Customer Reviews

Party Girl: A Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Amelia Stone is a party girl, in every sense of the word. In fact, her story begins with her being caught in a compromising position with the cousin of the bride at a party being thrown at her mother's house. The story then goes on to describe her almost having a menage a trois with two groomsmen, before sobering up and falling asleep. Because this is what party girls do. Living her life in a haze of cocaine and alcohol, Amelia stops partying only long enough to turn in her articles at Absolutely Fabulous (an Us Weekly-type celebrity gossip mag), feed her cats, and catch some zzzzz's. Other than that, you can find her at the hottest industry parties, doing drugs in the bathroom, staying up all night, and using Ambien and alcohol to fall asleep. That is, until her hard-partying lifestyle catches up with her and Amelia finds herself in rehab.

Though she doesn't believe she has a problem with alcohol, Amelia is willing to admit she has a drinking problem. When she checks in to Pledges, her life is in shambles, she's been fired from her job, and she doesn't know what she's going to do for work. One month out of rehab later, she re-enters the world only to find that an admirer of her party girl lifestyle (the publisher of Chat, a different magazine, with a more Cosmo feel) is offering her a job to write about the crazy nights she used to have. Amelia knows she can't pass up this opportunity, but can she make a living out of writing about a life she no longer leads?

If you're the sort of person who reads Perez Hilton or Pink is the New Blog every day, and can't live without her (or his) Us Weekly, Party Girl is going to be right up your alley. This book has all the fun and entertainment of reading trashy gossip rags without the guilt, since the characters are fictional. Amelia was an intersting narrator, to say the least. At some points she was clearly so screwed up that I pitied her, but she managed to use her own downfall to build herself up bigger than she was before. The twists and turns that this book took were not all unexpected and at times the story was a bit predictable, and in that sense it's not the best book I've ever read, but it was still enjoyable from start to finish. If nothing else, it's something to kill the time while you wait for the new Us Weekly to hit the stands.

I won't lie, I was first attracted to the covers of Anna David's Bought and Party Girl novels. And after reading the descriptions about how if you are intrigued by celebrity glamour and lifestyles then these would satisfy your reading cravings, I figured I'd give them a try. And they truly did. I loved Party Girl, not for a light and humorous book, bust just for a wild, witty, ironic ride to the dark side of a party lifestyle and back through recovery. I didn't put the book down once I began the first page of Amelia's party of a life.

I loved Anna David's novel of the steps and missteps of the charming Amelia Stone. She tells a great story and you feel for her heroine as she trips along experiencing the expectations, benefits, and pitfalls of being fabulous.
I bought one for myself and my bff. It's one of those books. Set aside a whole afternoon to enjoy this!

Fist before I trash anything I will say that the author clearly knows how to write well; how the book was written was the thing that kept me there until the end of it. Each situation was well illustrated and I give anyone credit who can paint a vivid picture in my minds eye.

HOWEVER, I was told I would laugh, I would be held captivated; the whole time I was reading it I was wondering when that would happen, then I realized I was half way through the book.

Every situation and interaction between characters in the book, in other words, the entire basis of this novel was that a) the main character lived an interesting life, saying intelligent things and giving intelligent insight, and that b) other people were amused by the main characters' anecdotes and found them to be unique, well told and funny. Both a and b were not true. "Party Girl" has many good reviews already from my fellow readers and I simply cannot understand them; at no point was the main character living an interesting life, experiencing interesting things, or commenting about them intelligently. I have heard better tails told by party girls I went to high school with and, I imagine so has everyone else. When the main character tells an anecdote to other charters and then informs us, the reader through her narration that those people being told the anecdote laughed and laughed, and furthermore proclaimed how unreal, improbable and hilarious the tail was, than that had better have been just as funny, and crazy to us as it was to the those other characters; it simply was not. Her insights were not clever or intelligent; she was just shallow from beginning to end; and the end was a fantasy as well.

In all honesty I finished reading because I did not have another book for the subway.

Party Girl is somewhat Auto-Biographical about the 1990s life style of Anna David, the books Amazing Author!
The writing style is so very subtle, but extremely exciting
Anna quickly draws you into her world of parties, drugs, and her relationships. Then the big moments, her termination, one final incident that leads to rehab. Then a huge business opportunity after rehab
Reading the pages, I can hear Anna's voice and I can imagine each character in my mind. Anna helped me experience what it was like to use Cocaine, she described it using a method I had never read anywhere else
Her character Amelia Stone is not a heroine, shes a woman who you might love and hate all within a few pages!
Her writing style makes Party Girl and her new book Bought simply a must read!
I simply loved it!

The way Anna david captures you in her novel/auto is amazing. I originally just bought the book because it was written by her, and it turned out to be a good book to buy.

First I must say that I have enjoyed Anna's articles and have been a fan of hers before she wrote this book.
I enjoyed this book because I felt it was honest, and Anna, through her words, had the ability to make me experience something I never have. I have never been drunk and I have never tried a drug in my life, yet I was able to feel what it was like as I read through the book. I can't wait to read Bought when it comes out in May.

I loved "Party Girl". It's clearly derived from Anna's own experiences with addiction and recovery. I just can't say enough!

Very well written, part novel, part autobiography. The story deals openly and honestly with addiction, the problems that arise and the damage that can be done as a result. It's also an uplifting example of overcoming the addictions and changing your life on a positive way. Can't wait for Anna David's second novel.

Just from reading the back cover I knew this would be good, I finished it the same day- I could not put it down. And the entire time I laughed. Cant wait to get the follow up!