Cover Image: 100 Days of Sunlight

100 Days of Sunlight

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Member Reviews

Thank you so much to Abbie Emmons for sending me a free copy of your book for my honest review!

You guys, I don’t even know how to put into words how much I loved this book. It was sad, sweet, cute, lyrical, and romantic all rolled into one.

This story follows Tessa as she gets in a car accident and loses her sight. Doctors reassure her it’s just temporary and her sight will come back but she’s having a negative outlook on it and doesn’t want to get her hopes up. As a successful poet and blogger, she feels she has nothing left since the one thing she loves to do is now hindered by her being blind. Her grandparents decide to put an ad in the paper for someone to help transcribe her poetry and try to make her happy but she immediately tells them to pull it. The son of the owner of the newspaper, Weston, sees the ad and thinks he may be able to help her as he’s living with his own disability, which Tessa doesn’t know about.

I was immediately drawn into this book as I haven’t read many books about the main character having a disability, let alone being blind. I instantly loved Tessa’s character even when she was being stubborn and wouldn’t accept anyone’s help. But if I can be honest, Weston was my favorite character by far. He relentlessly came to her house to try and bring her out of her shell even when she was extremely rude and shot down every idea he had. He was so sweet and so funny and didn’t let his own disability cloud his judgement on life.

Another thing I loved about this book was the poetry mixed in and how lyrical some of the writing was. The poetry was beautiful and even when the author’s words weren’t in verse, it was amazing to read. Most YA books I’ve read have just decent writing and wording but Abbie’s were beautiful and honestly a joy to read.

I had to keep myself from crying at the ending and thinking about it still gives me the chills. I read this in about 7 hours and I really want to reread it again just to experience everything. I have already ordered a hard copy of it and can’t wait to receive it so I can annotate all the amazing parts.

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Whoa. Where do I even start?

This book is the heartwarming tale of Tessa and Weston. Tessa temporarily loses her eye-sight after a car accident. Broken, afraid, angry, she has a hard time getting through the days until she gains her eyesight back. Weston answers an unpublished advertisement from Tessa's grandparents, seeking someone to transcribe her poetry. Resistant to help, Tessa does everything in her power to push Weston away. But that just bring's him closer...

This story showed the importance of human perseverance and resilience despite the challenges someone might face after a tragic accident that takes away something many of us take for granted. I truly loved the dramatic irony throughout the book, knowing more about Weston than Tessa did. Instead of making me angry at Tessa for treating him the way it did, it just made me feel for her. It helped me understand that you cannot always understand what someone's going through. But don't doubt that some may be more understanding than you'd think. This story also helped me shift my own biases towards those face with a disability. Never underestimate someone's ability to prove despair wrong, and walk down the more challenging path towards resilience.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. I’ve voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

100 Days of Sunlight is a story about Tessa and Weston. After being in a car crash Tessa loses her eyesight for 100 days. When Tessa’s grandparents place an ad to find someone to help Tessa to write her blog for her, Weston shows up. Weston has a disability but doesn’t tell Tessa about it. In the beginning Tessa is angry and resentful towards Weston but he keeps showing up to help her get through this.

This book is absolute magic. It’s the little things that make you smile. 100 Days of Sunlight is about actively choosing to get through anything that life throws at you. A truly beautiful story! I loved every word.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to feel all kinds of emotions while reading a heartwarming story.

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What book could be better for summer than one that has ‘sunlight’ in the title? This debut novel combines poetry with PTSD with fluffy romance, so it’s safe to say it’s a whirlwind. It’s an interesting balance to strike in a YA novel, but I think author Abbie Emmons does it well. While it was an enjoyable and fast read, the execution of ideas wasn’t always done well, and in the end I wasn’t able to love it as much as I wanted to.

What I liked
CREATIVE PREMISE
When I first read the summary, I was immediately interested. I had never heard of transient cortical blindness, and I thought the idea to have a character dealing with that meet a character who is also living with a disability is so creative. I love that it offers the opportunity to explore how different people react to tragedies and what it’s like to have strangers immediately judging you based on a disability.

CHARACTERS
I really did fall in love with the main characters, Weston and Tessa. The story is told from both of their viewpoints, and I thought they were both fleshed out characters with distinct voices. Even when Tessa is being snippy, we understand why and sympathize with her as she goes through the hardest thing in her life and deals with the PTSD from it. Weston was so caring and compassionate, but also didn’t take crap from anyone, and is basically impossible not to love.

ROMANCE
This book promises to be a love story, and it delivers. Practically from the first time they meet, we’re rooting for Weston and Tessa to get together. Weston is determined to help Tessa realize that her life can still have meaning even after a tragedy, and continually forgives her even when she’s rude to him. Tessa’s anger is slowly thawed by Weston’s kindness, and as the reader we watch their feelings grow into friendship and then beyond.

What I disliked
PROSE
While I enjoyed many aspects of the book, the writing style felt forced to me at times. It was a little too flowery, and the dialogue seemed too self-aware. These are teenagers, after all, and even though Tessa is a writer, her speech still seemed too elevated. This wasn’t throughout the novel—there are definitely large swaths of good writing. But some passages came across as awkward or unnecessarily poetic.

PREDICTABLE
When you pick up a romance, you expect a happy ending. Which is fine! It’s why we read romance. But you also expect some hardships along the way that force the main characters to have to fight for each other. There really wasn’t much of that in this book. It was almost like the author decided their separate hardships from before the novel happened were enough, and once Tessa and Weston meet, it should be smooth sailing. Of course, there were some bumps, but nothing that seemed so large that they couldn’t overcome it. It made the novel feel a little too predictable, and boring in parts.

WHY DID WESTON GO SEE TESSA?
The impetus for everything that happens in the book is that Tessa’s grandparents try to place an ad in the paper to hire someone to transcribe for Tessa, in hopes that writing again will help lift her spirits. She’s horrified, and they retract the ad, but Weston is the newspaper editor’s son and decides he’s going to go help Tessa anyway. It’s never really explained why Weston feels this way. I guess we’re supposed to assume it’s because he has been through something similar to what Tessa is going through, but that’s never really made clear.

DID SHE CONSULT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?
My final point isn’t necessarily a critique, but I think it’s important to point out. Both of the main characters are dealing with disabilities: Weston has had both legs amputated, and Tessa is temporarily blind. Emmons never mentions if she consulted people with disabilities when writing the novel or what kind of research she did. Obviously, that doesn’t mean that she didn’t do this, but I’ve found that authors tend to either thank the people they consulted in the acknowledgments section, or mention their research/applicable experience in an author’s note, and Emmons did neither. As an able-bodied person, I really have no idea if Emmons was able to capture the experience of living with a disability, especially one as obvious as wearing prosthetic legs. It seemed like she did a fairly good job, other than how Weston was always optimistic. That seemed unrealistic to me, but again, I don’t have any experience in this area. I would be curious to hear from people with disabilities about their thoughts on the portrayal in this novel.

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What a great book! Fast paced, and keeps you interested. Has some lovely, likeable characters. This book does contain some swearing, which doesn't bother me, but I know some people dislike that.

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How do you react in the face of tragedy? Do you acquiesce or do you adapt? Throughout 100 Days of Sunlight, Tessa and Weston struggle with this decision. Tessa, having lost her sight due to a collision with a drunk driver, has to decide whether she will just be depressed about being blind or if she will learn how to live life again, with the help of Weston. Weston, living with his own disability, enjoys helping Tessa while also being treated as a ’normal’ person for the first time in years. The two form a close bond that is more than skin deep.

First off, this story is super cute and very YA. The story between Tessa and Weston, and the romance that develops, was adorable, if not a bit predictable. At the same time, the story touches on a lot of difficult but important topics. It was definitely a first for me to read a story with so many characters living with disabilities and I appreciated the story for that.

My biggest complaint, however, was the character development. By the end of the book, I honestly felt as if I understood Weston a lot more than I did Tessa. She seemed much more one-dimensional. She was also pretty annoying at times. Yes, she is struggling with a lot of different emotions as she copes with being blind, but she came off a much more hostile than I think she was supposed to. I also struggled a bit with the ‘reveal’ of Weston when Tessa is able to see again. It felt as though his disability was made ‘ok’ by the fact that he was an attractive young man. What if he wasn’t? Would Tessa still look beyond the disability and love him? For a story that focuses so much on what’s inside, the ending felt a bit superficial.

Overall, this was a cute, quick read, that went to deeper places than I initially expected it to go. Definitely recommend for fans of John Green’s work! 3.5 stars

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This was a lovely read! It made me feel all fuzzy and sunshine-y. Abbie inspires hope and I think she would agree with me in saying that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long the tunnel may seem. Hope is still there, though it may be dim.

Plot:
Tessa Dickinson, a writer and poet, lives with her grandparents. Her life is normal and uneventful until one day, she gets in a car crash…and goes blind. BLIND! This girl who loves life and color and sunlight goes blind. Needless to say, she’s in shock and shuts herself off from the world. Until one day, Weston comes into her life and guides her out of her shock and grief and back into the real world.

Characters:
Tessa—fiesty and sweet—A writer and artist, she expresses herself through words—how she feels about life. She’s so relatable.
Weston—gentlemanly, persistent, charming—AHHH, WHERE CAN I MEET MY OWN WESTON?
Grandparents—understanding, loving—They try to do the best thing for Tessa and actually set off a domino effect which leads to her recovery (mental and physical).


Here are some of my notes:
--After reading the first chapter, I’m already in love with Tessa. Abbie makes her REAL and RAW to me—I can relate to having no inspiration. I can’t wait to see where this story goes…That phrase “realistic optimism” sticks out to me. I feel like I’m reading about myself…
--Second chapter thoughts: Weston is a flirt and a charmer and a tease. Where can I meet him? xD How can you hate this boy? He’s soooo lovable, reminds me of sprites or maybe Cupid. Can I use spunky to describe him?
--Third chapter: “A cynical laugh bursts out of me.” “A ticking time bomb.” Whoa…

Genres: Romance, YA, Contemporary/Modern

Recommended to: 14/15 and up // In the same vein of Anne of Green Gables and A Ring of Endless Light

This was a great read! I would definitely recommend this anyone looking for a light hearted, romantic, sunny novel for the summer.

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This was an easy 5 star for me. OMG Weston is so romantic and is now my new book boyfriend

We are introduced to a girl name Tessa who was in a car accident with her grandparent which cause her her sight. Her doctor's told her that within 100 days she will get a sight back. With loosing her sight she has lost all motivation in writing and just living life. Her Grandparents thought it would be a good idea to have someone assist her in writing her blog and placed an ad in a newspaper for an assistant position. This is where we meet Weston who decides to show up to her house even though she asked for the ad the be removed. When he shows up the first couple of times she resist his help and is rude towards him because she feels that no one can relate to her and her situation. Little does she know Weston lost both his legs. Even though she is crude he actually likes it. He enjoys someone treating him like a real person instead of instantly showing pity because of his missing legs. Weston lost both legs skateboarding off a roof, and even with his disability; he is strong willed and very determined and doesn't let his impairment hold him back, which he wanted to show Tessa.
At some point Tessa gives in and accepts his help. His assistance insists of writing her blog and helping her appreciate her other senses, He starts of with scent and brings her flowers each day without telling her he brought them and having her identify each one. With Taste he makes her waffles and brings her chocolates. With hearing he finally took her outside for walk and even an adventurous trip to a fair. With all the help that Weston is giving he still doesn't admit that he is also disabled. With time spent with each other on a daily they both grow feeling for each other.
On the 100th day Tessa get her sight back and Weston refuses to see her, return her calls until she threatens to just pop up to his house like he did. He finally confesses that he is disabled and despite all that she still loves him.

I love this book with all my heart and soul. This book just gave me all the good feels and literally opened my eyes. I just want to thank you for the advanced copy.

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DNF 45%

I loved the idea of this book! But it came across a little preachy, as in "You just have to be positive and you can overcome any disability!"

I also didn't agree with the way Tessa and Weston met. He looks up her address, shows up uninvited, and when she tells him she doesn't want his help, he tells her he'll be back tomorrow. While I appreciate him wanting to help, this was kind of creepy. He didn't respect her boundaries at all.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy

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I remember reading a book last year called "[book:The Disappearances|35529075] by Emily Bain Murphy and I was pretty sure that no book could ever come close to how much it made me feel. So young, so vulnerable and recklessly in love all at the same time. But, then 100 Days came to my life and made me feel alive once again. 100 days of sunlight is my sanctuary. It took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and I definitely didn't want to get down. I am someone who cries even at the tiniest of things and trust me I ugly cried a lot with this one.

Please READ this.
YOU NEED IT IN YOUR LIFE.

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This was such a beautiful debut! I have been following the author on youtube and absolutely loved the writing style. The characters were so distinct and beautiful- I just loved it so much!

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Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

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I just finished reading 750 pages of a heavy, sci fi book where someone was brutally murdered on just about every page. And while I did enjoy that book, I was looking for something lighter to read next. 100 Days of Sunlight was the perfect choice! It was sweet and cute and fluffy...the opposite of my last book in nearly every way. I love being able to enjoy so many different genres!

In 100 Days of Sunlight,Tessa was just in an accident and temporarily lost her sight. Weston was also in an accident and lost both of his legs. When they meet, Tessa does not know about Weston's legs and he is determined to keep it that way so he can feel "normal" even if it is only until Tessa's sight returns. But he never expected to fall for Tessa, and this cute little love story explores their feelings as they deal with their disabilities as well as their feelings for each other.

This book is very inspirational and a bit cheesy at times. Sometimes that annoys me in a book, but I was in the right mood for it this time and just gobbled it all up. I loved Weston and Tessa, and through this story, they managed to make their way through to my somewhat cynical and cold heart.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This book is so cute! A good light (but heavy) read with people who are flawed, but real.

Tessa has lost her sight (maybe temporarily) in a car accident and is understandably lost and inconsolable. Weston has lost his legs in a teenage prank gone wrong. Them coming together and understanding that there is more than one way to see the world make this book a good summer beach/weekend read.

