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A Sharp Scratch
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Things We Do To Our Friends , comes a timely, gripping novel about the dark underbelly of wellness culture
We can fix you.
It's a promise that Betsy has heard far too many times. From the child psychologist, from her husband, and from the wellness trends that scream at her from her screen.
So far, it's been a lie.
But this time, she believes it. Because Betsy has been offered a place at Carn - a luxurious, unorthodox retreat, where healing really is possible. At Carn, she discovers that her imperfections make her unique, not weak. She isn't broken, just special.
All Betsy has to do is follow the rules . . .
'DARWENT HAS A GREAT CAREER AS A THRILLER WRITER AHEAD OF HER' SUNDAY TIMES
'Satisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted' Emma Flint, Little Deaths
'Smart, sophisticated, seductive' S J Watson, Before I Go To Sleep
'Startlingly lovely, like a fine, dark silk shivering on your skin' Julia Heaberlin, We Are All the Same in the Dark
'A deeply compelling story of friendships turned rotten' Rosemary Hennigan, The Truth Will Out
Heather Darwent 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Things We Do To Our Friends , comes a timely, gripping novel about the dark underbelly of wellness culture
We can fix you.
It's a promise that Betsy has heard far too many times. From the child psychologist, from her husband, and from the wellness trends that scream at her from her screen.
So far, it's been a lie.
But this time, she believes it. Because Betsy has been offered a place at Carn - a luxurious, unorthodox retreat, where healing really is possible. At Carn, she discovers that her imperfections make her unique, not weak. She isn't broken, just special.
All Betsy has to do is follow the rules . . .
'DARWENT HAS A GREAT CAREER AS A THRILLER WRITER AHEAD OF HER' SUNDAY TIMES
'Satisfyingly dark, cleverly plotted' Emma Flint, Little Deaths
'Smart, sophisticated, seductive' S J Watson, Before I Go To Sleep
'Startlingly lovely, like a fine, dark silk shivering on your skin' Julia Heaberlin, We Are All the Same in the Dark
'A deeply compelling story of friendships turned rotten' Rosemary Hennigan, The Truth Will Out
Heather Darwent 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Audible Audio
Published May 29, 2025
11 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
January 31, 2025
3.5 rounded down
It’s insomniac Betsy’s wedding day to Harry, it’s a hot day and as the day unfolds it’s not quite as expected. It changes her and her memories of the day are hazy as if seen through a veil. After a short while, she chooses to go to Carn, leaving home with nothing but excited anticipation. Carn is a place for people like her, people with problems such as sleep but will it be the solution? Can the place, run by Elise, fix her as they claim?
Gosh, what have I just read? I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like it and it’s an unsettling feeling. I really like the start, especially the tone, as it’s questioning, wondering, mysterious, suspicious and definitely surreal as if everyone, including Betsy, are playing a role. Are the weaknesses of those at Carn being exploited? It’s extremely weird and increasingly so but for a long time I want to understand what’s at play here. It’s atmospherically strange, an odd place and very hard to figure out as most of those there act so strangely. The sense becomes off kilter and hallucinatory, what is real and what is a nightmarish dream? I feel like I’ve lost all sense of reality, never mind how Betsy might feel. I keep asking the question, what is this place? It’s as creepy as and it’s increasingly clear the characters are being manipulated in some way. However, for what purpose?
Adding to the strangeness are the characters themselves and their dynamics which becoming increasingly puzzling. As for Betsy, I swing from feeling sorry for her, to being horrified by her and on more than one occasion her actions totally throw me. I have no idea why she marries Harry and indeed, have even less idea why Harry marries her. What do they see in each other? It’s all part of the unsettling whole that’s hard to put your finger on.
When the truth of Carn emerges all I can say is, it’s not just dark, it’s beyond warped and utterly jet black. I suspect this book will be talked about a lot and people’s reactions to it will hugely vary. You’ll either love it for being creatively different or find it too much. As for me, I sit somewhere in the middle, admiring aspects of it but it’s just too unsettling to suggest it’s a novel that I can fully enjoy.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.
It’s insomniac Betsy’s wedding day to Harry, it’s a hot day and as the day unfolds it’s not quite as expected. It changes her and her memories of the day are hazy as if seen through a veil. After a short while, she chooses to go to Carn, leaving home with nothing but excited anticipation. Carn is a place for people like her, people with problems such as sleep but will it be the solution? Can the place, run by Elise, fix her as they claim?
Gosh, what have I just read? I can honestly say I’ve never read anything quite like it and it’s an unsettling feeling. I really like the start, especially the tone, as it’s questioning, wondering, mysterious, suspicious and definitely surreal as if everyone, including Betsy, are playing a role. Are the weaknesses of those at Carn being exploited? It’s extremely weird and increasingly so but for a long time I want to understand what’s at play here. It’s atmospherically strange, an odd place and very hard to figure out as most of those there act so strangely. The sense becomes off kilter and hallucinatory, what is real and what is a nightmarish dream? I feel like I’ve lost all sense of reality, never mind how Betsy might feel. I keep asking the question, what is this place? It’s as creepy as and it’s increasingly clear the characters are being manipulated in some way. However, for what purpose?
Adding to the strangeness are the characters themselves and their dynamics which becoming increasingly puzzling. As for Betsy, I swing from feeling sorry for her, to being horrified by her and on more than one occasion her actions totally throw me. I have no idea why she marries Harry and indeed, have even less idea why Harry marries her. What do they see in each other? It’s all part of the unsettling whole that’s hard to put your finger on.
When the truth of Carn emerges all I can say is, it’s not just dark, it’s beyond warped and utterly jet black. I suspect this book will be talked about a lot and people’s reactions to it will hugely vary. You’ll either love it for being creatively different or find it too much. As for me, I sit somewhere in the middle, admiring aspects of it but it’s just too unsettling to suggest it’s a novel that I can fully enjoy.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin General UK for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.
May 19, 2025
3.5 stars
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May 28, 2025
A promising premise that doesn’t quite deliver.
In A Sharp Scratch, newly married Betsy abandons her life to join Carn: a health retreat for “broken” young women. Under the guidance of the retreat’s charismatic leader, Elise, Betsy begins to blossom. But the deeper into Carn she goes, the more questions arise. What exactly is Carn? What secrets do the other women hold? And will Betsy survive whatever is lurking beneath the surface?
Darwent sets the stage for an intriguing mystery, but the execution falls flat. The atmosphere is compelling and the set-up is promising, but the plot skims the surface, the characters feel one-note, and the prose lacks any of the sharpness and polish of her debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends. I found myself wanting more depth, more tension, more… everything.
I’ll still look forward to what Darwent does next, because there’s certainly potential, but A Sharp Scratch left me underwhelmed.
If you’re in the mood for unsettling wellness-cult horror, I’d steer you instead toward Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In A Sharp Scratch, newly married Betsy abandons her life to join Carn: a health retreat for “broken” young women. Under the guidance of the retreat’s charismatic leader, Elise, Betsy begins to blossom. But the deeper into Carn she goes, the more questions arise. What exactly is Carn? What secrets do the other women hold? And will Betsy survive whatever is lurking beneath the surface?
Darwent sets the stage for an intriguing mystery, but the execution falls flat. The atmosphere is compelling and the set-up is promising, but the plot skims the surface, the characters feel one-note, and the prose lacks any of the sharpness and polish of her debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends. I found myself wanting more depth, more tension, more… everything.
I’ll still look forward to what Darwent does next, because there’s certainly potential, but A Sharp Scratch left me underwhelmed.
If you’re in the mood for unsettling wellness-cult horror, I’d steer you instead toward Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 5, 2025
1.5 star rounded up to two.
Gosh- I really liked the idea of this book, I love anything retreat based with questionable therapies to keep you guessing.
But I think I need therapy after this- it was an absolute battle to get through and for me became a chore to read.
I found it quite boring and lacking and depth, suspense, horror, all the things it promised to provide. It needed a lot more fleshing out (pun intended) and could have provided a whole lot more character description and plot.
I finished it thinking….. and the purpose for all this was…..? I felt like nothing was explained.
Sorry it’s not a great review but thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
Gosh- I really liked the idea of this book, I love anything retreat based with questionable therapies to keep you guessing.
But I think I need therapy after this- it was an absolute battle to get through and for me became a chore to read.
I found it quite boring and lacking and depth, suspense, horror, all the things it promised to provide. It needed a lot more fleshing out (pun intended) and could have provided a whole lot more character description and plot.
I finished it thinking….. and the purpose for all this was…..? I felt like nothing was explained.
Sorry it’s not a great review but thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
May 5, 2025
Books like this one remind me of why I love reading! 5⭐️
Betsy struggles with sleeping (and that’s putting it lightly). It doesn’t matter where she goes, no one seems to be able to help her.
That is, until one day she gets an offer to go to a place called Carn, where they promise to fix her.
Once at Carn she starts noticing things. Strange things. What is really going on? Betsy needs to find out.
As someone with a chronic illness who’s constantly looking for solutions to make life more bearable, I instantly felt a connection to Betsy. Her desperation, her need to be heard, and always looking for a solution is so recognizable. Heather Darwent really knows what she’s writing about, and it’s one of the things I really loved about this book.
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading. Once I hit the 40% mark, I couldn’t put it down anymore and read the entire other 60% in one sitting. I had to know what would happen next.
This is truly literary fiction at its finest. My favorite type of lit fic is weird stories where women start losing their minds and this one definitely falls under that category. That mixed with the mystery and the suspense? Perfection. I need more books like this asap!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc.
P.S. This one really reminded me of The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. If you like this, I highly recommend checking out that one as well.
Betsy struggles with sleeping (and that’s putting it lightly). It doesn’t matter where she goes, no one seems to be able to help her.
That is, until one day she gets an offer to go to a place called Carn, where they promise to fix her.
Once at Carn she starts noticing things. Strange things. What is really going on? Betsy needs to find out.
As someone with a chronic illness who’s constantly looking for solutions to make life more bearable, I instantly felt a connection to Betsy. Her desperation, her need to be heard, and always looking for a solution is so recognizable. Heather Darwent really knows what she’s writing about, and it’s one of the things I really loved about this book.
I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading. Once I hit the 40% mark, I couldn’t put it down anymore and read the entire other 60% in one sitting. I had to know what would happen next.
This is truly literary fiction at its finest. My favorite type of lit fic is weird stories where women start losing their minds and this one definitely falls under that category. That mixed with the mystery and the suspense? Perfection. I need more books like this asap!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the arc.
P.S. This one really reminded me of The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi. If you like this, I highly recommend checking out that one as well.
