With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee Published by Atria on November 4, 2025
Genres: Thriller
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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies. An unputdownable debut thriller for readers of the suspenseful novels of Julia Bartz and Ruth Ware.
Harvard promised them everything.
Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them—until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.
Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they’ve kept alive since their campus the Circus, a harmless elimination-style “killing” game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game—until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.
As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren’t playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own…secrets that could kill.
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A friend group that are Harvard graduates meet up annually to start “the Circus” aka a game where you fake kill your targets and the person that comes out on top wins. Our main character, Sara, has decided after 19 years of participating she does not want to be part of the game any longer. That is until a large monetary prize is announced. Everyone is taking the game extra seriously this year and people are breaking the rules. Who will come out on top?
The concept of With Friends Like These made me so intrigued. The execution of it had me a tad underwhelmed. I did find the plot to be predictable, I guessed the villain as soon as the prize money was announced. Also, the characters are too old to be doing this stuff. If you are new to the mystery or thriller genre, I would recommend this for you.
