Book Review: Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Dark Parties

Author:  Sara Grant

Publisher:  Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Date Published:  August 3rd 2011

From Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

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Dark Parties is a dystopian fiction about living in a world that is "protected" by the government and sealed in a dome.  The government is protecting this dome from the evilness lurking outside the dome.  

I liked the whole dome idea.  I thought it was a great concept, kind of reminded me of that Simpson's movie where Springfield gets sealed in a dome, except here there ain't no happy faces and laughs.  Like most dystopian books there is a group of rebels, and the main protagonist Neva is smack dab middle of a group of teenagers that rage against the powers that be.  Neva has a journal containing all the stories her grandmother would tell her of the world before the dome, it also contains a list of "the missing".  When rebels get caught they disappear never to be seen again.  Neva's grandma is on the missing list which incites her to rebel even more.

Some things I really liked about Dark Parties, like learning more about the government and how it rules the people, but I could not stand Neva.  Yeah, I hated the main character, and that sucks.  It totally ruined the story for me when I couldn't muster up any good qualities in Neva.  Let's see if I can come up with some good attributes.  Neva is brave....hmm that's it, she is also selfish, cold, not at all too bright, did I mention selfish.  Why Neva Why?  Why screw your best friend over, yeah you come through at the end for her, but seriously you are an awful best friend.  

Dark Parties has just interesting enough to continue on reading even when you want to throw it across the room.  It's not the plot that sucks it's the main character, that being said I did read it in one day.  

If you read it what did you think about Neva?