January 29, 2025
2.5 stars
This started out strong, I was enjoying the mystery and intrigue that surrounded Carn. I also enjoyed the unknown pasts of the girls, it added to the sense of dread. However as the book progressed I found myself getting more and more annoyed with Betsy, in some moments she was placid and others she was arguing and questioning everything. The last 30% or so felt both rushed and chaotic, the answers were a little disappointing and I finished this book feeling underwhelmed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #ASharpScratch #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This started out strong, I was enjoying the mystery and intrigue that surrounded Carn. I also enjoyed the unknown pasts of the girls, it added to the sense of dread. However as the book progressed I found myself getting more and more annoyed with Betsy, in some moments she was placid and others she was arguing and questioning everything. The last 30% or so felt both rushed and chaotic, the answers were a little disappointing and I finished this book feeling underwhelmed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #ASharpScratch #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 22, 2025
3.5/5 rounded up. Ooh, I’m not sure about this one. Kind of liked it, not sure I entirely “got” it. Will say about the reveal, what a pile of sickos! Whatever I thought was going on reading this, it wasn’t that. I actually suspected something technically worse, but somehow the actual was even more disgusting to me.
I rounded up because this was an original idea. It does drag a little in the middle, but it’s short enough not to totally wear out it’s welcome.
I rounded up because this was an original idea. It does drag a little in the middle, but it’s short enough not to totally wear out it’s welcome.
September 13, 2025
What have I just read? Mysterious, surreal, and deeply unsettling. Just as with her other work, Heather Darwent manages to keep the suspense till the very end. You can never predict what weird and horrifying twist is coming. She keeps you on the edge of your seat.
May 28, 2025
Well… that was certainly something! I don’t know quite what to say about this book other than it was super intense and bizarre, but in a good way? I think 🤔
I love Heather Darwent’s writing so much. I get lost in her words so easily and it takes me absolutely no effort to read her books.
This book falls firmly in the category of weird little books and if you’re a fan of an absolute unhinged mess then you’ll probably like this one. Typically I also like those types of books too but A Sharp Scratch in parts reminded me of the bits in Rouge by Mona Awad that I didn’t like i.e what’s real, what’s not. A lot of people loved that but for whatever reason it just doesn’t work for me.
As with Darwent’s last novel, I love the atmosphere probably the most. The author just really scratches an itch with her writing style that creates a perfect vibe and atmosphere for me. Also shoutout to short chapters! It makes everything so much easier to consume - more short chapters from authors please.
I’m so on the edge of whether I really enjoyed this or not. I think a lot of people would love it, so worth a read! I think I enjoyed the writing and craziness enough to ignore some of the bits that didn’t work for me.
3.5/5⭐️
[ Thankyou @vikingbooksuk for kindly gifting me this book ]
I love Heather Darwent’s writing so much. I get lost in her words so easily and it takes me absolutely no effort to read her books.
This book falls firmly in the category of weird little books and if you’re a fan of an absolute unhinged mess then you’ll probably like this one. Typically I also like those types of books too but A Sharp Scratch in parts reminded me of the bits in Rouge by Mona Awad that I didn’t like i.e what’s real, what’s not. A lot of people loved that but for whatever reason it just doesn’t work for me.
As with Darwent’s last novel, I love the atmosphere probably the most. The author just really scratches an itch with her writing style that creates a perfect vibe and atmosphere for me. Also shoutout to short chapters! It makes everything so much easier to consume - more short chapters from authors please.
I’m so on the edge of whether I really enjoyed this or not. I think a lot of people would love it, so worth a read! I think I enjoyed the writing and craziness enough to ignore some of the bits that didn’t work for me.
3.5/5⭐️
[ Thankyou @vikingbooksuk for kindly gifting me this book ]
December 26, 2024
What on earth did I just read?
This book starts off light and superficial but grows progressively darker. In the final third, I kept thinking, "This can’t get worse," and yet it did—punch after punch. I absolutely loved how unexpected this book was; I didn’t see any of the twists coming. Dark, captivating, and the kind of book that keeps you up all night because you can’t stop reading.
The story begins with Betsy, whose life is unraveling, though she’s reluctant to face it, leaving you unsure of what’s truly happening. She receives an invitation to a free retreat, promising to cure or at least improve her sleeping issues. With nothing to lose, she decides to go. At the retreat, her condition improves faster than she expected—but she starts noticing things that feel off.
I loved the originality of the story and the flawed, complex characters. Darwent is extraordinary at portraying the nuanced dynamics between women. It felt real and honest, which I always appreciate.
There was very little I didn’t enjoy, but the final chapter fell short for me. The ending wraps up the storyline but leaves Betsy’s ultimate choice open-ended. I would have preferred if that last encounter hadn’t been included. That said, after such an incredible book, it’s easy to forgive.
It’s hard to give trigger warnings without spoilers, so I’ll leave a broad one here: if you’re squeamish about anything body-related or murder, this book might not be for you.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and loves being kept in the dark until a brilliant reveal at the end.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC in exchange of my honest review. A Sharp Scratch will be out on May 29th 2025.
This book starts off light and superficial but grows progressively darker. In the final third, I kept thinking, "This can’t get worse," and yet it did—punch after punch. I absolutely loved how unexpected this book was; I didn’t see any of the twists coming. Dark, captivating, and the kind of book that keeps you up all night because you can’t stop reading.
The story begins with Betsy, whose life is unraveling, though she’s reluctant to face it, leaving you unsure of what’s truly happening. She receives an invitation to a free retreat, promising to cure or at least improve her sleeping issues. With nothing to lose, she decides to go. At the retreat, her condition improves faster than she expected—but she starts noticing things that feel off.
I loved the originality of the story and the flawed, complex characters. Darwent is extraordinary at portraying the nuanced dynamics between women. It felt real and honest, which I always appreciate.
There was very little I didn’t enjoy, but the final chapter fell short for me. The ending wraps up the storyline but leaves Betsy’s ultimate choice open-ended. I would have preferred if that last encounter hadn’t been included. That said, after such an incredible book, it’s easy to forgive.
It’s hard to give trigger warnings without spoilers, so I’ll leave a broad one here: if you’re squeamish about anything body-related or murder, this book might not be for you.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and loves being kept in the dark until a brilliant reveal at the end.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC in exchange of my honest review. A Sharp Scratch will be out on May 29th 2025.
July 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars!
The cover of this book caught my attention immediately, and I saw it in a couple of different bookshops before I ended up buying it.
I didn’t know what to expect, and the writing style was outside of my normal comfort zone. Betsy has sleeping issues, but aside from that, there’s something you can’t quite put your finger on about her. She seems a little odd, maybe even creepy, and her life is consumed by her sleep issues.
She goes to Carn, and it’s not what you think. She goes there with the hope of being healed and finds so much more.
The twist at the end when it explains what was really happening took me completely by surprise. Probably wouldn’t recommend to my family but I did enjoy reading this.
The cover of this book caught my attention immediately, and I saw it in a couple of different bookshops before I ended up buying it.
I didn’t know what to expect, and the writing style was outside of my normal comfort zone. Betsy has sleeping issues, but aside from that, there’s something you can’t quite put your finger on about her. She seems a little odd, maybe even creepy, and her life is consumed by her sleep issues.
She goes to Carn, and it’s not what you think. She goes there with the hope of being healed and finds so much more.
The twist at the end when it explains what was really happening took me completely by surprise. Probably wouldn’t recommend to my family but I did enjoy reading this.
December 24, 2024
a HUGE thank you to the team at penguin for sliding this into my inbox !!!! feeling very lucky and grateful to sink my teeth into this one (all puns intended).
this book was spectacularly grotesque and wildly thrilling. i was gripped from the get go and could not put this down. i went into this completely blind, only knowing i absolutely loved the authors debut so had high hopes. and they were definitely achieved! i read this in under 3 hours and didn’t stop for anything - it really was THAT good
the narrator was incredibly unreliable and had me questioning every morsel of information we were given. it was so interesting being inside of her head whilst trying to figure out what was actually going on. it was also hilarious because i fear carn would work on me and i wouldn’t be snooping around at all. food on command and all i have to do is sit around all day … lovely.
the end (+the epilogue) spun me out a bit and i cannot wait to read the discourse surrounding it when this book is published! i really loved reading this one and at no point had any idea what was going on.
heather darwent’s amazing debut novel was a standout and i recommended it to just about everyone and this one did not disappoint. i look forward to reading just about anything she puts out at this point!
this book was spectacularly grotesque and wildly thrilling. i was gripped from the get go and could not put this down. i went into this completely blind, only knowing i absolutely loved the authors debut so had high hopes. and they were definitely achieved! i read this in under 3 hours and didn’t stop for anything - it really was THAT good
the narrator was incredibly unreliable and had me questioning every morsel of information we were given. it was so interesting being inside of her head whilst trying to figure out what was actually going on. it was also hilarious because i fear carn would work on me and i wouldn’t be snooping around at all. food on command and all i have to do is sit around all day … lovely.
the end (+the epilogue) spun me out a bit and i cannot wait to read the discourse surrounding it when this book is published! i really loved reading this one and at no point had any idea what was going on.
heather darwent’s amazing debut novel was a standout and i recommended it to just about everyone and this one did not disappoint. i look forward to reading just about anything she puts out at this point!
May 2, 2025
ad | thank you to Viking Books UK for gifting a copy of A Sharp Scratch
I really loved this book. We follow Betsy as she is offered a place at Carn, a free wellness retreat designed to help her solve her insomnia. I read this thriller in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the captivating and unexpected twists and turns in the story. I especially appreciated the way it was narrated as it added to the sense of uncertainty and the blurred lines of reality. I’m not going to go into more detail about what happens as that was part of the fun of reading this.
As always, please check TWs.
Overall, a fantastic read!
I really loved this book. We follow Betsy as she is offered a place at Carn, a free wellness retreat designed to help her solve her insomnia. I read this thriller in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the captivating and unexpected twists and turns in the story. I especially appreciated the way it was narrated as it added to the sense of uncertainty and the blurred lines of reality. I’m not going to go into more detail about what happens as that was part of the fun of reading this.
As always, please check TWs.
Overall, a fantastic read!
March 19, 2025
I loved this book. It was creepy, it was tense, it was set in an isolated location somewhere in Scotland near where I live (this isn't a requirement for me to enjoy a book, it was just nice).
This fully captured the vibe of a gothic novel where the location is basically an extra character. That house will haunt me!
I read this book just feeling so on edge knowing something was coming but when? Who would be impacted? Would the residents ever be 'cured'? What on earth was going on?
I love this author's pacing. Much like in their debut novel The Things We Do To Our Friends (which I didn't shut up about for over a year!); the book starts gently and introduces all the players, then things amp up and weird/scary things happen, then suddenly the floodgates open and it's all go. I couldn't put this down
I was kindly given an advanced copy of this book by the publishers and I cried with joy. This review is entirely my own and i apologise to my friends because I'm not going to shut up about this one for a while
This fully captured the vibe of a gothic novel where the location is basically an extra character. That house will haunt me!
I read this book just feeling so on edge knowing something was coming but when? Who would be impacted? Would the residents ever be 'cured'? What on earth was going on?
I love this author's pacing. Much like in their debut novel The Things We Do To Our Friends (which I didn't shut up about for over a year!); the book starts gently and introduces all the players, then things amp up and weird/scary things happen, then suddenly the floodgates open and it's all go. I couldn't put this down
I was kindly given an advanced copy of this book by the publishers and I cried with joy. This review is entirely my own and i apologise to my friends because I'm not going to shut up about this one for a while
May 4, 2025
They can heal you… but at what cost?
Betsy has been told many times that she can be fixed, by her family, by psychiatrists. So far, this hasn’t been the case. However, when the mysterious Elise shows up to offer Betsy a place at Carn, a retreat, she has nothing to lose. But as the story unravels, Carn isn’t all it seems to be…
‘A Sharp Scratch’ is a dark, twisty, and odd novel! It was certainly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the mystery surrounding Betsy, the other characters and Carn; it kept me reading on and invested in what was going to happen.
The psychological and mystery aspects of this were brilliant, and if you like a book that leaves you thinking and questioning after you’ve finished, this is for you!
Betsy has been told many times that she can be fixed, by her family, by psychiatrists. So far, this hasn’t been the case. However, when the mysterious Elise shows up to offer Betsy a place at Carn, a retreat, she has nothing to lose. But as the story unravels, Carn isn’t all it seems to be…
‘A Sharp Scratch’ is a dark, twisty, and odd novel! It was certainly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the mystery surrounding Betsy, the other characters and Carn; it kept me reading on and invested in what was going to happen.
The psychological and mystery aspects of this were brilliant, and if you like a book that leaves you thinking and questioning after you’ve finished, this is for you!
June 4, 2025
4.5 rounded down
This book was strange. There was a constant feeling of unease. the reader was always in the dark even more than the narrator was which helped add to the feeling that not all was right.
The health and beauty industry has always been an area, to me, which felt very predatory and abusive and this book playing on these themes really helped create an uncomfortable environment
This book was strange. There was a constant feeling of unease. the reader was always in the dark even more than the narrator was which helped add to the feeling that not all was right.
The health and beauty industry has always been an area, to me, which felt very predatory and abusive and this book playing on these themes really helped create an uncomfortable environment
May 17, 2025
Either I'm dumb or that didn't really make sense. Option 1 highly likely.
If you like this, I'd recommend The Centre.
If you like this, I'd recommend The Centre.
November 22, 2025
unsatisfyingly great at making its point at the cost of ending in a way that resolves the story. Perfect really for a book about how people often want disability and sickness to follow neat structured developments until they're over
February 4, 2026
This was a 3.5 rounded up. Loved the concept of it but sometimes went off on a tangent with only a little depth.
June 14, 2025
Don't ask me to explain what happens in this book because for most of it I didn't have a bloody clue what was going on. But I THINK I enjoyed it...
October 7, 2025
if u like this, you'd like natural beauty (ling ling huang) & the centre (ayesha manazir). unfortuntely i found those books mid as well
January 2, 2026
Surreal and dark. Indulged fetishes are dressed up as a pioneering cure at an elite sanctuary in this unsettling novel.
June 5, 2025
Throughly enjoyed this. The plot keeps you wondering what’s about to be revealed and even though I had my suspicions I still gasped when certain things were revealed! Love Heather Darwent’s depraved mind.
June 1, 2025
I received an e-arc through NetGalley for review.
1.5 stars
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The synopsis totally drew me in. One of the big wins was the atmosphere. But the plot jumped around so much in the beginning that I was too confused to fully immerse myself for the remainder of the book.
I had this sense of "I must have skipped a few pages by accident" over and over again, but I'd gone back to re-read portions of the book and didn't have any clarification.
I can see the potential this has to be an absolute hit on TikTok and BookTube, once it hits the right audience, but it went straight over my head.
1.5 stars
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The synopsis totally drew me in. One of the big wins was the atmosphere. But the plot jumped around so much in the beginning that I was too confused to fully immerse myself for the remainder of the book.
I had this sense of "I must have skipped a few pages by accident" over and over again, but I'd gone back to re-read portions of the book and didn't have any clarification.
I can see the potential this has to be an absolute hit on TikTok and BookTube, once it hits the right audience, but it went straight over my head.
June 2, 2025
I really loved The Things We Do to Our Friends, so I was looking forward to A Sharp Scratch and I was not disappointed. From the first few pages of I was hooked by the subtle, creeping sense that something was deeply, unsettlingly wrong. Heather Darwent’s novel is psychological suspense at its most insidious, with echoes of The Stepford Wives and The Retreat by Mark Edwards, but with a colder, more clinical core.
Betsy, the protagonist, is not your typical unreliable narrator. She’s exhausted, raw, and sharp in the way only someone who’s been struggling for years with severe sleep deprivation can be. Darwent crafts her voice with care—at times surreal, at others distinctly unstable and therefore unreliable. She is unable to recognise what’s real and what’s in her head . Through Betsy’s eyes, we’re taken on a jagged journey through mental illness, societal expectations, and the grotesque commodification of wellness culture. Her time at Carn is written with such tension that I found myself holding my breath more than once.
The characterisation here is first-rate. Betsy is layered and heartbreakingly real, but even the secondary characters pulse with motivation and ambiguity. Harry, her husband, is particularly well drawn. He’s not overtly villainous, but his actions and emotional withdrawal sharpen the knife Betsy already carries inside. Betsy’s decision to marry Harry seems, at first, like a misguided act of hope. But Derwent gradually peels this back to reveal how his personality may have accelerated Betsy’s psychological deterioration. Her sense of self begins to fray, not because she is innately unstable, but because Harry treats her instability as inconvenient. His desire to “fix” her becomes a quiet form of violence.
Carn, the wellness retreat where Betsy goes to “heal,” is rendered with unnerving beauty. It’s serene, expensive, full of soft furnishings and even softer threats. Elise, the founder, is a fascinating creation—a woman who, on the surface, champions acceptance, but underneath curates conformity with an iron will. The more you listen to Elise, the more you sense she doesn’t want to heal women so much as repurpose them. Her motive seems rooted in personal trauma—perhaps a need to regain control over a life that was once out of her hands—but there’s also a chilling sense of cultish pride. Elise believes she knows best, and that belief becomes dangerous.
