100 Days of Sunlight follows 16-year-old Tessa Dickinson, who recently got into a car crash and is now temporary blind. Being a poet who consistently shares her works on her blog, this obviously took her by surprise because now she feels she can’t do anything and feels trapped in the darkness. Trying to find a way to cheer up their granddaughter, Tessa’s grandpa and grandma decided to post a newspaper ad to look for a typewriter, someone that could help Tessa back to the comfort of her blogging and writing zone. Enter 16-year-old Weston Ludovico, a bright, confident, and obnoxiously optimistic amputee, who happened to see the ad and decided to help Tessa to come out of her misery and get her back up on her feet. Through many ups and downs, and after life knocked both of them down with different challenges during different times, we got to witness how the two started as barely strangers to becoming each other’s biggest support system.

This novel is an incredible coming-of-age love story wrapped in relatable modern setup with wonderful representation of mental illness and disability.

Don’t we all love a classic coming-of-age love story? 100 Days of Sunlight feels close to one, but the fact that it didn’t feature your typical normal couple is what makes us love it even harder. The characters are definitely our most favourite thing about this story, but we’d be lying if we say that the plot didn’t amaze us. The simplicity yet complexity of it feels perfect and it really balanced the strong presences from the characters. Tessa was miserable and Weston wanted to help her, because he was in her position once and he knew how it feels like. That’s really it. That’s what this whole story is about, but Emmons managed to develop such simple premise into a well-crafted and intriguing plot. We got to see how Weston worked for his goal to help Tessa through four incredible chapters: smell, taste, sound, and touch, and every one of them didn’t fail to make us smile and swoon over their relationship.

There are many remarkable characters which are presented through a dual POV and this brings you a contrast personality between the reserved Tessa and the spontaneous Weston, and the different path that they chose to heal themselves. You'll find that you can't help but root for each and every single one of the characters in this book. The main characters, Tessa and Weston, are obviously the center of this story and it will be impossible to not like them. But we are surprised to find ourselves to be falling for the other side characters too, starting from Rudy — Weston’s best friend, Tessa’s grandpa and grandma, to Weston’s three little brothers — Noah, Aidan and Henry.

This story is delivered through a dual POV, Tessa and Weston's, and the best thing about it is you can tell exactly the differences between them, and not just because they had different chapters, but their contrast personality completely shines through the way they were talking and thinking. Tessa is not just a shy girl and Weston is not just a spontaneous boy. We got to see how both of them evolved, both for better or worse, and we think it’s crucial to show a character’s complexity, not just when they were at the top of the world, but also when they drowned and stuck at the bottom.

The only thing that keeping us from giving a full five stars, were repetitive words and sentences. We’re assuming that the point of this technique was to make a scene appear as more intense, but we’re not sure if it’s working perfectly in this story.

Overall, this was a wonderful read as reading 100 Days of Sunlight feels easy, yet after we finished the story, it left us with impactful messages that we kept thinking for days. If you’re planning to go on a book haul very soon while also wanting to support a debut and indie author, please consider picking up a copy of this book!

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of 100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT by Abbie Emmons in exchange for my honest review.***

What do you get when you combine a male teenage daredevil with a female blogger who writes poetry? It does seem like an unlikely combination, but they have much more in common. Tessa, the blogger, recently was in a car accident and has lost her eyesight. However, she has lost more than that -- the wills to live, to experience, to smile. Meanwhile, Weston has dug deep within himself to prove he is not his disability but merely has a disability -- he lost both legs as a result of one of his daredevil escapades. When Weston is hired to help Tessa, he actually helps himself in the process because she gets to know him for who he is personally rather than through a rash judgment about his being an amputee. Weston keeps his condition a secret as he helps Tessa work adjust to her own condition. He knows how she feels and won't allow her to chicken out or to feel sorry for himself.

Emmons embeds poetry into her prose and uses an alternating point of view as she works through the five senses before Tessa truly can see what the world and she have to offer. It's a sweet albeit predictable YA romance that explores ideas of perseverance, friendship, and forgiveness.

I stumbled upon Abbie Emmons’s Youtube channel not that long ago, in search of good writing tips. I was intrigued by her charisma, and her coverage of topics (from her own music videos to how to write good characters).

When I found out she was a Vermont writer (like me!), I was even more enthused to show my support. Even so, I always took her advice with a grain of salt, as I do with any author whose writing I have not yet read. After all, you wouldn’t follow cooking tips from someone whose food you’ve never tried, or lessons from a musician you’ve never heard play…would you?

So, when Emmons announced that she was releasing her first book, I was excited to support her and also incredibly interested to see if her writing would show the expertise she was clearly trying to convince her subscribers of.

I’ll admit that it helped that the novel had a stunning cover (which she made herself!! What a multi-talented queen!). However, I was skeptical when I heard the words 'YA Romance' (which I had previously convinced myself was just not my genre, but which you may notice if you’ve been following my reviews recently is an opinion which is quickly being revised). But then I heard the premise:

Tessa: Currently in the throes of what is estimated to be 100 days of blindness, due to a drunk driving accident. Struggling to remain hopeful without sunlight, sight of the world, and her ability to write poetry and blog to encourage her to heal.

Weston: Knows all too well what Tess is going through, although he refuses to tell her exactly how. Adamant about teaching Tessa that four other senses are plenty to enjoy life, and that wallowing in self pity is no way to get better.

I had never read a romance with disability rep and I. was. So. ready.

"100 days of Sunlight" is a perfect summer romance. The friendship-turned-more is so sweet and adorable. Combine that with the underlying themes of healing and overcoming hardship which is intertwined with the romantic elements, and you have a story that makes you feel all the feels.

I was so happy to find that Emmons's writing is even better than I expected. If I hadn’t known, I wouldn’t have guessed this was a debut. She certainly justifies all the advice she’s been giving on her Youtube channel, and you can bet I’ll be taking more thorough notes from here on out.

One of the major strengths of this book was the way that voice is captured so realistically and yet seemingly effortlessly. The short chapters take turns dipping into Tess’s and Weston’s points of view. Even with the first-person narration, once I started to get to know both characters, I could have been able to tell whose chapter was whose even without the denoting titles.

Tessa is a bit of a naive, sweet teenage girl who has been home-schooled and raised by her lovely grandparents for most of her life. She’s a church-going, poet-loving, introvert. All of this comes across in the way her chapters are written, often falling into verse and sometimes full-on poems, with a focus on description and a chaste vocabulary which, even at its worst, can only summon up a curse of ‘dang’ or perhaps ‘darn.’ Her sadness and rage come across in every word in the beginning when she is feeling them most, but the evolution of her emotions becomes palpable not only in her words but her manner of narration as the story goes on.

Meanwhile, Weston is a bit of a boys boy who loves to show off even if it means putting his life at risk. But he also has somewhat of a redeeming soft side. He’s as likely to punch his best friend in the face as give him a hug and tell him he loves him (ok…maybe a little more likely to punch) and is seen spending equal time bossing around his brothers as he is reading them comic books. One of Weston’s favorite words to use is ‘pansyass’ and he has an outward swagger that creates a confident manner of speaking, while his thoughts are much more contemplative, doubtful, and introspective.

I absolutely adored and applauded Emmons's ability to differentiate between them so much and with such an eye for detail, especially considering how quickly and often the perspective changes.

It’s clear even from watching her videos for only a short time, that she has inserted a fair amount of herself into not just Tess, but Weston as well. In many cases, such a method would cloud the original characterization and become a distraction that inhibits the author’s ability to look at the story from an outside perspective. But the characters stood so well on their own, a perfect mix of fiction with the benefits of the idea of writing what you know.

With all of these strengths, even a weak plot could have rested pretty well on the laurels of the writing. But "100 days" is basically a complete package. The plot progresses naturally, and beautifully, ending in just the right place with just the right amount of emotion and drama. That being said, not a lot actually happens in this story. It’s more of a focus on internal events, and about growth within the characters. Character-driven story lovers rejoice! I didn’t know I was waiting for a romance with this kind of drama, but it filled a want I didn’t know I had.

