The Last Party

The Last Party: Cassidy Lucas

What happens when a celebration turns dangerous, and the guest of honor finds herself and then she is all alone? A celebration that was supposed to be for Dawn Sanders on her fitty birthday one that would haunt her forever. Taking along her daughter Quinn who has developmental issues when not with her or her father,. Not keen on celebrations, her best friend Mia Meadows convinces  her to join in the birthday weekend at a wealthy  bohemian in place of Topanga canyon. Six of her closest friends join in the celebration at Celestial Ranch where the drinks keep glowing, the drugs are not the usual  and where they will spend three days hiding practicing  meditation and Reiki and enjoying the expensive cuisine  They will try a new dur galled admit short acting psychedelic drug which is supposed to open their senses  and transport them to another world. But the weekend turns ugly and long buried and unsolved secrets became known and then Dawn is desperate for clarity about her life.

There are many backstories that became known, but the drifter Raj is a mystery of his own. Hidden away with Candace in a cave with Arnold, Tylewa  husband bringing them food and clothing, why is he there and what happened to his company. Dawn wakes up disoriented wondering whether she and Graham married to someone else had their own special night and if so who knows? Her daughter seems isolated. Her friends seem odd and secretive, and you wonder what the real motive for this party is and who is the person about whom she is worried.

This is a chilling story that is told through man voices and each person has demeans to hide, pasts they do not want revealed and events that occur within the novel that will make you hesitate at times to read what someone has carefully orchestrated to seek revenge on an unsuspecting person or victim. Twyla suffers with a husband that wants his freedom in an unusual way and does not want the life they are living. She often seeks the advice of Sibyl the Visionary who is being stalked and tested by someone threatening to reveal a hidden secret that might destroy all that she has and knows. Each time we join in for a reading the person or persons suffers some type of unnatural occurrence. Joanie and Summer experience something that causes them to run from the barn and see rodents and other creatures that should not be there. This Yurt and the areas around are invested with all sorts of unclean things and more. Every event that Mia orchestrates will make you wonder just what her master plan is and why the events are dangerous, filled with drugs that cause different reactions by others, some disappearing for a while and relationships that are unholy and odd. Adding in Quinn and how she becomes attached to the drifter, why and their feelings that might shock you. Sibyl was  pawn of Mia and at times what Mia does to her and others you wonder why she was locked up somewhere. What she does to Sibyl is unthinkable but what her final plan is even more diabolical. Enter Summer, Joanie and Graham and they look ed around and seems to comprehend what was going to happen. How would they avoid the vaccines and position which is hat the hart of this novel and still send their children to school? Would they have normal lives? This is about a mandate admission to our public education system one of the tenants of American society, the right of every citizen requires on critical piece of paper verifying that you had a chemical injected into your child’s body by mandate of the government. That’s’ freedom right!

Fear grips each character at one time as Mia controls their lives, their actions and then decides how to torture each one of them. The visionaries, Sibyl has visions of the past, who she really happens to be and how the author winds it into the present and the final scene that will take readers to another place in time, understanding why Mia orchestrated this party but not for the right reasons. Arnold teams up with Raj and he wants a better life but what about his wife? We learn the backstory about Candace and who is controlling Raj and the threats made against his life if he does not do what he is told. The final reveal at the final event in the basement that belongs to the hostels will shock readers as Mia reveals how Sibyl really is, what she feels Dawn has don to all those present related to the project. Each person Reece, Joanie, Summer and the rest suffered at the hand of Dawn. But how and why? The party was orchestrated by Mia and the script written out to take Dawn down but why? What is the F or forgiveness list and what and who did she have to forgive for and what was the result? Financial hardships dollars that were taken from son, emotional physical a sexual manipulation over someone  for hers as Dawn claims it was all a lie about Mia claims she benefited from the pandemic by opening her own business while others suffered. Then Twyla enters and things get intereseing and one piece of paper would destroy it all but how? An ending so tragic you won’t see it coming. Author Cassidy Lucas leaves readers wondering where each of the members of this party wind up, but the final pages reveal a harsh reality, and one person’s final wish comes true, but you won’t believe how. THE LAST PARTY would you want to have attended? A controversial issue based on real life issues due to the pandemic. Some believe in the mandate and getting vaccinated and others as you learn do not. Where do you stand?

Fran Lewis: Just reviews