Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Neva isn’t like other girls living under the Protectosphere. She isn’t content to blindly follow all the rules of the Homeland. She can’t be the only one who’s noticed the people who’ve gone missing. She can’t be the only who remembers the people everyone else seems to have forgotten. Surely she can’t be the only one who feels like she’s suffocating under the tight grasp of the supposedly benevolent Protectosphere. Neva is sure that there must be some kind of alternative to this sham of a life, and she’ll stop at nothing to find it. But what starts as a “dark party” to seek out others like her soon devolves into a tangled web of lies, deceit, and betrayal. The escalating threats of danger from the government may enough to discourage her conspirators, but Neva can’t un-know all the dreadful secrets she’s learned. Is there really life outside of the Protectosphere? Neva isn’t quite so sure anymore—but she’s sure she’s willing to die to find out.

I actually wasn’t quite sure what I was getting into when I picked up Dark Parties, and now having read the book, I can say that what I got was totally unexpected but in the best way. This book’s title is somewhat misleading in that I thought the whole story would be about these mysterious “dark parties;” instead they are the catalyst for the madness that follows. Dark Parties contains many elements that I’ve previously seen in other dystopian novels, including government corruption, dwindling resources, and censorship, but Grant integrates them into her story in such a way that they don’t feel old, even if they don’t feel fresh either.  I have to say that it was probably Grant’s writing style that truly drew me in; I was hooked by the way she was able to so perfectly captures the uncertainty, fear, and longing in Neva’s life, all in just the first chapter. Then she continued to reel my in closer to the heart of the story with such impeccable pacing and plotting until the very satisfying conclusion. Dark Parties is so much more than a mere summary of review can every do justice. It drags up old ideas and forces the reader to really examine them closely. This is one of those rare books that provides both thrilling entertainment and a good reason to reevaluate one’s outlook and values.

Dark Parties is a must read, especially for fans of Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien, and Candor by Pam Bachorz. I can’t wait to see what debut author Grant writes next.

Rating: 4.75

Review copy from Big Honcho Media