TW: Homophobic slur

This review contains a homophobic slur, to continue reading click below.

3/5 It was an easy kind of reading but I didn't get a connection with some of the characters. One to pick up as a summer read if you are looking for a light YA.

So the homophobic slur, let's deal with that first. The book continually uses 'pansyass' as an insult between two of the main characters, while there is no indication the characters are trying to use it as a homophobic slur it neither the less is. Looking up the author she is American, perhaps it isn't a slur in America but surely you'd look at other English speaking countries to check?

Anyway, back to the book itself, Tessa is a 15-year-old girl adapting to 100 days without her sight after a car accident. Weston is the son of a local newspaper owner (where did Weston's Dad go after the beginning?)

One thing I really did love was the family connection between Tessa and her grandparent as well as the one between Weston and his siblings & Mum. I liked how they were developed in the book wasn't solely focused on romantic love, it shows how important it can be to have a secure network around you.

I felt a little rushed at the end, I'd rather the end of the book were longer and the beginning shorter in a way, it felt a tad bit rushed. I didn't like Tessa, yes I know she was going through some hard time but a lot of teens do but still don't act like that, I don't know, I guess I felt no connection with her, it could have been so much worse for her.

Weston on the other hand was my hero of the day, without his presence I have to say the book would have been long gone, to be sat in the 'get round to if I have time' pile for a long while. He was the one who showed us resilience and character, it felt like there was something to him, he wasn't in this little bubble of 'I'm the greatest' as Tessa was.

I'd definitely read a follow up if it included Weston on the journey but perhaps not if it was just Tessa.

This is such a sweet novel! Although young adults are the intended audience, I think anyone can benefit from reading this story. The characters are dimensional and likable. The relationships, especially familial, are developed and true to life. As soon as you start this book, you'll immediately feel immersed in Tessa's story and feel compelled to root for both Tessa and Weston. Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this story and think it will stick with me for a while. I recommend this to anyone looking for inspiration or a feel-good, well-written story. Bravo, Abbie Emmons.

2.5/ 5 Stars

This book has so much potential. I really enjoyed the premise, two teens who have experienced different variations of handicap helping each other to discover that they are more than they think they are – but I think that the story fell flat in execution.

The story has really good bones but lacks the meat that other in the genre have. We get glimpses into who the author wanted to the characters to be, snap shots into their history, but these brief insights did not translate into full character development.

I also did not realize that there was going to be a faith element tied to book. I am not a huge fan of books that have strong religious themes. And even in this space – the book felt a little underdeveloped. But for me, this took away from the story. I understand that this might be a big positive for others.

Overall I think the author has a lot of promise to develop their craft. But this book just fell short for me. I would describe it as nice or sweet – but because I don’t think the story warrants stronger descriptions.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The cover for 100 Days of Sunlight grabbed my attention, so I gave it a whirl and wow was I surprised! While I'm not usually a fan of teen romance, teen angst or teen over-the-top drama, this story handled all of the above with grace, creativity and a maturity which delighted my adult-reader sensibilities :)

Two teenagers with significant disabilities - no sight, no legs - who spend 100 days forming a deep friendship, overcoming obstacles, and learning much about their own inner strength, and the strength that can be found in others.

The message of discovering beauty and hope in the smallest objects around us, or the slight acts of kindness of others, was heartwarming and inspiring. A great read for our students across all year levels, who enjoy realistic fiction with relatable characters triumphing over struggle.

What a fantastic YA novel! I really enjoyed reading 100 Days of Sunlight and I can't wait to read Abbie Emmons' next book. The book focuses on Weston and Tessa and is told from both their perspectives. Tessa was recently in a car accident and is temporarily blind, while Weston lost his legs in an accident three years ago. It follows Weston as he encourages Tessa to focus on the senses she does have. The book shifts between the present and Weston's past as we learn why he had to get his legs amputated. I thought 100 Days of Sunlight was very well-written for a YA novel and the ending was perfection.

A sweet coming of age love story. Boy and girl meet, argue, make a friendship,, fallout and then fall in love. Both are living with a disability and there is a positive message about overcoming obstacles and seemingly insurmountable problems, whether physical or not, but both are also typical teens falling in love. The background characters show how important family love and support can be and help add to the readers understanding of Tessa and Weston. Small amount of swearing, but nothing most YA readers will not have heard before. A great friendship between Weston and his best friend, even if they do fight a lot. Would recommend to young people who likes books with a good girl/boy romance and feel good factor. A great summer read.

