100 Days of Sunlight is a very sweet and light YA novel. I have not read this author before but I truly commend her abililty to capture such exquisite emotions, create completely realistic and relatable characters, and demonstrate an outstanding choice of plot and storyline! It was an easy read that was unputdownable, I was thoroughly immersed in this story and could not get enough of it. Definitely perfect material for a movie or even a mini-series.

100 Days of Sunlight was a beautiful book to read, I loved every minute of it. I also loved every single one of the characters, even Tessa’s online Instagram friends. I could relate to this book on a personal level since I have a hearing disability, and I still loved the book.

I liked how Weston was simply there for Tessa, even when she came up with that poem that basically told him to go away. I can understand why he wanted to hide his disability from her. It would be nice to have that one person to see you for who you are. The whole plot just came together perfectly. I wish I had this book when I was in high school, it’s definitely something that the young adult crowd would need to read.

Everything about this book was simply beautiful. I definitely would recommend reading it at about any time. I loved the cover too! It is so pretty! The book is a five star read. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for letting me read this book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

OMG...the 🅵🅴🅴🅻🆂 😭 YA romance isn't 𝓾𝓼𝓾𝓪𝓵𝓵𝔂 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 ₳ĐØⱤɆĐ this book. 💕 It was well 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟. 👍 Well ƤÃČẸĎ. 👍 The plot was ⓔⓝⓖⓐⓖⓘⓝⓖ. 👀 It was s♥w♥e♥e♥t. 💘 It was 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓫𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰. 💔 It was 𝖈𝖚𝖙𝖊. 💝 🆃🅴🆂🆂🅰 was a likable heroine 👧...

I loved the sεcση∂αяү cнαяαcтεяs (especially Rudy). 👊 However, the real 🌟 of this book was 🆆🅴🆂🆃🅾🅽 and his backstory. 🌟 I 𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓾𝓹 SO many times. 😭 He just owned my 🅗🅔🅐🅡🅣 with his strength. 💪 His sᴡᴇᴇᴛɴᴇss. 🍭 His ĦỮΜØŘ. 😄 His ĶĨŃĎŃĔŚŚ. 💓 His 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖. 💯 Gaaah...I loved (almost) ⓔⓥⓔⓡⓨⓣⓗⓘⓝⓖ about this book. 🌼 The only 🆃🅸🅽🆈 🅽🅸🅶🅶🅻🅴 I had with it was the ending was very ₳฿ⱤɄ₱₮. 😪 I would have liked at the very least an 𝓮𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓰𝓾𝓮 of some sort. 🔮 Still, that was just a 🅜🅘🅝🅞🅡 🅘🅢🅢🅤🅔, and yours truly is giving this book, two 🅷🆄🅶🅴 thumbs up. 👍👍

I was provided with an ARC given to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

As soon as I saw the cover for 100 Days of Sunlight, I fell in love. The cover is bright, beautiful and looks very inviting. It is definitely what made me curious. The blurb also sounded very intriguing. I feel like representation is very important, and seeing as this book has disability-rep made me feel very glad, because to be honest, I feel like there aren't many books that have characters with disabilities, at least main characters.

100 Days of Sunlight tells the story of Tessa Dickinson, a sixteen year old girl who get's into a car accident and loses her sight for 100 days. As Tessa is a blogger, she is suddenly unable to fullfill her passion so her grandparents place an ad in the newspaper hoping for someone to help their granddaughter with her blog and poetry... which is how we meet Weston.

Without getting into spoilers that much, I absolutely loved how Weston was portrayed. Weston's disability story was unusual - to me at least - and I found his story touching and his optimism was inspiring. Other reviewers have said that his optimism, or the story in general, is a little cheesy and definitely a 'message-story', but I feel like I didn't mind that at all. Sometimes it's totally okay for a story to be a little cheesy and inspiring. Even though the 'learn the lesson'-part was spread on a bit thick, I didn't mind it too much. Weston's journey, but also Tessa's journey, as they navigate how to move on and learn to accept their disability, was inspiring and touching. Their relationship was the heart of this book, but most importantly, these two characters made the book work incredibly well.

