Take a photo of a barcode or cover
fionamclary 's review for:
The Party
by Elizabeth Day
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is basically the worst-case scenario of having a crush on your straight best friend.
Sometimes you just need to read about messy British people being horrible, and this book fits the bill. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, no more, no less. I like that Martin is a consummately unlikable protagonist, and yet as the story goes on, that just makes it even clearer thatwhat's been done to him is messed up. He is far from a perfect victim, but that shouldn't matter. The things that Ben and his family put Martin through are wrong, and Lucy embodies this sense of inherent injustice excellently. Even though he's still not really a good person by the end, I hope Martin goes forth and lives a wonderful gay life with his garden and his cat.
Sometimes you just need to read about messy British people being horrible, and this book fits the bill. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, no more, no less. I like that Martin is a consummately unlikable protagonist, and yet as the story goes on, that just makes it even clearer that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Alcohol, Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault
Minor: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Death of parent