Dark Parties by Sara Grant

I have a confession. I came to this book with decidedly mixed feelings. I know and like Sara and have a huge respect for her writerly skills but I've read a few much-hyped YA dystopias recently and frankly, I've been distinctly unmoved. The writing has been fine, but the stories? Well least said and all that.

So what was I going to make of Dark Parties? I knew it would be well-written but would the story hold me? Would I be there alongside the protagonists, experiencing their every fear, hope, desire? Would I suspend cooking dinner because I just had to read the next chapter?

Would I be able to write a review without sleepless nights wondering how it would be received by the author, and dare I say it, the publisher, too?

Well, the answer, dear reader, is YES, and for that I owe Sara a huge vote of thanks. And so does the world of YA dystopias.

But enough of the gushing. What's it all about?