Review: Afterparty by Ann Redisch Stampler

Book Title: Afterparty

Author: Ann Redisch Stampler

Release Date: December 31st, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother -- whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her...and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not.

And it may be more than Emma can handle. 

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop... 

This explosive, sexy, and harrowing follow-up to Ann Redisch Stampler's spectacular teen debut, Where It Began, reveals how those who know us best can hurt us most.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Simon Pulse via Edelweiss.

Review:

I had such high hopes for this book. The cover was really pretty, kind of a dark ethereal theme if there is such a thing.The book started off really promising but unfortunately it spiraled downward very quickly.

Emma seems like a very normal girl when we first meet her. Yes, her dad is overprotective, but I really don't bat an eye at that. It's not until Siobhan sinks her teeth into the naive "good" Emma that things really start to unravel. It's not until Siobhan gets Emma into her clutches do we realize exactly how much of a doormat Emma is. I mean, I understand the idea to bust out of her father's overprotection, but Siobhan has this hold on Emma which apparently renders Emma incapable of saying no.

The dialogue was repetitive a lot of the time. Emma's morals are constantly talked about and rehashed. It was very frustrating to constantly have Emma talk about being the "good Emma" Siobhan was an absolutely terrible friend. Clearly she was troubled and she wanted to pull Emma down with her. Initially I felt bad for Emma, but then I realized that Emma didn't have to say yes all the time. She needed a backbone. 

The character development was non-existent. I wanted to know so much about Siobhan's background and how she came to be such a troubled young lady. There were points & conversations that alluded to it, but nothing was explored in depth. Also I wanted to know more about Emma's mom. That storyline was basically swept under the rug.

The writing was weird too. It was a rambly style that really kind of drove me crazy. Sometimes the dialogue would feel kind of forced. I am big on dialogue so it really disappointed me to see that the dialogue wasn't smooth.

I really didn't enjoy this one at all. I cannot actually find anything about this book that I enjoyed. It had a lot of promise, but it just didn't deliver. That's why I have to give this book 1 star.