Darkly
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- USD 8.99
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- USD 8.99
Publisher Description
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A powder keg of dark secrets and mind-bending puzzles, this must-read thriller is “addictively suspenseful” (The Washington Post) and “full of atmospheric thrills” (Los Angeles Times)—from the New York Times bestselling author of Night Film.
Your favorite game has come to life. And you don’t want to find out what happens if you lose…
“Pessl is gargantuan: wildly smart, extremely surprising, a wordsmith, a queen. Read her.” —E. Lockhart, #1 New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars
A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Arcadia “Dia” Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she’s chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.
Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda’s mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.
As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly—a chilling and addictive read by Marisha Pessl.
This summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.
“Complex and captivating.” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A young woman’s internship at a strange but illustrious game company turns perilous in this ingenious thriller. High schooler Arcadia “Dia” Gannon can’t believe her luck when she’s chosen to work at Darkly, the company that was famously owned by eccentric game designer Louisiana Veda…until her mysterious death. But Dia’s dream job quickly turns terrifying when she and her quirky colleagues must solve a twisted mystery. Author Marisha Pessl (Night Film) pulls us in with her jaunty, lyrical prose, sweeping us into the fast-moving plot as each move reveals a new twist—just like in one of Louisiana’s elaborate games. We also relished the world-building just as much as the story’s seven interns, who are drawn ever deeper into the Darkly mythos as the story unfolds. As each character’s secrets are unearthed, the treacherous challenges begin to escalate in a frantic, surreal dash to the shocking last turn.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Though 17-year-old Dia enjoys working at her family's antiques shop, she worries that her life is going nowhere and yearns for more. Then she sees an ad from the Louisiana Veda Foundation, founded in honor of the 39-years-dead eccentric genius of the same name, creator of the complicated board games—now collector's items—known as a Darkly. The foundation is seeking seven teens for an unusual summer internship, for which Dia applies and is accepted. The interns are taken to a small North Sea Island off the coast of England, where they find their job to be much different—and far more deadly—than advertised. But with a life-changing cash prize on the line for each of them, Dia and her fellow interns refuse to back down. Twists and connections are satisfying and surprising in this high-stakes thriller by Pessl (Neverworld Wake), who takes familiar YA tropes and turns them on their head using confident prose. Fearless and whip-smart Dia, as well as the rest of the intersectionally diverse cast, will have readers cheering them on from page one. Assorted letters, news stories, and other ephemera depicting the events add visual interest throughout. Ages 12–up.