<i>I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. This has no way impacted my view.</i>

The blurb of this book sounded cool. Even though it's painfully heterosexual, I was approved (which I was stunned at) so I thought I'd give it a try.

16 year old Tessa has been in a car accident and she's temporarily blind (for about 12-14 weeks). Emphasis on the <i>temporarily</i>. While Tessa isn't 100% certain that her vision is ever going to return, she's told there is a good chance that it will. Spoiler: It does return.

Weston is a 16 year old boy who has no legs. He lost them at 13 from a daredevil accident that lead to infection and thus the loss of his legs. He decided that not having legs wasn't going to keep him from having his life, and doing what he wants. Which, props to him. He decides that he can <i>choose</i> to be happy – to deal with this loss and move on rather than let himself fall down in despair. And he decides this at 13 years of age. Which is a big thing imo.

Tessa also writes poetry, and we see snippets throughout the book, which bumps it up half a star for me. I do like some poetry.

A couple of weeks after the accident, Tessa’s grandparents (whom she lives with) decide that she needs to start writing her poetry again, and they put an advert into the local newspaper to get a girl around Tessa’s age to type up the poetry that Tessa can dictate to them. Upon finding out this is what her grandparents have planned, Tessa flies off the handle. She doesn’t want that – she says it’s humiliating. Her grandparents get the advert pulled before the paper goes to print.

But not before Weston discovers it (because his dad is conveniently the owner/editor of the newspaper). So Weston (creepily) decides to take it upon himself to show Tessa that her life, too, can carry on, even though she’s only temporarily blind.

She says no, he says yes, he stays, he gets his way by telling her “you need to write” and Tessa eventually gives in. Because that’s the message we keep sending teen girls – to give in when the guy demands things.

Moving on.

Weston has given Tessa’s grandparents explicit instructions to not tell Tessa that he has no legs. He likes that she’s judging him as a <i>person</i> rather than someone who is disabled. And I get that, I do.

Anyway. Tessa and Weston get closer. And this book is literally some pre-pubescent cis straight white girl’s dream because it’s so utterly plain.

Tess has little to no personality. I honestly don’t remember much about her other than she’s “gorgeous, blonde, has out of this world-blue eyes, and writes poetry”. None of those things, to me, are exactly exciting qualities. Except the poetry, that’s cool. Except it’s all boring white girl poetry with zero substance. Because Tessa is home-schooled and doesn’t really interact with the outside world, and only goes outside to go to church because her grandfather is the pastor.

Weston, thankfully, had more of a personality. You could see his drive from the start (even if it was creepy), but he actually felt like a person. Tessa could’ve easily been replaced with a hundred other white girls and it would’ve read the exact same. There was no substance to her. But Weston there was substance, which is cool. Because guys need to have substance. Even though he just loved to physically fight his best friend at any given opportunity. Still don’t get what <i>that’s</i> about, but whatever.

Anyway. This book was clearly not for me. There will be other people out there who will no doubt enjoy it, and if they do, then that’s awesome, that’s the book’s intention.

It was just very, very, <i>very</i> not for me.

2/5 stars.

This was a cute and unique story. I appreciated the diversity in having two main characters with disabilities. While I did have a few issues with the story, including the rushed ending and Weston's behavior at times, I found it to be an engaging and sweet read.

This book was a little vanilla for me. I guess I’m not sure what kind of YA I like because I don’t like super mature or sexual themes for teens, but fluffy teen romance is a little silly.
This book was well-written, though. Tessa and her grandparents were sweet characters. I didn’t love Weston’s story-line, just because I felt like his adrenaline addiction as a teen was a bit much and his parents really needed to care more about that. The disabilities addressed are a unique addition. No major complaints, I suppose.
It would definitely be a great fit for certain groups of teens. Growing up in a conservative, Christian community, this book would be a major hit. I think parents would definitely support their children reading this one.

Let me start this review by saying that I don’t usually read this type of genre. It’s contemporary. I like to refer to it as “slice of life” though. I am very much a science fiction, fantasy, mystery, adventure reader. I very rarely stray from those books.

