Dark Parties by Sara Grant

"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."-GoodReads.

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published August 3rd 2011 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Source: NetGalley

I have always had a bit of a fear or being stuck in one place forever, never being able to see anything other than one place for my entire life. Reading Dark Parties gave me a glimpse of what it would be like to be forced to stay in one place. To be stuck under a dome, never knowing what was on the other side. Honestly, the whole book made me feel claustrophobic. But I'm lucky because I have the choice to leave though, to go new places. Neva doesn't. She is stuck under the Protectosphere with the need to be free and an incredible case of wanderlust, but not being able to satiate it. So she does what pretty much every teenager has done, she rebels a little bit.
Well, she thinks it is just a little thing. But that little thing, that little spark, ignites into a wildfire that changes Neva's life forever. 


Instead of the world growing, it feels like it keeps getting smaller as the story progresses...and I mean this in a good way. It made the story feel very intricate and definitely more intense at times. Things that may not have seemed like they would connect would in fact be connected to each other, making it a 'smaller world'. 


Neva was a great character. The book starts with a makeout scene, which I will admit, I rolled my eyes at. I did not care enough about the characters at that point to want to 'see' them making out...but, for me, it ended up being a really good opening to the story. It really puts you in Neva's mind right away. What she thinks, who she is, what she's scared of. The beginning grew on me as the story went on.


I really had no idea what to expect when I decided to read Dark Parties. I certainly did not expect it to be so...dark (though the title should have really given me a clue, right?). It was though. Dark and gritty.
Some of the scenes felt a bit choppy, but over all it was a great read.
After getting attached to characters just to have them be ripped away or betray Neva (which left me feeling betrayed), I was emotionally drained. Seriously, I walked around in a weird mood mumbling to myself that I couldn't believe how the book had ended and that there better be a sequel so that all the wrongs could be set right. That I could not be left with an ending like that.


Dark Parties is more than just a fantastic dystopian, it is also a great thriller and chock full of suspense. So if you like any of those three things, pick up a copy for yourself.