When 16-year-old poetry blogger Tessa Dickinson is involved in a car accident and loses her eyesight for 100 days, she feels like her whole world has been turned upside-down. Terrified that her vision might never return, Tessa feels like she has nothing left to be happy about. But when her grandparents place an ad in the local newspaper looking for a typist to help Tessa continue writing and … Tessa continue writing and blogging, an unlikely answer knocks at their door: Weston Ludovico, a boy her age with bright eyes, an optimistic smile…and no legs.
Knowing how angry and afraid Tessa is feeling, Weston thinks he can help her. But he has one condition — no one can tell Tessa about his disability. And because she can’t see him, she treats him with contempt: screaming at him to get out of her house and never come back. But for Weston, it’s the most amazing feeling: to be treated like a normal person, not just a sob story. So he comes back. Again and again and again.
Tessa spurns Weston’s “obnoxious optimism”, convinced that he has no idea what she’s going through. But Weston knows exactly how she feels and reaches into her darkness to show her that there is more than one way to experience the world. As Tessa grows closer to Weston, she finds it harder and harder to imagine life without him — and Weston can’t imagine life without her. But he still hasn’t told her the truth, and when Tessa’s sight returns he’ll have to make the hardest decision of his life: vanish from Tessa’s world…or overcome his fear of being seen.
100 Days of Sunlight is a poignant and heartfelt novel by author Abbie Emmons. If you like sweet contemporary romance and strong family themes then you’ll love this touching story of hope, healing, and getting back up when life knocks you down.
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Excuse me, I’ve been emotionally gutted and don’t know how to recover. Don’t mind the use of caps, exclamation points, or any grammatical errors brought on from the emotional wreck the novel, 100 Days of Sunlight, brought me. Thank you.
OH MY GOODNESS MY HEART!!!
jidajfeawlhfe times a thousand
I knew this story was going to be amazing, but be still my heart because it wasn’t prepared. From the time I met Tessa, I loved her. She was so very much relatable in how she expresses her struggle mentally and through conversation to those around her. I found myself aching and then rejoicing in her story of overcoming.
And WESTON!!! As much as this was Tessa’s story, it was equally Weston’s and if you’re like “I dare you to make me cry, author,” she’ll make you tear up through the whole book or sob straight through. I would say your choice, but Weston’s is a gut wrencher. Not only is it incredibly inspiring to the people around him in this book, but to me too. Talk about being a role model as a character!
I am incredibly excited that this story is in the world as its powerful and makes an impactful even if you don’t want it to. It will make you laugh, cry, roll your eyes with a smile ten thousand times BECAUSE (SPOILER) ALREADY!!!!! (Should I add more !!! for emphasis?) Plus, poetry that just makes you want to snap your fingers until they ache.
Yes, I was mindblowingly moved by this debut story and just want to go out and be a ray of sunlight for someone else. I don’t want to give up in Life and don’t want others too either.
This is an excellent contemporary novel that I recommend if you want a fantastic romance, a story of overcoming, and need some sunlight in your life.
*(I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write a positive review.)*
OMG…the YA romance isn’t my jam , but a heroine that has тeмporally loѕт нer ѕιgнт and a hero that loѕт вoтн нιѕ legѕ sounded like a and story. And it was all that and more. I ₳ĐØɆĐ this book. It was well . Well ƤÃČẸĎ. The plot was . It was sweet. It was . It was . was a likable heroine …
I loved the sεcση∂αяү cнαяαcтεяs (especially Rudy). However, the real of this book was and his backstory. I SO many times. He just owned my with his strength. His sᴡᴇᴇᴛɴᴇss. His ĦỮΜØŘ. His ĶĨŃĎŃĔŚŚ. His . Gaaah…I loved (almost) about this book. The only I had with it was the ending was very ₳฿Ʉ₱₮. I would have liked at the very least an of some sort. Still, that was just a , and yours truly is giving this book, two thumbs up.
I will start off my review with a disclaimer: despite being smack dab in the middle of the target age range for young adult fiction . . . YA is SO not my thing. That being said, I did still enjoy 100 Days of Sunlight at its core, even if the genre may not be my favorite ever.
First off, that cover! Well done, Ms. Emmons! It’s stunning! I feel like so often indies cheap out when it comes to cover design, but it’s clear Emmons put a lot of time and thought into her cover, and for that, I give her kudos.
Let’s get onto characters. Y’all. Weston is adorable. I want him for a little brother! I loved his humor, his “arrogance,” his optimism and take-whatever-life-throws-at-you-with-joy attitude. This dude is amazing. (Despite his potty mouth . . .) He was definitely my favorite character. Tessa, also, was a very well-rounded character, and while I struggled to relate to her and the way she handled certain things, nonetheless I think a lot of people will relate and empathize with her. The supporting characters of Weston’s brothers (adorable!), and Tessa’s grandparents and friends were a sweet addition.
The storyline, while not fast-paced, moved along at just the right pace and kept my interest from beginning to end. Emmon’s writing style is unique and enjoyable. She tackles some tough topics in this book, and I think she did a pretty decent job doing so.
All that being said, there were some aspects of 100 Days of Sunlight that I did not like.
For one, the language. I know there’s a lot of differing opinions, even among Christians, whether or not language is appropriate in fiction. And we don’t need to go into my opinions on that right now. But for me, in this book, most if not all of the swearing was SO unnecessary. And there was a lot of it. More than I expected, which was disappointing. And this is being marketed as secular fiction (to my knowledge), so that gives it a little more leeway in my opinion, but still, there was just. so. much. swearing. That took away greatly from my enjoyment of this book. (view spoiler)
My other main complaint, and this coupled with the swearing is what docked a star plus off my rating. The romance. Okay, okay, I know I am largely in the majority with this, but I. don’t. like. teen. romance. There. I said it. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for a sweet romance storyline, but I just don’t do teen romance. So, considering the fairly prominent romantic storyline in 100 Days, there’s another reason I didn’t enjoy it as much. Honestly, I think this would have been that much more unique if the relationship between Tessa and Weston was kept platonic. There’s boatloads of YA romances out there, but it’s rare to find a YA WITHOUT romance. But again, I don’t know if that’s a negative as much as just my thoughts. If you do enjoy teen romances, then I’m sure you will enjoy 100 Days.
All in all, I think 100 Days of Sunlight is a very promising debut, and I am excited to see where Emmons will go next with her writing career! This author shows a lot of promise. If you love contemporary YA, teen romance, deep storylines, witty characters, and WAFFLES, definitely check out 100 Days of Sunlight!
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for promotional purposes from Netgalley. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
I really enjoyed this book, aside from the cussing. It had the most unique contemporary romance I have ever read. It had such a good message with sweet characters. Abbie did an excellent job, and I think everyone should read this book at least once. If you really cannot stand cussing, try to endure it to read this book because it is so good.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*
If you don’t have time to read the full review here is the gist:
– You can’t put the book down.
-I love how Tessa and Weston had to overcome their own struggles before committing to each other. They are 1000% ship-worthy.
-Their family and friends played VITAL ROLES in their story and I think that’s both super cool and realistic.
-The small details amplify the awesomeness of this whole book.
-The cuss words may bother you, but it makes Weston seem human and not just inspirational and romantic all the time.
– The family and friendship themes are AMAZING.
– While the book makes me smile bigger than my face can, there’s a streak of truth running throughout. It’s RAW. It’s REAL.
– The book also talks about church and faith. I love how Abbie shares God’s faithfulness, but doesn’t shove it down the reader’s throat. You must read in between the lines and decide for yourself.
I 10/10 RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. IT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY!! Thanks so much for writing this Abbie!!!! You are going places, girl.
Let’s start with the PROS
1. Abbie pulls you right into the story. At least that’s what happened to me. I instantly wanted to keep reading. I LITERALLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.
In the beginning, she goes over some necessary backstory. While some people don’t like that, I LOVED IT. That’s really what drew me in. It helped me sympathize with the characters. Which leads me to the next point
2. The characters are SUPER RELATABLE.
While we may not have the same problems as Tessa and Weston, we have the same feelings and struggles. They struggled with fear and despair and anger and pain. I liked how Abbie showed their flaws. Other books make it seem like their characters are perfect, but THIS BOOK DOESN’T.
3. It’s not all about romance. I loved that Tess and Weston had to overcome their own struggles before coming together. Yes, they helped each other through them, but the book doesn’t force it if ya know what I mean? Both of them had to realize their own value before they could fully be together. (Plus, Weston is sooo inspirational)
4. The DETAILS. There are soooo many of them. They’re all important and they contribute to the story. Abbie does such a beautiful job of weaving them throughout!
5. The ‘small characters’. Tessa’s blogging friends. Weston’s best friend. (Gotta love Rudy) Weston’s brothers, Grandma and Grandpa. They weren’t really small because they played VIRAL ROLES. I loved how impactful they were. Other romance novels make it seem like the couple is in their own little bubble but that’s so far from reality. This book is cute and SHIP-worthy and beautiful yet it’s so raw and REAL.
6. I also loved how Abbie talks about Tessa’s Grandpa always praying over her. The book does show God’s faithfulness but it doesn’t stuff it down your throat. You must decide for yourself.
