“I bottled up the shock of this experience and stifled any recollections, which means that I hid them all away in the locked box of memories I couldn’t face.”

Party to Death is Ívar Örn Katrínarson’s recollections of his descent at a young age into lawbreaking and drug use. Here he is completely candid with the reader about the cold reality of Iceland’s underworld and the brutality that is a significant aspect of it. Ívar Örn relates with sincerity how he worked his way out of this merciless world and now continues to stay clean. There’s a shocking history of violence and drug dealing behind him that has left deep scars on both Ívar’s life and of those around him.

This is a remarkable account that’s not easily put aside until you reach the final page. Above all, this is about hope and reclaiming a healthy lifestyle, even when everything appeared lost.

Introduction by Friðrik Erlingsson