Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com
Neva lives with her mother and father under the Protectosphere - an electronically-charged dome that covers and protects the population. The Homeland tells the people that there is nothing beyond the Protectosphere except an unlivable wasteland.
Young people are encouraged to get married and have children in order to increase the dwindling population. Neva and her friends don't like being forced and manipulated to have children, and make a pact among themselves to abstain from sex.
Neva keeps track of people who have disappeared over the years. At the top of the list is her Grandmother. She doesn't believe what the government told her family about her Grandmother dying, and always holds on to the hope that she'll see her again someday.
When Neva and her friends can't stand by and watch what's going on anymore, they attempt to start an underground rebellion. They knew it would be dangerous, but they never realized just how much the government was keeping secret. Neva and her friends might be the next ones to go missing if they don't stay one step ahead of the Homeland.
DARK PARTIES is an interesting dystopian novel. It includes friendship, survival, betrayal, and suspense. The story will definitely keep you turning pages until you get to the exciting conclusion.
Neva lives with her mother and father under the Protectosphere - an electronically-charged dome that covers and protects the population. The Homeland tells the people that there is nothing beyond the Protectosphere except an unlivable wasteland.
Young people are encouraged to get married and have children in order to increase the dwindling population. Neva and her friends don't like being forced and manipulated to have children, and make a pact among themselves to abstain from sex.
Neva keeps track of people who have disappeared over the years. At the top of the list is her Grandmother. She doesn't believe what the government told her family about her Grandmother dying, and always holds on to the hope that she'll see her again someday.
When Neva and her friends can't stand by and watch what's going on anymore, they attempt to start an underground rebellion. They knew it would be dangerous, but they never realized just how much the government was keeping secret. Neva and her friends might be the next ones to go missing if they don't stay one step ahead of the Homeland.
DARK PARTIES is an interesting dystopian novel. It includes friendship, survival, betrayal, and suspense. The story will definitely keep you turning pages until you get to the exciting conclusion.
I found myself in a bit of a quandary at the end of this book. I found that while I love Sara Grants world, I wasnt all that crazy about her main character, Neva. That doesnt usually happen to metypically if I dislike the lead, I cant get into the book, but theres something about Dark Parties that just attracted me, even if Neva fell short.
I found Neva to be annoying at times, sometimes to the point I had to put the novel down and take a break so I didnt slap the girl myself. There was something about here that just set me on edge and kept me from connecting fully with her. It wasnt one big character flaw, but a few different things she did (or how she reacted to a situation) that bothered me.
Despite my own feelings for Neva, I cant help but applaud Grant for creating such an intense world. Dystopians are such a tricky genrea new world must be created with new ideals, beliefs, cities, and groups of people. But at the same time, that world has to be on the scale of believable or it simply becomes fantasy. Grants Protectosphere was very well done. I would have a liked a bit more detail, but I think that would have hindered in the fast-paced ride she put me on. Sometimes its better to leave a bit to the imagination to keep the momentum of the story.
Ive read several other reviews for Dark Parties, ranging from glowing to glowering, and heres what I have to say: If you love dystopians you have absolutely nothing to lose by grabbing this book. Sara Grant is a gifted storyteller, and I think youll genuinely enjoy this novel.
I found Neva to be annoying at times, sometimes to the point I had to put the novel down and take a break so I didnt slap the girl myself. There was something about here that just set me on edge and kept me from connecting fully with her. It wasnt one big character flaw, but a few different things she did (or how she reacted to a situation) that bothered me.
Despite my own feelings for Neva, I cant help but applaud Grant for creating such an intense world. Dystopians are such a tricky genrea new world must be created with new ideals, beliefs, cities, and groups of people. But at the same time, that world has to be on the scale of believable or it simply becomes fantasy. Grants Protectosphere was very well done. I would have a liked a bit more detail, but I think that would have hindered in the fast-paced ride she put me on. Sometimes its better to leave a bit to the imagination to keep the momentum of the story.
Ive read several other reviews for Dark Parties, ranging from glowing to glowering, and heres what I have to say: If you love dystopians you have absolutely nothing to lose by grabbing this book. Sara Grant is a gifted storyteller, and I think youll genuinely enjoy this novel.
