"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."
I received an Advanced Readers Copy of "100 Days of Sunlight" in exchange for publishing an honest review.
Plot
The plot of this novel was satisfying, to say the least. It's a hate to love teen romance that's clean and innocent yet reflects reality.
The relationship that develops between Tessa and Weston is pure and simply another thread one of the many threads that run through the book. It's so much more than a romance - because the central focus of the book is to talk about how when Life kicks you down, you are the one who gets to choose whether you stay there and get beat up by it, or you stand up and fight back.
Abbie really enforces that each one of us is faced with a choice - the easy path of least resistance or the hard path of conquering what's got you down. Then she shows her readers the outcomes of these choices.
The relationship that develops between Tessa and Weston is pure and simply another thread one of the many threads that run through the book. It's so much more than a romance - because the central focus of the book is to talk about how when Life kicks you down, you are the one who gets to choose whether you stay there and get beat up by it, or you stand up and fight back.
Abbie really enforces that each one of us is faced with a choice - the easy path of least resistance or the hard path of conquering what's got you down. Then she shows her readers the outcomes of these choices.
Characters
With each chapter, the book switches between the perspectives of Tessa and Weston. It's fun to know what these characters think about each other while watching them struggle individually with their own limited perspectives. How dense they are added to the spice of the story.
Being a writer, Tessa has a beautiful way with words. A fire burns within her, fueling her passion and stubbornness. We meet her at her lowest state, just a few weeks after the accident. Her personal journey is to cope with this loss of a sense (senses play a huge role in this book). Will she continue to let her new disability control what she does and how she lives?
And then there's Weston. He's a complete 180 from Tess. He radiates positivity. He's like sunshine personified. Pretty much everything he says is with a smile and I hear he has really nice freckles (man I'm a sucker for freckles). Somehow (well, due to backstory), he knows exactly what Tessa needs to get back up on her feet. Unsurprisingly, she doesn't warm up to him when he tries to help.
There are other side characters as well, like Tessa's adorable grandparents and Weston's crazy adorable family. Though some play bigger parts than others, all of them come off the page and it feels like you're getting a glimpse at real people. I also absolutely love that Tessa's online friends are included in this story (and I'm going to take a guess here and say they happen to represent some of the important people in Abbie's life).
Being a writer, Tessa has a beautiful way with words. A fire burns within her, fueling her passion and stubbornness. We meet her at her lowest state, just a few weeks after the accident. Her personal journey is to cope with this loss of a sense (senses play a huge role in this book). Will she continue to let her new disability control what she does and how she lives?
And then there's Weston. He's a complete 180 from Tess. He radiates positivity. He's like sunshine personified. Pretty much everything he says is with a smile and I hear he has really nice freckles (man I'm a sucker for freckles). Somehow (well, due to backstory), he knows exactly what Tessa needs to get back up on her feet. Unsurprisingly, she doesn't warm up to him when he tries to help.
There are other side characters as well, like Tessa's adorable grandparents and Weston's crazy adorable family. Though some play bigger parts than others, all of them come off the page and it feels like you're getting a glimpse at real people. I also absolutely love that Tessa's online friends are included in this story (and I'm going to take a guess here and say they happen to represent some of the important people in Abbie's life).
Writing style
This was an easy read - both due to the nature of the book and the writing style. Abbie's writing is something you can gobble up. It's very descriptive in that you feel like you are watching the scenes play out (or better yet, living them out as the characters themselves).
She also greatly utilizes the senses, especially when describing how things played out in Tessa's perspective. The flow wasn't unnatural or vehemently "and then I heard" type writing that stressed how much Tessa couldn't see. It flowed and instead capitalized on what she could sense instead. That greatly impressed me.
She also greatly utilizes the senses, especially when describing how things played out in Tessa's perspective. The flow wasn't unnatural or vehemently "and then I heard" type writing that stressed how much Tessa couldn't see. It flowed and instead capitalized on what she could sense instead. That greatly impressed me.
Creativity
While this book contains elements that make it similar to other fluffy, easy read (both of these are compliments) contemporaries, Abbie puts enough of a spin on it that the story feels like something entirely new. Her characters, the writing style, and the plot all work together to make 100 Days of Sunlight what it is.
There wasn't any point where I was like "man, when is something going to happen?" so I would say everything moved along quite nicely.
Abbie Emmons has been writing stories ever since she could hold a pencil.
What started out as an intrinsic love for storytelling has turned into her lifelong passion. There’s nothing she likes better than writing (and reading) stories that are both heartrending and humorous, with a touch of cute romance and a poignant streak of truth running through them.
Abbie is also a YouTuber, singer/songwriter, blogger, traveler, filmmaker, big dreamer, and professional waffle-eater. When she’s not writing or dreaming up new stories, you can find her road-tripping to national parks or binge-watching BBC Masterpiece dramas in her cozy Vermont home with a cup of tea and her fluffy white lap dog, Pearl.
If you want to see Abbie in her element (ranting about stories) check out her YouTube channel.
Aesthetic
Yellow, sunshiney warmth accompanied by the wafting scent of buttery waffles.
The best aesthetic is you ask me. ;) There's something about this novel that breathes light...
The best aesthetic is you ask me. ;) There's something about this novel that breathes light...
Pace
This book takes place in (roughly) a hundred day time period. However, the set up isn't too slow and there's just enough action, backstory, and oomph to push it along nicely.There wasn't any point where I was like "man, when is something going to happen?" so I would say everything moved along quite nicely.
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| Photo credit goes to Abbie |
Cover
I DIE every time I look at the cover! I mean just look at it! Everything about it screams awesomeness and aligns with the aesthetic of the book quite perfectly. :)
Overall
I rate this book 5 million stars and recommend it to anyone and everyone - especially those who enjoy that warm fuzzy feeling after you read a satisfying ending.About the Author
What started out as an intrinsic love for storytelling has turned into her lifelong passion. There’s nothing she likes better than writing (and reading) stories that are both heartrending and humorous, with a touch of cute romance and a poignant streak of truth running through them.
Abbie is also a YouTuber, singer/songwriter, blogger, traveler, filmmaker, big dreamer, and professional waffle-eater. When she’s not writing or dreaming up new stories, you can find her road-tripping to national parks or binge-watching BBC Masterpiece dramas in her cozy Vermont home with a cup of tea and her fluffy white lap dog, Pearl.
If you want to see Abbie in her element (ranting about stories) check out her YouTube channel.
Posts
*happy dance* I finished my ARC a few weeks back and loved it!
ReplyDeleteAwesome review. :)
Everything about this book made me melt! Oh I loved it!
ReplyDeleteUmm, can you read every book before I buy it? Because you've definitely got me sold. AND THE FACT THAT YOU USED MY REVIEW NOTES ASDFGHJKL-- *is fangirling*. You sound so professional and fun. <3
ReplyDeleteI love you, boo. <3
xx Your Kenzie