The Party

by Natasha Preston

Are you invited? In the heart of the English countryside, a group of teenagers gather at a remote castle for a weekend of fun and games. But when the first of them dies, the party takes a deadly turn. As the body count rises, the remaining guests must race against time to uncover the killer’s identity before they become the next victim.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Young Adult, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Horror, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2024

About the author

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.

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Reviews

[jenoodle✮⋆˙ · Rating 2 out of 5]

── .✦ 𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 ‧₊°◞ 🎱
‧₊˚ミ 🔪˚ ₊⊹ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘡𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘯𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘺𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦! ⊹₊🤍︵ ‧₊˚.
〰️࣪ ˖╰› Zeinab’s review and Humna’s review ୭ ˚💀. ᵎᵎ

𓂃 ࣪ . ⚡︎ ꒷ 🐼 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 ⊹₊ 📞˚‧︵
🖤٠࣪ ୧ ⁺ׅ⊹ 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚: 14+ (𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚, 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙚𝙩𝙘), 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 14+ (𝙛*𝙘𝙠, 𝙗*𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙙, 𝙨𝙝*𝙩, 𝙝*𝙡𝙡, 𝙙*𝙢𝙣, 𝙚𝙩𝙘), 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩: 14+ (𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙝𝙤𝙡) ⋆.🎬ⵢ₊˚.
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
⁺˚੭ now playing: 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙘 ₊🎱˚⊹
₊˚. 🎧₊˚ 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙣 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙮 ࣪˖ ₊˚
⌞ 0:39 ——◦———— 3:00 ⌝
↠ⁿᵉˣᵗ ˢᵒⁿᵍ ↺ ʳᵉᵖᵉᵃᵗ ⊜ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉ ☕₊˚꒱
⋆₊˚. — — — — — — — — — — — — — —₊˚.⋆

☆ ͡ ݂📓꒰."𝙏𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙯𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙" .꒱ 🥛 ݂ ͡ ☆

🐈‍⬛˚. ᵎᵎ WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THIS BOOK. Listen, I was at the bookstore when I purchased this and I took a goooooooood look at the cover before I decided, “Yeah this one looks good.” 🙂‍↕️WELL GUESS WHAT?! I THINK WE NEED TO START JUDGING BOOKS BY COVERS BECAUSE THIS WAS A DISASTER. I can’t tell what had more of a plot, a Dharr Man video or this because the difference was BARELY there. I didn’t even think it was possible for a plot to have so many plot holes until I read this book. (and god maybe they need to get some cement and fill those holes.) AND NOT ONLY DID I HAVE TO THUG OUT A TERRIBLE PLOT, I HAD TO DEAL WITH CHARACTER NAMES THAT WERE PROBABLY IMPORTED FROM CHATGPT 😦😦Lemme hold back my ramble for a second so I can explain everything in raw detail, because Natasha…I expected more from you 😑




☆ ͡ ݂📓꒰."𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧, 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖 𝙥𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝" .꒱ 🥛 ݂ ͡ ☆

🐈‍⬛˚. ᵎᵎ First and foremost I have to talk about the writing in this book because. *holds in a laugh* it’s the most interesting piece of fiction I have yet to experience. (And not in a good way babe 💀💀) THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS READING THIS IT FELT LIKE I WAS WATCHING ON BIG SOAP OPERA 😭😭I don’t know why but I actually couldn’t take anything serious the entire majority of the book 💀 EVEN THE CHARACTERS REACTIONS TO THEIR FRIENDS DYING WAS ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS I WAS DYING. They would give a little sniffle of their nose, some crocodile tears and be on their way running around the mansion not caring that there is a killer among them even after 3 people die 😃👍AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MESSY THE SETTING WAS? It felt like one moment they were one place and the next they were in another it was actually so bad 😭 LIKE GEEZ, I didn’t see Minecraft teleportation on the back of the book because otherwise I wouldn’t have signed up for that 🙄

☆ ͡ ݂📓꒰. “𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙨" .꒱ 🥛 ݂ ͡ ☆

🐈‍⬛˚. ᵎᵎ AND GUYS DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE RANDOM AHH CLUE INSERTS THAT WEREN’T EVEN IMPORTANT AT THE END 😭✋ I swear Natasha just wanted to bump up her word count or something because the amount of “CLUES” we had was insane. But guess what? WE DIDNT EVEN GET ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT THOSE CLUES EVEN WERE FOR 💀💀💀 They were just left unexplained and made no sense at all to the plot. And I think I have a theory that my girl Natasha didn’t even bother to do proper research on how to do a thriller, WHEN SHE DOSENT EVEN KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY WRITE MEDICAL CHARACTERS 🤧🤧🤧 I swear the two “medical” characters we had that are supposed to go to COLLEGE for medical school were actually so bad. SO BAD INFACT THAT IM STARTING TO THINK THE CHATGPT GRADUATE THEORY IS REAL. Like cmon girl you cannot seriously tell me your friend gets a whole ahh shed fall on her and you say she doesn’t need to go to the hospital. OH AND BY THE WAY NOT ONLY A SHED FELL ON HER BUT A WHOLE ASS TREE TOO 💀 But hey guys this is fiction so she only comes out with a concussion 🤫🤫 Gee what’s next is she gonna fly her way out too?! I think that would’ve been helpful before she died 🙄🙄




☆ ͡ ݂📓꒰. “𝙎𝙤, 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠?" .꒱ 🥛 ݂ ͡ ☆

🐈‍⬛˚. ᵎᵎ And I think the worst thing of all is the supposed “ending” to the book 😑 I SWEAR TO GOD THE ONLY REASON THIS BOOK IS TWO STARS IS BECAUSE OF HOW UNSERIOUS I TOOK IT AND LAUGHED 💀 Because if you think that ending is going to save this MESS of a book then babe you won’t be able to fix that guy you been trying to for the last 3 years either 💔 I think this book was seriously a social experiment or it was a Google doc that was published because she has some bills to pay because nothing EVER made sense in this book. And I can see that my girl tried to make that last line all ominous and fool everyone but babe ✋😞 I was just bursting out laughing for 10 minutes maybe try to right a comedy instead. (Less blood bath.)

݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. 🔎 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ₊‧⁺˖⋆

🤍˖𓍢 𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒆: The girl her parents named after a cow 😞 Maybe they had a milk farm and their daughter was a milkful blessing 🥺 Also why is she more delusional then me and here I thought I WAS CRAZY. Also I seriously think she needs to stop running into danger like girl read the room 🙄

🤍˖𓍢 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒉: The girl her parents named after the very thing we kill for 🤑🤑🤑 Why did she piss me off tho like she was giving the girl who wears double helmets and arm pads and knee pads while riding a bike 💀 I LOWKEY THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA DIE FIRST BC OF HOE SCARED SHE WAS 😭😭😭

🤍˖𓍢 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂: We have the classic rich girl named after the math subject Algebra 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ I think her parents were just so rich in numbers they needed to move on to something BIGGER. Also her “party” was the worst thing I ever seen. Like could my girl tried harder to make the last place she was gonna live cuter?? Like try harder 🙄🙄🙄 LIKE HELLO?? DOLLAR TREE EXISTS.

🤍˖𓍢 𝑭𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒖𝒔: Guys I think you already know where I’m going for his name 💀 I misread this as fetus, fungus, furry, and the list goes on 😞 My poor guy needs to get a mathematical name like his sister because anything would do better than this 🤧🤧🤧

🤍˖𓍢 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒏: MY LITTLE ASIAN BADDIE AND CHATGPT DOCTOR 🥺🥺🥺🥺 I swear the beef he started later on in the story was unwarranted 😞 I really did want to see him and Hugo lash it out on each other and get his little pretty hands dirty.

🤍˖𓍢 𝑯𝒖𝒈𝒐: GUYS LOOK ITS THE DISNEY CHANNEL BULLY 🤭🤭🤭🤭 And he’s a older senior too ✋🤑 Guys please GTFO I’m so tired of all these characters and he literally didn’t have any personality but being the nice guy and the single sentence where he called Bessie “love” 😞 it’s giving Aaron Warner from Disney+

🤍˖𓍢 𝒁𝒆𝒌𝒆: I honestly forgot he existed 💀 My guy was always MIA and hiding in a cabinet 😞 He probably listens to Chappell Roan in his free time 🤧

🤍˖𓍢 𝑱𝒊𝒂: Girl needs to have other hobbies than going out in the pouring rain in a store 😞😞 atleast her name isn’t half bad.

