Review: Dark Parties

by Sara Grant
publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
date published: August 3, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 320
source: from the publisher for review
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says... Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

What I Thought

Dark Parties is a dystopian concerning several what-ifs. What if a country completely closes its borders? What if society becomes so tightly controlled that it begins to deteriorate? What if you can't trust anyone or anything? Possible answers to these questions and more can be found within the pages of Dark Parties. This is a book that details a bleak, totalitarian future where details such as what is read and how many children a family has is strictly regulation and, at times, is even enforced against the wishes of the citizens. It is a bleak setting, but as with many dark situations, there is a small speck of light.

Ironically enough, light first flares to life in a pitch dark room. As the book opens, a party that takes place in total darkness is underway. It is this setting that best friends Neva and Sanna choose to take their first initiative against Homeland, the country they live in and the government that rules over the people living under a giant enclosure known as the Protectosphere. Though Neva begins as a hesitant participant in the beginning phases of this uprising, she soon becomes consumed by it and ceases to be willing to live life on the government's terms. As the story progresses, she realizes that she wants much more than even a life of quiet rebellion. She wants total freedom. As such, Neva and her fellow teens are also enacting rebellion by a very unlikely act: they refuse to have sex, which the government actively encourages in order to populate Homeland. This was an unusual aspect to the book that made me think a lot about the possible messages behind it. I am not entirely sure where Sara Grant was going with it, but I can definitely appreciate a plot twist such as this.

The story was a bit of a slow starter for me. However, by the time I reached the middle of the book I was hooked. I found myself sitting up in bed, feverishly turning pages just to find out what would happen next. Dark Parties ends on something of a cliff-hanger, but there is enough promise in the way it ended to leave you feeling hopeful and eager to read more. I got the sense that there is a lot more to come from this world and I can not wait to see what that is.

The characters that make up Dark Parties are varied and each have their own specific strengths and weaknesses. Neva is a character that sees a lot of growth throughout the book. She learns as she goes and makes changes when necessary. One of the best things about her is that she doesn't lie to herself. Even when she errs on the side of caution, she quickly realizes that what she is doing isn't the right thing. She is also a very loyal character, though she isn't perfect. There were a few aspects about her that I found displeasing, but overall I really enjoyed reading about her. Sanna comes off as something of a flake, at first, but it soon becomes apparent that there is a deep yearning underneath the surface that lends her a certain vulnerability that makes her far more approachable as a character. Finally, Braydon is the monkey wrench in the gears of the friendship between Neva and Sanna. I don't typically see friends who like the same boy in the YA novels I read, so this aspect of the story was quite the change of pace. Braydon himself also has the element of unease about his person. Neva doesn't fully trust him, yet she can't stay away from him and finds herself thinking of him often. I wasn't really able to fully buy into him as the love interest of this story, however. It seems as though the level of secrecy he maintained made him fall a little flat as a character. It wasn't until the last few chapters that I finally had a reaction to him and he became more interesting.

Overall, Dark Parties was an intense read that pulled me in and held me until the very end. It had a great premise, interesting plot twists, and decent characters. I am unsure as to whether there will be a second book set in this world, but I sincerely hope there will be. I enjoyed Dark Parties enough to wish for more. I give Dark Parties 4 hoots.





Obligatory legal statement: This finished copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review. Many thanks to Little, Brown & Co. for the opportunity of reviewing this book.