We begin The Party by being introduced to ten students who are discussing an upcoming secret party at a remote castle. We learn there are some tensions by the local townspeople on the future of the castle, as it is owned by the wealthy parents of two students. The students shrug off the tensions and secretively head to the castle for their epic party. As storms roll in, strange things begin to happen and slowly, each student is picked off, one by one. With no way out and phones missing, the students just need to stick together to survive the weekend, right?

The Party by Natasha Preston was a novel I could not put down. I was on the edge of my seat trying to determine what would happen next and who was wreaking all this havoc. There were twists and turns and I found myself unable to stop reading to get to the finish line. If you’re a fan of thrillers and enjoyed the movie Scream, pick up a copy of The Party. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Party by Natasha Preston has a killer premise (literally)—a group of teens trapped in a storm at an abandoned castle with a murderer among them. Classic setup, right? The tension builds well, but the pacing is a mixed bag. It starts slow, picks up, then throws in twists—some predictable, some wild. The characters? Hit or miss. Some felt real, others just plot devices. The ending? A little flat. Overall, it’s a fun, quick thriller if you don’t mind some bumps along the way.

Rating: 3.5/5

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. 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. It was good but definitely not my favorite.

Natasha Preston does it again! I loved every single one of her books they are perfectly creepy and suspenseful. I will ready any book she puts out because I always have a good time.

Great addition to my high school library. Students will love it! Natasha Preston's *The Party* presents an intriguing premise: a group of friends gathers at a secluded castle for a weekend celebration, only to find themselves trapped by a storm and targeted by a mysterious killer. The setting—a remote, abandoned castle—adds a chilling atmosphere that enhances the suspense. However, the novel's execution falls short in several areas. The pacing is uneven; the initial chapters are sluggish, making it challenging to become fully engaged. Character development is limited, with many characters feeling one-dimensional, hindering readers from forming strong connections. Additionally, the dialogue often lacks depth, leading to repetitive conversations that contribute little to the plot's advancement. Despite these shortcomings, the story does deliver unexpected twists that maintain a level of intrigue, especially in the latter half. While not without flaws, *The Party* offers a moderately engaging read for fans of young adult thrillers seeking a quick, suspenseful escape.

This book started off kind of slow but after I got past 50% I was hooked! I was at the edge of my seat and had whiplash with how many times I changed my mind on who the killers could be. Love Natasha Preston’s writing!

Rating: 3 stars!

Credit to the characters in the book: they actually ackowledge they are teens, in high school, doing crazy things. This is the first book that I've read with young characters that make some kind of "we are just in highschool" declaration. It makes the absurdity of it all seem slightly more rational. The ending felt flat but also WILD in comparison to the rest of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

I love books where there is no clear direction things are moving! I like to keep guessing who is guilty and what the motive could be. This book had me guessing right up until the end. I felt the characters were well written and developed throughout the book. I am looking forward to more from this author!

3.5 stars rated up to 4 stars. I have read a few reads by Natasha Preston. She always writes a good locker room thriller and this book was no exception. Locked room thrillers are always one of my favorite tropes! Her books are easy to read, they keep your attention and always have some good twists. While I was able to figure out one twist, there were a few unexpected ones as well. I felt like the book was a little slow in the beginning but there is a large cast of characters to introduce. The pacing after that was great!

The book is told from Bessie’s POV. Bessie attends a private boarding high school. Over a break, her and her friends decide to throw a party at Allegra and Fergus’s family castle that is undergoing renovations and has limited electricity. The weather is also acting up, what could possibly go wrong? Only ten classmates end up making it to the party. But soon one of them ends up dead. Who could be the killer? Is it someone from their group or someone from the outside?!

I was suspicious of every single character in this book! Each one had a reason to be the killer. Why did they keep separating from the group? I really liked this friend group, each character was fleshed out surprisingly well for such a quick read. This is a great YA thriller read!

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

As a book reviewer, I recently finished Natasha Preston's "The Party," courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Children's, and I'm ready to share my honest thoughts.

Initially, I found "The Party" to be a slow burner, perhaps even a glacial one. To be frank, if I had purchased a physical copy, I likely would have marked it as a "Did Not Finish" (DNF). The pacing felt sluggish, and I struggled to connect with the characters or the unfolding scenario. This slow build, intended to create suspense, unfortunately, had the opposite effect on me. It led to a sense of disengagement, and I found my interest waning.

