No Angels. No Demons. Only Humans. This is one of those tales that has a lot going against it – multiple perspectives, pretty well everyone is “unlikeable” at best, etc. And yet… that is the very *strength* of this particular tale.
I for one enjoy and even embrace tales where humanity is shown in all of its highs – and lows. Where people are shown to be exactly what they are – flawed creatures simply trying to live their lives the best they can. Where no matter how angelic someone appears, there is clearly a demon hiding just under the surface, and no matter how demonic a person appears, there is an angel hiding in there somewhere. (Eh, maybe a fallen angel, but still an angel. 😉 )
That Satterthwaite uses a fairly standard-ish overall plot of high school friends reuniting after several years apart to tell this particular story actually works well to establish expectations… which makes it even better when she actively subverts these very expectations at nearly every turn.
Fans of the particular story type and overall genre will have enough here to sink their teeth into and enjoy, while those like me who enjoy having something “more” will find a fair amount of that here as well.
Indeed, looking back to my review of Satterthwaite’s 2024 debut, Made For You, it seems here that Satterthwaite leaned into the better parts of her storytelling in that tale, threw out the bits that didn’t work so well, and used the remaining time to really tighten up what worked so well there and really do it even better here. Thus, showing strong progression as a storyteller that indeed makes me want to come back for book 3 to see what she has in store for us next, and if she can continue to improve her storytelling and potentially evolve it even further.
Very much recommended.
This review of The New Year’s Party by Jenna Satterthwaite was originally written on November 17, 2025.