🤍˖𓍢 𝑨𝒃𝒃𝒂𝒔: I ACTUALLY LOVED HIS CHARACTER 😭 But his name? Cmon man 😞 I misread it for ass 💔

☆ ͡ ݂📓꒰. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙘" .꒱ 🥛 ݂ ͡ ☆

🐈‍⬛˚. ᵎᵎ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
This was the worst thriller I ever read 💀 I think the back of the cereal box was more thrilling than THIS. But was this insanely funny and cringe? YES. I would read this again just to laugh at how insanely stupid it is 😭

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
🖤📞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: I’ve been reading too many romances lately and need to go back to my ROOTS 😫 buddyreading this with my two soul sisters Zeinab and Humna 🥹🤞🏻 Lets hope we get traumatized 🤧

[zeinab · Rating 1 out of 5]

── . ⟢ 1.75 stars ★
﹒⌗﹒ this review is spoiler free ⸝⸝

𓏲thoughts⸝ ⸝⸝

➵ you really don’t know what a joke is until you’ve read this book. at multiple points during this story i was asking myself if the main character was just dreaming the entire plot up because nothing made sense. the amount of questions i had at the end of the book are too many to count and it’s honestly bugging me so badly because the amount of plot holes?? no thank you. the ending was unsatisfying asf. not to mention that most of the deaths felt remarkably unrealistic. i felt like i was watching an episode of a show where the characters know how to do nothing but make bad decisions.

can we talk about the names for a second? those in themselves took a whole star off. fergus? no, i don’t think you heard me right—fergus?? i would be changing my identity if i had a name like that. i have no idea what the author was thinking naming her character after what i’m sure must be a certain kind of diseased toe fungus. and bessie? as my wonderful girl jen so amazingly put it: it sounds like a cows name. it does.

something else that threw me off was the pacing. it was so slow at the beginning (where i understood nothing that was going on, mind you) and even in the middle the chapters were getting so long and little was happening. seeing anything longer than 30 minutes in the chapter made me tempted to put the book aside because thrillers are supposed to be quick and fast paced. i’d expect this from a fantasy book, if anything.

i guessed half of the plot twist so that didn’t help!! the very end had me slightly shook and the last sentence of the book did have my jaw on the floor which is why i showed this book a small amount of mercy by adding an additional .75 star to my rating.

overall, i would not recommend this book unless you want to feel smart because the characters were so stupid that it genuinely appalled me. it’s really a shame because the plot had so much potential but it was executed so poorly. i also officially have ptsd from castles… and moats for that matter. but thank you so much regardless to my bsfs jen and humna for buddy reading this book with me!! you two made the suffering bearable and ily guys sm!! hopefully our next br together will be so much better 🤞

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can push through the first half, things start getting a lot more suspenseful and twisty. The second half had me on the edge of my seat! I loved the twists, as I couldn't see the coming. I partially guessed the huge twist near the end but didn't fully guess the ending. The last paragraph will make you shocked. Overall, this was a great read that made me read this in one sitting. I loved being on the edge of my seat and trying to figure out who could be behind all of the bad things happening! The last 30% really made this book worthwhile!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Delacorte Press to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received eARCs for Natasha Preston’s last two books, and I think that’s it for me. I requested both of them because one of my kids is a huge fan, and heaven knows we parents of teenagers need cool points desperately. However, the writing is just not there. It reads like it was written by an *actual* teenager. There are plot holes all over the place, and characters do things that don’t make any sense, over and over. The ending was extremely abrupt, to the point where I was shocked the book was over.

Even so, I’m *glad* that it’s over. My hat’s off to Ms. Preston—she’s clearly found a niche, and she’s very successful at reaching her target audience. I’m just not a member of it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Locked room mysteries are one of my favorite thriller tropes, and I can never get enough! This one, featuring ten people locked in a remote castle in the English countryside for a secret party before graduation, has strong echoes of And Then There Were None. The castle’s owners plan to turn the place into apartment complexes, sparking protests from the townies who leave threatening messages on forums, with some locals even saying they’d like to see the place burn down (at least, that’s what Bessie overheard).

As tensions with the locals grow, Bessie is invited to the party hosted by twins Allegra and Fergus, whose wealthy family owns the castle. Bessie and Kash are excited to spend the weekend at this eccentric location, keeping it a secret from their families but also having second thoughts about the castle's infrastructure issues. Once the rain starts and a storm knocks trees down, Bessie realizes the heating problems and lack of a proper bath are the least of their worries. Though the entire school was invited, only ten people show up, and Jai, who was exploring outside, gets injured when a tree falls on him. Despite the worsening weather, the group tries to keep spirits high by drinking and dancing. But in the morning, when one of them is found dead and their phones are missing, they realize there's someone inside the castle with harmful intentions. But who? Could it be one of them? Hugo and his friends, not part of the original inner circle, arrived at the last second before the storm. Could they be involved?

Bessie then discovers secret news articles in one of the rooms about the accident that changed her life. Could the dangerous person be linked to that same incident? Who really wants to hurt them?

I enjoyed the locked room mystery, the building tension, and the fast-paced plot, but the final third of the book was completely disappointing. The motive behind the murders was nonsensical, and the explanations were truly bizarre. Even the last-minute twist wasn’t as entertaining or shocking as I had hoped; everything felt far-fetched, even silly.

I’m still rounding up from 2.5 stars to 3 for the promising start, the haunted castle with secret passages, and the locked room mystery setup, but the ending and the one-dimensional characters really let me down. I’ve enjoyed the author’s previous works and wish this book had provided a more satisfying conclusion.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing this locked room mystery’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[humna حمنہ (j. lynch's version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

@ the party by natasha preston

the plot 🥀: no because what on earth was that plot? It lacked no depth and was too messy for the book to be consistent and sophisticated. The characters had no personalities that allowed me to differentiate between them and I often found myself confusing characters with others. This all contributed to the lack of plot because the chapters were useless (most of them) with some having contributed nothing to the plot line and the ending was unsatisfying. The narrator was unreliable and I usually love that like when I was reading the secret history by donna tartt but Natasha Preston really did not hit it with this one. The ending was surprising but not in the way I wanted thrillers to be, it was extremely slow paced and did not knock me off of my feet- I kept waiting for the big twist but nothing came and before I knew it, I had already finished the book.

the characters 🧍 : they deserve a whole paragraph of conversation but I can't be bothered to list every thing that made them so confusing !! First of all, they did not have conflicting personalities, nothing that told me what they liked most of all, their personalities (because it kept changing!) except for hugo who's the reason why I finished it and most importantly, the names. I mean, out of ALL the fmc character names natasha Preston could've chosen she chose bessie 😭😭 and that's not even the worst one!! One of her friends is called Fergus 🥀 fungus anyone? 💚 and there was also the name Kash so you guys can see why that warranted a whole star being taken off. no wonder fungus was the killer

overall 🌹 : it definitely could've been worse, but I still would not recommend it to anyone that is looking for a fast paced, detailed character depth & personality and shocking plot line thriller !! To my besties zeinab and jeneen, ily guys SO MUCH and I'm so glad we got together to buddy read this piece of literature xx hopefully one of our dozen other buddy reads will be a better rating 😘🥰 (so excited xx)

[Bethany Moe · Rating 1 out of 5]

No. That’s it. That’s the review.

[kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was confusing, written so poorly and had no clear plot line - it was infuriating to get through and the only reason I finished it was because I needed to know who did it. The characters had 0 development and the plot twists were so unorganized they weren’t shocking or interesting. 0/10 recommend, was super disappointing!!

[eveonne ୨୧ ˚⟡˖ ࣪ - ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

❝𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩?❞
5 stars ★
𓊆ྀི❤︎𓊇ྀི
now playing: unstoppable by daniel caesar

starting off 2025 strong! The Party takes place in an old countryside castle that is set to be renovated into new apartments. A group of teenagers decide to throw a party in the castle, but what they don’t know is that it will take a very dark turn. I really enjoyed this book, so let’s get into the review, shall we?

⚜🕯🗡🗝🕷

characters
bess
bessie was so cute! i really loved following her as a main character and i felt that a lot of her decisions were actually logical given the situation.

fergus
the chemistry between bess and fergus was insane. fergus was really sweet for the most part.

hugo
#needthat. first book boyfriend of 2025?? hehe. such a good male character and i loved everything about him tbh.

allegra
very stuck up and annoying, fitting for the role she played in the book. (her and fergus are twins, their parents are the ones who own the castle)

zeke
i liked zeke’s character, but i don’t understand why he was described as a love interest when most of the story focuses on bess and hugo. it would’ve made more sense for hugo to have been stated as a love interest.

