Dark Parties

Gr 9 Up—Neva is a citizen of Homeland, a small country completely enclosed by an electrified dome called the "Protectosphere." The dome was erected after the "Terror," and Neva and the rest of the population have been taught that beyond the dome is an unlivable wasteland. Homeland suffers from dwindling resources and a limited gene pool. Young people are encouraged to marry and reproduce to maintain the population. Neva and her best friend, Sanna, suspect that the government is lying, and at a "Dark Party" (the only one mentioned in the entire book), they try to rally their peers to rebellion to demand the opening of the Protectosphere. Their efforts are short-lived and have severe repercussions. Soon Sanna is added to Neva's list of The Missing, but not before Neva betrays her with bad boy Braydon, Sanna's boyfriend. Neva will have to risk all for her friend and for a chance at real romance with Braydon. Comparisons to Ally Condie's Matched (Dutton, 2010) are inevitable. Unfortunately Grant's characters, setting, suspense, and romance don't quite measure up. Fans of Condie (and Suzanne Collins) will be disappointed.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA