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hall852's review against another edition
2.0
Emma is tried of being the typical good girl that always follows the rules and is afraid to become like her drug loving mother who overdose years ago. So when she meets Siobhan her whole life gets flipped upside down because she is the total opposite of Emma. Together they make pacts and lists they need to complete before the Afterparty. This causes totals of drama and bad decisions from both girls that will forever change their lives.
I didn't really enjoy this book, it was a typical teenage acting out novel, I found it took me a long time to read because i didn't really want to knish it. The last couple chapters were probably my favourite because they had a lot of action where the rest of the book was kinda slow and the characters were always fighting over little things.
I didn't really enjoy this book, it was a typical teenage acting out novel, I found it took me a long time to read because i didn't really want to knish it. The last couple chapters were probably my favourite because they had a lot of action where the rest of the book was kinda slow and the characters were always fighting over little things.
mandalouwho's review against another edition
3.0
There were plenty of grammar errors in this book, including the misspelling of a character's name. Yet the plot was so captivating and so fun. It was full of surprises.
amymichhelle's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
pixievisions's review against another edition
1.0
I just couldn't get into it. I finished the book, but it was a real struggle.
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Simon Pulse and Author Ann Redisch Stampler for this ARC.
My initial thoughts about this book were, Ann Redisch Stampler is way too smart for me, at least her writing is, and if this is what private school is like in L.A., that is some scary shittake mushrooms right there.
I didn't realize going into this, that this story has all the elements I generally try to avoid; crazy BFFs, cheating, mean girl drama and revenge. But I wanted to give it a chance and I finished it in one sitting.
Emma was a character I had a hard time liking. I can appreciate trying to figure out who you are apart from your family or faith, but she swapped her Dad's control for Siobhan's. Their friendship was messed up from the start and new girl or not, I would have run in the opposite direction of someone like Siobhan. Nothing about her would've drawn me in and made me want to friends with her. She is toxic and I didn't understand how Emma could keep going back for more or why she would want to.
The relationship between Emma and her Dad, while extremely overprotective, was generally a positive one. He was present, concerned and well intentioned and despite her many mistakes, things were in a much healthier place by the time the book ends.
And then there is Dylan. I wanted to like him, I did and I wanted to understand how his screwed up family could affect the choices he made. But here's the thing, there was no excuse for the choice he made after he and Emma broke up. None. To me, that would be almost unforgivable. I say "almost" because I like to believe I'm capable of forgiving anything, in time, but I don't understand how there can be any trust left. Ever. He does redeem himself somewhat at the very end but even that seemed too little too late.
Fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Innocents Series will enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me.
My initial thoughts about this book were, Ann Redisch Stampler is way too smart for me, at least her writing is, and if this is what private school is like in L.A., that is some scary shittake mushrooms right there.
I didn't realize going into this, that this story has all the elements I generally try to avoid; crazy BFFs, cheating, mean girl drama and revenge. But I wanted to give it a chance and I finished it in one sitting.
Emma was a character I had a hard time liking. I can appreciate trying to figure out who you are apart from your family or faith, but she swapped her Dad's control for Siobhan's. Their friendship was messed up from the start and new girl or not, I would have run in the opposite direction of someone like Siobhan. Nothing about her would've drawn me in and made me want to friends with her. She is toxic and I didn't understand how Emma could keep going back for more or why she would want to.
The relationship between Emma and her Dad, while extremely overprotective, was generally a positive one. He was present, concerned and well intentioned and despite her many mistakes, things were in a much healthier place by the time the book ends.
And then there is Dylan. I wanted to like him, I did and I wanted to understand how his screwed up family could affect the choices he made. But here's the thing, there was no excuse for the choice he made after he and Emma broke up. None. To me, that would be almost unforgivable. I say "almost" because I like to believe I'm capable of forgiving anything, in time, but I don't understand how there can be any trust left. Ever. He does redeem himself somewhat at the very end but even that seemed too little too late.
Fans of Pretty Little Liars and The Innocents Series will enjoy this, but it just wasn't for me.
dollhousebooks's review against another edition
3.0
Although it started horribly, I found it to be very enjoyable by the end. The characters were the stereotypical high school archetypes, and the drama was oh so familiar, but it worked. I really liked how invested I got with some of the characters, and I even found myself yelling at them about how much I either hated them or wanted them to do this and that. Overall: It was a quick read with annoying characters but an exciting end.
