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Member Reviews

When I started reading The Block Party, the plot seemed so similar to another book I was finishing that I truly was confused. Author Jamie Day has done a good job on planning the interactions of a large cast of characters. I actually made a few notes on which teenagers belonged to which fathers and mothers or step-mothers, widows and widowers. In addition, the character development is good because readers are sure to feel some repugnance with various characters. The action takes place on basically one street -Alton Road, a financially well-off suburban neighborhood where families have enough money and spare time to be totally self-centered, unhappy with just about everyone and everything, and determined to gossip about everyone else. Alcohol abuse, parents using prescriptions to try and forget what they think are problems and teens borrowing the pills for fun. Some people truly have had bona-fide tragedies in their lives, and those characters are more relatable. These are families in an insulated but mentally unhappy world, and other people in the area refer to them as "Alton-ites" with an inferred rolling of the eyes since they are generally not likable people. No one is perfect by any means. This book deserves more than 3 stars but it was not quite a solid 4 for me. It is a book I would be willing to suggest to friends who need to pass time on the beach or on a plane.

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Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for the purpose of this review. I’m giving it three stars.

I was attracted to the title and book cover. I live in a cup de sac and we’ve had block parties before. I knew this story would be a twisty tale and it was. However, it didn’t make me want to stay up late and fly through it to see what happens. It just sort of fall flat for me.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this domestic thriller. So much so that I’m giving it five stars.

Welcome to the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road where three long-time-neighboring families welcome a reluctant fourth into their seemingly idyllic midst—where all the adults are top-flight professionals and their children “the best and the brightest” with their sights set on some of the nation’s top colleges. But is it really so idyllic? Or does one or all of these families have a secret or two (or three) they must keep hidden, not only from the world and their neighbors but from themselves? Secrets that may have motivated the murders that have set the online tongues of the wider community of Meadowbrook, Massachusetts wagging? Secrets so dangerous and shaming that their revelation could well destroy all four families?

Author Jamie Day had given us a smartly written, highly enjoyable domestic mystery full of twists and turns and surprises. It’s a novel in which alcoholism, drug use, infidelity, spousal abuse, marital strife, good lies, bad lies, snooping, outright spying, pride, humiliation, and revenge each play a part. The characters are all well-drawn and at least interesting if not thoroughly likable and engaging. Each possesses at least one fatal flaw. All are very, very human.

“The Block Party” is also a book written with wit and charm. I found the writing so enjoyable that the pages just flew by. Fans of the television series “Desperate Housewives” may well want to give it a try.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Jamie Day, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

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Filled with intrigue, suspense, and drama. A neighborhood loaded with secrets. Everyone has a secret to keep! This story grabs the reader and doesn't let go. Definitely want to read more of this author! Thanks #netgalley and #stmartinspress for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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The story is about a family who live in a prosperous neighborhood. The annual neighborhood block party brings more than just gossip, grudges and too much alcohol this year. There is a murder and the whole book is about what led up to the murder, who was murdered, and by who.
The story is told in alternating points of view, Alex (the attorney with an extreme drinking problem) and Lettie, who is the dogmatic and intelligent daughter of Alex. I'm not sure why these were the main characters, because I found other characters throughout the book who would have been much more interesting to fill the position. Not the bug guy, he was just a distraction I could have done without.
I enjoyed reading the book as a very light (beach, maybe) read, my favorite part was the girls get together. It was revealing and helpful to keep the story going.
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Jamie Day for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date: July 18, 2023.

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Before reading this I kept seeing so many comparisons to Desperate Housewives and they were spot on with that. This had all the different personalities, drama and humor that the show had but also was it's own, not trying to copy anything. This was highly entertaining with extremely likeable characters and then those that will be despised. Four Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

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Well the twists and turns in this book are crazy!!! Once I started reading I could not put it down. I had to read what happened next. The juicy scandal just draws you in to keep reading. I recommend this fun thriller for your upcoming read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

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I really enjoyed The Block Party by Jamie Day. It was a fast, fun read full of twists and surprises!
The story is narrated by Alex and her daughter Lettie in alternating chapters and the story revolves around 3 Memorial day parties over subsequent years with lots of drama.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this digital ARC!