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ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Tessa Dickinson, she is a 16 year old poetry blogger that is very happy and thinks her life is the most perfect thing to exist. That is, until she gets hit by a drunk driver on the way to the mall with her grandma and ends up hitting her head against the car, causing swelling in her brain, so much that it blinds her. The doctors believe it is temporary but will take about 12 - 14 weeks to recover, almost 100 days. Terrified that her blindness will become permanent, she feels as though she has nothing left to live for anymore.

Meet Weston Ludovico, he is a 16 year old amputee and when he hears about Tessa’s grandparents wanting to help her find someone to transcribe her words, so she can still post on her blog he jumps at the chance to help her, knowing all too well what it is like to loose a major part of your body. He only has one condition she can’t know about his disability. Determined to help her overcome the darkness, even with Tessa’s reluctance: screaming at him to get out and never come back, Weston leaves with a smile everyday because she is treating him as a normal human and not some sob story.

This story made me laugh, made me cry and just overall warmed my heart. Definitely a new favourite and will recommend it to anyone who wants a sweet romance, a friendship, overcoming things you never thought were possible, and seeing things in a new perspective.

100 Days of Sunlight will leave you feeling so warm and happy, like you just sat in the sun for hours. I do recommend reading this outdoors in the sun, as it enhanced the experience for me. I loved the humour and also the message this conveyed, that there is more to life than visual beauty sometimes you just have to keep looking for it.

This is one of the many quotes I adore from the book:

“You’re breathing in and out and you can probably see and you can probably hear and you can probably taste and you can probably feel the sun on your face when you walk outside. That’s five really good reasons not to be miserable. And if you keep looking, you’ll find new reasons all the time. But you’ve got to choose it. Over and over and over again. Every day, every hour, sometimes every minute.” - Weston

I loved this so much, I know i’m going to be re-reading it frequently as these characters are some of the purest souls I have ever read before. No doubt a five star read. I cant wait to read more from Abbie Emmons.

Also this cover is so beautiful and relates to the story so much, a stunning novel inside and out.


RELEASE DATE: August 7, 2019

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This was a really sweet story about two teens dealing with the realities of life after an accident that causes a physical disability. The writing was poetic and descriptive. I am not a fan of going back and forth in the timeline, so that took away from my enjoyment.

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I loved this book - read it in one sitting and did not want it to finish. Heartwarming and just lovely.

Tessa - blinded after a car accident - and struggling to live with her temporary disability meets Weston who shows her how to live again without revealing his own handicap.

An emotional rollercoaster but worth every minute of it.

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I’m crying! I cannot stop. This is amazing 💛
Everyone has to read it.
Thank you Abbie for writing this book. It was lovely reading it. I wish it could have never come to end!

Tessa, a blogger, a homeschooler and has recently turned blind because of an accident. Though it’s temporary, but it’s hard for her, she has become pessimistic and cold. There’s Weston, who is optimistic and quite stubborn with the things he has to do. He is handicap but Tessa doesn’t knows that and treats him like crap. This he finds great because finally someone has made him felt normal after a long time #spoilers!

Together they bring each other out of their hardships. I loved and admired Weston and Rudy’s Friendship. This book is about love, friendship, hardship, brotherhood, parenting and struggles.

It’s bright, colourful and cozy beautiful read. I urge you to read it! And I thank Abbie for writing it. It has made me grateful for a lot of things I have never thought about.

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Four swoony, sweet, uplifting, charming stars and a big applause for the debut author! She did an amazing job to take our mind off from her daily lives and put into this journey and introduce us with those lovable, honestly developed, vivid characters.

I’m sure that as soon as a teenager finished this book has a huge and irresistible crush on Weston. I loved him so much as if he’s a part of my own family. So many times you want to stop reading this book and give a big and bear hug to this adorable, wounded but fighter boy. I think he’s a little overshadowed Tessa(I found her a little bit obnoxious at some parts but mostly she was okay and still well-rounded character.)

The ending was remarkable and I enjoyed it. I think the readers need to read more hart-warming stories which give you joy, hope and put a smile on your faces. This book highly achieves those goals and I’m so glad to be a part of journey by only turning the pages. I’m really pissed off myself to wait too long to read it.

So much thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this lovely book in exchange my honest rev

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☆☆☆☆

100 Days of Sunlight is an adorable, summery read. If there was a poster child for “show, don’t tell,” this book would be it. Our protagonist, Tessa, is blind, so the chapters that she narrates are described beautifully. The characters are wonderfully complex and genuinely lovable. Admittedly, the novel carries more cheese than the dairy aisle at Tesco, but it almost adds to the vibe of the book. If you’re looking for a pretty easy, lighthearted summer read and you don’t mind the language being overly-flowery at times, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of 100 Days of Sunlight.

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