100 Days of Sunlight
100 Days of Sunlight book cover

100 Days of Sunlight

Paperback – Illustrated, August 7, 2019

by
Price
$12.69
Format
Paperback
Pages
326
Publisher
Abbie Emmons
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1733973311
Dimensions
5.51 x 0.73 x 8.27 inches
Weight
3.53 ounces

Description

"Abbie is able to craft such a raw and emotional and beautiful story. I was hooked and entranced the whole way through. A glorious story of love, healing, and punching Life in the face. Such a sweet summery read." -Jenna Terese, author of Ignite duology"Looking at this cover and the description, you might think 100 Days of Sunlight is a simple, fluffy, contemporary romance. Ha! No, this is a deep book about standing up when life knocks you down, and never giving up even when it seems like there's nothing else to do. This book is amazing. Five shiny stars." -Brooke Riley, author of How We Rise trilogy"This book is wonderful and necessary and its own ray of sunlight." -Abigayle Claire, author of Martin Hospitality"I was mindblowingly moved by this debut story and just want to go out and be a ray of sunlight for someone else... 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." -Laura Grace, author of Dear Author: Letters from a Bookish Fangirl"I read this whole book in about four hours, and I can honestly say that it's one of the best indie book I've ever read. ... I found myself both laughing out loud and getting a little teary while I read it. Go support Abbie Emmons because she is amazing, her advice is amazing, her book is amazing. And that's not praise I give lightly." -Millie Florence, author of Honey Butter"This is a cute YA romance with relatable characters and a setting so vivid, it practically jumped off the page. ... This is a great read for anyone who enjoys John Green or Morgan Matson!" -Olivia Smit, author of Seeing Voices EXCERPT: WESTON:xa0"You can go up now," Mrs. Dickinson says when she returns to the kitchen. "But I have to warn you--she's not in a very good mood."I shrug. "That's understandable."The way Mrs. Dickinson says it makes me think I should be somewhat afraid of this Tessa girl. Or maybe she just thinks that her granddaughter will bite my head off.Either way, I'm intrigued.Mrs. Dickinson leads the way up a flight of stairs (which she seems surprised I have no problem with) and stops at the first door on the left. It's open a crack, and white light spills out onto the floor."I'll wait out here," Mrs. Dickinson says, nodding for me to go inside.I don't hesitate or even prepare a speech. I just open the door and step through.Tessa's bedroom looks like something from a home decorating magazine. Everything is white and organized: no clothes lying around, no evidence that anything about her life is out of the ordinary.She's standing at a window, with her back to me. Sweatpants, T-shirt, messy golden hair. She just stands there, silent and still.Never mind.I don't know what to say.I don't know what to do.This was a stupid idea."Hi, Tessa," I start off, sounding just as unsure as I feel. "It's... good to meet you. I'm Weston."She doesn't speak. She doesn't move."Your grandmother was just telling me about the accident and what happened to you." I pause, not because I should, but because I sense that feeling in the air again--even denser in this room. Despair. "It sucks."Tessa exhales a sharp, sarcastic laugh. That one little sound tells me a lot about her. And then, after a few seconds, she speaks."Listen," she begins, still facing the window. "I don't care what my grandmother told you. I don't want help. I don't need help. And I certainly don't need you.""I know. I know you don't need me. But you need to write."She shakes her head, rigid and sure of herself."Tessa... I know this must be hard for you--""You don't know anything !" she explodes, spinning around to face me. "You don't know anything about me!"For a moment, I'm speechless.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."Are you blind, Weston?" Tessa screams. Her eyes are filled with tears, and the tears are spilling down her face."I said are you blind ?!""No," I reply, my voice not much louder than a whisper."So you have no idea what this is like, do you?"She's looking at me. And she can't see me. She can't see This."DO YOU?"I shake my head slowly, feeling like the ability to speak has been knocked out of me by a hurricane called Tessa. "No.""Then don't you dare tell me you understand." Tessa finally lowers her voice a little, but the tears keep coming. "You understand nothing. Now get out of my house and don't come back. The position is no longer open--it was never even open to begin with. It was impertinent of you to come here."Impertinent, huh?So she's stubborn. She's rude. She's a spitfire wallflower who lost her sight and now hates anyone who tries to help her.Game on."With all due respect, miss, this isn't your house. This is your grandparents' house. And as long as they're okay with it, I will come back. Tomorrow."For a moment she just stands there, gaping and covered in tears. She looks shocked--maybe even horrified.I wait for another explosion.And sure enough, it comes."How dare you! I refuse to be treated like this. I don't want to see you--" she freezes suddenly, noticing her choice of words "--I don't want to talk to you, I don't want you talking to me. Just leave and don't come back!"A silence settles between us, much longer than five seconds. We both stand our ground, too stubborn to back down.After a moment, I decide it's time to leave. We're not getting anywhere.Not today, at least."Goodbye, Tessa."She doesn't respond. She just stands there, trying to catch her breath.I leave the room and shut the door behind me.Mrs. Dickinson is waiting in the upstairs hallway. She, along with the rest of the neighborhood, must have heard our entire conversation. She looks concerned--and maybe a little embarrassed--but doesn't say a word until we are back downstairs in the kitchen."I'm so sorry for Tessa's behavior--""Don't apologize," I interrupt, shaking my head. "I actually kind of enjoyed it."Mrs. Dickinson's eyebrows lift. She looks concerned for my psychiatric health."She's not angry," I explain, though it sounds crazy. "She's scared. That's why she's so upset. It's not about me or you or anyone else. It's about her." I stop myself and laugh because that probably sounded ridiculous. "I'm not usually this philosophical."Mrs. Dickinson smiles, that same gentle sadness in her eyes. I wonder if it ever goes away. "In any case, there is no excuse for the way she treated you just now.""Don't worry about it," I insist. "Would it be okay with you if I come back tomorrow?"She looks surprised. "If you want to...""Of course I want to."Mrs. Dickinson purses her lips and says, "Tessa never would have been so rude if she knew about--""I don't want her to know about it." I try my best not to look desperate. "It'll only make things worse if she knows. Besides, no one has ever seen the light by being told there are darker places out there."Mrs. Dickinson gives me a puzzled smile."It's nice to know there's at least one person in the world who doesn't feel bad for me." I grin and head for the front door. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Dickinson." 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 Abbie 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) just type her name into YouTube and search. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • 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 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.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(1.1K)
★★★★
25%
(460)
★★★
15%
(276)
★★
7%
(129)
★
-7%
(-129)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Zero stars, please

If you are not a sailor, than this book is not for you.
I bought this book with high hopes. 100 Days of Sunlight has great reviews that praise it, exclaiming over how clean the novel is.
I was so excited for this book!!! You can only imagine my disappointment when I read the first quarter of the book.
Middle schoolers were saying the s-word, the a-word, and hell. All three of these were said, I can’t even count how many times.
One kid even dropped, and and I quote, “the f-bomb”.
Extremely disappointed. Will be returning.
58 people found this helpful
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Not a new favorite, but I enjoyed it. I am excited to follow her author career.

I found Abbie Emmons through YouTube, where she breaks down stories and how to write them well. I really admire her YouTube channel and her way of being able to break down stories in a way I never would have thought to do it. But this isn't a review of her YouTube channel, so anyways...
All in all, I enjoyed 100 Days of Sunlight but some things did slightly disappoint me. The way Abbie explains and breaks down stories in her YouTube channel, I expected to be completely blown away by her book. When I wasn't... I decided I had unfair expectations of her. So I tried to reorganize them in a more realistic way.
Maybe this is a sign that I'm getting old, but I think that it is a little unrealistic to 16 year old's to fall in love. Not that they can't, but.... and it isn't just "I really like them" but when they have this undying devotion to each other? It seems a little weird to me, honestly. In that way I felt like the characters could have been/should have been older. (I really feel like she could have changed the ages to 18/19 and told the same story and I would have felt like it was a little more realistic).
Another thing that kind of bothered me a little was how God and Christianity were kind of just.... passed by. Tessa's grandfather is a pastor but other than that we don't really hear any more about it. She goes to church, but she doesn't turn to God during this time, it's not even a story of her blaming God and realizing that He had a plan all along. God really didn't play a part in it, and I feel like if Abbie Emmons was going to leave Him out of her story- she should have left Him out completely and not partially included and partially ignored Him in the story. I just feel like the story could have become a lot more meaningful and deeper if God was included more, but the way God was slightly included kind of made me feel like, "God can't handle this" like God is a part time God...
There was also some language in the story that I thought was unnecessary (I mean, I usually do). I feel like sometimes authors are like, "Well... kids these days swear right?" and that's all the thought they put into it. The swearing seemed repetitive to me, and I honestly felt like it didn't fit even grammatically, it just seemed clunky and awkward to me.
I do have to say, though, that once I got into the story a few chapters I did not want to stop reading. This definitely isn't a suspenseful book so it wasn't because I needed to figure out who the killer was or anything, I just really wanted to know how the book ended. (I suspect this is part of the brilliant-ness I see on Abbie's YouTube channel, and I applaud her talent for this).
So while this book isn't a new favorite, overall I did enjoy it, and I am looking forward to reading her next book. And the one after that ;)
All in all, I would give 100 Days of Sunlight 3 out of 5 stars.
47 people found this helpful
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*heart eyes*