The one thing I feel like could have been better was the way in which their stories were handled. In a way, it was good enough because the focus of the book was on their journeys, but I feel as if the author could have explored their struggle - especially Weston's - a little more in depth. I would have liked a longer book, is what you can draw from this! Also in relation to the side characters - I know the focus lay especially on Tessa and Weston, but I would have liked to see just a little bit more from Weston's brothers and Tessa's grandparents. I feel like relationships are brushed over a little bit because they weren't the main focus, but I especially would have liked to explore Tessa's relationship to her mom a little bit more, because it seemed very strained and complicated. I also think that Weston's motivation for wanting to help Tessa was a bit out-of-nowhere and felt unrealistic. It was more like a plot-device to bring two characters together than anything else.

However, I really enjoyed this book. Even though the beginning felt a little off and I would have liked to see more in-depth exploration of these two characters, I feel as though the author did a great job of creating a heartfelt book about two unusual characters who share an unforseen connection. Tessa and Weston are definitely the two things that make this book shine and to read about their journey was emotional and inspiring. To sum it all up: I really enjoyed this book and will probably read the next book the author puts out! Even though there were a few bits I didn't like or feel as though could have been better, I still reward this book with 4 stars.

ESP (ENG below)
Este es el primer libro en inglés que leo este año y el segundo creo que en toda mi vida (sin contar los del colegio) después de "Las crónicas de Narnia: el león, la bruja y el armario" y he de decir que ha sido una experiencia maravillosa, me ha resultado bastante fácil de leer, sobre todo con la ayuda del traductor del Kindle Paperwhite.
El estilo de Abbie está totalmente en sintonía con el carácter de la historia y de los personajes, es sencillo, directo, con frases cortas y algunas palabras en cursiva o en forma vertical para otorgarles más énfasis. Por ese lado me ha encantado porque el modo de narrar la historia te pone ya en contexto.
En cuanto a la trama, me ha encantado. Nuestros protagonistas son Tessa y Weston, Tessa se ha quedado ciega temporalmente debido a un accidente de tráfico y a Weston le tuvieron que amputar las dos piernas cuando tenía 13 años. Sus vidas se cruzan cuando los abuelos de Tessa quieren publicar un anuncio en el periódico que lleva el padre de Weston buscando a alguien que pueda teclear los poemas que ella escribe en su blog, responder los comentarios de los posts, etc. Y a partir de esta premisa de Weston ayudando a Tessa se desarrolla el resto de la historia.
Este es un libro coral donde los protagonistas se intercalan la narración de los capítulos que, además, están divididos en cinco partes que tendréis que descubrir vosotros. De esta manera vemos la evolución de Tessa, cómo lidia con su nueva situación (la negación, el enfado, la ira, el pesimismo, la aceptación, el optimismo, etc.) y cómo Weston la intenta ayudar a superarlo y aceptarse lo antes posible, eso sí, sin que ella se entere de su discapacidad, porque él quiere que le traten como a cualquier otra persona. Además, en algunos capítulos de Weston vemos qué le pasó para que le tuvieran que amputar ambas piernas.
Esta es una historia de aceptación, de amistad, de familia, de amor, de autoconocimiento, de autoestima, de amor propio, de empatía, de superar las barreras físicas y, sobre todo, las de nuestra mente. Todo ello con algunos tintes de humor que han hecho que su lectura sea muy fresca y distendida.
He subrayado varias frases y hasta en algún momento se me han humedecido los ojos. La verdad es que he empatizado a las mil maravillas con todos los personajes: con Tessa y Weston, con los abuelos de Tessa, con la familia de Wes... Todos, sobre todo los protas, son personas reales, con complejos, con capas, que se equivocan y rectifican, que se caen y se levantan. Creo que ahí radica el encanto de esta historia que, además, es estéticamente muy bonita y donde el color amarillo tiene especial protagonismo, lo cual ha hecho que viera a la autora en cada palabra, pues es un color muy alegre que asocio directamente con ella.
En resumen, esta es una historia muy fácil y rápida de leer, donde la trama se centra en los personajes, la relación entre ellos y de cada uno consigo mismo y con su entorno. Una historia real, dura, tierna, divertida y bonita. Todo a la vez. Sin duda, una lectura ideal para desarrollar la empatía, valorarnos tal como somos y aprender a disfrutar de la vida cada uno a nuestra manera.

ENG (Translated with the Google translator, I'm sorry if there are many errors).
This is the first book in English that I read this year and the second one I think in all my life (not counting those of the school) after "The Chronicles of Narnia: the lion, the witch and the wardrobe" and I must say that it has It has been a wonderful experience, I found it quite easy to read, especially with the help of the Kindle Paperwhite translator.
Abbie's style is totally in tune with the character of the story and the characters, it is simple, straightforward, with short phrases and some words in italics or vertically to give them more emphasis. On that side I loved it because the way of telling the story puts you in context.
As for the plot, I loved it. Our protagonists are Tessa and Weston, Tessa has been temporarily blind due to a traffic accident and Weston had to amputate both legs when he was 13 years old. Their lives intersect when Tessa's grandparents want to publish an ad in the newspaper that Weston's father is looking for someone who can type the poems she writes in his blog, respond to post comments, etc. And from this premise of Weston helping Tessa the rest of the story unfolds.
This is a choral book where the protagonists intersperse the narration of the chapters that, in addition, are divided into five parts that you will have to discover. In this way we see the evolution of Tessa, how she deals with her new situation (denial, anger, anger, pessimism, acceptance, optimism, etc.) and how Weston tries to help her overcome it and accept herself as soon as possible. , yes, without her knowing about her disability, because he wants to be treated like any other person. In addition, in some chapters of Weston we see what happened to him so that both legs had to be amputated.
This is a story of acceptance, friendship, family, love, self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-esteem, empathy, overcoming physical barriers and, above all, those of our mind. All this with some dyes of humor that have made its reading very fresh and relaxed.
I have underlined several phrases and even at some point my eyes have been moistened. The truth is that I have empathized with all the characters: with Tessa and Weston, with Tessa's grandparents, with Wes's family ... All, especially the protagonists, are real people, with complexes, with layers , that they are wrong and rectified, that they fall and rise. I think there lies the charm of this story that, in addition, is aesthetically very beautiful and where the yellow color has special prominence, which has made me see the author in every word, because it is a very cheerful color that I associate directly with her .
In summary, this is a very easy and quick story to read, where the plot focuses on the characters, the relationship between them and each other with himself and his surroundings. A true story, hard, tender, fun and beautiful. Everything at once. Without a doubt, an ideal reading to develop empathy, value ourselves as we are and learn to enjoy life each in our own way.

100 Days of Sunlight was beautiful.

Not to say that it was quite perfect (for me), but it was...beautiful. Touching, inspiring, tear-jerking. And just plain adorable, if I'm being honest (which I am).

I went into this...expectant. I'm not sure what I was expecting, because even when I started I didn't know. I'd run into Abbiee on her blog and her instagram on numerous occasions, and she's a bit like a ray of sunshine herself.

So this funny, sweet, adorable YA romance didn't disappoint? No, it didn't...at least in most aspects.

What I liked:

Weston is a category in and of himself. So obnoxiously optimistic and so absolutely heart-warming. His POV was...fantastic. I'm serious. I'm so impressed with Abbiee for so perfectly capturing the thoughts and feelings and actions of a 16-year-old guy. I just...despite his flaws, I couldn't help but love him. I didn't even want to love him, I didn't try to - honestly I was disinclined to even like the dude - but I ended up smiling at him anyways. THE BACKSTORY was brilliantly woven in. I didn't even mind switching back and forth (something that normally annoys me), except on maaaaybe one or two occasions. HE WAS JUST THE SWEETEST. Weston was the best part of this. 100%.

