Where do you live? A neighborhood? Out in the country? An apartment? In The Block Party by Jamie Day, the characters all share a cul-de-sac on an exclusive street. On the day of the Memorial Day block party there's a shooting. The reader is taken back a year to see what led up to the shooting. Everyone has secrets - but which secrets are strong enough to kill over?

The story is told through the POVs of Alex and her daughter, Lettie. It intially feels like a story of adults behaving badly, but there's more to Day's story. There is some terrible behavior but there's substance to the story. There are several storylines but it's never overwhelming. It did take a bunch of pages to keep the names straight and who goes with who. Day keeps adding to the narrative until we finally find out the why. And you won't guess.

Great audiobook narration from Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson. There are a lot of characters but they do a great job keeping them straight.

The character and interactions reminded me of Big, Little Lies. Great debut from Jamie Day.

This was a great suspenseful and dramatic novel. The characters were from an exclusive upper class neighborhood and were extremely unlikable. But that’s okay because it fits the narrative in this story and I don’t believe the author intends for you to like them. These neighbors all put forth the image of perfect lives with perfect families in perfect homes. But below the surface things aren’t what they seem. I didn’t see some of the twists coming and loved this book from beginning to end.

The Block Party is a debut novel by Jamie Day. While I didn't know a whole lot about the story or the author prior to picking this up, I was very intrigued by the synopsis. Books about dysfunctional families set in perfect little towns are some of my favorites. I love the contrast in the characters and settings. Unfortunately, this one didn't really cut it for me. I listed to the audiobook for this story and quickly found that I didn't enjoy the characters or much of what was happening. I thought about DNF'ing the story many times, but because I needed to write a review, I gave it my best chance and completed the story. I honestly think my biggest issues with this story was the lack of transparency with triggers written into the story. There's very little to go on in the synopsis, and while read this, there were incidences of infidelity, rape, drugs, suicide, guns, and so much more. Additionally, there were too many side plots that I was confused and couldn't ever truly stay connected.

Someone has died during the neighborhood block party on exclusive Alton Lane during the yearly block party. The story unfolds through flashing back to a year ago and the present. Three points of view are given: Alex, a wine mom with a drinking problem, her teenage daughter Lettie, and the neighborhood chat group (highly entertaining!).

I just finished the audiobook The Block Party by Jamie Day, narrated by Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson....and I loved it! Here is the publisher's plot description: 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.

This mystery, narrated by a mother (Alex) and daughter (Lettie), living on Alton road, has a large cast of well-thought out, interesting and entertaining characters. I do want to share that I received an advanced copy of the audiobook for my honest opinion. However, as someone who reviews a lot of audiobooks, I can tell you that I did not want to stop listening to this story. The narrator talent was top notch and the story kept me on my toes right until the end; with an ending I did not see coming. The writing reminded me of Elin Hilderbrand in a way.
There was a little bit of annoyance with the occasional commentary from a Facebook group from the town Alton Road is located in. However, I still enjoyed The Block Party quite a bit. With its release in July, it is a perfect beach read! Enjoy

A neighborhood block party thriller!

Something happens at the Memorial Day block party but we don’t know what happened! We get a few “online community page” updates throughout the book but it’s all speculation!

This book dives into the year prior to this incident while we learn all about the neighbor’s secrets. They all have secrets and as they come out you’ll keep guessing what happened at that block party.

The ending is shocking and has so many twists!

On the surface, this book appears to be a typical whodunnit in an affluent neighborhood. But there are several things that make it unique and that much more enjoyable. First, the story is told from three different perspectives: --Alex, the woman who organizes the block party and who has an insatiable interest in everything that goes on in her neighborhood;
--Lettie, her 17 year old daughter who is going through typical teen crises but also has a very mature insight into the goings-on of the adults; and
--the neighborhood online chat forum, where nearby neighbors (but not those invited to the block party) carry on a conversation that (among other things) speculates on why they're hearing sirens on the day of the block party.

Loved these different POVs and the fact that we really don't know why there are sirens until near the very end of the book. I loved how the story develops: we can imagine what will happen, but there are so many possibilities that it encourages one to continue listening. I thought the addition of the gossip/chat forum was a brilliant move. The conversation there is so typical of my own neighborhood forum and has all the players. The narration was very realistic, particularly that of the teenagers.

A great summer read for anyone who loves a good mystery coupled with neighborhood interactions.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I have decided to describe this one as a soap opera thriller. I kept trying to figure out what was going to happen, and along the way there were so many juicy, gossipy tidbits that gave it a lighter feel (even though the tidbits were very heavy at times). I flew through this one on audio in a couple of days because I could not get enough! This is a perfect summer thriller read!

