Friendship is supposed to be safe, supportive, and nourishing—but in certain novels, it’s a dangerous game of influence, seduction, and control. Beneath the laughter and loyalty lies something darker: envy, co-dependency, even violence. Here are four unforgettable novels—including my own—that dive into the messy, obsessive, and sometimes treacherous bonds between friends who hold power over one another, and how that power can pull you straight into danger. What makes these stories so irresistible is how they expose the shadow side of intimacy, the thin line between attraction and peril that reflects our darkest longings.
The Girls — Emma Cline
Evie is fourteen, restless, and hungry to belong when she is captivated by Suzanne, a magnetic, feral woman and petty thief who lives by her wits and daring. Evie is so vulnerable and eager to be loved that she joins Suzanne and her band of raggedy dressed girls who live on the streets of sunny Oakland, California. With blind trust in Suzanne, Evie follows her to a remote farmhouse where she is drawn into a cult led by the mesmerizing Russell. Suzanne is his muse, and her appetite for danger enthralls and chills Evie, who soon becomes entangled in acts she can’t undo. Inspired by the Manson family murders, this novel is a haunting look at manipulation, vulnerability, and the dark seductions of female friendship, masterfully written by Emma Cline.
We Were Never Here — Andrea Bartz
Best friends Emily and Kristen can finish each other’s sentences, send messages in code, and take trips to exotic lands where the unthinkable happens – twice! A night out in Cambodia and a similar night years later in Chile end in bloodshed, both allegedly in self-defense from male predators. They help each other cover up the murders, until stories of inexplicable violence from Kristen’s past starts to unravel their friendship. Unexplained coincidences, secrets, and lies multiply as Kristen morphs into a stalker and Emily into an untrustworthy narrator. This is a thriller about loyalty twisted into coercion and the terrifying realization that the person who knows you best could also destroy you.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation — Ottessa Moshfegh
A young woman who’s part of the downtown art scene in pre-911 Manhattan decides to sleep for an entire year to escape the demons that rove through her mind. She takes an enormous cocktail of pills everyday with the help of an unscrupulous, absurdly funny psychiatrist, that keep her nearly comatose in her apartment. She allows one of her artist friends to film her as performance art, even though she has no recollection of what she does when he’s with her, which is a creepy violation of boundaries that makes you question who’s really in control. Her only regular visitor is Reva, her insecure, image-obsessed best friend, whose desperate attempts to connect only deepen the narrator’s cruelty and detachment. Darkly funny and merciless, this novel exposes the quiet savagery that leads to its explosive, true-life ending.
A Dangerous Friendship — Robin Merle
In 1980s New York City, aspiring writers Tina and Spike fall into a complex, all-consuming friendship that leads to a shattering reckoning. Desperate to redefine herself after a failed marriage, Tina retreats to a writers’ colony to reignite her passion for life and art. There she meets Spike, a beautiful, seemingly invulnerable woman who enthralls her with stories of power, wealth, and adventure and the promise that Tina will feel alive again. Tina and Spike rent a cabin together for the summer in the backwoods of New York, and Spike draws her into a whirlwind of wild nights, creative highs, and creeping psychological control. Their bond turns from intoxicating to terrifying as Spike’s mania rises, and the line between friendship and obsession blurs. Stylish, filled with witty dialogue, and deeply unsettling—this is a gripping portrait of the moment when connection explodes into a battle for survival.
