Top 10 novels about toxic friendships

Charlotte Northedge is Joint Head of Books for the Guardian. She has previously written for a range of newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian, Psychologies, and Cosmopolitan.

She has an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature from Birkbeck and is an alumna of the Curtis Brown Creative writing course.

The House Guest is her first novel.

At the Guardian Northedge tagged ten "novels of toxic friendship [that] explore much more than just cruelty or manipulation – their characters are caught up in a tangle of co-dependency and intimacy, affection and deception." One title on the list:

Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller

On the face of it, Sheba’s friendship with fellow teacher and confidante Barbara is her salvation. When Sheba begins an affair with a 15-year-old pupil, the much older and solitary Barbara offers more than just a shoulder to cry on – she eventually moves in with Sheba, shielding her from the world. But what are Barbara’s motives in helping her disgraced friend – and who, ultimately, is in control of the story? A modern classic of toxic friendship and betrayal.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue