*I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: The Party
Author: Robyn Harding
Publisher: Scout Press
Publication Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 9781501161247
Synopsis on Goodreads:
Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting coming of age, a milestone, and a rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah—a sweet girl with good grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant, indulgent affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, cake, movies, and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?But things do go wrong, horrifically so. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb suddenly begins to come apart. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are revealed in the Sanders’ marriage, and the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah, is exposed.
The Party is not really the type of novel that I usually choose to read. I’m a fan of happier endings or more in depth studies of character. This novel, well while written–I can appreciate–is not really up my alley. This is a story of a night gone terribly wrong. Hannah is turning sixteen, a big year. What could go wrong?? An intensely damaging accident alters life for two separate families, calling into question everything these characters have ever known. It’s a very moving story, with incredible struggles and frustrations on all sides.
This book is well written and very fast-moving. The story builds and builds in its intensity, becoming more heart-stopping as the novel progresses. Characters change and become unpredictable in the face of tragedy. It’s a novel that highlights what happens when people face unimaginable destruction, anger, and terror. However, I can’t say that any of the characters are likeable and that made it a real struggle for me. Even the teenagers, although one may be able to redeem them and forgive them due to their age, are quite awful in general in this book. The adults act on their whims and are so detached from reality. They’re all living in their own heads, selfish to the core, and perhaps that’s why this novel unravelled for me. I couldn’t sympathize or connect with anyone. Perhaps that is not the author’s purpose, but for me, that’s what draws me into fiction. I like to feel a kinship or a connection with the characters. I like when a book moves me to my very core.
Unfortunately this was just not the book for me. Perhaps those who enjoy suspense/thriller novels more will enjoy it better than I did. Based on the Goodreads reviews, I think that it will go over very well with those who read that genre. I hope you’ll enjoy it more than I did! Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 