THE WRITING STYLE IS SO GOOD. I'm so picky about my writing styles! I don't know what got it started - probably being a writer myself - but I just can't really get into a book if the writing doesn't strike me. But Abbiee Emmons is going places, guys. Her prose is fabulous. It tugs on JUST the right emotions at just the right second. I didn't quite end up in tears, but...I almost did. Almost. I was definitely reading a couple pages bleary-eyed and grinning like a dork simultaneously.

THE STORY ITSELF is crafted so, so, so well. I'm...so impressed, to be honest. This is a huge undertaking, and it's captured in such an amazing way. I experienced so many emotions reading this - and that's what stories are supposed to do, bring out a hundred different emotions, break your heart and patch you back up before the last page. 100 Days of Sunlight does that.

What I Didn't Like So Much:

There was...quite a bit of swearing in this otherwise-delightful gem. I could nearly get over it...but not completely. I liked this story so much, but I couldn't love it fully because of this. It was...unnecessary. I understand what genre and what kind of readers Abbiee is gearing this book towards, but no matter what kind of book, I personally don't do swearing. For that reason (and a few other minor ones), I dropped my rating.

A few other things bothered me, but I'll just cram them into one paragraph: Tessa is a Christian, but doesn't have very strong morals - at least this is how it seemed to me? Same with her grandparents - it was just so...weird to me that they let Weston sit at Tessa's desk...in her room...the two of them alone...for what could've been hours at a time, when they knew so little about him. THIS ISN'T OKAY. XD Also, there were a few instances that weren't inappropriate, just mildly uncomfortable/unnecessary. It was like...the book is decently clean, but not so clean I can recommend it without a disclaimer. Also I was just a little bummed because the theme was SO STINKING GOOD but without God. It could've packed an even heftier punch.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I wouldn't mind having a hardback copy of it, dust cover and all, adorning one of my overstocked bookshelves. The characters, the writing style, the theme...I LOVED THEM. It was so realistic and so well-crafted and can I just say HOW IMPRESSED I am (again) with Abbiee's writing? And how gorgeous the hardback and paperback copies are? Abbiee is doing a phenomenal job indie-publishing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her stories in print.

Like I said earlier, THIS GIRL IS GOING PLACES.

While YA is not my usual genre, I have to say how swept up I got into following Weston and Tessa as one continued to navigate his handicap while Tessa through hers. Full of arrogance and optimism Weston has become one of my all time favorite characters. The secondary characters are equally well developed and you feel like they are your own family. My heart ached for Henry. Easy, quick and entertaining read. I laughed and cried. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons

“What do you do when something bad happens, and you know that you could have done something to stop it? Who do you blame?”

After being in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, Tessa Dickinson temporarily loses her eyesight. Although the doctors believe her sight will return in 100 days, life as she knows it is turned upside down. Tessa is an active poetry writer and blogger and when her grandparents offer to hire someone to help her with posts while she recovers, she is outraged and they pull the ad. Weston Ludovico’s father runs the local paper and despite knowing the ad is pulled, shows up at the Dickinsons door step requesting to help. Weston had also been in a life changing accident three years prior, causing him to lose both of his legs. He requests that he grandparents not tell her about his legs. and meeting Tessa is this first time he has been treated as someone without a disability since his accident, and he knows he can help her through her anger and darkness too.

This is a wonderful YA debut novel! It was a super quick read. I absolutely fell in love with Weston’s character instantly. Him and Tessa both have such strong personalities and voices, it is very easy to flip between their perspectives with Emmons’ wonderful writing. I am a sucker for a well written YA love story and this was one of those for me. If you liked The Fault In Our Stars , you’ll probably enjoy 100 Days of Sunlight!

