SuitabookThe Party
Ben Tomlinson
- Reading
- Read alongside a conversation about consent, boundaries, digital sharing and seeking help when a social situation becomes unsafe. Pause after major consequences to ask what alternatives were available, without assuming the ending is straightforward.
- Themes
- Friendship and responsibility: Noah’s party plans place pressure on his established friendships, while the story follows the consequences of teenage choices. The book appears to invite reflection on responsibility and repair, but the extract does not establish how it finally judges Noah’s choices.
- Romance and self-presentation: Noah wants to impress Saskia, who is presented as popular and affected by pressures in her life. The extract establishes romantic interest and social pressure, but not whether the relationship is ultimately affirmed, challenged or unresolved.
- Public consequences and accountability: The story considers how party behaviour becomes public through recording and dissemination, alongside the legal consequences of cannabis dealing. The extract supports discussion of public exposure and accountability, but does not establish how fully the novel develops these issues.
- Worth knowing
- Give particular thought to whether the book’s treatment of alcohol, cannabis dealing and drug-fuelled behaviour suits the reader. Bereavement, caring responsibilities and unstable circumstances may also need sensitive discussion.