While the narrative did eventually pick up pace, and the tension did escalate, the initial disinterest had already taken root. By the time the story reached its more thrilling moments, I felt somewhat detached. The pivot into the more intense aspects of the plot, while technically a shift, didn't fully recapture my attention. I found myself going through the motions rather than being genuinely invested in the outcome.

Natasha Preston is known for her thrillers aimed at young adults, often involving suspenseful and sometimes dark themes. As described by publishers, her books frequently explore "twisty plots and shocking reveals." However, in "The Party," the build-up didn't effectively lay the groundwork for those reveals, at least for me.

My experience with "The Party" leaves me hesitant to immediately dive into another Natasha Preston novel. While I acknowledge her popularity and the appeal her books hold for many readers, this particular story didn't resonate with me. It’s possible that my expectations or reading preferences simply didn’t align with this particular work. As is often said, "different books for different folks."

In conclusion, while I appreciate the opportunity to have read "The Party," it wasn't a book that held my interest throughout. I hope that others find more enjoyment in it than I did.

The first half of this book really drug on for me but it did pick up about half way through. This was twisty and a suspenseful locked in thriller but overall it was just okay. Not my favorite by this author but overall enjoyed the read.

A locked-in thriller full of TWISTS and MURDER! A party held in a huge mansion, 9 friends come together for an EPIC party one that they will NEVER forget, if they survive the night!

I have read other books by this author before that I have enjoyed but was just not personally a huge fan of this one. I was very intrigued by the premise and there was so much potential, but I believe it could have been executed better. None of the characters were very likeable (all rich privileged private school students) and there was not much character development prior to the murders starting so it was hard to care about their losses. Many of the events and decisions made by the characters throughout the book were so unrealistic that it was difficult to immerse myself in the story. I did keep reading because the story had me hooked and I really wanted to find out who the murderer was, but I also expected more out of the major twist at the end and had kind of guessed who it was already. I will say that the explanation of what actually happened during “the accident” in the past did surprise me and I was not able to predict that. I also wish there had been more of an explanation at the end as the ending felt very abrupt (although I do know that this author tends to end her books that way). Overall, this book was not for me, but someone interested in the young adult thriller genre and fans of this author may still enjoy reading it. Thank you to NetGalley, Natasha Preston, and Delacorte Press for the gifted ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!

The Party by Natasha Preston is a gripping, locked room mystery. Bessie and nine boarding school friends travel to a castle in the English countryside to party and things take a deadly turn when one of them is found dead the next day. When a ravaging storm traps the kids in the castle and starts picking them off one by one, Bessie sets out to figure out who the killer is. Is it her friend?

The first half of the book was slower-paced, however, the remaining 50% had me on the edge of my seat. The twists in this novel were insane, and I did not guess the twist or the killer.

The characters are well-fleshed out and have depth. Preston did a fantastic job at creating complicated teenage characters who feel authentic despite growing up in a privileged lifestyle, and she was graceful in conveying a character with a traumatic past.

This was my first book by Natasha Preston, and I can’t wait to explore more of her works!

A party in a remote castle, owned by the twins family- destined for renovation but hated by the towns people. A group of teens, planning the party of the century, but plans go amok as the weather takes a turn for the worse. The group is trapped in the castle, the moat is overflowing and the drawbridge washes out. Now they are being murdered one by one by persons unknown.

A small group of teenagers attend a party in a creepy derelict castle. A storm hits and everyone is trapped inside with a killer who is picking them off one by one. The premise was good but I did not care for any of the characters. The deaths are somewhat graphic and there's an unnecessary twist at the end. Just why? Sadly this book was not my cup of tea.

Another great YA thriller from Natasha Preston! A creepy castle, a handfull of teenagers, and an impending storm- what could go wrong??

While the first third of this book was a little slow for me, it definitely picked up and kept my attention throughout the rest of the story. At times it was difficult keeping the multitude of characters straight, but overall it was a fun read with lots of suspense. The ending was typical for Natasha Preston, but I know she is a fan of cliffhanger endings, so it wasn't as frustrating for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished The Party by Natasha Preston, and sadly, this one wasn’t for me. The premise had so much potential—stormy night, remote castle, plenty of drama—but the execution fell flat. The plot felt predictable, and I couldn’t connect with any of the characters. The pacing dragged, and the tension I was hoping for just never showed up. I kept waiting for that big twist or moment that would hook me, but it never happened.