Reviews

I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan and have read all her books, some many times over! After the Party is, as you probably know, the sequel to Jewell's first novel, Ralph's Party, which is one of my favourites. There were parts of After the Party that I really liked and were very poignant and honest and absorbing, worthy of four stars. I liked how truthful the book seems to be in terms of following the journey of a young couple who start out with stars in their eyes and a world of possibility, who then need to accept the reality of parenthood, home ownership, careers and various issues and, in Jem and Ralph's case, tragedies. This all felt very real and well drawn. And being on the cusp of that life myself, I wonder what I'm in for ;)

But overall, even though I enjoyed the book and it certainly wasn't a disappointment, there were parts of the novel that were a bit jarring - like the whole Joel storyline, it threw me a bit and I didn't understand what Jem saw in him! And the Karl storyline didn't feel particularly relevant either - I was disappointed in him! The spirituality thing was a bit out there too - but no more than Friend of the Family, another of Jewell's books which I love. When all's said and done, nothing was predictable in After the Party, really, and none of it was unrealistic - there were just moments that didn't sit quite right and I just thought "my God, I want to shake these two!! Why don't they just talk to each other?!" but perhaps that was the whole point. Another reviewer pointed out that she thought too that the whole premise of the book comes about because Jem and Ralph aren't open with each other, and those of us in rare relationships where you are might not be able to identify with everything they experience.

I loved the ending, and I loved the part just before the ending where Ralph tells Jem that one day that one bad year will just be memories, and won't even matter anymore, when they consider the whole glittering expanse of their relationship and all that lies ahead of them. It was a lovely message to end on.

You'll enjoy it if you're a Lisa Jewell fan, and you've read Ralph's Party. If you are new to her work, I suggest starting with Ralph's Party, Vince and Joy or 31 Dream Street.

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This really started losing me at the end. I get really annoyed when a couple fights,

and I think they should break up and then they don't. Like god. You both are a mess.

Also the majority of the book is about arguing over a woman's right to her own body and if she wants to carry a baby, and that is not her whiny husband's call just because he royally fouled up the last kids. I think this one can be skipped after the last book. It doesn't have the same charm.

Content Warnings

whatthebook69's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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