Review: Dark Parties

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



16 year old Neva was born under the Protectosphere. In nation that isolated itself to protect their way of life and their beliefs. Neva is aware that people around her “disappear”, in fact, she keeps a hidden journal full of the names of those that were around one day then gone the next…like her Grandmother.

Neva and her friends want to rebel. They start small, but their act is turned around and viewed as a call for more government. Neva feels like she is being watched and it doesn’t help that her father is a high placed government official. Neva fights to find answers and maybe a way out from under the Protectosphere.

I loved Neva! She was so smart and a total pit bull. Once she got something in her head she just would not let go of it. Tenacious is a great word to describe her. Initially I thought she was going to end up being wishy-washy and that best friend Sanna was going to be the strong one, but I can admit when I am wrong.

There is a love-triangle, or rather a love-square. The romance aspect was good and I appreciated that the characters chose to abstain from sex, granted it was more a part of their rebellion against the governments push for all women to become baby-making machines. I’m such a non-conformist that I totally related to doing the opposite of what government wanted. LOL

The bit about the Protectosphere really reminded me of The Simpsons: Movie. A clear-ish, glass like dome covering your nation…Nothing comes in and nothing goes out, including upgrades to technology, the gene pool muddies, and life in general starts to break down. That, to me, is a scary thought! Then add xenophobia and a “Big Brother”-type Government…oohh, I just love dystopian books.!

The author did leave the ending wide open for a sequel. There has gotten to be such a push for multiple book series that I think some books are left wanting. I think I would have preferred that Dark Parties was a richer story by including a more fulfilling ending than withholding it in hopes of writing and selling a sequel. I hope that made sense.




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