My only quips with 100 days are so minor, they’re barely worth noting (but I’ll say them anyways!). There were a few instances where word choices made me cringe, although many readers may not notice it at all. It has become a pet peeve of mine when people say ‘OCD’ when they actually mean neat, neatfreak, overly-organized, etc. or when people say 'depressed' when they really just mean sad, or unhappy, and similar instances when clinical disorders are used to describe more general emotions and feelings. This was done a few times in 100 days and made me stop and frown. But, it didn’t come up so often that I was put off enough to stop reading. Also, to be fair, the word choice could be chalked up to the teenage main characters, although I’m not sure if that’s a satisfactory enough excuse for me.

I rated 100 days of Sunlight 4.75 out of 5 stars. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Abbie Emmons in future to see what else she has in store. I would definitely recommend this book for those looking for a cute summer romance, especially fans of "The Sun is Also a Star."

A beautiful story of friendship, love, fear and life lessons.
When Tessa is injured in a car accident and is left temporarily blind, she believes she is crippled and feels that her life is over.
She meets Weston. He tries to help her find herself and in this process, teaches Tessa some valuable life lessons.
Will it be enough to sustain this friendship once Tessa's vision returns? Will she remember as she "sees" Weston for the "first" time all the wonderful words he has spoken?
This is a quick read that is perfect for teens to read! Even adults will enjoy it.
My favorite quote- "Visual beauty is only one form of beauty."

100 Days of Sunlight is a young adult contemporary romance book. It follows the story of Tessa and Weston. Tessa is a 16 year old girl who runs a blog for her poetry. She loses her eyesight for 100 days because of a car accident. She is used to be hopeful and all, but the accident makes her to feel like her world has turned upside down. She hasn't written any poetry yet since the accident and that make her grandparents worried. So, her grandparents put an ad on a newspaper about a job to help Tessa runs her blog. Then, she discovers it and they put the ad off, but the newspaper's owner's son, Weston, knows about it and he voluntarily helps Tessa. Weston is a 16 year old boy, he is an amputee because of an accident happened 3 years ago. Weston keeps up with Tessa's attitude toward him patiently and slowly she accepts him and gets close to him. But, he is afraid, what if Tessa's eyesight comes back? Would she accepts him the way he is?
.
This book is great and light, but it feels like something is off and I can't quite put it... Furthermore, I can't connect with the characters and the plot seems to be rushed. This book could be improved. Thank you for writing this book, Abbie! It has many important messages. Oh! And the cover is pretty!

100 Days of Sunlight is a thoroughly enjoyable read. So many YA books in this genre play on tragedy to pull on our heart strings. It was so refreshing to read a book that focused on the positives with a happy ending. This is not to say that the book will bring out the emotions! The love story between Tessa and Weston is beautifully written and I loved their journey to find each other and accept themselves.

Perfect for fans of John Green and YA /Coming of Age.

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

this book was amazing and Weston is the best fictional character ever! YA is not usually my genre but I loved it this!

Two teens! Same age! One has a temporary disability other disabled for a lifetime - how they find each other and what's the cause is well-crafted in this debut novel by Abbie Emmons.

Tessa is an introvert living with her Grandparents. She is homeschooled and adores Waffles and bright colors. She is a blogger who has friends on Instagram. Tessa's Grandfather is a Pastor in a local church. In an accident, she loses her sight temporarily. She is emotionally vulnerable and thinks the sunlight has passed and, only darkness encloses her. The once happy, sweet girl is gone and replaced with an irritated, angry, tearful girl.

Weston is a strong-willed, daring teen also an accidental amputee. He lives with his parents and three cute younger brothers. He is a comic fan and reads comic books to his brothers as a bedtime story. Rudy is his best buddy. Weston's an optimist and always goes by replying, "Never been better."

