So much drama in this neighborhood, and the author does an absolutely fabulous job of bringing the residents' secrets to light. I especially enjoyed the character Lettie; while people all around her are behaving in not-so-good ways, this high school senior seems to have her head on straight UNTIL she gets caught up in the relationship between her cousin and her once-upon-a-time best friend.

The characterization is incredibly well done and the plot has quite a few twists and turns. From the beginning, as secrets start to come out in the open, there isn't any way of beginning to come up with who is going to murder who. As the book progressed, I was positive it was going to take an entirely different spin than it did.

Well played!

Over-the-top domestic neighborhood DRAMA. Like drama for realllll. It ended up falling a little flat for me which was disappointing. It starts with present-day murder and then goes back a YEAR and ALL the events that lead up to present-day. I didn't love that method of storytelling, I got bored. I didn't like Lettie, I felt like she was a wimp. Lol. And Alex was pretty unbearable. Those are the only two POVs and I feel like we could have used more.

This was too YA for me. Giving the daughter a POV brought down the drama of the story because she was very immature. By the end I just didn't care what happened.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC - I’m very grateful to have had the chance to read The Block Party.

Unfortunately I had to DNF at 8%. The writing style isn’t for me. The dialogue was stilted and Alex and Lettie are written very one-dimensionally. Alex is a stereotypical wine mom and Lettie is a leftist high schooler, which wouldn't have been an issue if some of her lines hadn’t been:
“My dad is crazy smart. He’s a great guy, too, and yes, I love him. But he doesn’t want to talk about things that matter to me: our warming planet, the immigration problem, gun control, gender issues, the list goes on.”
“I think I don’t want to go to UMass. California is calling my name! Most progressive state in the nation, where I’d get to work on the climate crisis from the front lines.”
“Whatever. If I do get a car, it’ll be an eco-friendly van I can live out of. No Meadowbrook-type carbon-spewing McMansions for me.”
“‘You’re not the only misfit in Meadowbrook,’ Jay adds, pointing to himself. […] ‘Okay, I’m a misfit,’ I admit.”

To me, the dialogue and character introduction was heavy-handed and tell-not-show. It felt like I was reading a YA novel instead of a thriller. I couldn’t continue.

I’m disappointed because I wanted to like this one a lot - “The Block Party” got many favorable reviews on Goodreads and the premise was really interesting.

The Block Party by Jamie Day is a neighborhood drama full of mystery. At the annual block party, someone has been murdered but we don't know who. The story is told through events that unfolded in the year prior to the murder. Each character contributes something to the story that has you wondering how it's all going to come together. Read and enjoy!

Lots of repetition and did not love how issues with alcohol were covered. It didn't help that there was not a likable character in the bunch.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is almost completely set on a cul-de-sac in the Meadowbrook subdivision of an affluent suburb in Massachusetts. Reminiscent of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty not everything is as the well polished facade might lead you to think ... the queen bee Alex has a drinking problem that seems to be getting worse now that an empty nest is on the horizon. Her husband Nic is risking his relationship to their only daughter for the sake of teaching discipline instead of listening while lamenting the lack of closeness. Their neighbors Alex's sister and her husband have severe trust issues in their marriage and Ken, her husband, very obviously favors their star athlete older son while their younger son is just trying to be seen ... his girlfriend Riley lives another house over with her parents who are just waiting till she's off to college to finally get a divorce. Then there is beautiful and widowed neighbor Brooke and an empty house soon to be populated by newcomers ... but are they really so new and who is sneaking into whose house, and why ? What's with the bug man a pest control salesman pestering the neighborhood? Why does the police keep appearing ? My favorite part was the virtual neighborhood message board that kept rehashing the goings on from outside like a Greek choir in a classic tragedy on the outside not elite enough to be part of this special circle but definitely intrigued!
The Memorial Day block parties of three years form the timeline for this book even if it starts at the one in the middle ...

...

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Twisty neighborhood drama! Reminds me a bit of Desperate Housewives with all the good and bad going on in this neighborhood. Told from the POV of Alex, a mother, wife, divorce mediator, and wine enthusiast (maybe a little too enthusiastic) and her daughter Lettie who is a bit of a rebel, save the earth, get revenge teenager.
The Block Party is an annual Memorial Day tradition but one year all the drama, lies, and secrets catch up and ends in death. The story starts in the year of the party but then travels back to the year prior to let you in on all the secrets going on in this neighborhood leading up to the main event. Although I figured out main major plot points, some things didn’t come to head until near the very end and I was surprised by a few.
I very much enjoyed this debut book from Jamie Day and look forward to reading more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this early digital copy in exchange for my thoughts.

Alton Road is neighborhood where the residents seem to have it all, Annual block parties, cookouts, and frequent sharing of juicy gossip. Throughout this story told in alternating timelines & voice, we meet many of the Altonites. Secrets abound and mystery & suspense build quickly as you battle to figure out who can be trusted. What becomes abundantly clear is that this neighborhood is far from idyllic. While loose ends are wrapped by the end, there were a few too many subplots and characters for my liking.
Thanks to St. Martins Press & NetGalley for thé ARC. This is my honest review.

I’ve been trying to read this book for almost two weeks and cannot get interested. There are a ton of characters and I find them all bland and forgetting. DNF at 44%.

Well -written, twisty mystery. Murder at a block party. Large cast of characters that adds complexity to the story. Enjoyable read!

