Seventeen-year-old Arcadia “Dia” Gannon lives in Eminence, Missouri, where she gathers cobwebs much like the objects lining the walls of her family’s shop, Prologue Antiques. Then she finds a cryptic online posting for a summer internship at a foundation named for her hero, the late, legendary British game designer Louisiana Veda. Through her company, Darkly, Veda created complex board games, infamous for their macabre conceits and immersive gameplay.
Despite Dia’s excitement, something feels off about the internship. Veda’s life and death were shrouded in mystery, controversy and conspiracy, and what Dia knows about Veda and Darkly does not square with the posting’s vague descriptions of “clerical work.” Still, Dia feels pulled toward a larger purpose, so she applies and wins one of the coveted spots.
Dia and six others from all over the world arrive in London with no idea what to expect, but Dia soon learns that her instincts were correct: The internship is not what it appears. Soon, she and her fellow interns are in mortal danger. To survive, they must immerse themselves in Veda’s long-buried secrets amid the company’s jagged remains—and the only way out is to play.
Marisha Pessl’s second young adult novel, Darkly, is a twisty, dreamlike puzzlebox thriller. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reflected in a horrifying funhouse mirror, Pessl’s gothic narrative is slyly referential, replete with plump German boys and chases down dark streets. Pessl’s signature surrealism, honed in adult bestsellers like Night Film, is on full display here: The further the characters’ journey descends into unreality, the more delightfully disorienting the reading experience becomes.
Unfortunately, the novel’s characters suffer from underdevelopment. Darkly is ambitious in scope, but even its 416 pages are not enough to fill out the seven interns beyond the bare outlines of personhood, which may frustrate fans of character-driven thrillers. However, Darkly’s central mystery is tantalizing; it’s sure to entice readers who love a puzzle and will reward their efforts with a delicious twist.
