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nixieknox's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this - especially how the details of the Houston housewives were spelled out, a bit at a time, so you eventually came to understand how well-off they were. Good story, and I found the answer believable. None of my guesses were right. For some reason I was preparing myself for a disappointing ending but she proved me wrong.
clgreads's review against another edition
4.0
I probably liked this more because I was born and raised in Houston. It was a quick, chick lit read that was pretty predictable, but kept me interested enough to finish the book.
heartofoak1's review against another edition
2.0
glad i only paid $5 for this plodding snore of a novel.
readingwithmygoldens's review against another edition
4.0
I really, really enjoyed this book. The beautiful cover is what made me look it up. I loved the story and the setting and the journey back to 1950's Houston. So glad to have read it and will recommend it!
fireflyhollow's review against another edition
3.0
The After Party follows the story of a young socialite in 1950s Houston. Cece Buchanan has it all: money, popularity, a husband who adores her, a loving son, and a best friend all women - and perhaps some men - are envious of. Cece has been attached to Joan Fortier at the hip since childhood. When the death of Cece's mother and the virtual desertion of her father leaves her without parents at fifteen, the Fortier family takes Cece under their wing and into their home. Cece and Joan have their whole lives planned, but not everything is as solid as Cece wants to believe. Joan disappears shortly before their high school graduation without a word only to almost just as mysteriously reappear a year later. Fast forward six years and Cece is as devoted to Joan as ever even though Joan - and Cece's husband - doesn't want her to be. Cece soon realizes that Joan isn't the person she has always thought and Joan may just be hiding a few secrets that could destroy her and her well to-do family.
I know that women in the 1950s were not as innocent as I would like to imagine they were, but I was honestly a bit shocked by the looseness of the high class group of socialites in this book. The main objective of these women was to marry men of well standing, which of course was no surprise for the 50s. To Cece, this was a perfectly acceptable goal in life, but to Joan - it was not. Joan wanted something more. She wanted to go where the ideas are. But, I honestly never saw any real effort from Joan. For the majority of the book she seemed liked a spoiled rich girl who was willing to hurt her parents through any means necessary - even if that means sleeping with half of Houston. And her big secret? It was frankly a bit underwhelming and predictable.
Joan's behavior was deplorable, but I honestly found Cece's behavior to be even worse. As mentioned above, Cece had it all. Except Joan. Joan was the one thing Cece could never truly fully grasp, and it drove a wedge between Cece and her husband, Ray.
I know that women in the 1950s were not as innocent as I would like to imagine they were, but I was honestly a bit shocked by the looseness of the high class group of socialites in this book. The main objective of these women was to marry men of well standing, which of course was no surprise for the 50s. To Cece, this was a perfectly acceptable goal in life, but to Joan - it was not. Joan wanted something more. She wanted to go where the ideas are. But, I honestly never saw any real effort from Joan. For the majority of the book she seemed liked a spoiled rich girl who was willing to hurt her parents through any means necessary - even if that means sleeping with half of Houston. And her big secret? It was frankly a bit underwhelming and predictable.
Spoiler
I assumed she had had a child (remember the year's absence?), but I thought it was something way more scandalous than just a baby. I could never figure why she hated her parents so badly and thought that perhaps her father abused her. Nope. She just slept around a lot and ended up getting pregnant. Her mother did have extremely high expectations of Joan, but I don't believe it warranted Joan's behavior. And for Joan wanting so much more out of life, she had a tendency to choose the relative easy way out of everything. Joan consistently chose the comfort of money over the acknowledgement of her child. I obviously don't know what it would have been like to be a single mother in the 1950s, but loving money more than you love your child was heartbreaking and disappointing.Joan's behavior was deplorable, but I honestly found Cece's behavior to be even worse. As mentioned above, Cece had it all. Except Joan. Joan was the one thing Cece could never truly fully grasp, and it drove a wedge between Cece and her husband, Ray.
Spoiler
I mean - seriously - you couldn't have an actual wedding simply because Joan wouldn't be there? Your wedding isn't about your best friend! Actually, it should be about your best friend since your best friend should be the person you are marrying, but Cece consistently chose Joan over Ray. I felt sorry for Ray. He was a good man who was loving and actually cared about Cece. Thankfully Cece did come to her senses before she completely lost Ray, but I wonder if she would have if Joan hadn't decided to really leave once and for all.rachaeldawn13's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kellymcarr's review against another edition
3.0
This is a good summer/beach read but I was extremely annoyed with the main character by the end of the book. She spends the entire story obsessing over Joan instead of having her own life. I did enjoy reading about the lifestyle and imaging the outfits.
readingwithhippos's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved Anton DiSclafani’s debut novel, [b:The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls|16158508|The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls|Anton DiSclafani|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1364772121s/16158508.jpg|21995426], so I’ve been making gimme-hands ever since I found out she had a second novel coming out this spring. And even though The After Party isn’t likely to stick in my mind the way her first book did, it’s still really dang good. In it, narrator Cece has a singular fixation in her life: her best friend since childhood, Joan, who is wild even by MTV’s Real World standards, let alone the standards of her actual world, which is oil-booming 1950s Houston. Cece spends almost all her time thinking about Joan, worrying about Joan, or cleaning up Joan’s messes. Even when she’s grown, with a husband and a baby, Cece’s life is more about Joan than anyone else, even herself or her own family.
Cece’s obsession, while unhealthy and maybe a bit creepy, is at least somewhat understandable—Joan is a fascinating character, elusive and enigmatic even while she’s the center of attention (and she’s always the center of attention). But Cece’s neediness occasionally drives Joan away, and because we’re limited to Cece’s perspective, Joan is always at a frustrating distance. An effective choice, if DiSclafani is trying to invoke in the reader Cece’s own feeling of never having quite as much of Joan as she wants, but decidedly less interesting than hearing Joan’s story from her own mouth.
This method of using a comparatively bland bystander character to narrate the adventures of the main attraction seems to be popular lately, and I can think of several books I’ve enjoyed that employ it ([b:The Girls|26893819|The Girls|Emma Cline|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1464528839s/26893819.jpg|42856015] by Emma Cline and [b:The Hours Count|24611708|The Hours Count|Jillian Cantor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428515151s/24611708.jpg|44222848] by Jillian Cantor come to mind, though there are others). In this case, though, I would rather have read about Joan without Cece as a lens. One of the aspects I loved most about The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls was Thea, the bold, sexy, risk-taking main character—a character not unlike Joan, in fact, now that I consider it. For my money, DiSclafani is at her best when she gives her most charismatic character the microphone.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
Cece’s obsession, while unhealthy and maybe a bit creepy, is at least somewhat understandable—Joan is a fascinating character, elusive and enigmatic even while she’s the center of attention (and she’s always the center of attention). But Cece’s neediness occasionally drives Joan away, and because we’re limited to Cece’s perspective, Joan is always at a frustrating distance. An effective choice, if DiSclafani is trying to invoke in the reader Cece’s own feeling of never having quite as much of Joan as she wants, but decidedly less interesting than hearing Joan’s story from her own mouth.
This method of using a comparatively bland bystander character to narrate the adventures of the main attraction seems to be popular lately, and I can think of several books I’ve enjoyed that employ it ([b:The Girls|26893819|The Girls|Emma Cline|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1464528839s/26893819.jpg|42856015] by Emma Cline and [b:The Hours Count|24611708|The Hours Count|Jillian Cantor|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428515151s/24611708.jpg|44222848] by Jillian Cantor come to mind, though there are others). In this case, though, I would rather have read about Joan without Cece as a lens. One of the aspects I loved most about The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls was Thea, the bold, sexy, risk-taking main character—a character not unlike Joan, in fact, now that I consider it. For my money, DiSclafani is at her best when she gives her most charismatic character the microphone.
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
byashleylamar's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of The After Party by Anton DiScalfani from Edelweiss a few weeks ago but due to their terms I had to hold off on telling you about this book until the month it releases. Now that I can talk about it - go read it! The friendship between the two Joan's (one who was called by her middle name Cecilia) is so intense, it borders on obsession and stalking. Joan Fortier is a beloved socialite and CeeCee, wealthy in her own way, takes it upon herself to be Joan's constant companion, protector, and everything.
When Joan returns to Houston after a year away in Hollywood, CeeCee becomes obsessed with learning every single thing that happened while Joan was gone. She continually prioritizes Joan over her husband, her child, and her friends. It was both extremely sad, and annoying. Her obsession with Joan was destroying everything around her and she couldn't see it. The whole time I was reading this book I was just pleading with CeeCee to let Joan destroy her life and go home to her family. In those final pages of the book I just...wow CeeCee. Just, wow.
It's just a great book. The big secret was kind of predictable but still, the way it unfolded I loved. It seemed so fitting and I love having that intimate moment in that intense friendship. You really should read this one.