Here is a delicious neighborhood murder story that you will want to visit. It's liked a locked room mystery yet in the neighborhood. How well do you know your neighbors? Set in an upscale suburban neighborhood, when new neighbors move in, sparks fly. While it may seem a tight knit community, who knows what really happens behind each gilded door in the McMansions in this col-de-sac. Everyone has a secret, nothing is as it seems and eyes are everywhere. Told in two voices from the POV of one housewife, Alex and also her angry teenage daughter, life in suburbia is a little too close and cozy. Troubled teens, drugs (?), marital woes, forbidden love, sexual abuse, jealous friends, and a stalker. At the annual block party, something has gone awry as sirens are heard and the buzzing begins on the gossip hotline of those not included in this exclusive soiree. Red herrings abound, clues thrown out there where you later you go "ah-ha!", the journey through the neighborhood will keep you on the end of your seat. Twists and turns lead to a surprise that can't be predicted. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it straight through. Well done.
Many thanks to #netgalley #theblockparty #jamieday #st.martinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Twisty, fun summer read. If you love a good book filled with secrets and lies, then this is the book for you. Murder mystery meets Stepford wives/Real Housewives of picture perfect suburbia.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. (Just wish I could have read before publication.)

Desperate Housewives and Cruel Summer collide in this suspicious popcorn thriller. Suburban drama is my jam (perhaps because I live in the country🤪) and this is chalk full of it! Dual narrators, Alex (mom) and (daughter) Letti, tell the story of how one small street filled with families, can have so many secrets and lies that it winds up with 2 of them dead at a Memorial Day block party. Who moved into the house next door? Is somebody being unfaithful? Rumors are floating everywhere and also nowhere but in their minds.

It’s easy turning the pages when you have a fun, juicy storyline. I’ve seen the characters before but I didn’t mind. It was a fresh plot with enough visual stimulation that it kept it moving without getting caught in a circle.

4.5⭐️ rounded up for this debut!
Posted to Goodreads and Instagram

"I think there's been enough secrets for a lifetime - maybe two." Welcome to the Annual Alton Road Block Party where you can enjoy a cold drink, hotdog, yard games, and dance along to the DJ. You will meet all of the neighbors! Every household has its secrets, but this year they all seem to come out in the open at this block party.

Wow! This book! Alex and her daughter Lettie are our narrators to this tale. Alex gives us the adult point of view while Lettie keeps us up to date on all the neighborhood kids. This works really well for this story as literally EVERYBODY has a secret!

4.5 stars!! The only reason it is not a 5 star book for me is there were a few times at the beginning that were a little slow, but otherwise it was a great book. This is definitely for readers that enjoy mystery/thriller works without being dark and heavy. I will definitely be recommending this one to all my thriller-loving friends!

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC. I ended up DNF'ing this one right around the halfway mark. It may be a case of bad timing/perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for a thriller.

Take the following with a grain a salt given I don't know how it ends, it felt like the author was a little heavy handed with false trails and red herring suspects. In an effort to not be predictable, it almost got over the top with different plots and events that would try and make you believe various people were suspects. If I'm incorrect then this may be a little too guessable.

"The Block Party" by Jamie Day is a compelling and immersive novel that explores the complexities of friendship, secrets, and the impact of our past on the present. Set against the backdrop of a close-knit neighborhood, the story follows a group of neighbors whose lives become entwined in unexpected and sometimes tumultuous ways.

"The Block Party" is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel that explores the intricacies of human relationships with depth and sensitivity. Jamie Day's ability to capture the essence of community and the bonds that tie us together is commendable. If you enjoy character-driven stories that delve into the complexities of human emotions, "The Block Party" is a compelling read that will stay with you long after the final page. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a touching and resonant novel that will leave them reflecting on the power of compassion and the strength of human connections.

The Block Party is a suspenseful domestic thriller centering around a posh neighborhood with some bad neighbors. The narrators are a mother and her daughter, neither of whom I thought were very interesting. The story deals with a murder that occurs during a neighborhood block party, and the reader is taken back to a year before to see the events that culminate in this murder. There are chapters dealing with a neighborhood posting forum which I found silly and not relative to the story. The plot itself dragged and the characters were neither likeable nor well developed. Certain characters seemed like they had the potential to be interesting, but unfortunately we didn't get to know them very well even though they seemed to play a large part in the story. Although the plot dragged, I was vested and curious to see how it all ended, and was glad I did - the story had a twist that I couldn't have guessed, redeeming it somewhat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

The Block Party by Jamie Day was a fun read. The secrets and drama in this neighborhood made it a place I wouldn’t want to live but a place I loved reading about. This has great suspense.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martins Press for my copy!

Please note, there are lots of trigger warnings associated with some of the characters stories. I have included what is listed on StoryGraph, but please proceed with this one at your own discretion.

I loved this one. This book was everything I needed in a summer mystery book (although it takes place over the course of the year). This story has amusing characters, an engaging plot, and lots of moments to keep you guessing.

Synopsis:
The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other. On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder. But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

For me this book felt like it was a bit of a slow burn as the big mystery didn't start coming to light until the end, but it was still very amusing the entire way through. The characters all had their own things they were dealing with and it was so fun to wonder how/if it was all tied together.

This story id perfect if you are looking for a neighborhood drama with multiple POVs and lots of interesting pieces.