Genre: Young Adult / Romance
Pages: 336
Published: August 2015
Warnings: Mentions sex, some abusive behavior and memories, crude language
Summary:
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 know won't tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or a 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 go...
Summary taken from Goodreads.com -> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522202-until-friday-night?from_search=true
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 know won't tell anyone else.
West expected that talking about his dad would bring some relief, or a 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 go...
Summary taken from Goodreads.com -> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22522202-until-friday-night?from_search=true
What made me pick up this book?
This is another book that I picked up because i saw it mentions a few times on booktube - once again from Reading With Pugs (check her out!!). I didn't actually buy this one because I wasn't sure I would read it again, so I borrowed it from the Library. Classic YA Romance is a guilty pleasure of mine, so it seemed fitting to give this a try. This book is told chapter by chapter from alternating point of views between Maggie and West.
Overall Enjoyment
Behold an accurate description of me during almost the entirety of this novel.
Characters
Maggie Carleton's
Maggie is a sweet character, but not a particularly strong female lead. She has seen some awful stuff and stops talking for two years. However, then she meets West and suddenly is not longer scared of talking........ What? I did not understand this sudden change because she met a boy she loved, especially after knowing him for only a week before she spoke, and also after he was a complete dick to her until this point. I don't love this extremely face paced style in order to make characters develop, but I know a lot of people prefer this style.
Maggie is a sweet character, but not a particularly strong female lead. She has seen some awful stuff and stops talking for two years. However, then she meets West and suddenly is not longer scared of talking........ What? I did not understand this sudden change because she met a boy she loved, especially after knowing him for only a week before she spoke, and also after he was a complete dick to her until this point. I don't love this extremely face paced style in order to make characters develop, but I know a lot of people prefer this style.
West Ashby
West Ashby is an absolute cock. He is experiencing the death of his father, which makes him into this awful character which Abbi Glines convinces you is because he is a man and therefore has to hide his feelings. He is an absolute dick to Maggie, and when he figures that Maggie is the only person in the whole world that understands him, he uses her. He becomes possessive and only wants to talk to Maggie when he feels overwhelmed. It is exhausting.
West Ashby is an absolute cock. He is experiencing the death of his father, which makes him into this awful character which Abbi Glines convinces you is because he is a man and therefore has to hide his feelings. He is an absolute dick to Maggie, and when he figures that Maggie is the only person in the whole world that understands him, he uses her. He becomes possessive and only wants to talk to Maggie when he feels overwhelmed. It is exhausting.
Brady Carleton
Brady is the only redeemable character in this book. He has a high protection for Maggie who is his cousin, and tells all his friends to leave her alone so she feels normal. All he wants to do is complete his senior year and move into a football career. He is openly protective of Maggie, but also expresses his annoyance with her for always being thrust upon him by his parents. He just fits into Maggie's world really well.
Positives
Brady. He is such a great character and really made me want to continue the book.
Fast pace. The book moved quickly which made it easy to read and not necessarily worth finishing but also seemed to be no point in putting down because I smashed it out in a total of 4 hours.
Fast pace. The book moved quickly which made it easy to read and not necessarily worth finishing but also seemed to be no point in putting down because I smashed it out in a total of 4 hours.
Negatives
West Ashby. He was so annoying and just a pathetic character.
Describing the Characters. Everyone was absolutely, drop dead gorgeous, basically entirely perfect human beings. It was quite frustrating, especially from a female author, I found that she was extremely one directional with her female characters and the men basically called them walking sex dolls..... Ew.
Describing the Characters. Everyone was absolutely, drop dead gorgeous, basically entirely perfect human beings. It was quite frustrating, especially from a female author, I found that she was extremely one directional with her female characters and the men basically called them walking sex dolls..... Ew.
Slut Shaming. As mentioned above, every girl was basically talked about as a walking sex doll or a conquest, and West even had sex with these women to "Forget about Maggie" but then felt guilty, not because he was using women, but because he didn't want his precious Maggie to know he was like this!! Urgh!!!
Did this book make me cry?
Yes. I relate this to the fact that I was also listening to a band that I loved as a teenager. So I base this on a high level of nostalgia. But there was a sad moment, I did only cry for around 5 minutes.
Yes. I relate this to the fact that I was also listening to a band that I loved as a teenager. So I base this on a high level of nostalgia. But there was a sad moment, I did only cry for around 5 minutes.
Did this book make me laugh?
I think there may have been a few moments, but nothing especially remember-able.
Did this book frustrate me? Why?
Oh. My. God. Yes! I got frustrated in a few instances, mostly West being so weirdly possessive of Maggie, and then (even with her history) Maggie accepted this! It was so frustrating. Also for about 150 pages all each of them talked about was how much they loved the other but knew they were only friends, it was just too repetitive. Also at the end there was a heap of plot holes, which I have now realised is due to this being a four part series.. So that was annoying.
Did this book get Tedious? Why?
Yes. As I said above, I read 150 pages of the exact same words recycled over and over again between both points of view. This did not in anyway progress the story line.
Would I recommend this book?
I guess I would, but I have my reservations and I would unlikely convince anyone it was worth reading.
I would give this book
1 out of 5 stars for Writing
1 out of 5 for Creativity
1 out of 5 stars for Overall Enjoyment
***I do not intend to offend, anger or upset anyone over a book that I write a review about. This is just my opinion.***
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