Betsy has a fragile grip on reality. When she gets to Carn and meets the other female guests, the atmosphere tightens. The pacing is slow-burn but deliberate—tension builds like a low-frequency hum, and by the final third, it’s almost unbearable.
Darwent writes with a really strong atmospheric tone. The Carn is A Scottish retreat in a stately home in the countryside miles away from anywhere. The appointments are luxurious and the food is superb. But there’s no such thing as perfection, and the whole confected bliss begins to unravel. As Betsy has her first blissful sleep in a long time, Darwent begins to ratchet up the Gothic angles and what seems like a blissful escape turns into a horror of nightmare proportions.
What Darwent does so well is layering—not just in structure, but thematically. This is a novel about control, identity, and the weaponisation of wellness. Carn promises salvation, but at what cost? And who defines what “healing” looks like? The final twist isn’t a shocking reveal, but a devastating realisation. What’s really broken are the systems, relationships, and ideologies around her.
VERDICT: A Sharp Scratch is very dark indeed and also slightly surreal. The slow pace certainly won’t be for everyone but it does really create the tension and atmosphere that the book needs. This is terrific modern psychological fiction—claustrophobic, compassionate, and darkly terrifying in equal measure.
Betsy, the protagonist, is not your typical unreliable narrator. She’s exhausted, raw, and sharp in the way only someone who’s been struggling for years with severe sleep deprivation can be. Darwent crafts her voice with care—at times surreal, at others distinctly unstable and therefore unreliable. She is unable to recognise what’s real and what’s in her head . Through Betsy’s eyes, we’re taken on a jagged journey through mental illness, societal expectations, and the grotesque commodification of wellness culture. Her time at Carn is written with such tension that I found myself holding my breath more than once.
The characterisation here is first-rate. Betsy is layered and heartbreakingly real, but even the secondary characters pulse with motivation and ambiguity. Harry, her husband, is particularly well drawn. He’s not overtly villainous, but his actions and emotional withdrawal sharpen the knife Betsy already carries inside. Betsy’s decision to marry Harry seems, at first, like a misguided act of hope. But Derwent gradually peels this back to reveal how his personality may have accelerated Betsy’s psychological deterioration. Her sense of self begins to fray, not because she is innately unstable, but because Harry treats her instability as inconvenient. His desire to “fix” her becomes a quiet form of violence.
Carn, the wellness retreat where Betsy goes to “heal,” is rendered with unnerving beauty. It’s serene, expensive, full of soft furnishings and even softer threats. Elise, the founder, is a fascinating creation—a woman who, on the surface, champions acceptance, but underneath curates conformity with an iron will. The more you listen to Elise, the more you sense she doesn’t want to heal women so much as repurpose them. Her motive seems rooted in personal trauma—perhaps a need to regain control over a life that was once out of her hands—but there’s also a chilling sense of cultish pride. Elise believes she knows best, and that belief becomes dangerous.
Betsy has a fragile grip on reality. When she gets to Carn and meets the other female guests, the atmosphere tightens. The pacing is slow-burn but deliberate—tension builds like a low-frequency hum, and by the final third, it’s almost unbearable.
Darwent writes with a really strong atmospheric tone. The Carn is A Scottish retreat in a stately home in the countryside miles away from anywhere. The appointments are luxurious and the food is superb. But there’s no such thing as perfection, and the whole confected bliss begins to unravel. As Betsy has her first blissful sleep in a long time, Darwent begins to ratchet up the Gothic angles and what seems like a blissful escape turns into a horror of nightmare proportions.
What Darwent does so well is layering—not just in structure, but thematically. This is a novel about control, identity, and the weaponisation of wellness. Carn promises salvation, but at what cost? And who defines what “healing” looks like? The final twist isn’t a shocking reveal, but a devastating realisation. What’s really broken are the systems, relationships, and ideologies around her.
VERDICT: A Sharp Scratch is very dark indeed and also slightly surreal. The slow pace certainly won’t be for everyone but it does really create the tension and atmosphere that the book needs. This is terrific modern psychological fiction—claustrophobic, compassionate, and darkly terrifying in equal measure.
April 1, 2025
4.5 Stars
A mind bending and utterly suspenseful, thriller exploring the dark side of wellness culture (its power dynamics, cult-like practices and the very human desire to belong) that had me glued to my seat!
I loved Heather Darwent’s debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends, so jumped at the chance to read her newest novel. And unsurprisingly, it didn’t disappoint! Tonally, it is slightly different to her previous novel; with a more hallucinagenic affect that had me constantly on edge, and questioning protagonist, Betsy’s sense of reality.
Leading to an unsettling (and marvellously unpredictable) reading experience that thriller fans are almost certainly gonna eat right up. I should also mention the pacing is a bit slow at times but trust me, it works soo well with the unsetting and fractured emotional states of the retreat’s guests.
The characters were all quite fascinating too, (in an emotionally raw, car crash kind of way that you just can’t look away from) with intriguingly rich backstories I was thoroughly surprised invested in. But there’s also a compulsive sense of unreliability to each of them, which only added to the narrative’s complex (and surreal) charm. None more so than Betsy, our sleep starved MC looking for a definitive cure.
And Carn, (the remote and secretive wellness retreat) at first glance seems to be just that. Where Betsy, for the first time in her life, is finally able to achieve a dreamless sleep (and also appreciate her ravenous new appetite.)
Yet there’s a cloying, sinister undercurrent that never lets up and Darwent’s spectacular prose only adds to that deliciously uncanny tension— which had me just as eager for answers as Betsy.