I loved listening to this audiobook. The narrators did an amazing job. There ends up being a murder on the night of the annual block party. I never knew what to expect each time I turned the page. There were so many twists and turns. This was a fun read! Thank you NetGalley, Jaime and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This book had twists and turns that were unexpected. A tight knit community full of secrets. I enjoyed the narrator alot. The book does have some trigger warnings that should be addressed bur not graphic. Was good suspense book

This book was pretty good kept me curious the entire time. Thank you for the audiobook I'll definitely be recommending this one

I loved this story of a neighborhood and their residents. Not finding out the victim until towards the end was a great idea. As I read the story I kept thinking it is this one then no it is this one. I highly recommend.

In this suburban drama thriller, a neighborhood is in disarray as residents fight to uncover the untold secrets and lies that hide behind one another. On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder. As the neighbors of Alton Road fight to reveal clues and expose the perpetrator, they discover they are ALL entangled in a web of secrets and scandal.

Although I felt like this book was a little lengthy and drawn out, I enjoyed the way the story was told from the different points of view of the adults versus the teenagers. The audiobook narrators, Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson, did an amazing job narrating which helped in differentiating the points of view of the two storytellers, mother and daughter pair, Alex and Lettie. This is the perfect summer beach read and I can't wait to see what Jamie Day comes out with next!

Thank you NetGalley, Jamie Day, Macmillan Audio, Megan Tusing and Suzy Jackson for the ALC and the opportunity to leave a review!

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of The Block Party by Jamie Day.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of this multiple POV mystery/thriller. I found that the narrators of the audiobook were perfect for the characters and the pacing (which many have mentioned they perceived as slow) was perfect for me. I very quickly picked up on the secrets that piled up, but it was still a very fun read!

The Block Party was a soapy domestic suspense novel about a group of wealthy neighbors with LOTS of secrets. If I could tell the characters in this book one thing it would be, "STAY IN YOUR LANE"!

There are nosy neighbors and then there are the these people. These women (and men!) are serious drama queens but the plot actually ended up being a little more troubling than I expected. There are some discussions of sexual assault and suicide that were hard to read.

I didn't necessarily enjoy this story but I did stick with it because I had to find out what happened. If you're looking for a Desperate Housewives-esque read, this might be something to check out. As for me, I would rather watch reruns of Desperate Housewives.

The audiobook was good! I might not have finished the physical copy so I was very thankful to have the opportunity to listen to this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader. All opinions are my own!

Everyone on Alton drive has secrets. This book combines themes from lots of different sub genres. There’s a little bit thriller as there are some mysteries meant to scare the reader a bit and there’s murder and plenty of mayhem. However, I don’t think this is best classified as a thriller; it’s more domestic suspense. In the same vein of “the last thing he told me “, there’s more diving in to what families project to the world and what’s going on behind closed doors. Throw in a teen character for some coming of age angst and it was a very readable book. I will recommend this to friends.
Of note, I started this in epub format but finished the latter 60% an audio. I don’t often read that way but I wanted to hear the story progress faster than I was able to sit down and read. While I already had a vision of who the characters were in my head and the narration didn’t totally match those visions, it still worked. I always appreciate different readers for different main characters vs one reader trying to talk for multiple people. I will say that Lottie’s voice in narration did not meet her otherwise goth description-the voice was way too peppy cheerleader. Again, however, it did not take away from my overall enjoyment.

Thank you Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for an ALC of The Block Party by Jamie Day! I was so excited to be approved for this one, as its premise is truly the perfect way to kick off the summer.

This one kicks off with the annual summer block party on Alton Road, and there's been a murder. Jamie instantly takes us back to one year prior, unraveling the secrets and scandal that leads up to the big event.

I really enjoyed this one, great tension and a fun suburban suspenseful read. There's two major types of storylines here - the adults (parents) on the street - and their children, the teens. Seemingly separate, the two find themselves weaving together to provide the perfect plot. LOVED the ending, major big little lies vibes. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Jamie Day comes up with next. Fantastic narration, too, for audiobook lovers :)

This was a juicy, entertaining domestic thriller! Perfect for summer! It reminded me a lot of Big Little Lies / The Husband’s Secret. I enjoyed the multiple POVs and was surprised by the twists/ending. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did a fantastic job of differentiating the characters so the multiple POVs never became overwhelming!

I loved this book. Rich in suburban domestic drama and intrigue. I loved the multiple POVs which were narrated superbly in the audiobook.

I like the “Desperate Housewives” feel of the families. The plot unfolded well and was definitely a thriller. Fun ride!

DNF @ 32%

I usually enjoy "domestic dramas" about unlikeable people/bratty posh neighbors but this was a big miss for me.

Initially I had trouble following the story because there are so many characters with so many issues and backstories. I loathe doing homework with my reading but did have to make a "cheat sheet" here. I almost quit (I should have); Once I got a handle on the multiple stories/people/problems I pressed on but... yawn.

As another reviewer said, I prefer books with plots that aren't so fragmented. Plus the back-and-forth gave me mental whiplash. I don't know how anyone could read this in segments and not lose their place or know where they are.

I read a few spoilers and am glad I'm quitting knowing what is coming down the pipeline.