Sunday, November 24, 2013

ARC Review: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler


Title: Afterparty
Author: Ann Redisch Stampler
Release Date: 7th January 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Find on: Goodreads

Quick ReviewEmma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle. 

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop... 

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

Detailed Review: I was pretty much wasted after I finished Afterparty. I just felt like it had worn me out: a feeling I always seldom get from a book unless it was a) so bad that I felt it was a waste of time reading it or b) so good that I couldn't stop reading at all. But the whole process of reading just got better and better, and I found it harder to stop when I reached the halfway point; the further I got, the more intense it became. You simply can't stop your heart frorm beating too fast.

I am on the verge of spoiling the whole book for you. Even the way it was written prompts you to read on, especially the way it was structured. The book started with a page that showed a tidbit of what happened in the end. And then it jumped right into the beginning of the story. This is where you curiosity overtakes and you just have to start reading even though the ending has just been given to you. Nice. 

But the ending in that first page was not the ending at all. So imagine how I felt when I read the actual ending. Imagine how my mouth fell open with shock. 

I'm just ranting and raving about how good the book was and I haven't reached the fun part yet! THE CHARACTERS.

Siobhan was a whirlwind of a character. She was the one who stood out the most with her wild and unexpected ways. She represented the spirit of the book, wild and intense. I felt like she was actually the person controlling the story, not Emma. Try adding a boy to the equation. Emma's been having a crush on him, and it's something that could potentially damage Siobhan and Emma's fragile friendship in unimaginable ways.

The main character wasn't bad either. The beginning started with Emma the Good. Then everything changed when she met Siobhan. She started pushing the limits and breaking rules for one thing. Afterparty. She changes throughout the book and it is seems almost beautiful to me how she was evolving with every step she took and rule she broke. 

Afterparty felt so real to me. Remind me to never make pacts with best friends. I do NOT want to fall down from a building on purpose. (Oops, a small spoiler) 

And since you had enough patience to read through the whole review (I know it's long), here's a treat for you! 

If you don't know, the FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF AFTERPARTY ARE UP ON SCRIBD. So if you want to know why I love this book so much, go on and read it. Here's the link:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/183272047/Afterparty-by-Ann-Redisch-Stampler-Excerpt 

Brief Review: Ann gives you no time breathe at all; she expects you to experience this book all in one breath. It was a near-death experience; but it was worth it. If you want a hangover from reading a book, Afterparty's the one you're looking for. Deeply provocative and compelling, Afterparty is a story of a friendship gone wrong and the consequences of it: losing control and most of all, losing yourself.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'







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