I can’t really go into too much detail for fear of spoiling the plot. But I can say the eerie cult leader vibes of Elise (who runs the retreat) and the slow, subtle shift (from dream to claustrophobic nightmare) really cement Darwent as an author to watch in the psychological thriller genre. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. Also do check the TWs.
Also, thank you to Penguin/ Viking UK for the proof.
A mind bending and utterly suspenseful, thriller exploring the dark side of wellness culture (its power dynamics, cult-like practices and the very human desire to belong) that had me glued to my seat!
I loved Heather Darwent’s debut, The Things We Do To Our Friends, so jumped at the chance to read her newest novel. And unsurprisingly, it didn’t disappoint! Tonally, it is slightly different to her previous novel; with a more hallucinagenic affect that had me constantly on edge, and questioning protagonist, Betsy’s sense of reality.
Leading to an unsettling (and marvellously unpredictable) reading experience that thriller fans are almost certainly gonna eat right up. I should also mention the pacing is a bit slow at times but trust me, it works soo well with the unsetting and fractured emotional states of the retreat’s guests.
The characters were all quite fascinating too, (in an emotionally raw, car crash kind of way that you just can’t look away from) with intriguingly rich backstories I was thoroughly surprised invested in. But there’s also a compulsive sense of unreliability to each of them, which only added to the narrative’s complex (and surreal) charm. None more so than Betsy, our sleep starved MC looking for a definitive cure.
And Carn, (the remote and secretive wellness retreat) at first glance seems to be just that. Where Betsy, for the first time in her life, is finally able to achieve a dreamless sleep (and also appreciate her ravenous new appetite.)
Yet there’s a cloying, sinister undercurrent that never lets up and Darwent’s spectacular prose only adds to that deliciously uncanny tension— which had me just as eager for answers as Betsy.
I can’t really go into too much detail for fear of spoiling the plot. But I can say the eerie cult leader vibes of Elise (who runs the retreat) and the slow, subtle shift (from dream to claustrophobic nightmare) really cement Darwent as an author to watch in the psychological thriller genre. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. Also do check the TWs.
Also, thank you to Penguin/ Viking UK for the proof.
May 10, 2025
Can non-pharmaceutical therapy cure neurodivergence? Betsy, plagued by insomnia and prone to acting out her abhorrent dreams, is about to find out. Despite her odd behaviour, Betsy has survived the living together stage and has just married Harry. Having spotted Harry covertly meeting her bridesmaid during the reception, the couple have a row and Harry locks her in the honeymoon suite until the following morning. Or so Betsy tells us, but she is an extremely unreliable narrator. Hoping to save her sanity and her marriage, she secretly travels to a sort of wellness clinic, Carn, run by an apparently benign therapist, Elise, and a team of helpers. There she meets three other patients, Abigail (hyperacute hearing), Sally (phenomenal memory) and Caroline (reticent). Carn is based in a baronial mansion, hidden deep in the countryside. It’s appointments are luxurious and the food is superb. But there’s no such thing as perfection, and the whole confected bliss begins to unravel.
This is billed as a Psychological Thriller, and it does have aspects of both this adjective and this noun. But what it really is, is weird in a kind of Gothic Horror way, without really being either of these descriptors. I reviewed the authors previous book and I said there that “The characters are clearly differentiated and act according to their natures, although none of them is particularly likeable.” This also applies here, and is one of the reasons why the story is weird. Everyone is unlikeable, but also unbelievable, starting with why Harry married Betsy in the first place, and extending to the raison d’être behind Carn. Potentially this was a clever idea, but the plotting got a bit lost along the way; no matter how tortuous and peculiar there must be a logic behind it. Overall, an interesting read, but not an entertaining book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
This is billed as a Psychological Thriller, and it does have aspects of both this adjective and this noun. But what it really is, is weird in a kind of Gothic Horror way, without really being either of these descriptors. I reviewed the authors previous book and I said there that “The characters are clearly differentiated and act according to their natures, although none of them is particularly likeable.” This also applies here, and is one of the reasons why the story is weird. Everyone is unlikeable, but also unbelievable, starting with why Harry married Betsy in the first place, and extending to the raison d’être behind Carn. Potentially this was a clever idea, but the plotting got a bit lost along the way; no matter how tortuous and peculiar there must be a logic behind it. Overall, an interesting read, but not an entertaining book.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.
May 22, 2025
7/10
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for providing me with an eARC for this book.
I had such a good time reading this. Just like with her debut, Darwent offers a tense, complex and intriguing experience with an incredibly interesting character at its centre. I really didn’t want to put this down once I stared reading because the purposeful withholding of information, both about Carn and Betsy, kept me in the dark but wanting to learn more.
I also really appreciated the conversations this book touched on; in particular the discussions of what it means to be the right amount of ill for those around you felt poignant and complex. And its complexity is what I think the book does best. It doesn’t offer easy answers, easy topics, or easy characters to read about. I absolutely loved the way that the book challenged me to take it apart and put the plot back together through its tangents and anecdotes.
My only real issues with this book come with its reveal and pacing in the second half. As the plot intensified throughout I felt some aspects of its escalation felt a little rushed, before coming to a halt early in the book’s third act. As for the unraveling of the mystery, I feel that really, with the amount of intrigue and suspense built through the book’s careful guarding of information, my expectations may have been too high. Now, this is not to say that the events here were not horrific, but perhaps the delivery of this information or the consequences thereafter could’ve had more punch. To me the tone of the book, and perhaps my expectations from reading Darwent’s debut, lead me to wanting more detail and perhaps something even more extreme. Despite this, I do really love the thematic implications of every going on here.
