Late to the Party

by Kelly Quindlen

Overview

From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, and what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.

Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined.

She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world.

So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.

But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia. The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250209122
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	04/20/2021
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	41,634
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kelly Quindlen is the author of the young adult novel Her Name in the Sky. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and a former teacher, Kelly has had the joy of speaking to PFLAG groups and high school GSAs. She currently serves on the leadership board of a non-profit for Catholic parents with LGBT children. Kelly lives in Atlanta.

Editorial Reviews

"An absolutely stunning, but also incredibly important novel about best friends and discovering who you are." —Mason Deaver, bestselling author of I Wish You All the Best

“Perfectly captures the joys and hopes and thrills of being a real, authentic teenager . . . A fantastic read for queer teens today.” —Kacen Callender, Stonewall and Lambda Award–winning author This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story

“Late to the Party is right on time to being your favorite read. I didn’t want my time with Quindlen’s characters to end.” —Sara Farizan, Lambda Award–winning author of If You Could Be Mine

"Kelly Quindlen has written a slow-burning, exquisite book well-worth savoring." —Aminah Mae Safi, author of Tell Me How You Really Feel

"A deeply heartfelt and emotionally honest celebration of late bloomers, queer solidarity, and friendships both old and new. This book has a permanent place in my heart." —Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights.

"A love letter to late bloomers, Late to the Party combines teenage angst with first loves and second chances and emphasises that true friends will always be there for you even as you discover new parts of yourself." —The Nerd Daily

"Heartfelt and fun, Quindlen’s latest (Her Name in the Sky, 2014) brings together all the angst, excitement, and uncertainty of the teenage years in an LGBTQ+ friendly package. Fans of Becky Albertalli are sure to love this sometimes painfully relatable heroine and her journey of self discovery. Codi Teller may be late to the party, but readers will be happy she showed up." —Booklist

"Recommended for LGBTQ teens."—School Library Journal

"Quindlen (Her Name in the Sky) deftly conveys both the awkwardness of outgrowing an old life without having a clue how to move toward a new one. —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

02/17/2020

Codi loves the comfort of hanging with her oldest friends, but she’s increasingly frustrated that they don’t seem to see that she’s changing—or at least wants to. In Atlanta, pals Codi, Maritza, and JaKory are all queer and have never kissed anyone. Now that they’re 17, Jakory and Maritza want more experiences and some romance in their lives, even though they don’t know how to make it happen. When Codi refuses to attend a party, they think she’s not interested in making changes. But she starts hanging out with a senior who’s struggling with his sexual identity, which leads her to a new circle and a girl she likes. She doesn’t know how to stay friends with both groups, and before she knows it, she’s lying to her old friends. Quindlen (Her Name in the Sky) deftly conveys both the awkwardness of outgrowing an old life without having a clue how to move toward a new one, and the difficult work of being true to oneself and honest with those one cares about. Ages 12–up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2020

Gr 8 Up—An introvert, 17-year-old Codi has always been comfortable spending time by herself painting, or ordering takeout and watching old movies with her best friends Maritza and JaKory. But the summer before senior year of high school, Codi starts to feel like she's outgrowing her longtime friends and that it's time to spread her wings. In doing so, she goes to parties, makes new friends, and experiments with booze and pot; she also makes good on her determination to explore her feelings for another girl. Although the plot is not groundbreaking, Quindlen convincingly portrays Codi and her contemporaries with credible dialogue and realistic settings. The novel's strengths lie in conveying the complex situations and often contradictory emotions teens experience; many of the characters are self-aware of their hypocrisy and the stifling effect it has on their ability to act in their own best interests. Codi is white and gay, and the novel is populated with a diverse group of friends—black, Latinx, straight, gay, and bisexual—many of whom have their own layered narratives. VERDICT Recommended for LGBTQ teens looking for relatable characters, as well as any teen in need of a quick, satisfying read.—Melissa Kazan, Horace Mann School, NY

School Library Journal

2020-01-19
A girl who can capture someone’s essence in a painting struggles with finding her own.

Atlanta senior Codi and her friends, Maritza and JaKory, are restless and feel like they’ve missed out on the full teenage experience—living boldly and taking risks. When Maritza comes up with a plan to crash a neighborhood party, Codi bails only to rescue her friends when they drink too much to drive home safely. Heading to the party, Codi stumbles upon two boys making out in the bushes—one of whom is the host, Ricky. Codi begins hanging out with Ricky’s cool friends and neglecting her own, believing she can only grow in a new social circle. Through this new set of friends, Codi meets her crush, Lydia. But when the summer takes a dive, the very people she neglected are the ones she wants the most. Artistic, shy Codi unfortunately comes off as ungrateful and inconsiderate toward her younger brother and best friends while Maritza and JaKory fall flat and read like a convenient plot device for Codi’s angst. Despite this, the story is redeemed by the feel-good moments between Codi and Ricky’s friends, its portrayal of teens navigating romantic relationships for the first time, and insights about becoming comfortable within yourself. Codi and Lydia are assumed to be white; Maritza is Panamanian American; JaKory and Ricky are black.

A suitable angst-y summer read. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews