To everyone who knows him, West Ashby has always been that guy: the cocky, popular, way-too-handsome-for-his-own-good football god who led Lawton High to the state championships. But while West may be Big Man on Campus on the outside, on the inside he’s battling the grief that comes with watching his father slowly die of cancer.
Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s life fell apart when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. Even the move to Lawton, Alabama, couldn’t draw Maggie back out. So she stayed quiet, keeping her sorrow and her fractured heart hidden away.
As West’s pain becomes too much to handle, he knows he needs to talk to someone about his father—so in the dark shadows of a post-game party, he opens up to the one girl who he knows won’t tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or at least a flood of emotions he couldn’t control. But he never expected the quiet new girl to reply, to reveal a pain even deeper than his own—or for them to form a connection so strong that he couldn’t ever let her go…
Title: Until Friday Night
Author: Abbi Glines
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4
Reading Age: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Can someone please explain to me just how exactly I managed to promote this book, get super excited about this book, add it to all my TBR files and recommend it with the blurb attached, and still not once read the blurb myself?!?!?!
Please somebody enlighten me!
Because I somehow went into this book blind.
And it almost destroyed me. (In a really amazing emotional way that really involves no destroying at all)
Abbi Glines new book – Yes please. Nothing else need known. I one-clicked the crap out of this book months ago.
OK, I should let you know that I do have a thing for emotional boys. Men who show emotion does something to me, I think this is why I am more drawn to the male point of view.. Anyway this book was refreshing. I loved it, pretty much for the very reason it has been receiving a few low reviews.
Until Friday night showed up on my kindle the same week as a few other big name books I had been waiting for, and I am ashamed to say I left it till last because I really hadn’t read the blurb and I just assumed it was another girl meets hot jockey boy in Highschool – blah, blah, blah – book. But no. No, it was not.
West is an asshole. At no point in the beginning of this book are you led to think otherwise. He is probably one of the most arrogant, indifferent characters I have come across in not only Abbi’s work, but most books. It’s not everyday that authors allow their lead hero’s to be quite so unlikable. But he is struggling through the likely death of his Father, and while this may not be seen for many as a good enough reason for his behavior, he’s like what? 17 – 18 years old in this book, I mean what can you really expect? He’s feeling alone, he hasn’t told anyone about his dads sickness, the most important person in his life is diminishing before his eyes and he has absolutely no control over any of it. He must feel powerless and sad, so, so, sad. So yeah, I’m gonna give him a break. Personally, I loved him, and his flaws. Those flaws gave West a realism that I don’t think would have been there if he was written with less of an edge.
“Guys who looked like West made girls forget themselves. I had watched it so many times. When you are silent, you can observe so much more. I see others’ mistakes more easily.”
Our heroine in this book is Maggie; beautiful, silent Maggie. This silent female lead seems to be a popular topic at the moment, this being my third or fourth this month with a mute heroine. Anyway, Maggie witnessed the horrific death of her mother and is now living with her maternal Aunt and Uncle. While struggling to come to terms with what she witnessed the night of her mothers’ death Maggie became a selective mute. The reasoning behind this is explained throughout the book. Her silence is what draws West to her in the beginning. It’s easier to talk to someone who doesn’t speak. I don’t want to give out any spoilers here. So I’m just going to say their friendship grows from there. Maggie and West become best friends, they are each others support; helping each other deal with the loss of a parent.
“You’ll hurt. It’s the worst pain. But you’re strong, and you’ll make it through. You’ll have his memory. That wont ever leave you”
As their friendship develops so do the characters. The story mainly focusing on West and Maggie themselves in this book – because each of these boys will get their own story down the line – West becomes dependent on Maggie and their relationship crumbles. I actually got excited when Maggie stood up for herself at this point. When Wests behavior took a turn towards obsessive, I was really proud of Maggie’s reaction. She had watched her parents live through a violent relationship, so to show in Maggie’s story-line how she can not only notice these red flags, but also react to them in a healthy way. It made me happy. I was so glad that Abbi wrote her this way. It showed her strength and self-worth.
“I was there for you when you needed someone. And maybe I’ve become more of a crutch for you. You get angry if anyone gets near me or speaks to me, and that’s not normal. It’s unhealthy. I’ve never given you a reason to be possessive. This thing between us can’t work if you hover over me like a madman.”
But then at the same time this is where I had my only issue with this book. The reason I am only handing it 4 stars. The end felt far to rushed for me. It all happened within a span of two days, that to me was unrealistic and unfortunately kind of dimmed down Maggie’s strong reaction. The book up until this point had progressed well and flowed in a consistent time frame.
Regardless of the hurried finish I loved this book. It was emotional and devastating and I am looking forward to the next one. I just hope West and Maggie feature there, I need to know if West stayed true to his word.
“I don’t want to possess you, Maggie. I want to belong to you”
Until Friday Night was so, so sad. I was crying (sobbing) through the majority of the book. The characters where well written for a young adult book, and the story was easy to read and beautifully written. I do love Abbi Gline’s writing technique. The character development was steady and realistic, they are after all only High School students. The series is said to span out over main group of Football players; Wests best friends. With the next book going to Gunner. I will be keeping an eye out for this next book that’s for sure. If you’re looking for your next emotional read, or maybe you just want to have a good cry then I recommend this book!
worms and bibliophiles 