Weston enters Tessa's life to help her deal with her temporary blindness. But he never thought that he would fall for her, like her, love her, inspire her and most importantly be her sunlight. An adorable, uplifting quick read to overcome hindrances and encounter sunlight!

There's a family bond, friends as a family all the positive vibes for the teens. This book will warm your soul and uplift your mind.

How can I not talk about the book title and book cover? There's no better cover and title for this astonishing read.

Pick this book! Recommend the book to all.

E-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you, Publisher!

Although it wasn't always the finest writing, I thought this book was sweet in certain parts and handled disability in an empathetic manner, but unfortunately, it was quite problematic in certain areas. I was uncomfortable with the male lead's reckless attitude in the name of "thrill-seeking." I don't think a boy and his best friend punching each other till they bleed should be a "fun activity," neither should continuing to be punched after losing both your legs be the thing that makes a disabled person feel like themselves still.

Then, there's the issue of kissing someone without consent, which should not have made it into this book. It's not cute. I wouldn't discourage other people from checking this out, but I cannot wholeheartedly recommend such a problematic novel -- especially for young adults. We can do better.

It's like when you feel that one best moment in your life. When u think it'll be the best forever. I know I'm gonna be obsessed with this book .


Basically I got every reaction of mine written in the book . For example ,


ASDFGHJKASLDKJAL ALLISON: sldklkhsljDLFJLKASJAlkj
GRACIE: I’M SCREAMING
MARIA: what!!!!
RAQUEL: WESTESS WESTESS WESTESS

and

Rudy laughs. “Are you kidding, Wes? I have a crush on you. And I’m as straight as it gets.”


Tessa loses her sight temporarily in an accident. She feels the darkness creeping up on her figuratively and literally. Her blog , poetry and everything she loved become pointless until

Weston has prosthetic legs. Everyone sees him differently ,he badly wants someone to see him as Weston , not the poor boy with prosthetic legs.

Until , an unexpected turn makes their world's collide .

I loved how Abbie told the story from both of their perspectives and managed to clash their personalities in every way possible.

I actually paused the book in the 10-20 percent because I felt like the MC's were kinda jerks. But they were just teens. I fell in love with them

Weston was everything!!! He's confident , awesome and secretly a bit wounded. Nikolai Lantsov much? YeSss.

I was practically welling up in the ending. I loved it

100days of sunlight promises everything will be better and to suck up and do it.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the copy.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for approving my request and sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.
You have to know English isn’t my first language, so feel free to correct me if I make some mistakes while writing this review.


My sight isn't exactly good - I've been wearing glasses since I was six years old and contact lenses since I was fourteen and now I'm thirty.
I know on some basic level what it's like not seeing something, but I can't imagine being completely blind and losing colors, sense of space and the faces of those I love.
I, like Tessa, would be angry and afraid - and yes, also rude to everyone elese because they wouldn't understand what it's like.
I couldn't blame Tessa - not entirely, anyway - for reacting so badly, even knowing that her sight was going to come back eventually.

Enter Weston, a boy who finds out about Tessa from his father and can't help wanting to know her and help her because he knows what Tessa is going through - all the rage, the fear, the despair are something Weston lived and felt himself when he lost his legs three years earlier.

Tessa refuses stubbornly any help - she barely tolerates the help offered by her grandparents - but what she doesn't know is that Weston is also stubborn as well, never giving up even when she tells him to leave her alone and determined to show her that are other senses through which experience life.

Weston was my favorite character - I liked his attitude and his optimism and I admit I also envied them. I'd like to be as optmistic as him even once in a while. I liked his relationships with his best friend and his brothers - the author wrote them so good. But what I liked the most was reading about his past and his fight to overcome anything Life threw at him, refusing to believe there was anything he couldn't possibly do - saying he's never been better lying through his teeth.

The pace was just fine and I think Tessa and Weston could have worked also just as friends, but I found them adorable at the same time - the way they got to know each other and care about each other even not knowing everything because it's not always love at first sight. And I liked that touch of angst - it's what I like the most in a romance. Tessa wants to see Weston when she regains her sight, but Weston is afraid of what Tessa will think of him now that she could see he's different from what she imagined him to be because he never told her about his legs - and he swore her grandparents to secrecy.

