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A review by literarypenguin
Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
This book is criminally underrated and I don't know why! It was such a pleasant experience and a very good time.
Late to The Party is a story about a girl named Codi who for most of her teenage life has been content with hanging out with her two best friends, Maritza and Jakory, and doing the same old stuff she normally does. When she sees her little brother Grant having more of a social life then her and her friends, Codi starts to rethink the life she has lived so far and decides to leave her comfort zone behind. With help from a popular guy named Ricky, who has a secret of his own to keep, Codi soon discovers more about herself then she has ever known before. Question now is will she take her friends along on this journey or will she change so much she will leave them behind?
My favorite thing about this book is definitely the characters. Each character had something that made them so different and unique from the other. I really liked how the author didn't make them stereotypes or make them fall into common tropes like we see so often in books. For example, Cliff was a guy who loved sports and physical fitness but at the same time he wasn't dumb or vain. He genuinely cared about his friends and his girlfriend and he loved physical fitness for his own reasons other then being popular. The characters were very well rounded and relatable and I would love to read more about these characters.
Codi was a very relatable and well developed main character, she went through such a journey in this book and I loved every second of it. As a person who struggles with social anxiety and has a hard time making friends, I could definitely understand Codi's struggle to talk to people and break out of your comfort zone. Seeing her go from a shy, timid artist to a confident and strong girl who has people to support her and her art is a amazing thing to see. I also really liked Codi battling within herself and struggling with whether she should tell her friends or not. She clearly loves her friends to death and even calls them family but at the same time she wants to have something for her and only her without them. The author really drives home how important friendship is and how sometimes friendships can change for the better or the worst.
The other thing I loved was the representation in this book. It all felt natural and organic and in no way forced at all. They just treated each other like normal people and didn't treat them any different from anyone else. I especially like what she did with Ricky's character and how unsure and uncertain he was about himself. So much so that he didn't even tell any of his friends for fear that they would reject him.
This book is not just about growing up but it is also about friendship and what you do with those friendships as you get older. Codi's relationship with her two childhood best friends and how she felt that she was growing apart from them, Ricky's relationship with his group of friends and how he was terrified of losing them because of his secret and even Grant's relationship with his friends and meeting new ones. Friendship is a very important topic in this book and it shows us that sometimes it just takes the right people to break someone out of their shell and give them a listening ear. How it is about quality not quantity.
Just like friendships, romance becomes a big part of this book. Kelly shows us all different kinds of romances and what they mean to each person. The romance between Codi and Lydia is so cute and adorable. I loved seeing them together and how great they were for each other. Lydia brought out the best in Codi and Codi gave Lydia someone who understands her and accepts her for who she is. I just wished that we would have got to see it a bit more and it was developed a little bit more.
My only complaints are I wish some of the other characters got more time to be developed and that the ending could have been a bit more well done. I just didnt like the whole everybody had a love interest by the end but that's just my personal thing. I wish the setting could have been a bit different too. I just wish we could have gotten a bit more detail about where they were and the different places they went to. It would have immersed people alot more into the story and made the story even better.
I can definitely say this book surprised me in such a good way. This is a story about growth, change, and learning to love who you are and who you become. It is also about friends and while some may come and go others will stay by your side and become life long friends. If you are in the mood for a story about friendship and self love and self discovery, then pick up Late to the Party. I assure you, this is a party you won't regret going to.
Late to The Party is a story about a girl named Codi who for most of her teenage life has been content with hanging out with her two best friends, Maritza and Jakory, and doing the same old stuff she normally does. When she sees her little brother Grant having more of a social life then her and her friends, Codi starts to rethink the life she has lived so far and decides to leave her comfort zone behind. With help from a popular guy named Ricky, who has a secret of his own to keep, Codi soon discovers more about herself then she has ever known before. Question now is will she take her friends along on this journey or will she change so much she will leave them behind?
My favorite thing about this book is definitely the characters. Each character had something that made them so different and unique from the other. I really liked how the author didn't make them stereotypes or make them fall into common tropes like we see so often in books. For example, Cliff was a guy who loved sports and physical fitness but at the same time he wasn't dumb or vain. He genuinely cared about his friends and his girlfriend and he loved physical fitness for his own reasons other then being popular. The characters were very well rounded and relatable and I would love to read more about these characters.
Codi was a very relatable and well developed main character, she went through such a journey in this book and I loved every second of it. As a person who struggles with social anxiety and has a hard time making friends, I could definitely understand Codi's struggle to talk to people and break out of your comfort zone. Seeing her go from a shy, timid artist to a confident and strong girl who has people to support her and her art is a amazing thing to see. I also really liked Codi battling within herself and struggling with whether she should tell her friends or not. She clearly loves her friends to death and even calls them family but at the same time she wants to have something for her and only her without them. The author really drives home how important friendship is and how sometimes friendships can change for the better or the worst.
The other thing I loved was the representation in this book. It all felt natural and organic and in no way forced at all. They just treated each other like normal people and didn't treat them any different from anyone else. I especially like what she did with Ricky's character and how unsure and uncertain he was about himself. So much so that he didn't even tell any of his friends for fear that they would reject him.
This book is not just about growing up but it is also about friendship and what you do with those friendships as you get older. Codi's relationship with her two childhood best friends and how she felt that she was growing apart from them, Ricky's relationship with his group of friends and how he was terrified of losing them because of his secret and even Grant's relationship with his friends and meeting new ones. Friendship is a very important topic in this book and it shows us that sometimes it just takes the right people to break someone out of their shell and give them a listening ear. How it is about quality not quantity.
Just like friendships, romance becomes a big part of this book. Kelly shows us all different kinds of romances and what they mean to each person. The romance between Codi and Lydia is so cute and adorable. I loved seeing them together and how great they were for each other. Lydia brought out the best in Codi and Codi gave Lydia someone who understands her and accepts her for who she is. I just wished that we would have got to see it a bit more and it was developed a little bit more.
My only complaints are I wish some of the other characters got more time to be developed and that the ending could have been a bit more well done. I just didnt like the whole everybody had a love interest by the end but that's just my personal thing. I wish the setting could have been a bit different too. I just wish we could have gotten a bit more detail about where they were and the different places they went to. It would have immersed people alot more into the story and made the story even better.
I can definitely say this book surprised me in such a good way. This is a story about growth, change, and learning to love who you are and who you become. It is also about friends and while some may come and go others will stay by your side and become life long friends. If you are in the mood for a story about friendship and self love and self discovery, then pick up Late to the Party. I assure you, this is a party you won't regret going to.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Biphobia
Minor: Homophobia