The Party
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3.7 • 272 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Robyn Harding’s domestic drama, hailed as 'tense and riveting' (New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda), explores the aftermath of a sweet sixteen birthday party that goes horribly awry, as the members of a wealthy family find their picture-perfect life unravelling, their darkest secrets revealed, and their friends turned to enemies.
Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah – a good girl with excellent grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, movies and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?
But things do go wrong, and Hannah’s party quickly turns into the stuff of nightmares. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s life begins to unravel. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are exposed, and the truth about Hannah is revealed.
The Party takes us behind the facade of the ideal family, exposing the betrayals and moral lapses that occur behind closed doors – and the secrets that children and parents keep from themselves and one another.
‘A masterful tale of the disintegration of a seemingly perfect family.’ A. J. Banner, #1 bestselling author of The Twilight Wife
‘Moriarty fans will inhale it.’ Peggy Miedlar, NewsLink
‘We couldn’t put it down!’ Woman’s Day
‘A dark and compelling domestic drama.’ Cheryl Akle, Better Reading
‘If you enjoy being judgemental – and who doesn’t? – this book invites you to revel in assigning blame to people you’ll love to hate.’ Weekend Herald, NZ
‘It’s a tale to make you think about that popular line that mums everywhere have been known to utter: “Stop, before someone gets hurt”.’ Herald Sun
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In the best tradition of novels like The Slap—where one small incident threatens to derail multiple lives—The Party centres around a sweet-sixteen sleepover that goes tragically wrong. Nobody in the Sanders family is likeable—but they’re somehow relatable, making terrible decisions for understandable reasons like popularity, saving face or rebellion against the constraints of routine. Using alternating points of view, Robyn Harding slyly reveals the hidden prejudices of Jeff, Kim and their daughter, Hannah. Harding casts a sharp, appraising eye on the modern family unit, making us squirm and thank God the events in the book aren’t happening to us.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Harding's (The Secret Desires of a Soccer Mom) latest incisive family drama, a 16th birthday party is the catalyst for an affluent family's fall from grace. Hannah is the well-behaved and well-adjusted daughter of Jeff and Kim Saunders, or so they think. When Hannah's low-key sweet 16 celebration pizza with a handful of friends becomes a test to see if she can cut it with her more mature friends Ronnie and Lauren, Hannah is willing to break the rules. The night quickly turns to terror when Ronnie has an accident that throws Hannah's parents and their choices into the spotlight, threatening to unravel everything they have built. Although the plot doesn't build the tension required to sustain the high drama of the novel, Harding expertly peeks into the darker corners of the high school experience. Hannah is a believably smart yet insecure teenage girl, and the conflict between her parents, who feel jarred by her growing up, and Hannah, who feels constantly reminded of how young she still is, rings true and textured. The premise, which often feels like a reworking of and homage to Herman Koch's The Dinner, feels simplistic at times, but the intricate family dynamics that Harding teases out are complex and engaging.
Customer Reviews
Shallow and trite
The main female character was so unlikeable and unrealistic. Characters were all one dimensional caricatures with no depth. So much dramatisation was made over an accident at a normal teenage party and a dad’s small mistake. Ridiculous. Out of touch and dated.