Synopses & Reviews
A seemingly ordinary high school student. A mysterious summer internship. And a legendary game designer, now dead, leaving a dark legacy. The New York Times bestselling author of Night Film spins a twisted web in this masterful YA psychological thriller.
What would you kill for?
When an ad for an internship with the Louisiana Veda Foundation poses this question, seemingly every high school student in the country rushes to apply. Arcadia "Dia" Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the late game designer whose obsessive creations have attained a cultlike status, ever since she and her mom played Disappearing Act--but Dia has never won anything in her life. So she's shocked when she's chosen as an intern, along with six other teenagers from around the world.
Little is known about Louisiana Veda. Her game-making empire, Darkly, was renowned for its ingenious, utterly terrifying toys and games, rife with hidden symbols and secrets. But after Veda's mysterious death, Darkly went bankrupt and production was discontinued. The remaining games are priced like highly sought-after works of art, with the rarest and most notorious items commanding tens of millions of dollars at auction.
Now the interns are thrust into the enigmatic heart of Louisiana Veda's operation, and Dia immediately questions everything. Who are these other kids? Why do they all seem to have something to hide? And why was she really chosen? It soon becomes clear that this summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all.
As chilling and addictive as one of Louisiana Veda's complicated and inventive games, Darkly is an intricate labyrinth full of buried clues and hidden connections created by Marisha Pessl, whose dazzling prose and signature powers of imagination will startle, tantalize, and delight readers.
Synopsis
A must-read thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page from the New York Times bestselling author of Night Film. There's nothing special about Dia Gannon. So why was she chosen for an opportunity everyone would kill for?
"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
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
About the Author
Marisha Pessl is the author of the critically acclaimed young adult novel Neverworld Wake, as well as two New York Times bestsellers: Night Film and Special Topics in Calamity Physics. She lives with her husband and three daughters in New York.