However, I do occasionally pick up a contemporary novel when my palette has become too cluttered with dark tales and I need a little pick me up. This is one reason why I read this book. The other is because I wanted to support a very good friend/indie author.

100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT is the perfect novel to cleanse your palette. It’s cute, fun, and light with deep moments in it that really make you think. It made me appreciate my life and the world because not everyone is so lucky. It’s a very good reminder to be thankful for what you have. There are also tons of moments that will have you smiling and laughing.

While the storyline hooked me, the characters made me stay until the end. I adored Tessa. I would react exactly as she had. She was so angry at the world, and I totally understood why and didn’t blame her one bit. Weston is the most patient person in the world and reminded me of a certain someone I hold very dear to my heart. No matter how often Tessa yelled at him, he stayed with her and helped her. These are real people going through real things. I loved that.

100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT was beautifully written too. I know Abbie writes a lot of poetry and you can see that in this novel. I think it added to the lightness of the book. I 100% recommend 100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT, even if it’s not your usual genre. I don’t think you’ll regret reading it.

4.5 Stars

100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons is a story that is uplifting, emotional, and amusing at the same time. The plot is compelling, and it is so far from the clichéd story I had a feeling would arise. The main characters are also complex and charming, and I especially loved Weston. This book surpassed my expectations, and I would definitely recommend it.

This book tells the story of a poetry blogger who loses her sight after a car accident. Her grandparents place an ad in the newspaper looking for someone to help Tessa transcribe her work and are introduced to Weston, a boy with no legs who believes he can help her. However, he has one condition: no one can tell Tessa about his legs. I found this book so inspiring as it demonstrates positivity in the face of hardship. There is a nice balance of lightness and seriousness, and the fact that Tessa doesn’t know anything about Weston’s own disability makes the story ironic and entertaining but also suspenseful as she gets closer and closer to seeing again without knowing the truth. This also makes the story more romantic as it is clear that their relationship is deeper than physical attraction. Overall, I found this to be a strong contemporary that is meaningful.

❀ LOVABLE CHARACTERS

The characters in this book are so lovable, especially Weston. He has such a positive outlook on life and decides that he will not allow his disability to define him but instead make him stronger. He is incredibly patient even as Tessa kicks him out time and time again, and I loved his determination to make a difference in her life despite being a total stranger. I enjoyed the moments when Weston would makes jokes and mess around with people concerning his leg, as this brings humour to the book and the reactions of the overdramatic complainers he outwits are priceless. Tessa is an equally interesting character, and her transformation is empowering. She is understandably upset at the world, but when Weston comes into her life, she starts to open up and have fun again. She is very well-developed, and while I couldn’t really relate to her, it is easy to sympathize with her.

❀ MEMORABLE STORY

100 Days of Sunlight is a memorable story of growth and positivity. I loved the concept and the anticipation that comes as Tessa gets closer to regaining her sight and thus learning Weston’s secret. The main characters are also dynamic and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this one as its message and emotional appeal make it worth the read.

At first I couldn't get into this book, I'm not sure if it was because of Tessa, the confusion plot line, or the fact that her vision may never return. I don't think it helped I was also watching a movie on the same day where the main character was called Tessa! Anyway, back to what I thought of it.

Whilst reading it, I felt vibes like other sad YA medical problem books: The Fault in our Stars and Five Feet Apart (only two I've read, I'm sure there is others!) and I must say I prefer 100 days of sunlight to TFIOS. Reading how Tessa felt and all of her poems she uploads has made me want to go read/write poetry!. I also loved reading Weston's past story and how he also got his injury and can he ever accept it?

If you love a YA book, two poorly teenagers trying not to fall in love, and from hating each to becoming friends. This is the book for you!

I love, love, LOVE this book!! Of course, I expected to like it (I absolutely love all of Abbie's content <3). What I wasn't expecting was how much I related to both Tessa and Weston, at the same time, on the same level, but for very different reasons. In fact, all her characters (even the side ones) felt really fleshed out and their roles intentional.

In terms of plot, it was predictable and cliche (I could see the ending coming a mile away), but that almost enhanced the enjoyment of it, because it left more room to explore the characters and their internal growths. The only thing I would warn to readers about is this: if you hate overly optimistic characters and a sunshiny view on life, then this isn't a book for you.

But if you love warm, heart-felt, cutesy and light romances that makes you smile despite yourself, I would 10/10 recommend!

