Book Review: ‘A Sharp Scratch’ by Heather Darwent (wellness femgore thriller)

It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Heather Darwent here at The Dark Academicals. Heather’s first novel, ‘The Things We Do to Our Friends’, made it onto season four of our podcast. It’s dark and twisty and shocking and the perfect book for summer when you’re suffering in the heat, but clamouring for the darkness of spooky season.

We loved ‘The Things We Do to Our Friends’ so much that we asked Heather if she’d be willing to chat to us for our Substack ahead of the release of her second novel, ‘A Sharp Scratch’, we were delighted when she said that she was! You can read the full Q&A right here.

Now that I have ‘A Sharp Scratch’ in my grubby little hands and I’ve devoured it, Heather has made it onto my list of autobuy authors.

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 . . .

I’m a big fan of the type of feminist horror that delves into wellness and beauty, especially when the retreats and institutes that are cult-adjacent enter the picture, just like Betsey’s experience with Carn.

Within only a few pages I was hooked and already absolutely despising Betsey’s husband, Harry. The rage he raised within me with every interaction he had with Betsey, let alone the way that he treated her at their wedding and the persistent questioning about her plans, knowing that she was struggling with daily life, made my blood boil. The actions of Harry very much set the precedent of the few men in this novel, and very clearly set up the way that women are seen, treated and abused by men under the watch of people who should be protecting them.

While Carn is mostly inhabited by women, the men who do make an appearance really do not help the cause. In fact, they’re very much part of the horror aspect of ‘A Sharp Scratch’. There were some scenes that were really uncomfortable to read and the suspense and threat inherent to the women was palpable, especially as we didn’t know what was really going on at Carn.

I did get a little frustrated at how few answers we were getting at some points, but the shock and honestly, pure disgust, when everything was finally revealed was completely worth the wait. I didn’t think that it could get much darker than ‘The Things We Do to Our Friends’ and well, how wrong was I…

I love the moment when everything falls into place and those bits that niggled with a ‘this has to be something significant’ unfurl. That ‘ohh’ moment is always a reading highlight for me and ‘A Sharp Scratch’ delivered. I think it’s even a novel that would benefit from a reread to see the way everything is hinted at throughout and the weird moments take on an even more sinister edge when you know what’s really going on at Carn.

Put it this way, my initial rage at men based on Betsey’s experience with Harry was very much justified…

‘A Sharp Scratch’ is smart, dark and startling and I can’t recommend it enough. Though I do suggest that you check the content warnings before diving in if you have any sensitivities!

Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy.