Welcome back to Totally Lit Parties, a feature in which Corrie shows you how to throw YA-themed parties!
Labyrinth Lost is full of gorgeous places, complex people, and emotional situations. The first time I read it, I couldn’t stop and finished it the same day. The second time I read it, it was to savor all the little details that gave it depth. A story rich in action and world building? Sounds like a party to me!
Invitations
The map at the front of the book is so gorgeous that I had to do something with it. I scanned the map and printed it on a scrapbook paper with some texture. Then I colored it a bit, put the party details on the back, and finished it off by rolling it up like a scroll and tying it with a string.
Alternatively, print out a coloured version of the map here.
What to Wear
There are some seriously great clothing options for this book. Here’s just a sampling of the choices:
• Rishi
[...] her purple boots, two inches of lime-green socks, and the start of a galaxy printed on metallic leggings. On top of that, she wears her standard-issue red Throne Hill gym shorts and the black-and- red gym shirt.
• Deathday finery
Lady’s turquoise head wrap is tall, accented with dozens of tiny crystals. Great-Aunt Esperanza shimmers in the colors of a peacock with a fascinator of the same bird’s feathers. Our cousins [...] are done up in chiffon skirts and silk blouses covered in glitter.
• Fairies from the Kingdom of Adas
Tall, slender green pixies with shimmering wings and black, almond shaped eyes. Their fingers are long, like flower stems, ending in leaves where nails should be. Snow-white women with skin like leather and smooth, hairless heads wear crowns of thorns and pale roses. Dresses made from thousands and thousands of dry flower petals [...].
• The Devourer
The Devourer’s dress is made of metal and bone clings to her like darkness. Her red eyes are bright behind the helmet of bone.
Activities
• Selva of Ashes: When the jungle gets hot, Nova takes off his shirt, showing off both his abs and his tattoos. To make your own temporary tattoos (placement on abs optional), you will need a printer and temporary tattoo paper, which can be found at most craft stores. Guests can design and print their own body art to wear for the rest of the party.
• River Luxaria: Crossing the river is dangerous; it takes hard work and some ingenuity. Take on a ropes course or go ziplining to recreate the crossing. Alternatively, set up a slacklining course in your backyard.
• Caves of Night: Take a first aid class. Check your local Red Cross, college, or first responders for course listings or even private classes. For an option that could be done at the party, pick up some supplies to learn how tie a tourniquet. Check out this video for instructions. And if you’re thinking, “I would never remember to keep an actual tourniquet on me,” then start this video at the 1:30 mark to see how a bandanna, a carabiner, and a key ring can be turned into one.
• Meadow del Sol: Couch of Power is simple in gameplay, but complex in strategy. For this fairy banquet twist, assign characters for everyone to play. The Devourer’s team wins if the Devourer, Agosto, and Nova all get on the couch together. Alex’s team wins if Alex, Rishi, and Rodriga get on the couch.
Want an even more complex game? Include a fairy banquet with wrapped treats. Put special one-time use abilities on the wrappers, such as “look at the name on the paper of the person to your left”, “steal a turn from someone else”, or “trade seats but not names with a player”.
• Alta Bruja’s Temple: Alex goes on a contemplative walk along a path of stone illuminated in light. Most people think of a maze when they hear the word 'labyrinth', but meditative labyrinths are not mazes. They have one path to follow that will move you to the middle and back out again. See if there is a labyrinth near you and take some time to check it out.
My local labyrinth!
• Las Peñas: The path to Las Peñas was hidden, accessible only with a little magic and luck. With only a map for guidance, however, the journey to get there was anything but easy. Take a page from #YASummerShowdown and go on a hometown mystery hike!
• The Labyrinth: The labyrinth is a series of unforeseen obstacles for Alex to overcome. Playing a role-playing game is a great way to recreate her trials and triumphs. If RPGs sound time-consuming and difficult to understand, check out Risus to get started -- no experience necessary. Of course, if you’re a more seasoned RPG player, you could design your own campaign based on the book.
• Tree of Souls: Recreate the final battle against the Devourer in a game of laser tag!
Tasty Business and Boozy Beverages
At the Meadowkin banquet, there are heaps of delicious foods to draw inspiration from.
They dig into heaping piles of plump, purple fruits and down sweet mead. White, fluffy cakes drizzled with honey and sprinkled with fat, sparkling sugar crystals. Roasted meat sizzles, surrounded by root vegetables the color of blood and bone.
This is a feast for the eyes just as much as it is for the stomach, so you’ll want dishes that have rich colors and look photoshoot ready. Everyone’s favorite food also appears, so consider hosting a potluck with everyone bringing their favorite dish to share.
For drinks, the sweet mead is a good place to start, but also remember that some drinks in Los Lagos are not what they seem. Use red cabbage juice to turn any drink into a color-changing cocktail. If done properly, the flavor won't be affected at all.
Do you have any other Labyrinth Lost-themed party ideas? Let us know in the comments!
Corrie Golando lives in Lafayette, IN, with her husband and two greyhounds. She spent 10 years as a middle school/high school English teacher, and her students gave her a love for all things YA. When she's not working at the high school library, she is writing fanfiction and doing something crafty. She has a love of all things coated in glitter, much to her husband's horror.