Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - The Block Party

Thank you to Macmillan/St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of this title. I received this copy for free and this review contains my honest opinions.

The Block Party is a domestic thriller that takes place over the course of a year in a fictional affluent suburban neighborhood. The novel is broken up into seasons, which was a good thing: the passage of time within each section was difficult for me to follow, with some chapters skipping months ahead without any indication and I needed those breaks to reorientate myself.

This isn’t my usual genre, but I did enjoy the writing style. However, I think this would have been a more successful read if it hadn’t been limited to only two POVs (plus the occasional online community board gossip). I think the entire plot would have benefited from rotating POVs throughout all the characters, especially when I was more interested in characters other than the two POVs. Thank you again to the publisher for sending me a free ARC.

Content Warnings

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

pomoevareads's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Looking for a fun summer romp and not too worried about implausibility? Then pick this one up when it publishes July 18.

In the vein of Big Little Lies, The Block Party begins with a bang at a Memorial Day Block party in an upscale neighbourhood. Narrated by Alex (stereotyped wine-swilling wealthy white woman) and her daughter Lettie (eighteen and privileged), the characters of the cul de sac are revealed along with all of their various secrets. The timeline moves back to the year previous and then moves forward to the present day.

The characters, while unlikeable, were interesting and each had a lot of drama going on. I am going to be honest, this book is for the reality tv watchers. If you enjoy the drama of 90 Day Fiancé and the Housewives franchises then I believe this book will fit into your summer reading list. While I love a good character driven literary story or a twisty suspense book particularly ones with situations I worry about getting myself into, I can so easily fall into this kind of popcorn book. I am not knocking this book and really enjoyed it but it won’t be for everyone. Will I be looking for whatever this author writes? Yes, I will be!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC of The Block Party in exchange for my honest opinions. Another fun one by a favourite publisher.

Check out my storygraph account (Pomoevareads) for content warnings!

Content Warnings

lcg527's review

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dark lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Alton Road, one street in the exclusive housing development Meadowbrook, contains many secrets amongst its residents. The book kicks off with a Memorial Day block party that is full of drama, past relationships, secret hook ups, prescription drug problems, and lots and lots of wine. Alex, a professional divorce mediator, delivers most of the narrative as she gossips and spies in a heavy wine-induced buzz to support the women in her neighborhood. Her daughter Lettie is a high schooler who also tries to find herself while sleuthing on her neighbor ex-bestie Riley that is dating her cousin. The neighbors are each dealing with their own stuff but are additionally connected to each other in ways that makes the murder at the end unsurprising.

The audiobook has terrific narration and I was quickly hooked. I could easily see this adapted for screen and somewhat compares to Desperate Housewives. This would make for a fun vacation read, especially if you have a bottle of wine nearby. Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC.

Content Warnings

beckyremillard's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Alex is planning the annual block party, but there’s more drama this year than normal, including a rumor about a murder.

The story is told from the perspectives of Alex and her daughter, Lettie. It starts in the present and then jumps a year back, until the timelines meet and we are given the context of the present day situation.

I liked this story, but it kind of dragged a bit. It caught my attention more at 60-70% but the middle part kind of lost me. I’m glad I pushed through because I wasn’t totally expecting the ending though.

Be sure to check content warnings for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read and review this eARC.

Content Warnings

astoriareader's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

4.0

SYNOPSIS:

Several families live on an exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road. Someone is murdered at the annual block party. The book jumps back in time to a year before the murder, and in that year, you learn about the characters, the motive, & the murder.

MY THOUGHTS

I really liked this book. It’s my first read by Jamie Day, but I found it easy to read & suspenseful throughout the book.
This was a nail-biting, tense, fast-paced thriller, and the author does a wonderful job crafting the story.
I liked the idea of a neighborhood scandal/drama, and it felt pretty original to me. I read a lot of thrillers, and I haven’t come across one with this block party setting before.
This story involves a lot of drinking, gossip, scandals, & drama.
The story is told from multiple POVs (namely, a mother & a daughter).
Author’s writing style is solid.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Nail-biting, fast-paced, tense thriller with original plot. Solid writing & good story.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's due to be published on July 18, 2023.

Content Warnings

brittmariereads_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed The Block Party and the events leading up to it. I saw a lot of my younger self in Lettie - particularly her penchant to be a loner and activist. I also saw a fair amount of my older (mom) self in Alex - trying to juggle a work/life balance and learn who she is, even as an adult. I found many of the characters relatable on different levels and the who/why kept me guessing up until the end.

DISCLAIMER: I was given an ARC of this book from @netgalley in exchange for my review. I was not compensated in any way.

Cross-posted: NetGalley, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and Instagram

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