3.5/5 stars, 7/10 overall
3.5/5 stars, 7/10 overall
charmaineac's review against another edition
4.0
First off, I want to thank Ann Stampler for reaching out to me and providing me with an advanced copy of this book, even though shipping to Canada is a nightmare. I'd been waiting to read Afterparty for the past year (mainly because of the gorgeous cover), so I'm glad I got to read it ahead of time! I enjoyed it, and I understand that ARCs are still rough around the edges, but there were still some parts that I wish were more... well-developed.
I really like how the book started off with the "ending at the beginning." A lot of times, it builds a lot of suspense but winds up being predictable or otherwise not meeting expectations. For a long time, I really thought Emma would fulfill her end of the deal. The actual moment caught me off guard, which was good. I think this book was huge on the "SHOCK FACTOR," which was a bit much at times. High school students were portrayed unrealistically, because that kind of debauchery simply does not happen. And especially by SUCH a large portion of the school. No one was "innocent" or uninvolved in some seriously messed up stuff unless they were portrayed as a freak (Arif, Megan...). And I can't imagine Emma's dad was so clueless, especially since he'd kept her on such a short leash for so long.
Emma's progression over the course of the novel was interesting though. I felt like there were a lot of baby steps and gates and rites of passage she had to hurdle over, but there was one sizeable jump somewhere in the middle. All of a sudden, she went from doing pretty tame things to doing super-hard stuff. I wish there was more of a gradual progression there.
Siobhan was a largely "toxic" friend, and I liked how Emma still cared about her friend despite everything they went through. Emma was an enabler for a lot of bad behaviour, and the downward spiral Siobhan took made sense. I kind of wish the consequences for Siobhan's actions wound up less optimistically, but I understand its necessity for Emma to get solid closure.
I also wasn't really a fan of Emma's resulting relationship with Dylan. A lot of inexcusable behaviour went down from both ends, and I don't really think their love could be "everlasting." Honestly, I'd be skeptical of getting together with someone willing to date your best friend first, regardless of his claims or the other struggles in his life.
Despite some issues with the relationships in the novel, I still left it feeling a great sense of catharsis. A lot of it is about dealing with consequences for poor decisions, and trying to find peace-of-mind from there. Emma's young, and I left the book believing she was in a better place.
I really like how the book started off with the "ending at the beginning." A lot of times, it builds a lot of suspense but winds up being predictable or otherwise not meeting expectations. For a long time, I really thought Emma would fulfill her end of the deal. The actual moment caught me off guard, which was good. I think this book was huge on the "SHOCK FACTOR," which was a bit much at times. High school students were portrayed unrealistically, because that kind of debauchery simply does not happen. And especially by SUCH a large portion of the school. No one was "innocent" or uninvolved in some seriously messed up stuff unless they were portrayed as a freak (Arif, Megan...). And I can't imagine Emma's dad was so clueless, especially since he'd kept her on such a short leash for so long.
Emma's progression over the course of the novel was interesting though. I felt like there were a lot of baby steps and gates and rites of passage she had to hurdle over, but there was one sizeable jump somewhere in the middle. All of a sudden, she went from doing pretty tame things to doing super-hard stuff. I wish there was more of a gradual progression there.
Siobhan was a largely "toxic" friend, and I liked how Emma still cared about her friend despite everything they went through. Emma was an enabler for a lot of bad behaviour, and the downward spiral Siobhan took made sense. I kind of wish the consequences for Siobhan's actions wound up less optimistically
Spoiler
(she suddenly wakes up? Really?)I also wasn't really a fan of Emma's resulting relationship with Dylan. A lot of inexcusable behaviour went down from both ends, and I don't really think their love could be "everlasting." Honestly, I'd be skeptical of getting together with someone willing to date your best friend first, regardless of his claims or the other struggles in his life.
Despite some issues with the relationships in the novel, I still left it feeling a great sense of catharsis. A lot of it is about dealing with consequences for poor decisions, and trying to find peace-of-mind from there. Emma's young, and I left the book believing she was in a better place.
frootjoos's review against another edition
5.0
Can I just? It's really good. It's my second time reading it (read most of the ARC then the finished copy cover to cover). I already know some will object (Drinking! Drugs! Sex & questionable music!) but I love Emma, may she be Good, Bad, or Somewhere in Between.
I'm not kidding, someone slap some awards on this baby.
Full review at http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/2014/01/afterparty-review-blog-tour-and.html
I'm not kidding, someone slap some awards on this baby.
Full review at http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/2014/01/afterparty-review-blog-tour-and.html
s13perry's review against another edition
1.0
There is plenty I did not like about this book, not the least of which is the writing style. I kept having to re-read pages due to confusion and choppy writing. I also hated the characters, there was no development in them and they were quite frankly just not likable. This is also a recycled cover, which is weird. I would say if you are thinking of reading this book, give it a hard pass.