There are so many things I want to say about this book, and yet I'm not entirely sure how to express the pure affection I've come to have for it. 100 Days of Sunlight has definitely become one of my favourite reads.
At the start, I really couldn't tell whether I was going to enjoy the story or not. I felt like I wasn't forming a connection with the characters in the way that I wanted to. It just wasn't clicking. However, as the story progressed and Tessa and Weston began to grow closer, I found myself completely falling in love with the pair. Their bickering had me laughing and their quiet, soft moments had me wishing I was in love. I also adored the relationships that each character had with their friends and family members.
Plot wise, this story was quite different from anything else I've ever read. It gave opportunity for so many vulnerable moments and characters. It felt so human. Throughout the book, I saw myself in a lot of what I read and the emotions were so raw and real to me that I could almost feel them myself.
If there was one thing that I didn't like, it was probably just that Weston talked like such a typical American teenager sometimes. Maybe it was just my English side popping out, but reading Weston say "bro" so many times was painful for me.
I almost forgot about this until I read my notes back, but something else that just made me laugh was the quote "like the first scratch of a quill pen on the Declaration of Independence." I honestly understand what Abbie Emmons meant, but it just felt a little odd and out-of-place to me. I couldn't really imagine it being something that a person would actually think.
All together, the problems I had with this book were very minor, almost insignificant, and not nearly few enough that it made my experience less enjoyable.
I'm definitely going to be purchasing a physical copy of 100 Days of Sunlight as soon as possible!

You know how sometimes you meet a character who is witty and sharp and funny and flawed in that humble way not in a deal breaker kind of way? And then that character meets a character who is boring and selfish and self important and you kind of want to flick her on the nose every time she turns up? And, because these are characters after all, the charming one inevitably falls for the boring one and you have to push yourself to even finish the book because come on? Yeah. I know too.

Parts of the story were cute.

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.

100 Days Of Sunlight is a beautiful book that my life is now better for knowing. As a person with an (invisible) disability myself, this book spoke to my heart in a very special way. It was incredibly uplifting, heartwarming, and inspiring. And I found myself smiling many times throughout the story. It carried a brilliant message that was delivered cleverly through the eyes of the two main protagonists, Tessa and Weston. That message being that there's nothing you can't do! And that love is still possible, even for a person with a disability.

I loved Weston's character, and how he wouldn't give up on helping Tessa, despite how much she tried to push him away. Tessa's character I didn't warm to so much, as I couldn't relate to her, and unfortunately she got on my nerves at times. However, I thought the relationship she had with her grandparents was lovely, and I found Weston's relationship with his best friend Rudy to be sweet and touching. I also really enjoyed the added touches of poetry that were dotted about here and there, and how you got to read the story from both Tessa and Weston's point of view.

Saying this, there were a few things I didn't like and would change. But the positives far outweighed the negatives, and were easy to overlook. Overall a fantastic debut novel from author Abbie Emmons, that I would happily recommend to lovers of YA and contemporary romance.

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.

My very first thought when I started reading 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons was that it felt very familiar. The sick-kids-who-fall-in-love trope seems to be very popular lately. However, this book had something that made me keep reading and had me fall in love with it. Though the main character, Tessa, wasn’t very likeable, I did manage to feel a certain sympathy for her. And Weston is just amazing. I wanted the entire world for him.

The story is about Tessa, a sixteen-year-old who loses her sight temporarily when she is in a car accident. She lives with her grandparents and her grandpa goes out to find someone who can help Tessa with her writing while she can’t see. That’s how Weston ends up at their house. Weston has recently lost his legs in an accident, and can relate with Tessa very well. One thing, though, Tessa doesn’t know that Weston is an amputee. He doesn’t want her to know because he feels that he’s finally given the chance to be treated like any other person. Over time, the two come to depend on each other and eventually fall madly in love.

The message that the book puts forward is one of positivity. You can do anything you set your mind to as long as you choose to stay optimistic and work hard for it. It’s empowering to read that someone who ends up in a terrible situation can still find happiness. Tessa can’t see, but Weston makes her realise that she can still smell, feel, hear, and taste. Things are not so bad, and you should appreciate what you have and be happy.

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.