After the Game (The Field Party #3) and Losing the Field (The Field Party #4) by Abbi Glines - Reshelved Books

Hi everyone!

I’m sorry that I didn’t get to post this week before today. I’ve been busy with reading some new books (getting ready for some reviews to post before my vacation in a couple of weeks) and studying for the GRE (which I took this week!)

As we all know, because I’ve been pretty vocal about it, I’ve been really enjoying The Field Party series by Abbi Glines. I said it on an IG story last week that I was reading through these books like I don’t know what!

I’m sad to say that I really didn’t care of these last 2 books.  One was underwhelming and the other was totally off the wall! (Feel free to disagree with me on both books). 

Ready to see why? 

After the Game Review: 

After the Game is the 3rd book in The Field Party Series.  This is the book where we learn more about what happened to Riley and if the Lions when this season.

It was briefly mentioned in the second book, that Riley was driven out of Lawton because she was raped by a Lawton.  That Lawton would be Gunner's older brother, Rhett.  For the short interaction the reader saw of Rhett in Under the Lights, we can see that Rhett isn't all that he's cracked up to be... 

As I had done before, MB is such a trooper and he was willing to give 
"Riley is trying to get acclimated back into school with the help of Brady...” and that’s as far as I’m going to put because I don’t think the book is worthy of the MB reviews. I’m sorry. 

I'm a little sad to say this but... I didn't like this book as much as I did the first and second.  I felt that it didn't live up to the others.  It was a little blah. 

After the Game shows the reader the story of Brady and Riley.  Brady is taking a huge risk by befriending Riley (you can read why above).  With us knowing that, there wasn't much conflict from anyone.  West was a little leery but there wasn't a TON of the drama that the reader would have initially assumed. (Why the title? Brady wanted to see Riley "after the game").

A blah review for a blah book. Sad to say, I give this book 3.5 coffee beans out of 5. 

Losing the Field Review:

As we saw with the first 3 books, they took place during Brady, West and Gunner’s senior year. I didn’t know when I was reading those books that Nash, Asa and Ryker weren’t part of that class. These guys, at the time, were juniors. 

 Losing the Field follows Nash, who is now a senior and Tallulah and is the fourth book in the Field Party series. (Why "losing the field"? Nash was upset about his injury caused him to "lose the field").

This. Book. 

UGH! 

As I was reading the book, I was a little worried that I might be one of two people who didn’t like it. But upon reading other reviews at Goodreads, I saw that I wasn’t the only one and that there were other readers out there who had the same opinions I had on this book. 

Where to start....

This book was awful. I hate saying that about a book but oh yuck.  I don’t even think you can say that the story had promise or even that it stood the chance at some point. It was just that awful.  The book starts off with acknowledging a negative experience for Tallulah: Nash “betrayed” her by laughing at her body at the end of their junior year. This motivated her to the point where she walked everyday over the summer and ate better. Nash, on the other hand, was dealt his own blow when he was hurt playing a game of backyard football with his family. He sustained an injury so devastating, that he wouldn’t ever be able to play football ever again.  You know what algebra says, two negatives make a positive, right? 

Well not in the book! 

I felt that there was an amount of animosity in the book that didn’t need to be there.  Tallulah hated Nash. Nash hated everyone. 

Two new characters were introduced, one of them was a teacher who was around our (Jessica and I) age and a famous internet blogger. Both of these characters had a negative influence on Nash and Tallulah. 

Without giving the whole book away, let’s just such say that tragedy strikes yet again to our characters and someone faces some serious legal trouble. 

The book was too much. There was too much going on. If you had one bad character, you didn’t need the other.  The hate that was between Nash and Tallaluh went on for so long in the book that their “relationship” and any feelings that they had for one another didn’t even seem real. 

For obvious reasons, I’m giving the book 2.5 coffee beans out of 5. 

Final thoughts on this series? 

I really enjoyed the first ones. (Reviews can be found here and here for those). I would say that those two are worthy of reading. If you were curious to know what happened with Brady, since he is a pretty big main character given how much interaction he has between the three books, I would suggest that one... if you’re borrowing it from your local library...though you might feel a little let down. I do NOT recommend the fourth one.  I’m torn on whether or not I want to buy the fifth one when it comes out next month or if I want to see if my library consortium acquires a copy that I could borrow (I’ll probably do that). 

See ya all next time! 

- Jillian

Under the Lights (The Field Party #2) by Abbi Glines - Reshelved Books

Hi Guys!

Did you happen to see my quick review about this book on IG?! You should check it out if you haven't all ready.

I wanted to review the 2nd book in The Field Party series- Under the Lights.  I think that I liked the 2nd book more so than I liked the first one. (If you'd like to read that review, click here)

Just like the first book, MB took a stab about what the book was about.  His prediction: "Our lovers from the previous book are continuing their strong bond. This next chapter introduces a few new characters that are through some hardships as well. The new male character, is an underclass man that some issues at home with an alcoholic father. Another character new to the story is a girl that has an issue with PTSD from watching her friends die in a car accident. The four characters have mixed love affair which ends in all four characters alone at the end of this book; hopeful for the next school year."

MB was not wrong with some of these guesses, some of them were not correct either.  If we read between the lines with what he said we can make a solid argument.