It's a sweet story about recovery and hope, about getting back on your feet even when you're bleeding on the floor and I read it fast - it's a great debut novel. And can we talk about that gorgeous cover?

(Also posted on my GR account!)

First of all, I'm in love with the cover. I mean, how could you not??? It's bright yellow with flowers and the title place... ugh, perfect, am I right?

Second, I love Abbie Emmons. I love her youtube, her content, and then, I love her writing.

100 Days of Sunlight was a feel good and cute young adult. It was a breath of fresh air for me who is constantly bombarded with YA fantasy and psychological thriller. I expected it to be good and I was not mistaken.

I adore Weston first, and Tessa second. Can you blame me tho? I rooted for Weston, the guy who've been through his kinda hell and still trying to make the best out of everything. And Tessa was correct: if optimism has a face, it's Weston.

Tessa was... okay, I guess. Sure, I came for Tessa and her journey of navigating her life after her temporary blindness, but it was Weston I stayed for.

The story was short, it was cute and squeal and almost cried during 90% mark. Almost, ehe.

What I like about the book:
- The cover, Weston, and Tessa
- Weston's family and Rudy
- Tessa's family, although I do feel the need to establish Tessa a bit more because I had Weston's whole story but Tessa was left with bits of information

However, there were several things that made me give it 4 solid stars:
- I didn't get why Weston wanted to be involved with Tessa and he did so straight away. In my opinion, it'd better to let them be classmates (?) or involved in something/some club/whatever together because then, Weston would know Tessa better then he got closer to her. This irked me the most during my time reading.
- Weston's behavior, although I do fond of him, was kinda... (I'm trying to find a good word here) not good towards Tessa. I mean, this book was the case of mistaken identity at best, so someone bounded to have an upper hand in the relationship, and it was Weston. So when he tried to kiss Tessa and overall wooed her, I felt... weird, to say the least.
- The ending felt rushed.

100 Days of Sunlight is a beautifully compelling book that everyone should read! The story of Tessa and Weston will make you appreciate the little things we take for granted, and your problems seem small. I love that everyone respected Westons wishes to keep his secret from Tessa, so she truly got to know him for who he is, not as others see him. Such a great story, it really puts life into perspective and I can't wait to read it again.

An interesting premise, with a wonderful message, this book is probably going to be up in my top 10 for 2019. It’s emotional, eye opening and a very real read. A book about friendship, family, perseverance, hope , sadness and overcoming judgments/stereotypes. It’s one of the best books involving disabilities I’ve ever read. Highly recommended read, stays with you long after you close the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

100 Days of Sunlight follows our main character, the 16 years old Tessa Dickinson, who recently got into a car crash and is now temporary blind. Being a poet who consistently shares her works on her blog, this obviously took her by surprise because now she feels she can’t do anything and trap in the darkness. Trying to find a way to cheer up their granddaughter, Tessa’s grandpa and grandma decided to post a newspaper ad to look for a typewriter, someone that could help Tessa back to the comfort of her blogging and writing zone. Enter 16 years old Weston Ludovico, a bright, confident, and obnoxiously optimistic amputee, who happened to saw the ad and decided to help Tessa to come out of her misery and get her back up on her knees. Through many ups and downs, and after Life knocked both of them down with different challenges during different times, we got to witness how the two started as barely a stranger, and become each other’s biggest support system.

