"The Reunion Party" by Penny Batchelor

 

I love the reunion-gone-wrong trope, so I was excited to dive into this refreshing psychological thriller. The book follows a group of friends who meet up after 25 years to commemorate the life of their dead friend, Tania.

It is a story as old as time: a group of college friends grows apart after the death of one of their gang. When they meet again after a long period, relationships are strained, and consciences are nagging. This is the tale in a nutshell. But here, the author deviated from the mold and took it one step further with a twist I didn't see coming.

Jeannie, who always felt like an outsider, organizes a reunion party to be held at the luxurious Digital Detox country hotel she manages in honor of Tania. She invites Saira, who just broke up with her wife; Adam and Kere, who became a couple after their college days; and Johnny, who is in the middle of a messy divorce. Jeannie clears out the hotel crew for the weekend, and only she and the chef, Erick, stay to take care of her guests.

As the drinking starts flowing, memories are recounted, putting Tania in an unflattering light. As tongues become looser, the many tensions seething under the surface are exposed. The story quickly takes a dark turn when certain objects go missing, the internet stops working, and a life-threatening situation arises.

Before I started the book, I thought it would be predictable, just like others in its genre. It was anything but. I enjoyed the book and couldn’t wait to get to the next page to find out more. The book is written in the first person, alternating between the characters. I can't say I liked any of them, but they were well-etched with interesting backstories. I enjoyed reading the recollections of Tania from different perspectives. I also liked the sense of anticipation and tension the author created.

The book is divided into four sections. While the narrative is overall captivating, there were moments, mainly in the third section, where the pacing felt slightly uneven and even repetitive when recapping certain events. Still, it overshadowed the past. There were also a couple of errors where names were mistakenly used, so another edit wouldn't go amiss.

Overall, I liked the book and found it fascinating. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, and the twists caught me off guard. The author gave a new flavor to this story by introducing some interesting twists in the storyline. As I was intrigued from beginning to end, I rate it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for those looking for an original, engaging, and quick read.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Reunion Party" by Penny Batchelor