In 3, 2, 1...
Unlike the first book, that focused on the two main characters, Under the Lights focuses on THREE main characters and flips between them.  In the first book, we were introduced to Brady and briefly introduced to Gunner.  There was mention of West and Maggie from the first book, but there was little to no interaction; they were just mentioned in passing basically. 

Willa was affected by tragedy but I wouldn't say that it was something that caused PTSD.  I feel that she had more of a guilt that she couldn't stop what had happened and she was terribly upset that it caused the ending that it did.  While, Gunner isn't an underclass man and his father isn't an alcoholic, there was a a lot of resentment that he had toward his father. 

There wasn't a love affair between West, Maggie, Willa, Brady and Gunner BUT there was a small love triangle between Willa, Gunner and Brady.  (Spoiler alert: Willa does kiss both boys)

Based on the cover art and the titles, these two books aren't what they seem.  They're more than that.  They're intense but at the same time, they're easy to read.  I didn't get that book hangover feeling with these.  It's the opposite, I can't wait to read the next 2!  I also am developing a soft spot for Brady (sorry MB: I think I'm quarterback kinda girl).  I'm super excited to read the next book, which will focus on Brady.

Like the first book, there is a reason for the title: Gunner and Willa used to say that one day, Gunner would be under the lights (meaning under the stadium lights, playing football)

Also like in the first book, we met the characters of the next book.  Under the Lights does a better job of introducing Riley and setting the stage for what the audience will be introduced to in the next book.

I can confidently say that this book deserves 5 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1) by Abbi Glines - Reshelved Books

Oh hey guys, guess who's back with another review!

That would be me.  Yes, yes it's true.... I have two book reviews for y'all this week.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things.  

Fun fact: I was very excited to share this review with MB.  As soon as he saw the title AND the cover art of the book, he gave the following potential diagnosis of the book (truth be told, he was pretty spot on!): 
"Let me guess... It takes place in Texas. It's a love story about a football player and a girl, who's not a cheerleader, she's not popular, she's a band geek and they date. The book will end with the QB breaking up with the girl so he can date a cheerleader".  Did he stereotype based on a title and a cover? Yes, yes he did. I made sure to explain to him that I believed "Until Friday Night" was the title because West and Maggie would at first speak with each other on Friday nights after the games.

Well MB's guess was right about the book taking place in the South; the state that he guessed was close yet so far.  He guessed that it would take place in Texas- the book is actually set in Alabama. 

Until Friday Night (The Field Party #1) by Abbi Glines is well, the first book in the Field Party series.  The book was published several years ago and since then, other books of the series have been released.  

The list of the books in this series are the following:
1. Until Friday Night
2. Under the Lights
3. After the Game
4. Losing the Field
5. Making a Play (coming August 2019)

I would say that this book tackles some heavier stuff - the loss of a parent(s).

Maggie witnessed the murder of her mother by her father.  West is witnessing the slow death of his father from cancer.  Both teenagers are navigating their grief with the help of one another.  Maggie lost her mother two years prior but that doesn't make her challenges any different from West, who is living in the now with his loss.

Through the bond that they share, West and Maggie are both able to heal. Maggie does something that she didn't think was possible.  In fact, no one thought that she would be able to do what she did: talking again.  It was said early on the story, that Maggie hadn't spoken to a soul since she spoke to the police 2 years before about what had happened to her mother at the hands of her father.  Maggie left that if she didn't talk, then she wouldn't have to testify against her father.  Her fear was that once she started to talk, she would have to talk to the police again and stand as a witness to her father's trial.

But West, West changed all of that for Maggie.  He was lost and hurting just like her.  She felt comfortable enough to talk around him, to listen to his concerns and his sadness.

What did I like about this book? 

I liked how it dealt with something real.  Not just that it dealt with losing a parent and grief but it dealt how everyone is different in handling a traumatic experience.  Maggie's traumatic experience caused her to lose her voice.  West was handling the stress before his father's death by drinking and sex. (Which is a heavy for a teenager to deal with pain, in my mind).  West also had a tough time getting and keeping his anger in check; this is was something that more assumed and mentioned then it was shown.

There wasn't too much fluff in this story.  It wasn't like there was a torrid teenage love affair when Maggie and West first kissed.  They didn't get crazy caught up.  They didn't develop this relationship that came in like a hurricane.  Nope, nothing like that happened. Maggie had to step back from West because she didn't want to feel like she was enabling anymore. (To me, that shows maturity.  There are people who are much older who can't find the strength to step back from a toxic relationship (not that I'm saying West and Maggie were toxic!)).

What did I not like about this book? 

West. Haha. He was the classic high school football star (MB said that sounded like West's character was the running back?).  


Spoiler is coming at you in 3....2....1....

MB was right, West and Maggie did break up.  They did end up getting back together though.  That was something that I didn't have a problem with.  Will I read the remaining books in the series? I'm not sure yet... we'll all just have to wait and see!

The ending wasn't something that I would have predicted.  I liked it, I would have liked to know what the note to Maggie from her father would have said but I did like the ending.  When everything is said and done, I would give Until Friday Night 4 coffee beans out of 5. 

- Jillian