As much as I love the scream-esque storyline and the writing, I’m a little frustrated over the way Natasha Preston’s book have ended, this being my third I’ve read by her. As much as I love trying to figure out what’s going on while bodies are dropping, I pretty much expected everyone to die or to be left thinking they all have by the end of this. We had one survivor, which has been considered typical in movies such as Friday the 13th, but at least in Scream we had more than one big character survive and we could find excitement in that! Since this is my third, the excitement of survival for certain characters were slim to none. Overall leaving the story feeling bleak, which in some cases I’m not upset by, but now that this has been considered typical by this author, it doesn’t make me want to pick up more when I see now this is possibly how they all end. I did not mind previous books that were left on cliffhangers where we are not sure who exactly survived - but this one fell flat even in that aspect for me.

*The Party* by Natasha Preston is a tense, fast-paced thriller that explores the dark side of high school friendships and the dangers of peer pressure. The story revolves around a group of teenagers who attend a lavish party, where secrets, lies, and betrayals come to light, culminating in a shocking and life-altering event. Preston’s writing keeps readers on edge, skillfully building suspense while offering glimpses into the complex emotions and motivations of the characters. While some elements of the plot may feel familiar, the twist-filled narrative and exploration of toxic relationships make for a gripping, suspenseful read. *The Party* will appeal to fans of YA thrillers, offering a chilling look at the consequences of reckless decisions.

I always hear Natasha Preston’s name mentioned in the YA thriller genre, so I’ve been wanting to read one of her books for a while. The Party didn’t disappoint, although it wasn’t what I expected.

A group of ten teenagers gather in the English countryside... at a castle... for a party. The castle is owned by Allegra and Fergus’ parents, who are twins with way too much money. They all lie to their parents about their whereabouts, so no one knows where they are. However, a terrible storm comes, and they’re trapped in the castle. Tensions are high, and soon, the teenagers start dying one by one.

Bessie, the main character, used to date Fergus, but they broke up after a car accident last year. Bessie can’t recall exactly what happened the night of the accident, but she has panic attacks about it, and Fergus tried to help her through it, but she pushed him away.

The main conflict is who is murdering the teens, and why? The “who” is revealed, but the motive is a bit murky. That, combined with the plot twist IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF THE BOOK, are what made me drop this to 4 stars. Other than that, it’s an entertaining YA thriller if you want a book you can binge read in a few sittings.

*Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the free eBook ARC. This is my honest review.

I wasn't aware when I requested this book that the author is a YA writer. Keeping that in mind, this is a definitely written with a YA audience in mind.

Several teens sneak off to an abandoned castle to have a party for a weekend. A big storm traps them inside. One by one they turn up dead. A classic locked room story. Who will turn out to be the killer and what will the twist be. I would have loved this as a teen. Very much what I would have read. NP definitely knows her target audience.

Fast paced. Glad the author didn't drag out each death that much. With as many characters as there were going in to too much character depth would have been too much. It was a good balance. Overall I would recommend this book to the target audience.

Another Natasha Preston story that reads like a Natasha Preston story. Not one of my favorites, but my students will love it as her books are very popular with the high school students. I'll be sharing this with my students. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

One of my favorite authors. This book was amazing!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this one

Natasha Preston does it again. This is the 6th or 7th book of hers I’ve read and I love that she’s able to bring in younger characters but still hooks me into reading. The tension between friends in a cold castle over spring break was just what I needed. Definitely recommend this quick read!

This book was exactly what it needed to be. Teenagers stranded with a murderer during a storm, angry townspeople, rich kids whose parents fix everything. This book is moody and perfect for the changing weather. You don't know who to root for and who is the enemy up to the very end.

I've read 'The Dare' by Natasha Preston and really enjoyed it so I was stoked to be approved for this on NetGalley! It didn't disappoint! The pacing is perfect and the ending was really good. I was invested in the characters and had a hard time putting this down! If you enjoy thrillers, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Natasha Preston, Natasha Preston and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent read and kept me questioning things the entire book.

Boarding school is out for the holidays and the high schoolers are ready to get out of there. Many of them are planning on heading to a party at one of the classmates old castles. Except the night goes so terribly wrong.

Bessie is one of the girls attending the party. Some time back, Bessie and some of her friends experienced a terrible tragedy and it’s thought about often. Some of the other kids are also at the castle that were involved in this tragedy. It just seems that someone related to what happened has something out for her.

✨Arc Review✨

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I love love love locked room mysteries!!! One of my absolute favorite thriller tropes!!! so naturally when I saw that one of my favorite authors wrote this, I was beyond ecstatic.

Allegra and Fergus are throwing a party in an abandoned castle in a remote location… for a weekend long party. What could go wrong?! Oh, did I mention they weren’t supposed to be there? Or the fact that the locals are super pissed that the parents of the twins throwing the party are tearing it down to put up apartments.. Okay… one more element, a raging storm is headed right for them!!!
Due to the storm, only 10 of them could get there before the flooding started. Pretty quickly the bodies started dropping, which made this super hard to put down. It was extremely fast paced. There’s so many different elements or reasons why each one of them could be the killer. The suspense was suspensing. I had so many theories and I did figure out part of it but the rest was shocking. And the last sentence…. What. The. F…

I will always read and recommend Natasha Preston‘s books! I love her writing style and her books are always just so good.

Thank you to @authornatashapreston and @netgalley again for this #arc!!!

a group of friends gets stuck at an abandoned castle in the middle of nowhere during a storm only to learn it's not as abandoned as they thought. Wow, Natasha Preston does not disappoint!!! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This is a perfect book if you are looking for a quick read that will keep your attention the entire time.

The plot dragged a little and the ending was rather abrupt. I also think the characters' actions sometimes contradicted what they had previously said/done. This is my second book by Natasha Preston. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other one (The Dare), but still a nice read

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. I also want to thank PRH Audio for the audiobook.

This was a fun read and a great YA thriller. I was very enthralled with the story and I just had to find out how the story was going to end. If you enjoy YA thrillers, I definitely recommend this book and audiobook!

I enjoy the authors writing and she really does suck you in! I did feel like this one was more of a horror than a thriller but it was great. The ending was amazing!

Okay so I absolutely adore Natasha Preston and love every book I have read from her, this was no different. I immediately felt the eerie and creepy vibes from the castle, especially with the storm. I would definitely recommend this!

The Party by Natasha Preston is another entertaining YA thriller/mystery!
NP always creates an atmosphere that is freaking amazing.
This was an intriguing story with interesting characters. It's a real page turner that will keep you thinking. It's a real crafty mystery novel.
This fast-paced story did not disappoint.
I thought the writing was absolutely amazing! Intriguing, thought provoking plot and interesting characters! This book pulled me in from the beginning and made it hard for me to put it down!
Natasha Preston is a fantastic writer and her books while short are gripping and intriguing.

The Party by Natasha Preston
🌟🌟🌟
A group of friends go to a remote castle to throw a weekend party; but a bad storm throws a wrench in their fun plans, as well as some killings!!
It wasn’t my favorite story from this author, as the beginning was very slow for me. I had a hard time getting as invested in the story as her others. However, half way through, the story picked up with more twists, turns and suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this fun and excited read!
*This book is out now! *

I seriously eat up anything Natasha Preston writes. This is no different. I love this one! The kids in it were kind of naive, but they are teens and I kept that in the back of my mind. I loved it and will be recommending it!

Bessie and her friend,s decide to go to the party that Allegra is throwing in her family’s abandoned castle before it’s converted into apartments. They think the biggest issues that they’ll face are making it there before a big storm hits and keeping their plans secret from their parents and teachers. Once they arrive at the castle, Bessie and best friend Kashvi discover graffiti and evidence that someone has been staying in the cellar. They stop to buy snacks and more beer. They learn that protestors from the nearby village are angry about the development plans for the castle. One of them even argues that it would be better to burn it down. Some of the classmates manage to get there before the storm gets too severe. But when the teens wake up to the next day is to discover one of their own dead. The storm has made it impossible for them to leave. They realize that they’re in danger. Is the killer one of the members of the Facebook protestors’ group or one of their own? Will they find out before it’s too late?

The author has written an excellent novel. I enjoyed the suspenseful story with its elements of horror. It never bored me while I read this novel. Bessie was my favorite character. I’m amazed to think that a party could be so “exciting” to read.

The author has written an excellent novel. I enjoyed the suspenseful story with its elements of horror. It never bored me while I read this novel. Bessie was my favorite character. I’m amazed to think that a party could be so “exciting” to read.