recently watched Saltburn this book had elements of it. The elite believing they can act and treat people how they want without considering how much they could be ruining lives.

I did enjoy this book and would read another by this author.

Firstly, I love the cover of this book! It would definitely pull me in on a shelf.

The summary plot of the book has me intrigued, and I do enjoy a dark thriller set at university, however I really struggled to get into it. I felt the characters were hard to be interested in because I found them so unlikeable. I can appreciate unlikeable characters but I need to be interested in them, or feel the shameful need to like them despite their horridness, but that just wasn't the case here.
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Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I will be unable to give feedback on this book. I requested this book and had intentions of reading it. However my taste in books has changed and I do not feel that a review from me would do the book justice

This is an excellent psychological thriller from Darwent, set just up the road from me. A novel full of so many unlikeable characters it feels obscene to say I am in love with it. It's creepy, toxic and obsessive.

Absolutely loved this book!! It sucks you in from the start and you soon become embroiled in the unknown. I’m fond of a book set in a Scottish location and loved that it was set in Edinburgh - definitely added to the story and the unreliable nature of the book! Loved the twists and turns as the book went on and the characters were both fascinating and detestible!

Thank you Penguin and Netgalley
A great novel about toxic relationships - well written with sympathy at times.
Highly recommend.

Mixed feelings; it was fun and well paced but there were parts I just felt like I had to skim through as I wasn't entirely invested

A story about strange friendships and secrets. Sometimes even toxic. The twists in the story were good, though I don’t think it should be labelled as an academy book as we don’t get to see much of the university. I did enjoy the book though and had to keep turning the pages as I just had to know what happened next!

Started off pretty well and I found the story intriguing but as I went on nothing much seemed to happen. It just got a bit boring and didn’t keep my attention. DNF at 32%

This book was alot darker than I was expecting, and I love dark! The beginning hooked me immediately. Throughout the story I was constantly wondering what Clare's back story was and what it would lead her to do. There were witchy vibes and I loved that it was mostly set in Edinburgh, the creepiest of back drops. Really good, suspenseful read!

Intellectual intrigue.
Love these stories that take place at universities, the lifestyle and attitudes.
Clare joins university at Edinburgh, she seems to be a quiet anonymous person in a flat share with two equally unassuming girls. This all changes when she gets a job in a cocktail bar and meets another group, Tabitha, Ava, Imogen and Samuel. This group of attractive and seemingly well off students, claim Clare and involve her in their.plots and money making schemes. The dynamics inside the group is constantly changing, Clare is desperate to fit in and overcome her mysterious past, her involvement with Finn, the bar owner helps to keep her grounded.
Playing with other peoples lives can end tragically.

I could not gel with these characters, I disliked all of them to varying degrees but the ending surprised me.