Okay, I have several more Pros but I think this review is getting too long so…
The only thing that bothered me was the cuss words. I think it’s realistic that it’s in there though because it shows Weston and Rudy’s dynamic. Is it necessary? Probably not. But it helps the readers see more of Weston’s personality. He can’t always be inspirational and romantic. He’s got to be human too, ya know?
I think the book was a little short, but that could just be me since I read it in two days. Whoops. I guess I’ll have to read it again to fully take it in. XD
Y’all NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. READING IT LITERALLY LIFTED MY MOOD 10000%. Just read it. It’ll make you smile and maybe have goosebumps. Abbie is going places. I 10/10 recommend this book. This first book is just the beginning. A very impressive and beautiful beginning.
This book was an absolutely delightful read. It was thoughtful, thought-provoking, and full of kindness. For her debut novel, and a self-published one at that, Emmons came out with a gentle bang. This is a story about learning to get back up when life gets you down. It’s about connection and empathy and, a little bit, faith. I’d recommend this book to anyone, but especially someone who might be struggling. It has done what most author’s ache to do; helped. I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob. Please, please, please take time to pick this up and read.
I was expecting to enjoy this book. The synopsis intrigued me and come on, that cover is gorgeous.
But once I started reading it, I instantly fell in love with the characters and the story, I didn’t want to put it down! Tessa and Weston’s stories are so inspiring, and I highlighted so many things while reading it(thank you Kindle for having that feature).
I love Weston and Tessa’s banter throughout the book, with Weston’s unshakable optimism and Tessa’s pessimism. You can see how Weston helps bring Tessa out of her darkness, and how she shows him he is worth more than he thinks, as the story progresses.
Both Tessa and Weston have amazing character growth through the book as well. Tessa learning that there are more ways to see the world than just through sight. Weston learning he isn’t the broken parts he may think he is.
There’s some amazing family and friend themes in this book. Between Weston and his brothers, and his friend Rudy. And between Tessa and her grandma and grandpa. Their relationships are amazing, and none of these ‘side’ characters felt flat, like some side characters do in books.
This has become one of my top favorite books of 2019(maybe even my #1 favorite of the year).
100 Days of Sunlight is an inspiring book that will fill you with hope, no matter what obstacles lie in your way. It will make you laugh, cry, and make you believe you can accomplish your dreams.
I can’t wait to read the books Abbie will write in the future.
Unfortunately I was unable to finish the book. The writing was pretty good. The story great, original. The characters cute. The timing was inconsistent which made the pace unsure.
I don’t appreciate the Biblical references and strong family ties paired with cussing.
Sorry, Abbi could be great, but you had to ruin it with cussing.
Keep writing… Hopefully without the profanity. 😉
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not persuaded or forced to write a positive review. These are my honest opinions.
Genre- Ya Contemporary Romance
Themes-Love, friendship, family, and hardship.
The birds were chirping the sun was shining, it was an average day. Little did I know it soon wouldn’t be. This book would make my day and life better, it would change my life forever.
Before I start raving about this AMAZING book I want to thank the author for sending me an ARC and for answering all my emails about my doubts. Abbie was so determined to help me get an ARC and I could have never figured it out if it wasn’t for her.
Cover- The cover is BEAUTIFUL it’s so Abbie, it has the yellow background, the yellow ukulele, sunglasses (is it just me or do the sunglasses on the cover look exactly like the ones she has been recently wearing on her Instagram post?), a computer, a polaroid camera, a waffle (it wouldn’t be Abbie’s book if it didn’t have a waffle on the cover), flowers, birds, and butterflies, I mean it’s literally the epitome of a summer read.
Writing- From the very first sentence I knew I would love the writing. The writing is absolutely amazing, at times it is almost poetic.
Plot- I absolutely love the plot of this book!! It is unlike anything I have ever read before.
Tessa- Tessa is a sixteen year old homeschooled girl who is a poetry blogger. She gets in an accident that causes her to lose her eyesight for 100 days. After the accident she becomes extremely cold and pessimistic. She no longer wants to write anymore, almost nothing can make her happy.However, Weston is determined to help her, with one condition: nobody can tell Tessa about his disability.
Weston- Weston was honestly such a pure cinnamon bun and his jokes are great. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!
My only complaints are that it I wish it was a little bit longer (even though it’s probably decently long), that more things happened, more backstory on Tessa before the accident, and I would have liked to have know more about Tessa’s PTSD, but apart from that I really like this book.
There are a few cuss words. Nothing too major, nothing that crosses the f-bomb line.
I TOTALLY RECOMMEND YOU PICK UP THIS BOOK IT IS AMAZING!! I can’t wait to read more books from Abbie in the near future!
