SYNOPSIS
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 Wests'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.
MY THOUGHTS
Abbi's books have a kind of simplistic ease to them that I usually appreciate. I won't call them guilty pleasures (because I refuse to feel guilty about anything I read) but when I want some good brain candy, Abbi is my go-to author. While I had some pretty serious issues with the male characters in this start to The Field Party series, it was still an enjoyable read filled with the typical Abbi Glines style: fast story line, quick-moving relationships, and plenty of angst and drama.
Maggie was living with her aunt and uncle after a traumatic incident and was happy to fade into the background both at home and at school. West was drowning in grief while watching his father slowly succumb to cancer and keeping it all from his friends. In Maggie, West saw someone who understood his grief and they began a friendship that quickly developed into something more. Despite my issues with West's behavior, it was easy to be drawn in by the connection between he and Maggie and want to see them both heal and find a way to move past the grief and pain holding them back.
But the issue I just couldn't overlook? West and his friends are all disgustingly sexist. These high school seniors are revered as football gods and they certainly use their status. They talk about girls as objects to be used and treat them that way, too. They hooked up with anything in a skirt and then trash-talked the girls for being easy. WTH?! (Naturally the virginal Maggie was exempt from this kind of treatment. Every guy fawned over her and generally acted like cavemen whenever she was around, and every girl was mean to her.)
Until Friday Night was full of tropes but, even while I was rolling my eyes at some atrocious behavior, I was totally hooked. I loved Maggie's aunt and uncle, there were some moving moments between West and his parents, and for the most part this was just plain fun.
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 Wests'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.
Abbi's books have a kind of simplistic ease to them that I usually appreciate. I won't call them guilty pleasures (because I refuse to feel guilty about anything I read) but when I want some good brain candy, Abbi is my go-to author. While I had some pretty serious issues with the male characters in this start to The Field Party series, it was still an enjoyable read filled with the typical Abbi Glines style: fast story line, quick-moving relationships, and plenty of angst and drama.
Maggie was living with her aunt and uncle after a traumatic incident and was happy to fade into the background both at home and at school. West was drowning in grief while watching his father slowly succumb to cancer and keeping it all from his friends. In Maggie, West saw someone who understood his grief and they began a friendship that quickly developed into something more. Despite my issues with West's behavior, it was easy to be drawn in by the connection between he and Maggie and want to see them both heal and find a way to move past the grief and pain holding them back.
But the issue I just couldn't overlook? West and his friends are all disgustingly sexist. These high school seniors are revered as football gods and they certainly use their status. They talk about girls as objects to be used and treat them that way, too. They hooked up with anything in a skirt and then trash-talked the girls for being easy. WTH?! (Naturally the virginal Maggie was exempt from this kind of treatment. Every guy fawned over her and generally acted like cavemen whenever she was around, and every girl was mean to her.)
Until Friday Night was full of tropes but, even while I was rolling my eyes at some atrocious behavior, I was totally hooked. I loved Maggie's aunt and uncle, there were some moving moments between West and his parents, and for the most part this was just plain fun.
3.5/5 STARS
SYNOPSIS
Willa can't erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she's on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.
High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa - she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that's all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.
Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star - not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn't care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception - and he understands the girl she's become in a way no one else can.
As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love... even if it means losing each other forever.
MY THOUGHTS
Willa returned to the town of Lawton after several years away. With references to a terrible incident, which resulted in Willa spending time in a detention center, Willa's mother has now sent her back to Lawton to live with her beloved grandmother. There she encounters her childhood friends, Brady and Gunner, but the years of playing in the tree house are long gone and instead new relationships are formed and tested.
Willa was bogged down with guilt over a tragic accident that culminated in the loss of her best friend and her being sent to a correctional facility. Her grandmother was determined to keep her on the straight and narrow and that included keeping her somewhat isolated - doing schoolwork online at home instead of attending the high school. She also warned Willa against rekindling her old friendships with Gunner and Brady. It was obvious her grandmother meant well, but she was hard on Willa and it bothered me that she never once asked Willa about the events that brought her there. She simply believed the worst and never questioned it. And Willa, feeling so guilty already, accepted it as her just punishment. She was a mature girl who was desperate to make her grandmother proud and prove herself. It went a long way in making her a likable character.
Unfortunately Gunner was a repeat of the misogynistic jerks that Glines introduced in Until Friday Night. He was privileged, ill-tempered, and self-absorbed. A lousy father and family drama worthy of a soap opera was used to excuse his behavior. Brady, supposedly the "good guy" of the bunch, pursued Willa while continuing to use another girl for sex. He was well aware he was using her but he sometimes felt bad about it, so that excused his behavior.
As with the first book in the series, I was drawn into the story and kept turning the pages despite being beyond annoyed by the blatant sexism. I liked Willa, lapped up the juicy family secrets, and was pulling for some serious redemption. If you love high school/family drama, and can overlook some obnoxious stereotyping, this makes for a pretty fun read.
3.25/5 STARS
SYNOPSIS
Willa can't erase the bad decisions of her past that led her down the path she's on now. But she can fight for forgiveness from her family. And she can protect herself by refusing to let anyone else get close to her.
High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa - she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that's all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.
Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star - not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn't care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception - and he understands the girl she's become in a way no one else can.
As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love... even if it means losing each other forever.
High school quarterback and town golden boy Brady used to be the best of friends with Willa - she even had a crush on him when they were kids. But that's all changed now: her life choices have made her a different person from the girl he used to know.
Gunner used to be friends with Willa and Brady, too. He too is larger than life and a high school football star - not to mention that his family basically owns the town of Lawton. He loves his life, and doesn't care about anyone except himself. But Willa is the exception - and he understands the girl she's become in a way no one else can.
As secrets come to light and hearts are broken, these former childhood friends must face the truth about growing up and falling in love... even if it means losing each other forever.
MY THOUGHTS
Willa returned to the town of Lawton after several years away. With references to a terrible incident, which resulted in Willa spending time in a detention center, Willa's mother has now sent her back to Lawton to live with her beloved grandmother. There she encounters her childhood friends, Brady and Gunner, but the years of playing in the tree house are long gone and instead new relationships are formed and tested.
Willa was bogged down with guilt over a tragic accident that culminated in the loss of her best friend and her being sent to a correctional facility. Her grandmother was determined to keep her on the straight and narrow and that included keeping her somewhat isolated - doing schoolwork online at home instead of attending the high school. She also warned Willa against rekindling her old friendships with Gunner and Brady. It was obvious her grandmother meant well, but she was hard on Willa and it bothered me that she never once asked Willa about the events that brought her there. She simply believed the worst and never questioned it. And Willa, feeling so guilty already, accepted it as her just punishment. She was a mature girl who was desperate to make her grandmother proud and prove herself. It went a long way in making her a likable character.
Willa was bogged down with guilt over a tragic accident that culminated in the loss of her best friend and her being sent to a correctional facility. Her grandmother was determined to keep her on the straight and narrow and that included keeping her somewhat isolated - doing schoolwork online at home instead of attending the high school. She also warned Willa against rekindling her old friendships with Gunner and Brady. It was obvious her grandmother meant well, but she was hard on Willa and it bothered me that she never once asked Willa about the events that brought her there. She simply believed the worst and never questioned it. And Willa, feeling so guilty already, accepted it as her just punishment. She was a mature girl who was desperate to make her grandmother proud and prove herself. It went a long way in making her a likable character.
Unfortunately Gunner was a repeat of the misogynistic jerks that Glines introduced in Until Friday Night. He was privileged, ill-tempered, and self-absorbed. A lousy father and family drama worthy of a soap opera was used to excuse his behavior. Brady, supposedly the "good guy" of the bunch, pursued Willa while continuing to use another girl for sex. He was well aware he was using her but he sometimes felt bad about it, so that excused his behavior.
As with the first book in the series, I was drawn into the story and kept turning the pages despite being beyond annoyed by the blatant sexism. I liked Willa, lapped up the juicy family secrets, and was pulling for some serious redemption. If you love high school/family drama, and can overlook some obnoxious stereotyping, this makes for a pretty fun read.
3.25/5 STARS
Have you read The Field Party series?
Jennifer L. Armentrout is actually my go-to author for guilty reads, or in your case, 'brain candy'. I haven't read this series, and it seems to be one of those self help contemporary YA romances with excellent opportunities for character and growth. I will check that out when I have time! Great review!
ReplyDeleteAnne @ The Reading Life
JLA is such a favorite of mine, Anne! The Lux series, the Wait For You series, the Dark Elements series... I love them all!
Deleteomg this sounds like my experience with Rebecca's Zanetti's Mercuery Striking! I LOVER her so much but... he hits her with a belt???? I couldn't get over it!!! I hear you Tanya! Sexist characters can ruin ANY book even if we love author! but 3.5 means you did enjoy most of it , so I'm happy for you :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right - I was annoyed with the sexism but it didn't totally ruin the stories for me. And I just picked up Mercury Striking from the library this week! Even despite the issue with the belt, your review just got me curious!
DeleteTrademark that - "brain candy". I love it! That is a great description of what Glines is for me. Reading her books is the equivalent to watching day-time soaps for me. This is not my favorite of her series, but I did like it. The last book was probably my favorite.
ReplyDeleteTotally the equivalent to daytime soaps! :) Fluffy, mindless goodness. I loved the Rosemary Beach series, really enjoyed the Vincent Boys books, but The Field Party just isn't my fave. I did like the 3rd book way more than the first two, though!
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