Oh, I'm a sucker for an isolated manor where murder somehow ends up happening!! A page-turning thriller and an unputdownable read. Delightful!

This is my second Natasha Preston book that I have read and I have to say I loved every single part. This was like a combination of your favorite horror movie such as I know what you did last summer. It was very thrilling and captured my attention the whole time if I had to say my favorite genre, it would definitely be YA mystery thrillers Thank you Net Galley ARC and Random House

The best thing about Natasha Preston's book are how they absolutely engross you and drag you into the story. The world around fades away as the characters and setting become more real, taking on a life of their own. I think the only thing I didn't like about this book while reading is that I could not stand most of the characters and I think that's just because this is a YA book, I knew what I was signing up for lol.

Will be patiently waiting for Natasha's next book!

I absolute loved this book so much. This is the first one I have read from Natasha Preston, and I was not disappointed. I was hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. The locked room mystery/thriller was definitely well thought out. I was on the edge of my seat! I highly recommend this book for a good thrilling read.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Random House

Bessie and her closest friends sneak out to a deserted castle in the middle of the English countryside. Her friend Allegra has planned the perfect party there. Once everyone shows up things take a terrible turn with not only a deadly storm but someone dying. When the body count rises so do tensions and the very real possibility there might be a killer among them. But who?

What worked: What I did Last Night meets in a deserted castle in England with horrific consequences. Good pacing and action that keeps the reader guessing who might be behind killing off the friends. Add to this is a mystery behind what happened to Bessie during a car crash that almost killed her and some of her other friends.

The action builds as the friends start questioning one another. Secrets slowly reveal what really happened that one night and why one of them might be afraid if the truth did come out.

Bessie and Hugo's relationship is complex. I wanted to know more about their past to understand his protective behavior towards her. The other so-called friends didn't seem as if they really were that close in their interactions.

I had problems keeping the characters apart because most of them sounded too similar and were one-dimensional. There's the rich society girl; the brooding guy friend; and the rich twins. The main character though is the deserted Gothic castle with its creepy atmosphere which is a perfect site for a murder mystery.

Fast moving thriller where everyone has a deadly secret.

I give this book a 4.5 star rating for being a fun YA thriller read, but a 5 star rating here on NetGalley because this will be a great book for me to handsell in my shop. We will be including this book in our Teen Book Club reading list for 2025!

Loved this locked room thriller. I was definitely on the edge of my seat and jumping at every noise at some points. My only complaint would be too many characters at the beginning, and since we don’t really know anyone yet it can be hard to keep track of who is there and who is who.

I love a good locked room mystery, one set in the English countryside in an abandoned castle? SIGN ME UP! Unfortunately, this wasn’t what I needed it to be. The setting had room for so much more.

Twins, Fergus and Allegra, are hosting a big bash at the abandoned castle their family owns and plans to soon turn into apartments. This decision has the locals angry, they don’t want a piece of their history turned into anything other than what it is today. Forums show the lengths they’ll go and Bessie overheard some would rather burn it down than let it be developed.

Bessie used to date Fergus, but they got into a bad accident that distanced them. Bessie wanted to heal and focus on herself, especially since she can’t remember how the accident happened. She just knows it ruined her relationship and caused the other member, Raif, to leave school ridden with guilt.

Bessie and her best friend Kash, along with the rest of their friend group, head to the castle early to setup. But a storm came crashing in causing flooding and trapping them inside. When the first member of the group is found dead, they realize either they’re not as alone as they thought, or one of them came to the castle with a plan for murder.

Like most YA murder mysteries, I found myself so frustrated with the choices this group made. I also pretty much knew what was happening from the start which just caused the story to drag. There wasn’t a lot of suspense, but a ton of running around aimlessly because every other page the group who decided to stick together, would split up and hide, leading everyone to search for them. It got annoying.

The reveal was ridiculous. The only reason I went from 2.5 stars to 3, was because while there was a bit of a cliffhanger, it wasn’t as awful as Preston’s previous books so I wasn’t ending with a load of anxiety. I’d still read her books, but this one wasn’t for me.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing this digital ARC with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

I think I’ve realized that Natasha Preston books aren’t for me :(
This is my fourth book by this author and I really wanted to love it but sadly it didn’t keep my attention at all and it felt like a chore to finish.

Shoooooo, nothing like trying to party with a bunch of friends while a storm comes through and end up getting trapped in a creepy castle just to be picked off one by one!!! If you want a fast paced YA thriller that keeps you on your toes then definitely give this a try!! I enjoyed it!

A solid lock-room (locked-castle is more accurate though) mystery where characters are picked off one by one.

Bessie and her closest friends head to a castle with an actual moat for a post-term party only to be rained in. None of their classmates are able to come in and none of them are able to leave. As one by one each of Bessie's friends are killed off, the terror sets in and loyalties are questioned.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Another wild, suspenseful ride with this thrilling story! I absolutely enjoyed the journey of figuring out who was next to die and attempting to study the subtle clues to figure out the killer. The ending wasnt quite as shocking as i'd hope but this story was well worth the journey.

Natasha Preston never disappoints! The Party is a fantastic YA thriller that will have readers guessing until the final chapters. Preston always ends her books with an unexpected twist. The one sentence twist on the final page is so subtle that readers might even miss it. Recommended for all YA collections where Preston's other titles are popular.

3.5 stars

In the mood for a creepy thriller with teenage protagonists? This novel gives And Then There Were None vibes with the cast trapped in an old castle during a terrible storm when someone starts picking them off one by one. You get a lot of rich people behaving badly as you learn how daddy's money has made things go away, and there are plenty of red herrings.

HOOK: Teens go to an island to have the party to end all parties. And that ain't a lie because lives are ended.

REVIEW: This was my first Natasha Preston book, but I had heard of her. Her stories are known to be enthralling and pack a punch while feeling authentically teen. This fit the bill. I did feel like I was in the age group. It was a true thriller. With a body count rising, how could it not be?

RATING: 4.5, rounded.

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.