jia, kash, odette, abbas
kash got on my nerves sometimes, but other than that, all of these characters played good supporting roles.

plot
the plot in this book was insane. the ending?? and all of the plot twists? at no point did I guess who the killer was. it was really motivating to keep reading because of all of the crazy things going on. a lot of times, I’ve had issues with natasha’s endings, but this one wasn’t that bad compared to other ones I’ve read. I do wish that one person in specific lived, but I know not to have high expectations with her endings by now. a lot of the times they feel unfinished, but this one was significantly better and slightly more satisfying.

thank you so much to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. all opinions here are my own!

xoxo
_______________________

pre-read
~ working on catching up with some arcs!! this being one of them and i am SO excited.

[Kimberly R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bessie and her nine friends go to a creepy rundown castle in the middle of nowhere to party. A storm hits and traps them there. They are not alone and begin being stalked and killed. This was an exciting read full of action and had great twists and turns. Thanks NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this eARC that will be released December 3, 2024!

[May (previously Violet)]

Dnf - 40%
I was trying to ignore the gay best friend but I just couldn’t do it. It’s gross, disturbing, and goes completely against my beliefs as a Christian and I’m not going to read it. I’m not hating, I’m not being homophobic, these are just my preferences which stem from my religion and my relationship with Christ.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Something’s happened. She’s upstairs, and she’s not . . . she’s . . .” “Dead,” Allegra adds, sobbing into her sleeve. “She’s dead. Oh my god. She’s dead! She’s dead!”

DNF @ 52%

My mortal enemy! *gives evil eye* When it comes to books about someone having a party in a crumbling mansion, an old Victorian home, or somewhere where there was a murder, we don’t get along. We’re not pj&j nor are we besties holding hands while skipping under a rainbow. We are sneering at one another from across the room. Throwing daggers at each other with our eyes.

Then why?, you ask. Because this author usually surprises me in the best of ways. And second of all… mind your business. I was hoping for Preston to change my mind, to make me love spooky party books but it just didn’t happen.

It started off slow and didn’t pick up at all. I’ve read quite a bit before I decided that I’ve had enough. I was waiting for that turning point where I couldn’t put this down but it seems as if all I wanted to do was the opposite. Once you get to that point, you know that it’s over.

The Party was not my favorite book by Preston. It was too slow for my tastes and the characters were dull with zero redeeming qualities. We’ll just act as if this doesn’t exist and I’ll read her next book.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love me a good illicit party, isolated setting, and group of teens with intense friendships and secrets in their past so this had all the makings of a great read for me but, unfortunately, it fell through pretty quickly. I found the tension was quickly snuffed out once the group arrived at the abandoned castle setting as there was just too much dialogue and too much bickering for me to truly care about what happened to them.

They were picked off one-by-one, which I had anticipated and didn't prove to be a downfall of the book for me as that is classic to what occurs in many books written in this vein, but the manner in which this happened and their reactions to it just all felt a little shallow and I didn't connect to the emotions on the page at all. Back-and-forth and repeated accusations made this pretty quick read feel far longer than it should have.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Natasha Preston, and the publisher, Hot Key Books, for this opportunity.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Dang!!!

I am beyond speechless right now. This book was so DELICIOUS!!!

