The Block Party: A Novel

The Block Party is a domestic thriller that takes place on one block, Alton Road. The chapters alternate between the point of view of the main character, Alex, and Lettie, Alex’s teenage daughter, who is as annoying as they come. This book starts off with Alex falling off the wagon at the current-day Memorial Day block party she puts together every year. Readers are taken back a year to review the current state of each family. Alex’s sister, Emily, Emily’s husband, Ken, and their two sons live on the same block. Then the Kumars move in, and it seems like Ken and Mandy Kumar have a thing for each other. Every character is a mess; Alex is an alcoholic, Ken is a possible serial cheater, and Samir Kumar seems to be an abusive, controlling husband. On top of that, Lettie is simply just an annoying gnat. I could hardly get through the chapters she narrates because she is sulky and self-righteous. I think the book would have been better if it had been told in the third person to illustrate Lettie’s point of view as Alex’s was. There is a huge wrap-up scuffle and all secrets are revealed at the end which makes the book pretty entertaining. A slow-moving story but with a satisfying conclusion, this is a great beach read.