I don’t read a ton of young adult novels but I was blown away with the depth of this debut novel on several levels. The development of the character journeys, on a parallel level as well as individually—beautiful! The imagery, metaphors, dissecting of emotions—masterful!
I am most certainly looking forward to more words coming from Abbie Emmons.
Wow, what a great book!!! I love this story and the characters. I really don’t have words to describe how good this book is. Abbie Emmons did such a beautiful job writing it. I’m left with wanting to read more!
I love reading a debut novel that makes me so excited for future works from the author! Tessa and Weston were surprisingly likable for me, and their little love & recovery story made me happy. The additions of poetry throughout the story were lovely, especially when one is put to song. I would LOVE to hear a rendition of that, anyone who has musical talent!!
What kept it from being higher rated was my difficulty in embracing the soul-deep “I love you”s from our 16-year-old main characters. The last few chapters fell into a bit of the usual trap, where one character pulls away because they fear they aren’t good enough. I suppose I liked their chemistry building up to that more, and the exploration through the senses was awesome! I was so excited when I got to the first section and realized that’s how it was going to be handled.
It’s a good light read that you can get through in a day or two, and will make you smile and feel a bit more grateful for your own life. Find the sunlight in every day. 🙂
PLUS SHE DESIGNED THE COVER HERSELF.
https://youtu.be/u6YNsIzT2ZU?t=135
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this book in one day and I never do that 🙂 The story was super corny but in a worthwhile way, I am following the author now! Worth it
Didn’t give five stars because of language.
I loved this book so much! It was a storyline like no other! Typically Young Adult books all have a similar theme but this one was decidedly different. Sure there is a girl and a boy but beyond that the issues that the teens are dealing with are not the normal stuff that teenagers or young adults deal with. The emotions that came up with me while reading it were sadness, worry and feelings of sorrow for some of the choices that the characters made. If you like YA books, this will be a refreshing book for you! I will recommend it to all who will listen!
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. Perfect for fans of John Green!
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.”
I really enjoyed this story. I don’t typically read books that are romances, so I’m glad I made an exception and requested this book. I liked all of the characters, especially Weston. And honestly, how could you not love him? He was very sweet and hopelessly optimistic about everything. Tessa grew on me as well. I didn’t really care for her in the beginning, but she matured and really grew as a character. They are perfect for each other, which the author slowly revealed through their dialogue and actions throughout the story. There definitely wasn’t any insta love here! As for their disabilities, I liked how they both relied on each other to overcome them. They were both dealt difficult cards in life, but they didn’t let that stop them from doing the things they loved. This was a really inspirational story about the healing power of family, love, and friendship. 5/5, would recommend.
I loved this book, it was cute and had a great message. Weston is the absolute best. At the beginning I was a little annoyed by Tessa, after all her blindness was only temporary, but I also get it from hanging out with teenagers as day life is hard enough as it is. The book was a little hard for me to get into because Tessa was so negative in the first 20 pages or so but once Weston was introduced in more detail I was hooked. My only critique is I worry about it downplaying mental health issues with depression. It was great that Weston and Tessa were able to overcome their challenges through sheer will power and friends, but this is not the case for everyone. I am definitely going to be recommending this book to my future students next year!
100 Days of Sunlight is a book I devoured! The writing was lovely and spun a story of hope and love.
The narrator, Tessa, is a character I can instantly relate to. While we don’t have similar issues, she’s a book blogger who deeply loves her friends. The reliance on her friend group that plays a role within the story is a delightful one; as someone constantly involved in the online book community, reading about a girl who loves her online friends is a rarity, and I am so happy to see it within 100 Days of Sunlight.
Weston is such a sweetheart! He was my favorite of the two (sorry, Tessa!) and I loved his optimistic views and refusal to give up on Tessa. His point of view had me crying in some parts and laughing in others. The two characters bounced off of each other wonderfully, and their interactions felt incredibly real as if I might walk into a coffee store and overhear them!
There was one part that made me uncomfortable, when Weston says, “She makes me feel like a whole person again.” The idea that you need someone else to feel whole is a little tricky, especially when the character who says this is an amputee. Though I am part of the chronic illness world, I am not disabled, so I feel that this book needs to be in the hands of those readers to accurately judge if it’s a problem or not.
There also seemed to be a small “not like other girls” complex, but it was small and only brought up once, so I didn’t see it as too much of an issue.
It is easy to see how much love for books was poured into the making of this novel. Abbie Emmons is an authortuber/booktuber who knows what it’s like to have your life revolve around books. From mentions of Tessa’s rainbow shelves to feeling like the bookstore is a second home, I loved the little references into a book bloggers life.
100 Days of Sunlight is a beautiful novel, full of hope, optimism, and the power of believing in one another. Abbie Emmons wrote a delightful book, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!