Review: Party by Tom Leveen

~4 of 5 Stars
 Publisher: Random House 

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's Saturday night in Santa Barbara and it seems like everyone is headed to the same destination. The reason is simple: to celebrate the end of school. But for eleven different people the motives are bit more complicated—to be noticed, to hook up, to make friends, to numb the pain, to get over an ex, to say goodbye. As each character takes a turn and tells his/her story, the eleven individuals intersect, reconnect, and combine in ways that none of them ever saw coming.

Combine the poignancy of Thirteen Reasons Why with the energy of films like American Graffiti, Dazed and Confused, and Sixteen Candles and you get Party—a sneak peek into the lives of contemporary teens over the course of a single night. Alternating points of view and the timeless setting of an end-of-school party make this a compelling read. Those who pick it up cannot put it down.

Review:

I was a bit surprised by how much I liked this book. It's a short story in lots of points of views, and it's really good. Very well written, and all of the characters are interesting.

It's about a big party at the beginning of summer, and what is happening to all of these entwined people. All of the characters are really well written, with their own style and voice. There's a fight, and people getting drunk, and best friends being betrayed, and a small wreck, stupid boys and girls, and also a very cute boy, and a depressed girl. Lots of things happen.

I especially liked Beckett, Josh, Max; Morrigan was interesting; and what happened in Ashley's chapter was a very good, satisfying conclusion, even if I did want more of the characters. And I did want more. I wanted to know what happened with Beckett and Max, and with Josh and Morrgan, and what happened to Beckett in general now that she's patched things up with Ashley.

I really liked this book, and it was much deeper, while also very adorable in certain parts, than I thought it would be. Books about parties and with multiple points of views like this one has are usually not as well done as this one, so I was a bit surprised and very glad about it.

It would be amazing if Leveen wrote a follow up novel, but I'll just be content to read his next book.