Diary Entry #0041: ARC Review—UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT by Abbi Glines

Title: Until Friday Night (The Field Party, #1)

by Abbi Glines

Date of Publication: August 25th 2015

Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary

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…

“In life we often have to make decisions that aren’t easy. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t right.”

The decision I made on whether I should read this book or not was a pretty easy one. Of course, I’d read this and share my thoughts about it to other people. It’s Abbi Glines. ‘Nuff said.



I liked this story a lot because I haven’t read many Young Adult Contemporary books from Abbi. It was something different for me with regards to her. But...

The first time I read about West Ashby, my initial thought was exactly this:

“Whoa, didn’t her editor advice her to kinda tone down West’s a**hole-ishness? Because, uhm...West is one.”

You know guys, I love me a well-written bad boy. I love the bad boys in books more than the cute, sweet guys. But I just thought that West is too much of a douche. Really, I’m sorry for the offensive terms but I can’t help but think that.

Primarily, I thought it wasn’t that bad because he transformed almost immediately and he was a sweet, broken guy much like everyone else. He had issues, yes, and I think I’ve read many books that explain this behavior so I understood him. But towards the end, everything that I’ve built him up to be just...shattered.

“I’m going to sweep you off your feet so fast, you won’t know what hit you.”

West became possessive and dependent on Maggie, which normally isn’t such a bad thing because guys really have this tendency to go all caveman on their ladies, but I think what an author should watch out for is when all of it becomes too much. That’s what happened in this book.

Nevertheless, I still think that this story was good. I actually liked that West and Maggie were friends first even though I could cut through the tension every time they’re together. I think this is more on the serious side because of the circumstances that the main characters experienced. I really liked how their past was constructed to make them who they are in the present, and the fact that it was written well with glimpses in between the current happenings in their lives.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the little somethings that Abbi left. What are these little somethings I’m talking about? You know when you read a series that focuses on a different couple with each book and in the preceding book, the MC mentions something off or unusual or an interesting tidbit about the past of a supporting character? That happened here.

Overall, I think that Until Friday night is a classic Abbi Glines—interesting, emotional and sexy. I can also say that I’m excited with the next Field Party. I will definitely read it because the little somethings that Ms. Glines included here got me curious. Until Friday Night wasn’t perfect but it was a fast read with enough emotional conflicts that got me flipping page after page. Let me know what you thought! 

3/5 Stars

Love,