I ADORE this book. *all the heart eyes*

First off, I so appreciate the disability rep. Abbie did an awesome job with it, going much deeper than the struggles of looking different to the emotional difficulties of disability. I know how difficult it can be to write about a blind character, and Abbie did a phenomenal job. Tessa and Weston are such sweet characters, but honestly, every single character felt real and alive and fully fleshed-out. I feel like I know them all. Weston's younger brothers are SO adorable!

A lot of people have mentioned the swearing in this book. While the "bad words" didn't bother me much, I think what seemed odd was the age of the characters and how often they swore. It's little weird for 13-14 year olds to be swearing that much. However, had the characters been 3 years older, it wouldn't have seemed so out of place. I was more surprised by the age of the characters swearing rather than the words themselves.

I'm so grateful to have this book on my shelf, and I can't wait to read it again sometime!!! Words I would use to describe it are sweet, sunshiny, and stinkin' adorable. I love how it doesn't gloss over the harsh reality of disability, but it also shows that there is so much more to life than our struggles.

Bravo, Abbie.
41 people found this helpful
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Bechdel Test fail- Completely tone deaf

So so disappointed.
Being honest it’s half a star.

I watch Abby on YouTube, enjoyed her content buy and read her book.

Please be aware that this might contain spoilers!

I was shocked at how tone deaf this was, at how it couldn’t even pass the Bechdel test, of at least two females talking to each other not about the love interest, and how out of touch with reality it is.
There are many concerns about the book:

First; Tessa is not the main character, it’s Weston. I had no idea what Tessa’s real personality was actually like since she was fiery like a volcano in some scenes and so shy and a total recluse in others. Nor did I understand her wants and her needs, nor the type of girl she was before the accident- (and surprise she had no personality before either because she is a writer/poet who stays in her perfect little world).
Weston in the other hand, had a lot-a lot of backstory, actual relationships with his family and friends. And hey more chemistry with the “clingy” girl Clara Hernandez than with Tessa.

Second- and this is coming from a Hispanic reader, and her “representation” of minorities both ethnic and religious was gross. Having described the quintessential latina as a curly dark hair and dark eyed girl, don’t forget with the totally common name “Clara Hernandez”. She then proceeded to make her clingy, and annoying, because she liked Weston, and was willing to stick with him. According to Weston she only stuck around so she wouldn’t look bad to the rest of their peers, but her actually visiting him in the rehab center had the underlying strength of character. And again this is all Weston’s POV not an actual conversation.
Yet she had to be completely different from perfect, sweet, blond-blue eye Tessa (and oh god how many times does it have to be repeated), who was the perfect match for blond-grey-blue eyed Weston

Third: what is the deal with their Doctor hate? Is this an Abby thing? Does she hate modern medicine and thinks all the doctors are evil and don’t know what they are talking about? Like chill we get it, they are human and prone to mistakes, which hurt since it deals with loved ones. But this is their job, and Tessa is not the first to have been given such a diagnosis, yet she acts like the specialist don’t know what they are talking about? And with Weston-no matter what you have to tell your doctors how you got hurt, that negligence was parental.

Fourth: I’m so sorry but it has to be said; you can tell Abby was homeschooled and has never stepped foot outside her community or worked with a large variety of people. Oh and all this relates only to Weston. Public school kids do not beat each other up in senseless fights…that was like super awkward and weird reading. Like middle school boys are into games, video games sports etc. Also at 13, you are more concerned about high school, and graduating 8th grade them some random, newly transferred kid, and the stupid stunts he does/did. Like is this what small town America like?

Fifth: what’s the deal with the college comment and the untold Mother story. The fact that her mother had been a “good Christian girl” (like Tessa) before going to college and then became “wild”. I actually laughed out loud here. This was just ridiculous, but it would have made Tessa a heck more interesting if she had feelings towards this mother, and the subsequent abandonment. Which was also iffy, on the grandparents part.

And lastly; her deal with God.
-
However the one good point was that she had some technique.

But it’s very true what they say; you leave a part of yourself in every story you write. And i was given a huge insight to Abby, so much so that I can’t help but wonder if she how much she would benefit is she stepped out of her world and experienced reality like Tessa.

Also I would like my money back. This book is so not worth what I spent, and I would honestly toss it.
24 people found this helpful
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5 Stars! WOW!

OMG, 100 Days of Sunlight knocked The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue out of my #1 read for this year. Though we still have plenty of time left in 2021, I was not expecting this when I started reading this book: It made me cry! Addie LaRue came very close, but this one did it to me! I have had this book since the beginning of the year and was able to get it read for June’s prompt for #Diverseathon, which is a main character that is disabled. In fact, in 100 Days we get both characters with a disability: One whose blindness should go away and another who lost his legs.

100 Days deals with grief through loss, acceptance, recovery, hope, and multiple types of love. Both Tessa and Weston are our narrators and the book takes place in present day and also Weston’s past with him losing his legs. At the beginning of the novel Tessa has already been blind for 21 days and she is an angry and scared girl. Her sight is supposed to return around 12-14 weeks which is 98 days, but what if it doesn’t? She is also dealing with her loss of independence. She is a poetry blogger, but how is she to continue when she can’t see? Her grandparents try to help by placing an ad in the paper for help and in the picture comes Weston. He asks Tessa’s grandparents not to tell Tessa about his missing legs and Tessa treats him as anyone else: terribly.

Over time the two connect and grow close. Both are determined, yet stubborn and also scared. Weston is conflicted: Should he tell Tessa about his lack of legs and be treated differently once her sight returns or vanish from her life afterwards?

OMG, I had so many emotions reading 100 Days. Weston took so much from “Angry Tessa” but he understood her feelings. Over the course of the novel you really grow to care about both characters and want a happy ending, but not sure what will happen. And I totally started crushing on Weston- I have a book boyfriend! I don’t think I have been able to say that for a long time.

I absolutely loved this novel, and it is a debut novel by indie author Abbie Emmons. And the cover is just gorgeous! Every object shown on the cover has a meaning that we see over the course of the novel.

This novel would work for those ages 12 and up and is on the mild side of language and thematic elements.

100 Days of Sunlight is 1000% recommended!
21 people found this helpful
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Abbie’s Ode to her Imaginary Boyfriend

I was disappointed with this book, especially after following Abbie’s YouTube channel for so long.

1. 100 days of sunlight is the product of thinking you are so talented that you cannot do wrong and of being surrounded by Yes-men, who don’t provide any constructive criticism. Abbie’s attempt at inclusivity fell at best tone-deaf and at worst racist.

2. It was cliched and had overused tropes that elicit an eye roll every turn of the road. Two 16-year olds running around in a Target? Only in cringe movies and in this book. Maybe Abbie is banking on this book being made into a movie? “Sigh”

3. A 16-year old boy making waffles from scratch. In a strangers home? Only in Abbie’s homeschooled imagination.

4. How many times does this book have to mention blonde hair and blue eyes? We get it! Abbie, is proud about those features, but it’s a little too much when we’re beat on the head with it throughout the book.