A FEARLESS COMING-OF-AGE LOVE STORY WRAPPED IN A RELATABLE MODERN SETUP WITH A WONDERFUL REPRESENTATION OF MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER AND DISABILITY.
I’m always a big fan of classic coming-of-age love story. What’s not to like about it? It’s fun, reckless, and it reminds me of the good ol’ days (I just realized I sound super old by saying that, when in fact I’m not even 25 yet… but let’s skip that). 100 Days of Sunlight feels close to one, but the fact that it didn’t feature your typical mainstream couple, is what makes me love it even harder. The characters are definitely my most favorite thing about this story (and I’ll ramble more about them later!), but I’d be lying if I say that the plot didn’t amaze me. The simplicity yet complexity of it feels perfect and it really balanced the strong presences from the characters. Tessa was miserable and Weston wanted to help her, because he was in her position once and he knew how it feels like. That’s really it. That’s what this whole story is about. But Abbie managed to develop such simple premise into a well-crafted and intriguing plot. We got to see how Weston worked for his goal to help Tessa through four incredible chapters: smell, taste, sound, and touch, and every one of them didn’t fail to make me smile and swoon over their relationship.

REMARKABLE CHARACTERS WITH A CONTRAST PERSONALITY BETWEEN THE RESERVED TESSA AND THE SPONTANEOUS WESTON, AND THE DIFFERENT PATH THAT THEY CHOSE TO HEAL THEMSELVES.
The characters from 100 Days of Sunlight is definitely my personal favorite aspect about this book and I couldn’t help but rooting for each and every single one of them. The main characters, Tessa and Weston, are obviously the center of this story and it will be impossible to not like them, but I’m surprised to find myself to be falling for the other side characters too, starting from Rudy — Weston’s most loyal best friend, Tessa’s caring grandpa and grandma, to Weston’s adorable three little brothers — Noah, Aidan and Henry. I also adore Tessa’s internet friends and their cute interaction, although I wish we got to see them a bit more in the story!

This story delivered through a dual POV, Tessa and Weston, and the best thing about it is you can tell exactly the differences between them, and not just because they had different chapters, but their contrast personality completely shines through the way they were talking and thinking. And the multidimension of these characters was priceless. Tessa is not just a shy girl and Weston is not just a spontaneous boy. We got to see how both of them evolved, both for better or worse, and I think it’s crucial to show a character’s complexity, not just when they were at the top of the world, but also when they drowned and stucked at the bottom.

➪ Tessa Dickinson — The story started with Tessa’s nightmare about her car crash and how she lost her sight because of it. This incident shocked Tessa to the core and now she had to get through her day in the darkness. Abbie delivered Tessa’s emotions with choice of graceful words, and it was impactful. She didn’t use any complex or complicated words, but instead decided to go with simpler ones and combine them into an exquisite prose. Surprisingly, many of my favorite lines from this book are coming from Tessa’s thought and not from her actual poems. They were fierce and raw, and I got chills from reading them.

"I drag my fingernails down the glass; I clench my teeth together; I curl my toes. It’s the opposite of falling apart; the opposite of exploding. I’m like a star before it goes supernova. Collapsing inward."

➪ Weston Ludovico — If Weston is a book cover, it will looks exactly like the cover of this book. He’s a ray of sunshine for everyone that knows him, but especially for Tessa. I enjoyed his character so much because you can’t never guess what’s he’s going to do or to say next. His candidness was not jerky and it was refreshing. My favorite thing about him is how he chose the hard path to face the world again after losing his legs. For me, his character development was one of the most intense to watch. The moment he lost his legs, he kept saying to himself that he wanted to be normal. Because for society, normal is having a complete and functioning body parts. But then, he decided to face his biggest fear (which is to appear as dependent and weak) and he worked hard to change that into his strength. He didn’t want to be normal anymore. He wanted to be treated as a normal person. And that’s the most intense change and development that I’ve ever seen.

"It’s the first time in three years anyone has ever met me without that look of pity on their face. The first time anyone has ever looked at me and not seen me. The first time anyone has stood before me — with perfectly normal legs — and complained about their own problem. The feeling is exhilarating."

➪ Rudy Kaufmann — I just want to say… where do I get myself a best friend like Rudy Kaufmann?! His friendship with Weston was beautiful, pure and solid. I cried once, well, twice because I read this book twice, and it was during the same scene between Rudy and Weston at the hospital. I’m not sure if I can explain more about the scene without spoiling too much here, but this scene was flawless. The emotional intensity involved in this scene was one of the most genuine interaction that I’ve ever seen. Will I re-read this book, fully knowing that I’ll cry during this scene again? 100% I will.

"I felt like every drop of energy and life had drained out of my body through one of those tubes. But I could feel the warmth of Rudy’s hand, strong and desperate. It was like a rescue, someone pulling me out of a black ocean. I would have drowned if he wasn’t there. I would have drowned."

The only thing that keeping me from giving a full five stars, was the using of repetitive words and sentences. I’m not familiar with this method and I’m not completely sure how I feel about them, but I’m sensing that the point of it was to make a scene appears as more intense.

Overall, I was having a wonderful time with this book. I wish I could write a better review so I can truly express how I experienced it, but reading 100 Days of Sunlight feels easy, yet after I finished the story, it left me with impactful messages that I kept thinking for days. If you’re planning to go on a book haul very soon while also wanting to support a debut and indie author, please consider picking up a copy of this book!

Thank you, Abbie, for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Final rating — ★★★★½
Trigger warnings — Graphic description of accidents, mention of PTSD and traumatic experiences.

WOW! This may make it into my top 5 books for the year! This story is told with so much emotion, reality, and raw honesty. The pain, the beauty, the lessons to be learned from reading this book. The wisdom! I loved this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Abbie Emmons for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really like books that venture into that somewhat taboo topic of disability and what I like even more is when it’s done correctly. Both Weston and Tessa both lost something and this book and this is a story of leaning to accept that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Tessa feels like she has lost everything and understandably withdraws into herself with the fear that life isn’t going to get better. Weston made a stupid mistake that led to him losing his legs but no matter what he wanted to prove he was strong enough to carry on as if nothing had happened. Together they learn to adapt to a new life and stayed strong through all the ups and downs that life threw at them.

I honestly loved the representation of disability in this book and wish that more books approached the subject. Since finishing this book I’ve started to take notice of the little things in my life that I honestly take for granted. It’s also reminded me to stay strong and to keep fighting no matter how much the darkness tries to swallow you up.

So, if you’re looking for a story about romance, hope and family values then I really do recommend you pick up this book!

If I had to say just one line about this books I would say "This book as beautiful from the inside as it is on the outside."
The plot of this novel is pretty hard hitting, as you can tell from the synopsis it deals with some difficult topics and it deals with them well. Along with those heavy topics, this book is filled with fluff and heartwarming moments which left me blushing and squealing.
In the beginning we are introduced to Tessa, who is terrified and has lost her perspective in life and your heart aches for her, then we meet Weston, he is strong willed and nice and along with Tessa's story we follow his story as well and trust me, it hits you right in the feels. I was close to tears so many times when we were in Weston's head.
This book also a great family dynamic, both Weston and Tessa's families are amazing and I am so glad that they kinda important roles, because that is pretty difficult to find in YA. I love the way both the main character's families were there for them and supported them immensely.
There is also a very beautiful friendship in this book, between Weston and a boy named Rudy, their friendship is pure and honestly, it is #goals.
There are so many things about this book that I wanna talk about but I can't because spoilers but I will say read it. This is a perfect read if you are looking for something with heart and fluff, because this is a pretty great coming-of-age story.

My thoughts

Narrative and plot


It is not everyday you come across a book with such a genuine and earnest voice. The narrative shifts between the two main characters - Tessa and Weston. There is heart to it and a certain innocence that makes you feel warm and fuzzy. But there's more to this book than just a teenage love story. The last time I remember feeling this way was when I read "Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen. 

The image of the girl on the sycamore tree is vivid in my head and I'm sure Tessa and Weston enjoying in the park is going to stay somewhere closer to that. 

Judging by the synopsis, you prepare yourself for an intense emotional read. But the book takes you by surprise. This is one of the most uplifting books you may come across in the recent times. And yet it has those tender moments that make your eyes watery. The plot is simple just the like the blurb promises and yet the journey is unforgettable.



