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Late to the Party Paperback – April 20, 2021

by Kelly Quindlen (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 604 ratings
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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.

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Print length
    320 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    7 - 9
  5. Dimensions
    5.35 x 0.85 x 8.2 inches
  6. Publisher
    Square Fish
  7. Publication date
    April 20, 2021
  8. ISBN-10
    1250209129
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1250209122
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

About the Author

Kelly Quindlen is the bestselling author of the young adult novels She Drives Me Crazy, Late to the Party,and 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.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Square Fish (April 20, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250209129
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250209122
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.35 x 0.85 x 8.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 604 ratings

About the author

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Kelly Quindlen

Kelly Quindlen

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Kelly Quindlen is the bestselling author of the young adult LGBTQ novels She Drives Me Crazy, Late to the Party, and Her Name in the Sky. She initially pursued self-publishing with Her Name in the Sky (2014), which sold more than 30,000 copies through word-of-mouth marketing in the queer community, before she pursued traditional publishing with Late to the Party (2020) and the IndieBound bestseller and Goodreads Choice Award nominee She Drives Me Crazy (2021).

Kelly graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in English Literature and American Studies. She taught middle school math for two years in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before moving back to her hometown of Atlanta. She is on the leadership team of a non-profit for Catholic parents with LGBTQ children and is very passionate about the intersection of queerness and faith.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
604 global ratings
I couldn't put it down!
5 Stars
I couldn't put it down!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I really, really, REALLY loved this book. I started it at 4pm and finished at 7pm tonight. That's how much I loved it. I couldn't put it down.I related to Codi because I was shy, and never wanted to go out of my comfort zone, but unlike Codi, I did nothing about it it. Reading about how she plucked up the courage to get out of her own bubble, meet new and friends, get what she wanted with the girl she really liked made my heart feel all the feelings.I hope one day I have a friend like Ricky who helps me get the girl. I hope my friends will be like Natalie and make sure she's the right woman for me. I hope I get a girlfriend like Lydia, who knows I'm shy and scared, and never kissed or done anything with a girl before and still loves me anyway.I really liked that everyone was supportive of everyone. That there was no homophobia content. I loved how pretty much everyone was queer in some way or another.I wished Codi could of let her best friends in a little bit more, instead of pushing them away, but I completely understood how she felt like she could only be her old self with them because that was all they saw in her. I loved how she tried to reconcile their friendship by making sure her best friend, JaKory got his boy.This was a really cute book, and @kellyquindlen has quickly become one of my must-read authors.
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Top reviews from the United States

Patricia L. Vander Kamp
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable …
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024
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Wonderfully written journey of Codi discovering her authentic self. Lots of drama. Lydia was a promising addition to Codi’s life and self discovery. Loved Ricky and all of the secondary characters. They were very powerful and hugely contributed to Codi and Lydia’s relationship. I was a High School counselor for 30 years and found this beautiful book a true representation of what I witnessed. Again, lots of drama!!! I like Kelly’s writing style. I enthusiastically and heartily recommend this and any other works by Kelly Quindlen. Thank you. Peace
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Phoebe Ellman
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Summer Read!
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2020
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This book was such a treat to read! Codi was a great protagonist and I found myself constantly rooting for her as she branched out and explored new parts of herself and dared to break out of the boxes she'd found herself trapped in. Her character feels deeply real and her flaws felt deeply human. The other characters were all compelling as well and I loved how much subtle queer representation there was throughout the novel. I especially love that this focused on a wlw story and how Codi grappled with many things but never the way she felt about girls - she confidently knew who she was! I also appreciated how genuine the dialogue and storyline felt in this book! A lot of YA can feel like the author doesn't know how actual teens talk, but this one was perfect. As someone who felt a lot like Codi growing up in high school, never going to parties or doing wild things and always feeling like I'd been missing out on something, reading this book was such a wonderful reminder of that moment in my life and a way to experience it all through Codi's eyes. Ultimately, the book is a celebration of learning to not get trapped in some strict idea of the life you're meant to live, while simultaneously embracing the person you are, for all its quirks and flaws and goodness. I loved every moment of it! Would highly recommend!
One person found this helpful
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Anna
4.0 out of 5 stars Great read but...
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2020
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This is a great book and I love Kelly Quindlen's writing but I needed more from that ending. Also I felt very frustrated with how bad of a friend Codi was to her best friends and again, I needed the story to be better wrapped up. Legit thought (and still do) that someone ripped out a chapter from the back of my book. It's so open-ended, so many things aren't answered and I don't even necessarily feel like I got a resolution for some plot stuff. And I have a feeling that was an artistic choice about how in real life things aren't wrapped up with a bow but guess what, this aint' real life and I want it wrapped up with a bow when I read a book lol.
5 people found this helpful
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Mandy G.
5.0 out of 5 stars the queer coming of age story I needed back in high school
Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2020
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This book destroyed me. Codi's story was so relatable, I found myself nodding, cringing, and swooning along with her for all 300 pages. I wish there were more pages so that I could continue smiling down at this absolutely wonderful, precious gem of a story.
One of my main issues with most high school coming of age stories is this firm divide between the "high school is basically a college party" narrative and the "we're socially awkward, we don't engage in that" kind of narrative. I think that this book made brilliant and poignant commentary on how people are not inherently divided into the "party kids" and the "social outcasts"–that people fall into groups based on comfort, interest, or intervention, and tend to stay where they feel safe and secure. So much of this story is about moving throughout different friend groups, experiencing friendship in different ways and coming to terms with the labels you've both given to yourself and received from others. As a bit of a "floater" myself in both high school and college, I could completely understand and empathize with that desire to find a new environment to try out different versions of yourself.
As much as I loved the friendship aspect of this book, I have to say, this is one of the most realistic and utterly adorable queer romances that I have ever read. I loved watching Codi and Lydia evolve through their friendship and DAMN those moments of mutual pining between the two of them were GOLDEN. I loved that when the characters had ~moments~ they acknowledged that they might actually be ~moments~ instead of brushing off the growing relationship between them. Yes, obviously they don't always make a move but that's normal. This romance was just. it was just. WOW. everything from the friendly crush phase, to the major crush phase, to the blossoming romance phase had me clapping my hands and fist bumping the air, it was great.
Moral of the story, this book is precious and I will be aggressively thrusting it into the arms of every reader and non-reader I meet from now until the end of time.
11 people found this helpful
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Starsketch17
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was looking for
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
As someone who is queer and not super outgoing, this was straight up cathartic to read. The narration is casual in a way that really makes it feel like you’re in the mind of a high schooler. All of the characters are lovable and very relatable, the ones that didn’t remind me of myself reminded me of my friends. 10/10 would recommend to anyone who wishes there were more cute wlw romance books.
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Top reviews from other countries