5. Tessa is a Mary Sue. Plain and simple. Abbie couldn’t resist or even try to gloss over the fact that she is in-fact Tessa Dickinson. Homeschooled, writer, type A personality, blonde and blue eyed…

5. Tessa is not the main character. Weston is. And with that it’s a poorly covered image of Abbie’s imaginary boyfriend.

6. Clearly a real editor didn’t read this book. It is filled with so many unnecessary repeat phrases. Which, instead of portraying the sentiment the character is experiencing, they serve to rip the reader out of the story. They’re more of a distraction than good writing.

Simply put, this book fell flat.
15 people found this helpful
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disappointing

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

2.5

100 Days of Sunlight is a cute book that made me smile and feel the sunshine a little extra on my skin. I’ve been on a string of really good contemporary novels lately (shoutout to my girl Kasie West, and I was sure that 100 Days would continue that streak. I loved the story as described through the synopsis, and I always like to support people in the blog/vlog community. However, I have a lot of qualms about the story, characters, and writing that took away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

I’m a little convinced that Abbie Emmons has been stalking me, or my high school self anyway. In high school, I was homeschooled, Christian, bookish, lived with other relatives instead of my parents from a young age, and ran a blog in my spare time. I should have related a lot to the main character, Tessa, but the sentence above pretty much describes everything we know about Tessa, besides the recent turn of events that rendered her blind. I never got a sense for who she was as a person. Her character was mainly defined by her reactions to Weston. We got tiny insights into her personality when she’s talking with her online friends through chat, but there were so many missed opportunities to go beneath the surface. I felt like more could have been explored concerning Tessa’s parents and her feelings about them, her relationship with her grandparents, even her faith and how it is affected by this period in her life, but everything stayed surface-level. Also, I cringe when I read books about homeschooled teens who don’t have deep friendships with other teens face-to-face. I’m all for connecting with friends over the internet, but sometimes you actually need to be with friends, physically, and I don’t care for the stereotype perpetuated here that homeschoolers don’t have friends outside of the digital world. Also that Christian teens don't have "inappropriate" thoughts about boys.

The story gave a little more depth to Weston, mainly through his flashbacks to his injury. Weston’s story about how his disability began and how he coped with it was the part of the book where I began to be more pulled in - I wanted to know what happened and how he got to be the lil ray of sunshine that he was. Prior to the flashbacks, I thought Weston was annoying and creepy (how about not stalking someone to their home and then refusing to leave when asked, yeah?), but hearing more about his life, his friendship with Rudy, and his ADORABLE three little brothers was really interesting. However, at a certain point, his sections started to become more of a motivational speech (literally at one point) that teetered on the edge of being sanctimonious. This became even more evident when he monologues about how he needs to “save” Tessa, and show her how to stand up to Life, which is where his character got some points shaved off the cute guy total.

Getting past my initial dislike of the idea that Weston has decided to swoop in uninvited to show Tessa how to live, I really liked the way the book is divided into five senses - smell, hearing, taste, touch, and sight. I really think this book would make a great rom-com movie. The way Weston tries to make Tessa happy through showing her how to experience things through the senses she still has is truly sweet, and makes for some adorable moments. This is where the story really grew on me, namely when Weston and Tessa watch Tessa’s favorite movie - I’m leaving this intentionally vague so you can enjoy the sweetness yourself first.

I thought that the obstacle to Tessa and Weston being together was pretty artificial. I didn’t buy that Weston would be afraid of Tessa knowing about his disability and wish that this point had been built to more. Finally, there were some aspects of the writing that I found a bit juvenile and irritating, like Tessa’s poetry (unless it was intentionally cringe-y, because I too wrote poetry like that in high school…), and the tendency of the author to emphasize things by doing this: I am blind.
I
am
b l i n d.

In a nutshell, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, cute contemporary romance in the style of Me Before You or Five Feet Apart. I loved reading about Weston’s little brothers, Weston’s relationship with his best friend Rudy, and sweet portions of Tessa and Weston’s romance. I know that Abbie Emmons is a young indie author and that this is her debut novel, so I have high hopes that her next offerings will be more fleshed out and enjoyable. 100 Days of Sunlight is a great start.
12 people found this helpful
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Truly Amazing. Great story -- on the surface and below.

I chose this book because I have been using Abbiee Emmon's Youtube videos in my Creative Writing class (highly recommend these). I wanted to see if her own writing lived up to her blogging.

I was hooked from almost page one. It is a page turner, but not for the reasons books usually are. From the first two chapters I found myself eager to get to know the characters and their story.

I expected great conflict and characters because those were the topics of the videos I'd shown my students. What I didn't expect was such mature writing in a teen fiction book -- especially one by such a young and new author. Her brilliant use of dual narrators and flashback narration, uniting the past and present, made me as eager to glean the backstory, as well as immerse myself in the story. The story was also chock full of symbolism, themes and lovely imagery and figurative language.

The other aspect of this book that touched me was the incredible insight and philosophy woven into the story. Little pearls of wisdom rolled in when I didn't expect them -- and sometimes when I did. Through Tessa's blindness we learn to see the beauty of life and the world. I really appreciated this aspect of the book because I had been teaching my students about sensory writing and approaching a story through all 5 senses.

I've been wishing I had the budget to buy a class set of the book to use, not just as a mentor text for Creative Writing, but also as a lit text for American Literature. So much of what we read is "dusty" and my students can't really identify with the story or characters. This book would be great for them on the story level, but there is also a lot of "meat" there for analysis.

I highly recommend this book for teens and adults alike. Teachers, get this book!
7 people found this helpful
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A Clean, Fun Read

I've seen a few reviews about how everyone disliked Tessa, but I actually enjoyed Tessa's struggles. She has a very real and relatable character, and I loved that Abbie didn't make her perfect. Tessa hasn't exactly had an easy life- her mother isn't around a lot, and she doesn't even know anything about her father. Naturally, she is going to have some inner struggles, which is something that Abbie talks a lot about on her channel.
Additionally, a few reviews complained about Tessa and Winston's age, saying they weren't mature enough. I would argue that everyone is different, especially when it comes to the maturity of teenagers. I am 16 myself and I know some others my age that are nowhere near mature enough for this kind of love, but I know some that are perfectly mature for it. Not only that, but it's really up to the author to decide what the characters can and cannot handle. I know twenty-year-olds who could not handle a love like this, so who's to say what the true age is for falling in love?
All in all, this book is AMAZING and it is a unique, adorable story that really gives the reader something to think about. I'm homeschooled and it was so exciting to finally read a novel with a homeschooled protagonist. Abbie perfectly captured the homeschooled life (cheers for not making Tessa a socially awkward weirdo!). The sequel of this book incredible as well. Abbie is a talented, wise author who knows how to write realistic, beautiful characters and I can't wait to read her next book!!
6 people found this helpful
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Um... not quite..

I enjoy Emmons’ youtube channel and of course its what brought me to this book... I was particularity eager to see how she applies the tips she talks about... To be fair, this is her first novel and I'm sure she's still growing as an author.

I've got to be honest, I barely made it 1/3 through this book.. it just doesn't work for me.. to disclaim I'm not typically a "light romance" fan, but I wanted to see what Emmons put out here.

Pros: Emmons prose and dialog flows well. Easy to read and picture the scenes (I particularity like how she describes Tessa navigating herself around blind). I can feel the heart and good intentions in it. The poetry bits I got to were also impressive to me.

Cons: T-E-S-S-A . My god, I do not sympathize with this main character. I believe it's fine to have an MC start out "low" and then grow into someone better which I think was the intention.. but I didn't get ANY charming quality from her to help me stomach her flaws... It's not clear why she is the way she is. She starts out behaving so rudely and thinks she has a right to mistreat those around her because 'no one understands what it like' to be temporary blind and not blog for 3 months? I get that she's 16 and not yet mature but this girl was so melodramatic and self-centered my eyes rolled away whenever it was her chapter.

Oh Weston, I think he almost saves this story.. but unfortunately I got a bad taste in my mouth when they started "falling in love". I just don't really care for them as a couple. Personally because I don't see them as healthy. He's attracted to her because she's mean... And he doesn't respect her requests to be left alone.. So what I'm a rooting for? A dysfunctional couple?

Overall, I DO want to see more from Emmons. I wouldn't push anyone away from reading this book if they're interested. It's just an early career work in my mind perhaps...
6 people found this helpful

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