I picked up Until Friday Night up after hearing a lot of positive things about Abbi Glines' books from other people. I'm not sure if this was just not the right book of hers to start with or whether I'm missing something, but I'm a little disappointed. I mean, I did enjoy it... I just expected something more given all the praise I've seen heaped upon this author. 
 In fairness, it delivered more or less what I expected and I can understand why these sort of books appeal to so many readers. Despite the criticisms I have, I actually did find it reasonably enjoyable for the genre and I finished it in pretty much a single sitting. It is a contemporary romance edging into that murky area between Young and New Adult. It is compulsively readable, captures that small town high school atmosphere and travels along at a brisk pace ticking a lot of those typical contemporary boxes; broken and damaged characters.... tick.... intense teenage angst.... tick... attractive male lead.... tick.... even a few steamier scenes.... tick. 
 I think my main issues with this book were that, considering how many people raved about it to me, it felt so incredibly formulaic for the genre, falling victim to all of the overused and cliche tropes. There is the gorgeously perfect, sickly sweet and yet sheltered heroine who is a beacon of purity struggling to survive her tragic past. There is the new girl in the small town syndrome which means that predictably all of the boys fall instantly in love with her, including the super popular jocks. There is the 'good girl' who wants to save the 'bad boy' even though he kind of treats her like crap. There is a fairly hot-and-heavy instalove relationship that was sweet when it was about friendship but moved way too fast to me when it became something more. Although I recognise that the intensity of those 'star-crossed, until death-do-us-part' first loves often feel realistic to the extremes of teen/young adult emotions for many people, I just personally have never found this concept that relatable and it's always been something that annoys me in a book. 
 I do, however, have to comment on the fact that it is a little strange that in a book in which domestic violence features in such a tragic and awful manner there is such a heavy emphasis and almost idealisation of these sort of unhealthy, misogynistic relationships. There is a strongly sexist 'alpha male' mentality in this book with the female characters largely treated as vapid space-holders relevant only in terms of the attention bestowed upon them by males. Girls are viewed as possessions or objects (even within the main romantic relationship for goodness sake), to be trodden on or used by guys. I mean, I totally get this as a trope for steamier novels, it's a fantasy and a lot of people find it appealing. The thing is, it's weird that the author is doing it in a book that also features domestic violence and it's not really being commented on as unhealthy or inappropriate? Because there is a lot about the relationships in this book that are not ok in my opinion. Abuse comes in many forms, not just outright physical violence. An unhealthy relationship, one that is co-dependent or controlling or built on obsession and objectification, can be incredibly damaging. I just... kind of was not ok about it and was not really expecting this given the context of this book. I didn't like the attitudes about sex in this book, the meaningless hook-ups and rampant slut-shaming (literally ever girl in this book is considered a slut except the protagonist), not to mention the generally disrespectful portrayal of females in general. 
 Honestly I know why these sorts of books appeal to readers, but these are such common tropes and I'm just sick of them. 
 TW; domestic violence. 
 Actual rating 2.5 stars.