Such a sweet read! I read this book over the course of a day, and I would definitely recommend this to an adult looking for a quick pick-me-up or a young reader looking for an original tale of personal challenges and feel-good endings.
100 Days of Sunlight was a unique story of two young adults finding their way through life and discovering first love. Emmons did a fantastic job weaving the story together. The characters had depth - from fear and anxiety to joy and sass, the feelings were always palpable. I especially loved the boys portrayed in this book. The dialog between Weston and Rudy (best friend) as well as Weston and his brothers were both realistic and heart-felt.
Definitely liked the book, and will recommend it to the young readers at my library.
I also want to shout out the amazing cover! Super fun and eye-catching!

What a sweet and touching story!

Both Tessa and Weston had their lives turned upside down with unfortunate accidents, but each dealt with their situation in much different ways. Tessa was angry and chose to isolate herself, while Weston had decided to not let his disability limit him. When Weston learned of Tessa's situation, he wanted to be a positive force for her, and help her see that although she did lose her sight, she didn't lose everything.

Alright, I will admit, that Weston's motives weren't purely altruistic. He did really want to help Tessa, but he also wanted to be around someone, who saw beyond his disability. He was tired of being pitied, and wanted to be treated the same as everyone else. He found that with Tessa. And, although she didn't know it, Tessa had someone by her side, who could related to her situation. I saw this set up as a win-win for both characters, and thought Emmons did a beautiful job taking us on this journey.

Reading about Weston's accident and everything he did to regain as much of his life as he could made me really love him. His positivity and drive was moving, and I just found him to be a wonderful person. But, he was also very real. He made mistakes, he made bad choices, and he had to live with the repercussions. However, he was good friend, a fantastic big brother, and a loving son. All his good qualities outweighed his bad ones and endeared him to me.

I thought the structure of the book worked really well, too. There were five sections for the five senses, which alternated between Tessa and Westons points of view. I always like being in the characters' heads, and therefore, appreciated the dual POVs. But, I also liked the flashbacks. We slowly learned the full story behind Weston's amputation and recovery, and it helped me really understand Weston and his motivations.

I am a sucker for strong family ties, and Emmons gave us two incredible families in this story. Tessa was being raised by her grandparents, who were so loving and wonderful. Their affection for Tessa was apparent, but they were also very patient with her during this difficult time. They gave her space to come to terms with her situation, but also gently nudged her when necessary. And, Weston's family was really, really lovely. The bond between him and his brothers was something to envy. Their love was obvious in everything they did for each other, and I adored all the scenes they shared with each other.

Overall: This was a beautiful story of friendship, family, healing, acceptance, and facing adversity. It made me laugh and cry and smile and swoon, and it left me with a heart full of hope. What more could I ask for?

I don’t usually read contemporary romance, but hey, summer’s the time for branching out, right? And I’m glad I did! This book was a fun, fairly quick read that left me with all the warm and fuzzy feelings afterward. It reminds me of Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist, but it’s told through 2 POVs instead of just one.

My favs:

all the adorable not-dates
that COVER ❤
the timeline strategy of the POVs
Some not-so-favs:

all the cursing
Weston was too perfect??
the faith element
Okay, so let me elaborate on some of my quibbles with this one. First, I had no clue that there would be so much cursing from the male protag? I really wish it had been kept out of the book entirely.

Second, as much as I love Weston…he just felt too perfect, ya know? Especially with his emotional arc throughout the story. I felt like his story didn’t really need Tessa, even if Tessa’s needed him–almost like his story had already been wrapped up before he ever met Tessa. I kinda wish they’d had more emotional angst together, instead of walking through most of it separately.

Last, I guess I expected more from the faith-side of the story. (Disclaimer: I have no idea where the author is at belief-wise–I’m just going off of what was represented in the story.) While Tessa’s grandfather was a pastor of a church, and they mentioned reading Scripture together, going to church, and even part of a sermon, I never really felt like it influenced Tessa personally. It seemed like that was just something they did, rather than something they believed. That really disappointed me–I would’ve loved to see a Tessa that wrestled with the spiritual struggle of trusting through her trials, and having faith despite not having all the answers. Same thing for Weston–it’s hinted at in the story that he comes from a Jewish background, but it doesn’t seem to have any bearing on how he lives his life.

