It was a lot of fun reading this book: it's highly entertaining and engrossing. it was the right book to read when you need something light and humorous.
It's a humorous, fast paced story with a cast of likable characters and a good world building.
I thought it was a standalone but now I'm hooked and can't wait to read the next instalment.
It' recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Afterlife of the Party was an okay read. At times it felt almost like a parody. With vampires making a comeback this year, you've got to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, Afterlife really doesn't. It did start off interesting but quickly fizzled. I've also been in a terrible reading slump so maybe it was just me losing interest.

Thank you to Entangled Teen for giving me the opportunity to read this book and for being on the Vampire wagon. 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️

The Afterlife of the Party, by author Marlene Perez, is the first installment in the authors Afterlife trilogy. 17-year old Tansy Mariotti ends up attending a party with her best friend Skyler Avrett to see a band called "The Drainers" whose singer she's fallen in love with. Since best friends tend to make sacrifices for each other, Tansy ends up going to keep Skyler out of trouble. But, things aren't as simple as they seem. Skyler hasn't exactly been truthful about her dealings with Travis, the lead singer. In fact, it appears she's been keeping secrets for months without saying anything to her alleged best friend.

It appears that Skyler has been bitten enough times to make her anemic or willing to do whatever she is told. It that weren't enough, Tansy runs into Travis without Skyler, and Travis tries the same act on Tansy. Surprisingly, Tansy is immune to him but Tansy will eventually end up with a desire for blood since one bite apparently starts the transition. Tansy refuses to leave Skyler to her own horror story. After all, they connected over their absentee mothers who left them behind for greener pastures. Thanks to her grandmother Mariotti who raised her after her own mother dumped her and disappeared, Tansy knows that the paranormal world exists.

That means witches, vampires, werewolves, and yes, ghosts. Therefore, putting two and two together, Tansy realizes that Skyler has fallen in with vampires. Skylar has a physical bond to Travis that can only be broken if he's dead. That means Tansy and her friend Vaughn Sheridan must travel across country in order to save a very unwilling Skyler as well as other girls who have been lured into this nightmare. To make matters worse, being bitten by a vampire turns Tansy, who is apparently a witch, into something that hasn't been seen in a long while. Tansy is not only immune to glamour but after she's bitten, she's able to use magical mesmerizing to save her life.

Tansy has to wade through Bleeders aka Sundowners who are one bite away from becoming vampires themselves. She has to fight off Travis's Father who is a big deal in the vampire community and knows that Tansy is something quite dangerous. She has to deal with a shocking surprise that will upend her entire world in one swift kick to the head. (No Spoilers!) Then there's Rose and Pac who belong to a group called Paranormal Activity Committee who weave in and out of the story, but they don't really offer solutions or help Tansy out against Travis and his vampire hordes.

Tansy is a decent main character. She's a loyal friend which makes her compelling, and her fiery and bold attitude is captivating and her Grandmother and her "book Club" tend to offer more answers to questions that Tansy hasn't arrived at yet. The book ends on a twisted note. There are vampire hunters to deal with, Tansy's new status to wade through, and a relationship with Vaughn that could lead to good things, or a major flame out.

A fun YA with an important underlying message, the Afterlife of the Party is a refreshing read perfect for Halloween.

With a fun dance between magic, vampires, bffs, romance, and a pinch of quirkiness, this is a light read with a dark beat.

After being dragged to a party she never wanted to go to in the first place, this teenage girl finds herself heading against a band of vampires, who leave death and blood in their wake. Unfortunately, her best friend is on her way to become their super-groupie with more than a few bite marks to show for it. Add a strange past, a witch grandmother, a hot guy, and a pair of very strange paranormal agents, and this girl is in for the strangest moments the afterlife can offer.

If you're looking for a refreshing story which packs tons of subtle humor into a furious vampire hunt, this might be what you're looking for. I'd shove this one into the direction of a 'wild and crazy ride' category. The mix is quite original as it take very violent scenes, hits upon sexual abuse, slams groupies and cliches, nests with hot guys and romance, and weaves in a wild chase which borders on the edge of humor. And it was fun.

I did read this one in one sitting simply because it was an easy read and did have me wondering what in the world would happen next. And yet, the writing wasn't nearly as tight or smooth or flowing as it could have been. There are tons of sudden revelations, scenes which are raced over without depth or enough set-up time, and beats in the plot which just drop away and leave gaping holes. It many ways, it resembled the vampire band's music—not the best but for some reason, still hypnotizing. For all of the technical issues, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the read.

So, I'm finding this one very hard to rate and will simply go at it as fast and furious and ridiculous as the read itself. Because sometimes this is exactly the kind of read a person needs.

When Skylar disappears with the band, Tansy and her would-be crush and best friend Vaughn will embark on a roadtrip to follow the band to their next concert venues in hopes of finding Skylar. While Skylar’s presence seems to continuously elude the pair, Tansy and Vaughn discover all the other young women who need their help too. What started out as a quest to save her friend, has now turned into a quest to save the world.

With the publication of another book in that other popular vampire series recently, I was drawn into Afterlife of the Party because I was really feeling the YA vampire vibe.

Afterlife of the Party has the most wonderful campiness about it. I do not mean that as a bad thing whatsoever. While reading, it brought back memories of watching like part seventeen in a horror movie franchise. Not quite as good as the original, and reaching to some far-fetched heights, but still mighty entertaining all the same.

I liked the play on the romanticizing of the vampire. Yes, Skylar is drawn to the band, as are many others, but it’s through compulsion. If she were able to think clearly she would be running in the opposite direction from these predators. Tansy, who by virtue of her witchy roots, is able to ward off the compulsion and see their true natures which she describes as everything from rotting to putrid to greasy to dirty, is not the, dare I say, sparkly, ethereal visage we are often given.

While I can take all these aspects and enjoy the story, I do have to review it and in focusing a more critical eye, things pop out that may not have bothered me otherwise. Such as the abruptness to some of the character’s movements. On one page you have a character who is critically wounded (a page before they were almost dying) and then turning to the next page they’re up and walking around like nothing happened. This is just one instance, but it is something that happens constantly throughout in varying situations. Enough that I had to keep going back and making sure I didn’t skip the moment where we hear about so-and-so’s miraculous recovery. It felt like the book was written in small snippets and then pieces together to make a whole but without the important parts that make it cohesive.

Plus, the story doesn’t seem to know, yet, how to utilize Tansy possibly becoming a vampire while also having magic in her family, specifically witches. She seesaws too much between owning her inherent powers, and not believing they’re real. It comes across a little messy. I don’t think it helps Tansy deal with who she’s becoming if she doesn’t believe in who she was before.

If you are able to get past some of the inconsistencies within the story, I think Afterlife of the Party is enjoyable. It definitely sets the mood for the fall season. As the first book in an apparent series, I’m hopeful it will get stronger with each book.

This was the fun and lighthearted paranormal read I needed right now. It's easy to root for Tansy's adventure to save her BFF and the slow-burn romance brewing between her and Vaughn is entirely swoon-worthy. Looking forward to the next book in this series!

I don't like being harsh in my reviews but I can't help but say, this book reads like a bad joke. It's true that I haven't picked up paranormal fiction in a while and I'm no fan of vampires, that's exactly why I had such high hopes for this novel. Unfortunately, it's not what I expected. The story is good. I even liked the characters but the way it's written, the downplaying of serious situations, the dialogue that is cringe-worthy... It just wasn't fun reading it at all. In fact, I had to force myself to keep reading.
It's possible that I'm over paranormal fiction or maybe my expectations were too high, but whatever the case, this isn't something I'd recommend to anyone.

There is a special place in my heart for stories that do not take themselves seriously, that add in a ton of humor and life references (in this case horror movie history). Afterlife of the Party is exactly that type of read. The story is humorous and bold, interesting, snarky, and even a bit campy but only in the best of ways. I am a huge fan of 80’s and 90’s vampire movies and I think this story fits that genre perfectly.

We meet the main characters and almost immediately the story takes off, with the premise being: a woman who goes to a party (full of vampires) and gets turned all while trying to save her friend.

The action is based loosely on vampire lore and the secondary characters really add spark to this adventure. Just when you think things will be easy or familiar the author makes a left turn and I found myself caught up in the next adventure.

I loved getting to know the main characters, their relationships, and the crazy amount of adventure this story took them on. I cannot express how much fun I had with this read and a lot of moments that had me laughing out loud. I have not been so entertained in a quite a while!

This is a lite and easy read, a story that is purely for fun as there is not a serious note within the pages. This is exactly the kind of read I love between my darker ones to level out my emotions. I will be adding this story to my yearly Halloween list and will continue to enjoy it for years to come. SO MUCH FUN!!

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I will be positing this review on release day (February 2st, 2021), on the following sites as well as recommending this story in many Facebook groups. My posts will consist of my review and/or option of the book, the links to buy and any graphics I can find to share:

Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, Kobo, BN, Google books and any other retailer website it is available on.

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In Facebook groups that are YA focused or with readers who enjoy YA stories, as well as horror, humor and other related groups.

I have already posted on the sites that have allowed early posting: Goodreads, Bookbub.

Well, I told myself I wouldn't start any more unfinished series and I really thought this was a standalone. Oh well, I did really enjoy this book. I do hope that the mythology will be explained a bit more in the second book. The way of turning someone into a vampire still confused me a bit. But I really liked the main character and the storyline.

It is like vampires are back in fashion and I am not unhappy about that at all. This is an interesting and utterly bewitching novel.
When Tansy's best friend gets caught up with a vampire emo band she must save her!

It is very YA, really engaging and well written. For all Twilight, Vampire Academy and Vampire Diaries fans.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

Afterlife of the Party by Marlene Perez is a fun addition to the paranormal YA compendium. Fans of Vampire Academy, Buffy, The Secret Circle, or Marlene’s earlier series will eat up this new snarky, irreverent take on the vampire romance novel.