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Do we really know our neighbors? Is anyone's life really as perfect as it seems? The families on this block are tied together by a sticky spider web of secrets and lies that slowly begins to unravel, culminating in death. Who is killed? There are many likely candidates and many choices as to who the killer may be. Is it the lovely widow that may or may not have killed her husband? Is it the reclusive father or son of the new family on the block? Or is it the perfect mom that's finally had enough? Don't worry, no special invitation is needed for this party. Get your copy and see if you can figure out who the deadly neighbor is.

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If you thought your neighborhood could be a little toxic, you need to check out The Block Party it will put things in perspective. I loved the authors use of the neighborhood blog with all the keyboard characters that appear and put their two cents in and of course the trolls and the troll haters. The story unfolded perfectly and the characters all had a depth to them. Reminding us that we never know what goes on behind closed doors and to take care when we judge prematurely.

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3.5 stars, rounded down. Great premise, I was very interested in the neighborhood and the families living therein. The only real drawback I have for this book is that I felt like the daughter’s voice (Lettie) felt off. Some of the dialog in her sections felt really forced and didn’t read at all like a typical teenager voice. It wasn’t huge problem and didn’t really detract from the story but it was noticeable on several different occasions and then once I noticed it, it became something recurring to notice. Otherwise it was a good story and held my interest for sure!

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I LOVED this book- I could not put it down. It all starts with a block party on Alton Road and ends with a murder. So many secrets, affairs, and lies... this book was fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat. The only reason for 4 stars- there are so many characters at times I got confused on who was who. I highly recommend- great summer read.

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wow so many people had secrets in this street. Loved seeing the facebook posts. Loved the different point of views and that we are able to see what happens later. Good to find out about all of the neighbors.

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At the annual Alton Road Memorial Day block party, someone is murdered. The tale gets increasingly twisty from there. Complex and believable characters who seem to have perfect lives at first glance, but everyone's hiding something. If you enjoyed Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies, this entertaining drama about an affluent neighborhood filled with lies and deceit will keep you turning pages.

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Meet the desperate housewives of Alton Road! This affluent cul-de-sac community is anything but blissful. Behind the doors of the big houses and manicured lawns lives lies, deceit, scandals, and more...
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The story lines are well written and kept me entertained. It's a convoluted "who done it" with lots of twists, turns, and unexpected outcomes.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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DNF'd at 42%

What I liked:
The cover
The title

What I didn't like:
Everything else

Seriously, absolutely nothing has happened in this book since the first chapter. The dialogue is terrible, especially when it's supposed to be something that a 17 year-old high school senior is saying. I don't care enough to keep reading to find out who was killed and who did it.

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This is one block party I’m glad I wasn’t at LOL

I loved this book!! I enjoyed the different perspectives, I was able to see one of the many twists coming, but there were a couple more I was totally blown away by. The author’s skillful writing had me coming back for more every free moment I had. So much drama, lies, cheating, stalking, revenge, blackmail, a suicide attempt, and murder. I really liked Jay and I was hoping that the author had taken his storyline a little further.

5 stars, and I’ll definitely be recommending this to friends!

I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the publisher, via NetGalley.

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This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and unable to put down.

The Block Party is an annual Memorial Day Party held on Alton road. You are introduced to all the main players Alex, Lettie, Brooke, Willow, Rylie, Emily, Ken, Evan, The Bug Man, and the Kumar's at the fateful Block Party event.
As the story is told, we bounce back between the Block Party of now, and the prior years party. As it unravels the reader is left to try and figure out who was killed at the party. While some twists I was able to pick up on, other left me reeling.
We learn from the past that Alex has a drinking problem, which is causing issues with her husband Nick- and her daughter Lettie is out seeking revenge on her former best friend Riley- who also happened to be her cousins girlfriend.
Once one secret is brought to light the rest tumble as well.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for this ARC! This was addictive book of murder mystery/ whodunnit with a little bit of the real housewives mixed in.

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Thank you #Netgalley for this advanced copy!

As you can tell by the title, this novel revolves around one neighborhoods annual block party. We are brought up to speed about the Alton Road neighbors via Alex and her daughter Lettie. Each of which has their own personal secrets and investment in the neighbors. We jump back and forth from current state to the previous year and everything that happened in between. At times it was difficult to keep up and navigate who/when we were talking about. So many connections I did not see coming right up until the very end!

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I am going to start by saying I enjoyed this book. The author used the neighborhood families as the basis for individual story lines and they became vital parts to the overall plot.. I liked that the author kept you guessing where the neighbors all would fit in. Putting the new family in the story was a nice twist. Finally I liked how the book ends and who ends up with who …. and who doesn’t.

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