Anyhoo, while I didn’t love this story as much as I loved its cover (story of my life, tbh), it was still a fun read! Fans of Kasie West and Josh Sundquist should definitely give this one a try.

Content warnings: frequent strong language, PTSD triggers/trauma, harassment against a female, and light kissing.

For more reviews, check out my blog at gabriellenblog.wordpress.com!

A charming YA tale, 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons is the story of teenage blogger Tessa who temporarily loses her sight following a car accident. Struggling to adjust to her new circumstances she turns away from the poetry and blogging which were a huge part of her life, and holes herself away in her room.. When her worried grandparents come up with the bright idea of hiring someone to help her type her blog etc, a twist of fate brings Weston Ludovico to the family's front door. Weston might be the perfect person to understand the fear and frustration that Tessa is feeling, he is a double amputee who lost both legs at the age of thirteen and had to do a lot of soul searching of his own to come to terms with his new reality. While Tessa is initially resistant to the idea, Weston is determined to help her find the beauty all around her and help her to realise that losing her sight temporarily is not the end of her world. Weston meanwhile is enjoying being treated just like everyone else and not a sob story and is determined that Tessa will never find out about his disability. As the teens spend more time together they inevitably become closer, but as Tessa's sight starts to return, Weston must face a tough decision, and risks losing her either way.
I'm not always a fan of contemporary YA romance, but this book is so sweet and charming that I could not resist. I loved the strong and funny character of Weston and found his backstory both tragic and compelling The slow build of the relationship between Weston and Tessa was very enjoyable, and seeing Tessa lose some of her initial stiffness and reserve was fun. If I had to pick a fault it is that it was all just a little too syrupy here and there, and Tessa's recovery felt a little rushed and a little too on the nose at day 100 but that is a minor complaint about what was overall a very enjoyable book. I also have to say that the cover is so beautiful and eye catching, and perfect for the book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher,all opinions are my own.

I loved the representation in this book. The main character was interesting and I loved that she was a blogger who wrote poetry. I thought it was really cute but I hated the deceipt by both the love interest and the grandmother, I didn't feel that this was a good message for a YA book.

I have to admit, I missed the fact that this was YA until I started reading. It didn't affect me enjoyment of it at all though, as it was still really engaging, and the plot and tone didn't feel in any way juvenile.

Emmons managed to perfectly capture what it is so struggle, to have difficulty in your life and to attempt to overcome it whilst also maintaining positivity. It was a beautiful, engaging and interesting novel that I absolutely devoured in less than a day.

I can honestly say I will never forget the beauty of this story, or how it made me feel. I hope to live by its message forever

2.75/5
Disclaimer: I don't know the author. I went into her goodreads profile to see if she was an ownvoices author and found out she has a booktube channel, which I honestly hadn't heard of before. I don't know her as a person and none of these opinions have anything to do with her.

I didn't have one big issue with this book, I don't think it's necessarily problematic (I wanted to read OV review but I couldn't find one) but a few things didn't sit right with me.

First of all, the writing felt too childish, like it didn't belong to a 16yo. The MC has a poetry blog that's kind of popular? but it doesn't reflect on her day-to-day speech. Not that I was looking for a lyrical writing style or anything, but there were some uncommon words that she used pretty regularly on her poetry and it didn't reflect on the way she talked. And it felt like she didn't have the emotional intelligence that writing so much poetry would bring. The LI had a lot of chapters that were set three years in the past, when he was 13, and he didn't evolve even one bit since then. He's less of an asshole, I guess, but he spoke exactly the same and the rest of his personality didn't change much, and it's weird bc early adolescence is a time of MANY changes, and we don't get to see that.

The love interest makes the MC be interested in him by going to her house over and over again, even after she's told him not to many times. And the girl's grandparents help him. Even though it all went well in the end, I don't think that's the right path to make two characters like each other.

The story went by too fast, too. The MC is blind for 100ish days, and that's a lot of time and we would've had to feel the despair and fear the MC felt for that time. We get told she's angry and bored and scared and dizzy a lot of times, but we don't really feel the time pass, if that makes sense. The story begins and ends and that's kind of it. I can't say yet if the story is forgettable bc I finished it this evening, but I can already tell it hasn't left much of a mark on me.

I really liked how the story incorporated social media, you can really tell the author is young enough to know what she's talking about. It was very organic, and I wish it had played a bigger part in the story.