A huge thank you to Entangled Teen and NetGalley for my complimentary e-ARC.

While a bit silly and over the top at times (it totally plays up all the teen vampire tropes), Afterlife of the Party actually deep dives into issues about consent and human trafficking--but with vampires. I loved that Tansy was taught by her grandmother to lift other women up, rather than tearing them down. Whether it’s rescuing her best friend, or other girls held against their will, Tansy fights tooth and nail for what’s right.

And the fact that her sexy fake-turned-real boyfriend is along for the ride? Even better.

I have a feeling Perez has another hit series on her hands--and like the Dead Like series, this one might just be what compels a reluctant reader to keep turning pages. (Pun mostly unintentional.)

I'm not completely sure how I feel about this book. It's funny at times. The dialogue is a bit flat. I really enjoyed the characters, even when I wished I could reach into the pages and slap them. I think a lot was about setting up the series. Overall it's a good read and I will give the next one a try.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The Afterlife of the Party" follows Tansy and Vaughn as they race to save their best friend Skylar from the grasps of a vampire band called 'The Drainers' who are set out to drink blood from as many girls and women as they possibly can; of course, they do not care how many bodies they leave in their wake.
During Tansy and Vaughn's rescue mission they meet multiple people who all have their own agenda as to why they are following 'The Drainers' as well; Some help them and others just get in their way.
With multiple twists and turns, this book hooked me from the first sentence.

"The Afterlife of the Party" had a promising plot and interesting premise which promised a road trip, aspects of the occult, romance and friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Tansy and Vaugh being on the road and also how their friendship developed into something more. Another thing that I enjoyed was the conflict between witches and vampires and how it ultimately played out between them and inside of Tansy herself. I also enjoyed how the topic of consent was a major part of this story.

However, there were a few things that I didn't really enjoy. In my opinion the characters were very one dimensional and the relationships between the characters seemed poorly portrayed and developed. Not only that but several characters were introduced and tended to disappear without any impact on the characters or the plot. Which begs the question: Why were they involved in the first place? My only hope is that these characters play a more significant role in the upcoming novels as I did tend to like them.
Another thing that irked me was that certain things were over-explained multiple times throughout the book and others, which I found far more baffling and explanation worthy, were not explained at all but rather glossed over and forgotten about.
There were also some continuity errors that at times confused me a lot but I have to take into consideration that I read an unedited version of the book and many things could still change.

All in all, "The Afterlife of the Party" is an entertaining story with vampires and the emphasis of friendship and loyalty at the forefront. Anyone who enjoyed the "Vampire Academy" and similar books and movies should definitely check this book out.

I don't know how I finished this book. I was soooo excited to read it but it was so not well written. I felt like I was reading conversations between 13 years old. Even 13 years old are more insightful. Cliche lines were used in cliche manner which were not fun to read at all.


I had high expectations for this book. Sad to say it wasn't even an average. I literally skimmed pages, because I didn't want to dnf it.

I got hooked quick at the beginning and I felt the book was very promising. But as I read more and more, I noticed the story became very choppy, and there was a lot of jumping around. I had to go back a few times and see if I somehow missed something, because it’s from one scene to something completely different and I’d be like wait what?? And though I liked Tansy fine in the beginning, but the more the story went on the more she annoyed me. I expected her to be a badass but she was always being a baby and damsel in distress like to Vaughn. It started off well but ended in a mess and I had to force myself to see it through.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I admit this book was quite surprising. I was pretty hyped for this book and was quite glad to find out that it did not disappoint! I love Vaughn and Tansy's chemistry since the beginning and I absolutely enjoyed the plot, the dark vampires and the crazy twists that made for an entertaining ride!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this book!

I have been provided with a review copy of The Afterlife of the Party from NetGalley for an impartial review. This book was just so easy to get lost in. I completely got lost in the story and I just loved getting to see these new characters come together. I just absolutely love this story and I just didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

#TheAfterlifeoftheParty #NetGalley
A fun and witty, first book in a new series. If you love vampires, campyness, and all around quick reads try this one out. It's a fun fantasy that will leave you waiting for book two.

Wow. I love this spin on the vampire world. It was a non stop crazy ride. Where the undead are a bit on the horrible side. No sparkles on these Vamps. No they are disgusting sick individuals, who care about no one. Not your normal vampire read for sure.

Tansy comes from a long line of witches. She has always known that there were supernatural beings. But she never imagined it to be as dark and dangerous as it is the night her bestie Skylar takes her to a party.

Tansy is now in a race against time to save her friend from impending death. Will she save her or die trying.

Overall this book is dark and dangerous. It is full of twists and turns with danger around every turn. This book was very hard to put down. I was on the edge throughout.

The characters are interesting and the vampires are evil. Tansy and Vaughn are the cutest. Both denying the truth for way too long. Skyler is a bit of a loose cannon.

The ending is going to throw you for a loop. I know I was like what!! You can’t be serious. But it lays the plot for the stories to continue on.

If you enjoy dark books, then you will enjoy this one. Warning though....there is kidnapping and dark scenes in this book.