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alexandra
5.0 out of 5 stars A good summer read thays for sure
Reviewed in Canada on August 21, 2022
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I really like the author and this book. Right from the start you get into the emotion behind the action. The caracter are teen but as an adult i found it funy and cute, quite beautiful. If you want a relaxing afternoon reading thats the one for sure.
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Marina
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Sapphic Coming of Age
Reviewed in Brazil on October 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
I picked this up because I wanted a fun sapphic YA to distract myself with and I was surprised to discover that it is so so so much better than I thought it was going to be. I'm not the biggest fan of romance, I enjoy having a crush/relationship plot mixed into the story, but I can't stand books where that is the sole focus. I also hate the trope "enemies to lover", so this being a "strangers to friends to lovers" made me appreciate the romantic side of the book more. If you're like me, you should give Late to the Party a try and, if you're not, a little heads up that the relationship takes a while to develop.

The novel is much more a coming of age than a romance, where the protagonist is figuring out who she is and what parts of herself she wants to change. A great surprise was seeing Codi reevaluate her friendships, their dynamics, and how you can truly love somebody, but feel like you're at a better place when you're not interacting with them. This has such a good message, it says that it's okay to need time and space for yourself when you're changing and growing. The period between being a teenager and becoming an adult (17-20) can be really confusing and stressful, and I think this book captures it perfectly.

It was also just a plain, fun read: there were parties, silly games, and tiny adventures that you go on with your friends when you're all giddy and excited about life, midnight road trips. The relationship that we see develop between Codi and Ricky is so pure and fun and it reminded me so much of that period when you're getting to know a new friend and you begin to bond and discover little things about them. Quindlen captured both the good and the bad about being a teenager, or, at least, she captured everything that I remember from my teenage years and it was interesting to look upon those things from a different perspective. I'm an only child, so I can't say for certain if the relationship between Codi and her brother is a good portrayal of how real siblings behave, but it added a nice layer to the story and it helped round up the protagonist's personality.

One of the characters that I couldn't stand was Maritza, she was nasty and judgemental and all-around an unpleasant person. That might be because we see her through Codi's eyes during a troubling time of their friendship, but this didn't happen with JaKory, whom I love. Especially when you compare her to the other characters, specifically Richy's friends, I just don't understand how Codi wishes to keep a person like that in her life.

All in all, 100% recommend picking up Late to the Party.
5 people found this helpful
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Isbazia
5.0 out of 5 stars Ottime condizioni
Reviewed in Italy on February 15, 2024
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Qui per dirvi che comprare libri di seconda mano vale sempre la pena, perché spesso vi arrivano ex copie di biblioteche ancora foderate con copertine trasparenti e quindi molto ben conservate (oltre al prezzo vantaggioso).
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Isbazia
5.0 out of 5 stars Ottime condizioni
Reviewed in Italy on February 15, 2024
Qui per dirvi che comprare libri di seconda mano vale sempre la pena, perché spesso vi arrivano ex copie di biblioteche ancora foderate con copertine trasparenti e quindi molto ben conservate (oltre al prezzo vantaggioso).
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Eva
5.0 out of 5 stars Ojalá haber leído este libro durante mi adolescencia, pero nunca es demasiado tarde para leerlo.
Reviewed in Spain on February 27, 2022
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Buena lectura juvenil. Es una lectura centrada en la adolescencia, en el descubrimiento personal y en la diversidad. La autora consigue adentrarte en las inseguridades y en las dificultades de la adolescencia a la hora de la aceptación personal en cada uno de los personajes.
Me hubiera encantado chocarme con este libro cuando era adolescente y empezaba a descubrirme a mi misma.
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Izzy
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2021
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This is a story for anyone who feels like they need more space to be the person they want to be. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book my whole life. I saw all my own thoughts and feelings echoed in the main character, Codi, and it felt amazing to be seen through an amazing work of fiction like this, and hear messages that I most definitely needed to hear. It was a very enjoyable read, the characters were super easy to fall in love with and root for. There is a multitude of different experiences and feelings portrayed in this book, focusing on the complications of friendship and love, and I found myself not wanting it to end. This was also one of the only times I’ve read a book with a few loose ends, that I felt like didn’t need to be tied up. I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long time.
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