UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT by Abbi Glines

This book came at the right time for me.  It really touched my heart, and I'll explain more below, but again…Until Friday Night came at exactly the right time.

To tell you the truth, I initially wanted this book because: 1) It's Abbi Glines <3.  2) The title, cover, and what I remembered of the summary made it sound a bit like a swoony Friday Night Lights (which I loved).  3) I remembered that Maggie, the female MC, doesn't speak.  Couldn't remember the reason, but I have a thing for MCs and love interests who are scarred, mute, illiterate etc.

What I didn't remember (and what likely would've prevented me from buying)...

...was the cancer.

West, the male MC, has a dad whose health is rapidly declining and who has been dying of cancer for a year.  West hasn't told anyone, not even his best friends.  It's just him, his mom, and his dad dealing with this awful disease.  He's living with this unbearable secret.  And it is eating him up while it takes the person he looks up to most, the person he loves most in the world away.

I don't know where she got the inspiration for this book.

But Glines must have had some real life experience to draw from.

I know this because I lived it.  My aunt passed away in December after a nearly nine month long battle with cancer.  She was my best friend in all the world.  I loved her so very much and was helpless in the end to help her.  Even as I write this, I'm crying again, so I'll get back to the review.

The reason I loved this book was that I could relate to nearly every emotion West had: The guilt at being away from home.  The fear of going home and what he might find.  The fear that came every time his cell phone rang, rushing to answer to make sure his dad was okay.  The pressure and anger that comes with keeping everything secret.  The despair.  The helplessness.

It made me not feel so alone.  That was what ultimately made me love the book.  There was just enough real to convince me that Glines (or someone she knows) lived through this tradgedy, too.

Until FridayNight is truth, raw and ugly.  West's emotions, his fears, were real, and anyone who has lost a loved one to cancer can relate.  What's more, Glines gives us two broken people and shows us the journey they take to understanding, to love, and ultimately to heal.  It is a beautiful book.  It found me at just the right moment.  And I enjoyed it very much.

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl