Reviews

The Party by Robyn Harding

alittleposy's review against another edition

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3.0

Imagine a terrible accident happened at a teenaged girl’s birthday slumber party, and in the aftermath, every parent of the kids involved was so involved with their own dramas and vile behavior that they failed to see the toxicity among their kids that created the tragedy in the first place? This book was both riveting and revolting. I sympathized with different characters at random times but ultimately found them all pretty ugly. It wasn’t ever boring, but it wasn’t a fun read.

namita101's review against another edition

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3.0

The Party by Robyn Harding is a book about the ramifications of one wrong decision on your life and the society around you.

Hannah has a sweet sixteen sleepover party where she invites her four closest friends. Her parents Kim and Jeff think it’s going to be clean fun. Kim lays down the rules like any sensible parent no alcohol, no drugs and no boys . But the girls have different idea of fun and party. Soon in the middle of the night Kim is woken up by a panicked Hannah with her hands covered in blood and every parent’s worst nightmare comes true.

This book is not a thriller or a suspense but a fast paced family drama. Most of the characters were selfish , self-centered and unlikable but Robyn Harding did a good job presenting their perspective forward. 3 ½ stars for this contemporary fiction.

Many thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

mrs_a_is_a_book_nerd's review against another edition

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4.0

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway I entered after reading its description. It did not disappoint! I'm surprised to see all of the 3-star ratings; I thought the story was engaging and the characters intriguing.

When 16-year-old Hannah's birthday party goes horribly wrong, no one is spared from the fallout. Desperate to hang on to her newly obtained social status and the popular boyfriend that got her there, Hannah becomes enmeshed in lies and choices that she's less than comfortable with. Meanwhile, the adults involved spin out of control, trying to protect what's most important to them, and to preserve secrets they'd rather not come out. In the middle of it all is Lauren, the most cunning, conniving mean girl you've met in a long time. She loves nothing more than fanning the flames and watching them burn up people around her.
Told from varying perspectives, this book had twists and turns to spare. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

sarabearian's review against another edition

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Hannah is looking forward to her sweet sixteen party with her old (not-so-cool) friends and her new (most-popular-girls-in-school) friends. When the party ends in a terrible way, her family finds themselves entangled in a legal battle and Hannah finds herself having to choose sides as secrets about the families are exposed. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick summer read about family drama with some mystery on the side. – Michelle V.

Hannah's Sweet Sixteen slumber party goes horribly wrong in this clever thriller, throwing the girl's vigilant (and smug) mother and her more relaxed (and devil-may-care) father into a tailspin, when one of the guests is terribly injured. Harding creates an intricate web of lies, guilt and deceit, as the parents of the teens react to the tragedy. If you're a fan of Big Little Lies, give this page-turner a try. -Louisa A.

callmeedith's review against another edition

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3.0

I wanted to love it more but found it a little lacking. The plot was great, read smoothly and was a fun read. The writing style was a little "younger" than I was hoping for. It, honestly, gives the vibe of "Big Little Lies" for high schoolers.

rachelcunningham04's review against another edition

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4.0

I wished the characters were darker. Like I wish we got a commitment to evil. All these people had good hearts which is fine but not great for a thriller

knerbbie's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

jemma_m's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

kylieenicole's review against another edition

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4.0

i'm really into domestic dramas and this one included high school drama as well so obviously i loved it

tisareads's review against another edition

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dark fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5