😲😲😲. 🤯🤯🤯. 🤭🤭🤭.
~~~~~~~
***Pre-Read:*** The way I am STILL in my feels about being denied this ARC. 😡😡😡. Out here. Having me wait three months until my library ordered their copy and they only ORDERED ONE!!! Thank goodness I was first to place my hold. 🤭🤭🤭!!!

[°.*• Evangeline •*.° · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where to start? I’m genuinely disappointed. As someone who has read and loved many of Natasha Preston’s books, I’ve come to appreciate her writing style. However, this book felt entirely out of sync with her usual work, as if it wasn’t her writing at all.

Several scenes irritated me deeply, making me question if the book was intended as some sort of parody. One example, early in the story, involves a girl sustaining a head injury during a storm. Her friends rush to help, but instead of addressing her head wound immediately, they’re inexplicably more concerned about her wet clothes. To make matters worse, another character—aspiring to pursue a medical career—doesn’t act in a way that reflects even basic first-aid knowledge. It was illogical and frustrating, highlighting a clear lack of necessary research.

Additionally, the dialogue between the teens felt unnatural, as though written by an adult unfamiliar with how teenagers actually communicate. It pulled me out of the story and made the characters less relatable. I’m not typically one to nitpick, but these issues were hard to overlook.

That said, I remain a fan of Natasha Preston and hope her future works align more with the quality I’ve come to expect.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before its release.

[Coffee&Cliffhangers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whenever I'm in a reading slump, Natasha Preston is my go-to author. Her dark, twisty stories are immensely entertaining, and her latest book is no different. Set against the backdrop of the English countryside, a group of teenagers gather at an isolated castle for a weekend of excitement. However, the party takes a grim turn when one of them is found dead. As more bodies accumulate and a relentless storm traps them, the question arises: can they uncover the murderer and escape, or is each destined to meet their end in the gloomy, deserted castle? The locked room mystery trope is one I adore, and this book delivered an exhilarating experience, keeping me guessing who was behind the murders with every twist and turn.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

natasha 🙁 girl. this one pmo so bad.

these characters were undeniably insufferable and i literally was so mad about this plot i complained about it to my DAD. he didn’t care but i never feel inclined to tell him?!?!

[sophia_thesecond (gibsie's ver) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

my gosh. I don't know what to think honestly. it wasn't horrible, but it sure wasn't great. I didn't understand the ending like what. it makes no sense to me. so many plot holes that I don't understand 😭 even though I don't really understand the ending, somehow I predicted the murder? idek how but I did. the setting was fun and I liked it. ok but like I don't understand the moat. why did they make it seem the most was a whole freaking river? the book did keep me hooked though. I enjoyed the plot for the most part aside from the plot holes. definitely not natasha's finest work.

Now Playing:

frank ocean - super rich kids
0:01 ❍─────── 4:28
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

characters:

bessie: eh? she was alright. she's a bit slow. and so stupid like girl maybe stop running into the danger? but you do you...

hugo: idc, I didn't like him. he low-key annoyed me. like why was he always there?

kash: I liked her...kinda she was a bit annoying, but a good side character

fergus: what the flip is this name? anyway I kinda liked him

allegra: basic rish girl

shen: brooo I actually loved shen. he was my fav

zeke: where was bro. I don't understand.

jia: fine.

recommend?: maybe 🤷🏻‍♀️
spice: 0/5
violence: 3/5
language: 2.75/5
age rating: 13+

[Alexia Biggs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, reading the nutritional facts on literally anything would've been a better thriller read than this book.

[The Bookish Elf · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her latest psychological thriller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Natasha Preston delivers a gripping story of friendship, betrayal, and murder set against the atmospheric backdrop of a remote English castle. The Party masterfully combines elements of classic locked-room mysteries with modern psychological suspense, creating a taut narrative that keeps readers frantically turning pages until the shocking conclusion.

Plot and Setting

When a group of boarding school friends decides to spend their Easter break at the historic Beaufort Castle, they expect a weekend of secret parties and teenage revelry. However, their plans take a sinister turn as a dangerous storm traps them inside with a killer picking them off one by one. The protagonist, Bessie, must uncover long-buried secrets and confront painful memories as she fights to survive and unravel the mystery behind the mounting deaths.

Preston expertly uses the castle's imposing architecture and the raging storm to create a claustrophobic atmosphere that amplifies the tension. The moat surrounding the castle, initially a source of excitement for the teenagers, becomes a terrifying barrier that prevents both escape and rescue.

Character Development

The author demonstrates her skill in crafting complex teenage characters who feel authentic despite their privileged backgrounds. Bessie serves as a compelling protagonist, carrying emotional scars from a previous accident that becomes increasingly relevant to the current crisis. The relationships between characters are well-developed, particularly the dynamics between:

- Bessie and her best friend Kash
- The Beaufort twins, Allegra and Fergus
- Hugo and his brother Raif
- The evolving romantic tension between various characters

Strengths

Preston's writing shines in several areas:

1. Pacing: The story maintains relentless momentum while allowing enough breathing room for character development
2. Atmosphere: The gothic castle setting is vividly realized
3. Plot Twists: Multiple surprising revelations keep readers guessing