Characters and Conflict

The story is mainly focused on Tessa and Weston. It is about their struggle. You learn how life tries to knock them down and you find out how they respond back. Even though the whole story is about the 100 days in the life of Tessa, Weston is the anchor to it. And that is how the whole process of character development goes. The supporting characters make their presence known too, especially Rudy and Henry.

Weston and his optimistic attitude complements the brooding yet practical Tessa. Even though subtle, you can see the character arc for Weston too. They learn from each other. And the rest is left to you, to interpret, learn and to grow as a person. That is the best thing a book can do to you. 

One of the main conflict the book focuses is the path you choose when life hits you. Everyone has broken wings. It is just how we look at it that matters. Perhaps, this fundamental message - one of hope and optimism - is what makes you feel so connected to the story. 

One can easily write it off as fiction and pretend that such an attitude exists in the fictional world only. But this book reminded me of an interview of Arunima Sinha, a former Indian volleyball player and the first female amputee ( she was pushed out of a moving train by a group of robbers) who climbed Mount Everest and Mount Vinson. I remember her saying that she actually thought about mountaineering after she lost her legs. 

And because I know this story to be true, I enjoyed this book even more. 

Conclusion

Overall,  100 Days of Sunlight is a must read. If you're not picking this book up, then you're missing out on one of the best contemporary fiction books of 2019. This is definitely going to make a place in your heart and perhaps your all-time favorite list as well. It sure goes in my top ten favorites list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
4.5 STARS

This book was... wow. It was just one of those books that just grabs your heart and doesn't let go.

100 Days of Sunlight is the story of Tessa- a poetry writer and blogger who, after being involved in a car accident, has temporarily lost her eyesight. This was a fantastic YA debut. It had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed, and cried, even got a little mad. When a novel can touch me in so many different ways, I know it will always be a favorite.

[The Plot]
This was a nice and easy YA read. The writing flowed nicely and the timing was good. I loved the little touches of poetry throughout. I loved how this novel depicts positivity during hardship. There was a good balance of the serious and the lighthearted comedy aspect. Overall I found the plot to be beautifully written and meaningful. Because Weston doesn't want Tessa to know about his own disability, this truly makes the story both ironic and entertaining. It also created nice suspense for us as a reader, as Tessa gets closer to getting her eyesight back.

[The Characters]
Tessa: Tessa is stubborn and obviously upset with the hand she's been dealt. But she is also loveable and her growth and transformation throughout the book was empowering. She isn't the fierce "strong female lead" as typical in some YA novels, but she is REAL. She doesn't always make the right choices or say the right things, but her relatability and humanity was a nice change to read and I really loved her.

Weston: Weston is the stand out character in this novel. Like Tessa, he is also a very real and relatable character. He is very different from most teenage male MC's in that he is very mature and wise for his age, and almost comes off as being in his 20's instead of a teenager in High School. Weston has the most beautiful outlook on life for a 16-year-old, and it is truly awe-inspiring. It is an outlook that I would love to be able to apply even in my adult life. Wes chooses to deal with his trials through love and humility, and it was quite refreshing.

I will note however that while I did like the maturity of the MC's, I also feel that at certain points the MC's, particularly Weston came off as TOO mature for their age. In these flashbacks of his history, he is 13 years old, and he still sounds closer to 20 when he talks and thinks. These parts just didn't come off sounding 100% right and are literally my only complaint with the book and the only reason I knocked off half a star.

[The Romance]
The romance aspect of this novel was so intriguing to read as it played out. Since Tessa doesn't know about Weston's legs, I felt that the story was made more romantic, because it is clear that their relationship is much deeper than just physical attraction.

This novel was phenomenal and without a doubt a new favorite. It is a meaningful story of growth and positivity through the hardest times in life. It is accepting that you have a disability, but you are NOT your disability. 100 Days of Sunlight made me think of my senses in a whole new light and appreciation. I highly recommend this book because it's a thought-provoking message, and an emotionally charged story is well worth the read.

Special thanks to NetGalley & Abbie Emmons for providing me with the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and thoughts.

Content: Mild teen language, some Christian perspective (Grandfather is a pastor) such as God, prayer and church service.