BOOK REPORT for Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler
Cover Story: Chic
BFF Charm: Sassy Gay Friend
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Electric
Bonus Factors: Mean Girl, LA Lifestyle
Relationship Status: Hot And Heavy
Cover Story: Chic
This is the kind of cover that both impresses and infuriates me. It's simple and understated but still tantalizing. I mean, show me someone who could walk by this book and NOT pick it up off the shelf, and I'll show you someone who is proof that zombies exist.
What I don't get it is WHY it's SO HARD to make a cover like this. I mean, it can't be EASY just to put a nice photo and a good color scheme together, right? Otherwise stylish and elegant covers would be the rule and not the exception in YA. WHY IS A COVER LIKE THIS SO RARE? SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.
The Deal:
The New Girl is one of those rare high school roles that offers a wide range of social mobility. It can lend you an air of mystery that sends you skyrocketing, or it can dump you straight into the faceless mass of losers. It's a role that Emma has played countless times, and she's always managed to avoid the extremes-- until now. Because Los Angeles makes everything different. And Siobhan makes everything crazy.
Avoiding the footsteps of her drug addict mother, Emma has always strived to be good, to turn out more like her responsible, cautious father. But befriending Siobhan-- wild, wicked, wonderful Siobhan-- gives Emma a glimpse of another life bursting with color and new experiences. It's a world where Emma the Good turns to Emma the Bold, a girl who might actually have a chance with the intriguing hotness of her classmate Dylan Kahane. It's also a world that hinges on risk, and as Siobhan leads her deeper into uncharted territory, Emma finds it hard to distinguish the difference between being brave... and being bad.
BFF Charm: Sassy Gay Friend
This was basically me for the entirety of this book:
But only because I liked Emma SO MUCH, and she kept effing up SO HARD. I mean, I get it. She's grown up in the shadow of an eff-ed up mom and a consequently strict father, and she's tired of always playing it safe. She's a teenager-- she should live a little! So it makes sense that she would be drawn to Siobhan's sparkle of spontaneity and hint of danger. It's also completely understandable that Emma's desire to be a good friend would override her good judgement. At her core, she's a thoughtful, compassionate girl conflicted by her family's emotional baggage, and I definitely connected with her struggle to face her fears and embrace the possibilities of life.
Which is why I found myself literally shaking this book (in lieu of Emma's shoulders) whenever she started making TERRIBLE decisions. I mean, at one point, I actually found myself asking, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" out loud. Emma, girl, you really know how to stress a sister out. (But I never stopped rooting for you!)
As for Siobhan, I only have one thing to say:
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Emma and I didn't always see eye to eye, but one thing we both agreed on was Dylan Kahane. He's got the trappings of an MLD (enigmatic and tortured) mixed with a razor sharp intelligence and a confident charm. He's a slice of dead sexy, and the icing on top? Dude's got mad skills when it comes to flirtation.
Y'all, this book has some of the best flirting I have ever seen in YA literature. It's like a swarm of butterflies took residence in my stomach, and then they all drowned when I melted into a puddle. Much of it happens over texts, resulting in passages like this one, which takes place after Emma (who just went to a party at a stoner named Roy's house) lets him borrow her notes:
Dylan: You weren't lying about notes with footnotes.
Emma: You're welcome.
D: You're thanked. OCD outline very handy. Amazed you have time for footnotes and bad parties.
E: Don't remind me how bad. Wait. How did you even know?
D: Hard to picture you baked. Curled up with a joint outlining sidebars. Being entertained by Roy.
E: My household is devoid of joints and entertainment.
D. I cd come by with magic tricks.
E: Hard to picture you pulling a bunny out of a top hat. Is that where you got this number?
D: Got it from your partner in crime.
E: Disappointing. I was hoping for a rabbit.
D: Maybe I should go for it. Beef up my resume for Georgetown.
E: I thought you didn't care about such things.
D: Crap. Slacker image shot to hell by bunnies.
E: You must be one genius slacker to pass. You're never there.
D: Excuse me Seed. I'm beating my bro's GPA by .2 and he was top ten.
And yes, he even calls her by a clever nickname, earned from a "bad seed" joke. LE SIGH. Whether electronic or in person, every interaction they had made my insides quiver like Jello.
Talky Talk: Electric
Given the juicy subject matter, you'd think that this book would read like a Gossip Girl. But thanks to Ann Redisch Stampler's vibrantly nuanced style, Emma's story unfolds in an authentic, deeply personal manner. Every page feels emotionally charged, whether from the complex themes or the dialogue that's so spot-on, it's impossible not to hear the character's voices echoing in your ears. The undercurrent of darkness occasionally tugs towards the melodramatic, but overall, Stampler steers the plot away from trashy waters.
In other words, this is a serious book that knows how to have fun.
Bonus Factor: Mean Girl
Sorry, Jem, but I've found someone even more truly outrageous than you. And her name is Siobhan.
Girlfriend is basically Regina George Gone Wild. She's manipulative and compulsive and completely unpredictable, and you can't help but fall under her spell.
Bonus Factor: LA Lifestyle
As much as I bemoaned some of Emma's choices, I found myself envying her glamorous LA life. There's fancy shopping, extravagant house parties, booze-fueled "homework sessions" and the absentee parents that make it all possible.
Casting Call:
Seychelle Gabriel as Emma
Emma is half French Canadian, half Moroccan. That's not Seychelle's exact heritage, but she is mixed race, and I can totally see Emma the Good in that sweet face.
George MacKay as Dylan
Phoebe Tonkin as Siobhan
Relationship Status: Hot And Heavy
Book, once I caught a whiff of your scandal, I was hooked, and I had a blast partying with you. But the next morning, when you got sober, you still managed to keep things interesting. There's a soul underneath all of that flash, and like a shot of whiskey, it left my blood racing. I'll gladly RSVP anytime you want to get down.
FTC Full Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the author. I received neither cocktails nor money for this review (dammit). Afterparty is available now.