4. Psychological Elements: The exploration of trauma and memory adds depth

Areas for Improvement

While The Party is a strong thriller, there are some aspects that could have been enhanced:

- The initial setup takes time to gain momentum
- Some secondary characters could have been more fully developed
- Certain plot points strain credibility
- The resolution may feel rushed for some readers

Writing Style

Preston's prose is crisp and effective, particularly in action sequences and moments of high tension. She excels at creating visceral scenes that make readers feel present in the moment. The author skillfully balances multiple narrative threads while maintaining suspense throughout the story.

Themes and Subtext

The novel explores several compelling themes:

- The nature of friendship and loyalty
- The impact of wealth and privilege
- The reliability of memory
- The psychological effects of trauma
- The complexity of family relationships

Target Audience

While marketed as a Young Adult thriller, The Party contains mature themes and violence that make it more suitable for older teens and adults. Fans of authors like Karen M. McManus and Holly Jackson will find much to appreciate here.

Conclusion

The Party showcases Natasha Preston's growth as an author while delivering the suspense and shocking twists her readers expect. The novel's blend of psychological depth and classic thriller elements creates an engaging reading experience that will satisfy both longtime fans and newcomers to her work. Despite some minor shortcomings, this is a worthy addition to the YA thriller genre that demonstrates why Preston remains a bestselling author in the field.

Content Advisory: Contains violence, death, and mature themes

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

i normally love this authors books, but the amount of mistakes even within the first 100 pages was too much for me. so many times she would say one thing and then two pages later say something completely different. first they’re leaving for the party tomorrow morning but the next page it says they’re leaving today.. except it’s supposedly still the same day as the page before. zeke left his cards in the car and bessie is glad about that because otherwise strip poker would have been played, except they were all just playing poker two pages ago. also at the end when they listed all the characters who died, one character was just not even mentioned at all?? annoyed me to no end and very disappointing after how excited i was to read this.

[Amanda Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excuse my language but this was f*cking terrible.

[Amber | TheFireKissed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really surprised I didn't read a Natasha Preston book before especially since she has so many published. Overall I really enjoyed this book! The British slang words caught me off guard at times, but it was pretty easy to understand what they meant. I was wrong on who the killer was and I even created a list of all the characters to keep track. It does a good job at setting up suspense and keeping you on the edge of your seat. I will be picking up more of her books in the future!

[☆.｡.:* Chloe ⁺˚･༓☾]

none of this woman’s books have happy endings good god

[Sarah | sarahsbookcase · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this one, especially after loving another book by this author last year. The premise sounded intriguing and promising. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t feel a connection to any of the characters, and I found myself predicting the ending, which, in the end, felt a bit lackluster. While this particular book didn’t resonate with me, I’m definitely still open to reading more from this author in the future.

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Natasha Preston and Delacorte Press for my copy of The Party. This book was about a group of friends who are going to spend the weekend in a remote castle for a party before graduation. The parents of two of the students own the castle, and plan to turn the castle into apartments, which makes the townspeople mad. As the tension grows, the party is supposed to cut the much needed tension, but when the power goes out, it’s only the beginning of their problems.

When only ten people are able to get to the castle, the storm cuts them off from the outside world. Then after the first night, one of them is found dead, and all their phones are missing. That’s when they realize someone has bad intentions, and part of their past starts to come back to haunt them.

Thoughts: I loved the idea of this locked room mystery. The isolated setting was creepy and there were many different things that could come into play. The tension was exciting at first, but it became more and more unbelievable as the story went on. The ending was truly ridiculous and unbelievable. There was really no motive for all the murders at all and the “explanation” made zero sense. I do think this should have been a DNF for me, but I truly just held on for something. 1.5 stars.

[Kimberlie ౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 creepiness 🦇

I GOT IT RIGHTTTTTTT
But also, the heck was that ending?
BUT DAMMMM THIS WAS CREEPY
Yeah once you figure out who it is it feels a lot less creepy but then it goes back to creepy.
I felt like I was straight up watching a scream movie, the about of like slashing as the book progressed
That was definitely the most laid back ending I’ve read from her so far though

[Katrina (Catching up on Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of cat-and-mouse action—maybe a bit much for me, but still a good read. The story follows a group of teens whose night of partying takes a terrifying turn when they realize a killer is among them.

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so good that I loved this one so much and the twist and turns were like no other I was sad for Hugo I didn’t want him to die I feel Fergus deserved to die because he and Raif don’t need sympathy for anything they both planned to kill Bess and her friends

[noelle ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natasha were you well when you wrote this

like it wasn’t even that bad but it kinda didn’t make sense but hey there was an ending so