On the whole this was great! I had so much fun really digging into this story and I am very glad to have read it. Really it exceeded my expectations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for providing me with an eARC for this book.
I had such a good time reading this. Just like with her debut, Darwent offers a tense, complex and intriguing experience with an incredibly interesting character at its centre. I really didn’t want to put this down once I stared reading because the purposeful withholding of information, both about Carn and Betsy, kept me in the dark but wanting to learn more.
I also really appreciated the conversations this book touched on; in particular the discussions of what it means to be the right amount of ill for those around you felt poignant and complex. And its complexity is what I think the book does best. It doesn’t offer easy answers, easy topics, or easy characters to read about. I absolutely loved the way that the book challenged me to take it apart and put the plot back together through its tangents and anecdotes.
My only real issues with this book come with its reveal and pacing in the second half. As the plot intensified throughout I felt some aspects of its escalation felt a little rushed, before coming to a halt early in the book’s third act. As for the unraveling of the mystery, I feel that really, with the amount of intrigue and suspense built through the book’s careful guarding of information, my expectations may have been too high. Now, this is not to say that the events here were not horrific, but perhaps the delivery of this information or the consequences thereafter could’ve had more punch. To me the tone of the book, and perhaps my expectations from reading Darwent’s debut, lead me to wanting more detail and perhaps something even more extreme. Despite this, I do really love the thematic implications of every going on here.
On the whole this was great! I had so much fun really digging into this story and I am very glad to have read it. Really it exceeded my expectations.
May 15, 2025
Set in modern-day Edinburgh, A Sharp Scratch follows our main character Betsy who has suffered from insomnia for as long as she can remember. When her wedding day doesn’t go as expected she seems to lose her grip on reality. Betsy decides to accept an offer to join a group of women at a secluded wellness retreat called Carn. Here she hoped to get ‘fixed’, but what will be asked from her in return…?
The premise of this book sounded very interesting to me and felt Black Mirror-esque! The creepy secluded location and cult-like vibes are what drew me in and I enjoyed the parts where the atmosphere of Carn was explored.
Unfortunately, I found the book lacking in a few too many instances. My biggest issue was the pacing, the first 70-ish % of the book was very slow. The constant flashback scenes took me out of the story and the descriptions of life at Carn were not thrilling enough. The fact that not much happened in the first part of the story meant that the ending felt too rushed. A lot happened all at once but since the ending added in so many things to shock the reader everything stayed surface-level. Had some themes been explored further it would have added the depth it needed. And if the plot twists has been spread out more throughout the book, there would have been more time for the characters to contemplate the consequences of these events.
The characters themselves also fell flat for me. I found it hard to connect to any of them and therefore didn’t care too much about where they ended up.
Overall, I thought the book definitely had its moments but it left me feeling unsatisfied.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
The premise of this book sounded very interesting to me and felt Black Mirror-esque! The creepy secluded location and cult-like vibes are what drew me in and I enjoyed the parts where the atmosphere of Carn was explored.
Unfortunately, I found the book lacking in a few too many instances. My biggest issue was the pacing, the first 70-ish % of the book was very slow. The constant flashback scenes took me out of the story and the descriptions of life at Carn were not thrilling enough. The fact that not much happened in the first part of the story meant that the ending felt too rushed. A lot happened all at once but since the ending added in so many things to shock the reader everything stayed surface-level. Had some themes been explored further it would have added the depth it needed. And if the plot twists has been spread out more throughout the book, there would have been more time for the characters to contemplate the consequences of these events.
The characters themselves also fell flat for me. I found it hard to connect to any of them and therefore didn’t care too much about where they ended up.
Overall, I thought the book definitely had its moments but it left me feeling unsatisfied.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
May 26, 2025
Something a little different i thought when i read and saw the brighty coloured book design.
This deserves every single five star! Well ..... i have read alot of different types of book but this one is unique in its features. It really did keep me on edge the whole way through , very difficult to predict and for this it was totally refreshing.
We meet our main character Betsy who faces challenges with her insomnia and just wants to feel better, welcome to Carn a chance to rehabiliate; accepts its all a bit strange . I wont say any more to give it away but this is totally different and for this i devoured this read very quickly , two days gone. The characters are easy to resonate with as we can see lots of characteristics in ourselves. Betsy undergoes her treatment and the food sounds amazing and of course its for free ? Does anything come for free ? Already i felt my suspicions start to build, and the captivating place of Carn and what it offers. Although the helpers and people seem so genuine but after a while the fascade starts to slip as we know people dont run and work to clockwork. The complex characters in this book dont appear to be playing along as they should be. What will become of them ?
The writing is highly descriptive. unique and totally absorbing. If you want to be engrossed and immersed and slightly horrified at times then please do read this .
This deserves every single five star! Well ..... i have read alot of different types of book but this one is unique in its features. It really did keep me on edge the whole way through , very difficult to predict and for this it was totally refreshing.
We meet our main character Betsy who faces challenges with her insomnia and just wants to feel better, welcome to Carn a chance to rehabiliate; accepts its all a bit strange . I wont say any more to give it away but this is totally different and for this i devoured this read very quickly , two days gone. The characters are easy to resonate with as we can see lots of characteristics in ourselves. Betsy undergoes her treatment and the food sounds amazing and of course its for free ? Does anything come for free ? Already i felt my suspicions start to build, and the captivating place of Carn and what it offers. Although the helpers and people seem so genuine but after a while the fascade starts to slip as we know people dont run and work to clockwork. The complex characters in this book dont appear to be playing along as they should be. What will become of them ?
The writing is highly descriptive. unique and totally absorbing. If you want to be engrossed and immersed and slightly horrified at times then please do read this .
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