August 31, 2015 - Booklist Online
West Ashby seems to have it all—looks, a football future, and any girl he wants. No one, not even his closest friend Brady, knows that his dad—West’s biggest fan—is dying of cancer. Two years ago, Maggie Carleton saw her father murder her mother, and once she told police what happened, she refused to speak another word. Now Maggie lives with her cousin Brady’s family, and when she meets West, she sees the pain in his eyes that no one else recognizes. The bond between West and Maggie grows, and eventually
Maggie rediscovers her voice to walk West through his father’s final days. Aided by chapters that alternate between West’s and Maggie’s perspectives, what could be a typical romance—both are drop-dead gorgeous and could have anyone they want—is raised to a new level by Maggie’s self-imposed silence and the grief they are both experiencing. Glines’ novel will be welcomed by fans of Lurlene McDaniel who want something with more depth.
Kami Garcia
Praise for Until Friday Night: “Tender, honest, and achingly real—Until Friday Night captures the intensity of first love, the power of friendship, and the pain of growing up. This book has it all, and I can't wait for the next field party.”
Kirkus Reviews
2016-06-22
Major melodrama ensues when Willa returns to her childhood home after an absence of six years to live with her nonna, cook and housekeeper for the wealthy Lawtons, and reconnects with childhood friends.Living in a small cottage on their estate, Willa spent her childhood here, inseparable with the second son, Gunner Lawton, and his best friend, Brady Higgens. Now seniors, the three revive their friendship in what appears to be a love triangle. Gunner's distant relationship with his unloving parents and Willa's abandonment by her own mother draws them close, as revealed in ponderously voiced first-person chapters that alternate among the three beautiful, white teens. While away, Willa did something she regrets that resulted in a short stint in a correctional center, and this secret flavors the beginning of what turns out to be a chain of revelations of dark secrets that surround the Lawtons. Though rife with swearing, including the liberal use of F-bombs, and references to sex, the actual events on the page are relatively tame. Furthermore, although explosive secrets that will prove powerful and damaging emerge, the way it all plays out is not particularly heart-wrenching. Willa is a good Southern girl who says "Yes, ma'am," and all her actions are pure in motivation. Several plot threads dangle toward the end, but those who like soap operas won't notice or care. Inflated histrionics that are about as appealing as the navel-gazing that punctuates them. (Romance. 14-18)