The Party by Natasha Preston
Publishing date - 12/03/24
Rating (4/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre - YA

Synopsis - The Party follows a group of teenagers who travel to a castle in the middle of nowhere for the weekend. When one of them is found dead, the weekend takes a turn for the worst. The remaining guests must try to uncover the killers identity , a classic who done it thriller.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House - Delacorte Press for this e-ARC. This book started off just a tad slow for me, but around 50% into it ; this book really picked up and the second half was really good. If you enjoy YA thrillers, then you’ll love this one!

Another Natasha Preston book to add to my collection when it releases! It took me a little longer than I would like to admit to get into the book. It did feel a tad slow in the start but once the story started going I couldn’t put the book down! I loved the characters and the story! Plus the description of the castle was a 10/10 for me! Haunting and beautiful! Thank you netgalley and Natasha for the ARC!

This book started off just a tad slow for me, but I am always willing to push through to at least 50% before I give up on a book and I am so glad I did. This book really picked up and the second half was awesome. So many twist and turns and even though I was able to figure this book out, it didn't make it any less enjoyable. I just always have many scenarios of what something could be that one usually tends to be right. :) This ended up being such a fun read. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Book Title: The Party
Author: Natasha Preston
Publisher: Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Teen/YA
Pub Date: December 3, 2024
My Rating: 3.4 Stars!
Pages 353

Allegra and Kashvi have been best friend since here they first met at St. Mary’s Grammar School. Now as teens have are roommates in Boarding school.
Spring Break is coming up and Kashvi’s parents want her to go to New Delhi to visit relatives However, Allegra’s plan to stay at her dad’s abandoned remote castle in the English countryside sound like more fin.

Allegra and her twin brother Fergus have an elaborate scheme for a weekend party. They invited friend who all lie about where they are going including Kash. Kash actually takes the train that will take her to the airport so that she can fly to New Delhi only is pick up by a friend and taken to the castle.
As everyone is arrive at the party a terrible storm is also arriving.
(Aww - What would a party at an abandoned castle be without a storm?)

One of the teens is in a minor accident on her way there and doesn’t want to miss out on the party so takes some painkillers and continues on her way. The next morning she is found dead and everyone's phones are missing.

I know I am not the target audience for this but as a High School Guidance Counselor I love to read YA stories. It pleases me that I can recommend a book as well as know what they are reading.
This story got my attention but slowed down. I decided to read some reviews that were not positive so started to have doubts.

I did like the characters and was sure I was going to find their stay at the castle an adventure.
As the body count rises, the guests are indeed scared and accusing everyone.
I have to admit I was super curious. I read a lot of thriller and thought surely I can figure out whodunit.
I am glad hung in there and didn’t let the so so reviews take over my thoughts.
Although this wasn’t a WOW 5 star read it was better than okay and I can think of students as well as some adults who would enjoy it.

Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 3, 2024.

My students love Natasha Preston's books. So much so, in fact, that I have a hard time keeping them on the shelves, as they're constantly checked out, This one will be the new favorite.

Spoiled rich kids from a fancy boarding school decide to all lie to their parents and spend their spring break at a deserted castle in the countryside. What could go wrong? If you haven't read any of Preston's books, you might be surprised by what follows. Preston readers will just wait for the body count to begin.

When a big storm hits the area and the kids are stuck in the castle, people start dying. Roads are flooded, cell phones don't work in their area, and the castle only has a generator with power running to a few rooms, so their escape options are severely limited. Bessie and her friends aren't sure who to watch out for or if they should even trust each other. Should they split up and try to get out? Who knows that they're in the abandoned castle?

A lot of the names in this one were strange. Bessie, Raif, Hugo, Fergus. I know my students will have something to say about that. But Preston will keep them guessing throughout the story. A fun read, but very predictable.

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.

Little slow at first but the second half picked up. I’m glad I stuck with it! Easy, fast read. Predictable in parts but fun nonetheless.

Every time I read this author, I hope for the best. The description of the book, the characters, the idea behind it are all so good ... But.. the execution is not good. I felt like I was on a merry-go-round the whole time, up the stairs down the stairs, in one room, he's the Killer knows he's the Killer. It's all jumbled and garbled together.

I really wanted to like it, I love books like " then there was none", a true locked room mystery.

