Book Review: “Afterparty” by Ann Redisch Stampler

Title: Afterparty

 After having Afterparty featured as my “Waiting on Wednesday” post a few weeks ago, everyone seemed to adore the summary and that beautiful cover just as much as I did. And I was so lucky enough to get a copy through Edelweiss and Simon Pulse thanks to Ann to read before it’s release, so that was my lucky Wednesday! I was excited to get started reading Afterparty right away.

I was intrigued right from the first page. I mean, when on the first page when it starts with an ending one-liner as enthralling as that, I think everyone is going to turn that page and keep going. 

The book opens and introduces Emma and her father to us. They’re moving from Canada to California and right away the difference in lifestyle is a big change for both of them, but people tell them that they’ll love California, so they keep that in mind. Emma is and has always been the “good girl” stereotype that she prides herself on being, and knows that if she gets good grades and follows the rules, life will work out great for her. She’s started quite a lot of new schools before, and knows the drill and the motions like it’s second nature.

Within a short time of starting her new school, Emma meets a girl called Siobhan, who is noticeably the opposite of everything Emma prides herself on; she doesn’t follow all the rules, and does what she wants, when she wants to. But to Emma, this doesn’t matter at first, and they become really fast friends, quite close right away. 

Emma was a very reliable and relateable main character. I feel that I could relate to a ton of things she was going through and the situations she was put in by Siobhan and the places she put herself in by changing and slowly breaking away from that “perfect” girl she always thought she should be. Changing for her was a huge thing, because she was tearing that reputation of hers away, but I think that being herself was something she had never completely done and maybe Siobhan brought that out in her for the better.
Siobhan…well, she was like a firecracker. Some would even say she was the star of the story. She was so unexpected and when she came into Emma’s life, she changed everything for the bad and the good. I’ve read a lot of novels with characters like Siobhan, but none as great as she was in Afterparty. There was always an alluring and intense atmosphere about the moments when Siobhan’s wild side came out, which really set the tone for the book. 

Afterparty was a huge hit for me. I can’t even put into words how much I loved it or even pin-point the amazing parts, because it was literally the whole thing. Before you’ve had a chance to take in one surprise, another comes in and takes your breath. It was gripping, one-of-a-kind and incomparable. A must for everyone’s book shelf.

You can read the first three chapters at the moment here.