Also the characters were terrible. A bunch of rich, spoiled kids and spend the weekend in a castle? Ugh.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of The Party!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🤥 have ever lied to your parents
🏰 would live in a castle if you could
🌪️ love a lot of twists
📖 enjoy an open ended conclusion

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

In the heart of the English countryside, Bessie and her closest friends gather at a remote castle for a secret party destined to make this the best spring break ever. But when the first of them dies, the party takes a lethal turn.

As the body count continues to rise, Bessie and her friends must contend with a deadly storm and growing internal suspicion, all while trapped inside with a killer.

Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston's latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party’s over…

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a good book! Natasha’s writing is easy to jump right into. I loved that we only had one POV in this story because it really made me question everyone more. If I had seen more POVs, I don’t think I would have been as shocked by the end of the story. The pacing is fast, and by about 25% in, someone has already died. This trend continues right up to the very end of the story. If you like YA thrillers with a lot of twists, then you’ll love this one!

This was a fun locked-room style mystery/thriller. It was a bit slow to start, with a lot of characters to keep track of. It was somewhat hard to feel sympathy for some of them when I didn’t feel like I really knew them at all. The book picks up when people start dying, and it kind of gives old-school slasher movie vibes, which I loved. Similar to those types of movies though, the murderer reveal/backstory seemed to fall flat for me. I wasn’t blown away by the “twist” in the last minute of the book…it didn’t fit or feel consistent with the character I just spent the whole book with. The details added to “throw you off” felt like obvious red herrings, and I was frustrated at the lack of explanation for the basement, pictures, etc. Overall, if you like Friday the 13th or The Strangers, you’ll probably like this.

Big thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy of The Party!

I have read other books by Natasha Preston and have always enjoyed her writing. Easy quick read and love the twists.
Kept me guessing and hard to put down.

Natasha did it again.! The Party kept me at the edge of my seat and I was constantly wondering what could happen next. Preston has become one of my favorite suspense authors and this book was everything I needed to get me out of a reading slump!

Another fantastic novel by Natasha Preston. It was a fun whodunit although I had to admit I did figure that out pretty quickly. Despite that I still enjoyed seeing how it all came together.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I’ll be honest — I was really excited to read this one. Natasha and I go way back. She has no clue who I am, but I’ve been reading her writing since her Wattpad days.
The Party follows a group of teenagers who travel to a castle in the middle of nowhere for a weekend of fun. When one of them is found dead, the weekend takes a turn for the worst. The remaining guests must try to uncover the killers identity , a classic who done it thriller.
I was pretty disappointed with this one. If I went into the authors writing blind, I might have enjoyed it more. However, having read quite a few books by her in the past, this definitely wasn’t the best, but it also wasn’t absolutely awful.
I felt like a lot could have been trimmed down as things didn’t pick up at all until the second half of the book. Some pieces were also a little too predictable.
Overall it was worth the read, but not my favorite.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the beginning. The ending totally threw me off, though. I was satisfied with the ending but then at the last second, she threw a curveball at me. I have told several people about this book and they’ve assured me that they’ll buy it when it becomes available. I love all Natasha’s books.

I think I’m aging out of Natasha Preston. The Cellar is what sparked my love for reading thrillers but each new book I read from her gets harder and harder to finish. There were so many characters in this book, none of which were memorable. As they each got picked off by the killer I had to take a moment to remember which was which. The book was fine as far as locked room mysteries go but it didn’t do anything new or exciting. I share her books with my mom though so being able to rub it in that I got to read the newest one as an ARC before she gets to was enough for me to power through.

**3.5 Stars**

I found the beginning of this book quite slow, and it took me until around 65% to really get into it. But once I did, the story became incredibly exciting and packed with surprises! The second half had me completely engaged. I really enjoyed the unexpected twists that came my way. I had a feeling about the big twist near the end, but the conclusion was still a surprise. The final paragraph is something you won’t forget. The last 35% of the book definitely made it all worth it!

Thank You NetGalley and Random House Children's for allowing me to read this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book!! The beginning gives the cozy vibes of planning a fun party. Then the creepy old school horror movie feeling sets in as you try to figure out who to trust, if anyone at all. A dark and eerie murder mystery party that reminds me of Scream. Loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of The Party!

I have read other books by this author and have enjoyed her writing. Easy quick read and a whodunnit story line.
Kept me guessing but I had some suspicions. 4 star

Amazing! I couldn’t put it down! I was sucked in and captivated by the story. Still can’t stop thinking about it.