100 DAYS OF SUNLIGHT (GIVEAWAY) | ARC Review + Interview with Abbie Emmons
- 9:16 PM
- By Kenzie
- 10 Comments
*bursts through the door with a truck load of waffles* Hello, all! Today is a very special day. Want to know why? (I'm so glad you asked.)
Today I am sharing my post for the 100 Days of Sunlight Blog Tour! Where I share an honest review of the book and an interview with the author herself! Abbie is a good friend of mine and a huge inspiration to me and the blogging community. So, when I got accepted for an Advanced Reader's Copy of her debut novel, I kinda fangirled (a lot). And let me just tell you, I was not disappointed.
100 Days of Sunlight centers around Tessa Dickinson, who was involved in a car accident that caused her to temporarily lose her eyesight. No longer able to write, Tessa's grandparents send out a request for an ad to be put in their local newspaper looking for a typist to write for Tessa. When the young and obnoxiously optimistic Weston Ludovico shows up on her doorstep, Tessa is not happy (to say the least). Despite Tessa's frustration and anger, Weston continues to show up. But little does Tessa know, she's not the only one suffering...
AN HONEST ARC REVIEW
Plot
The main concept of this book is so refreshing, especially in the YA community. What I loved most about this unique story was its uniqueness and how it wasn't striving to be different amongst all those other fluffy contemporary novels you see in the bookstore.
It caught my interest and held tight to it, all the way until the end.
Characters
If you haven't already read some of my reviews, I'll let you in on a little secret. I LOVE CHARACTERS. They're my favorite part of a story and once I love a character... I love them with my whole being.
And for me, that was Weston.
The book switches between two different perspectives and that is Tessa and Weston. I really enjoyed reading Weston's perspective a lot (even though I really loved all the characters, including his siblings). His mind was just so real and the way he was written... I felt like he was an actual person. AND I JUST LOVED HOW HE WAS AS A BIG BROTHER AND SO FULL OF HIMSELF AND RUDY AND... GAHH.
What I really enjoyed about Tessa was experiencing her character growth. The book starts off with her angry and frustrated. It's funny because even though the books begins almost right after the accident, you know that Tessa's character is not the angry type. You can actually feel her pain and how frustrating the situation may be to someone who was very happy with life. Also, the fact that she's a blogger!!! A homeschooled blogger, if I may add (with internet friends*). That bit was very nice to read because you don't get that representation very often. A good representation, too.
The only thing is, I would have maybe liked to learn more about Tessa's mother. However, I did love her relationship with her grandparents. <3
* WHO MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ACTUAL PEOPLE I KNOW FROM THE BLOGGING WORLD (I so did not fangirl)
Writing Style
The writing style was amazing. I really loved how Abbie took us through Weston's past but drew us right back in to the current events. The transition between point of views and the timeline of the events all flowed very nicely. I never got lost or bored. Whenever I opened up my kindle app, I got so excited to continue reading. I swear, I quoted almost every scene and posted on my Goodreads' status update...
Because it was fun to read.
I loved the little graphics for each part in the story. They were so cute. And I just love having a good and enjoyable experience while reading.
Creativity
Like I said, the story is very refreshing but not extremely out there in attempt to be "different". I really enjoyed that the characters were unique but easy to relate to.
Aesthetic
Gahh, the small upstate NY town with all the summery sunshiney feels, plus waffles... So cute.
Pace
The pace was quick and didn't drag on. It's such a quick and easy read, filled with all the feels... You'll love it.
This is definitely an insta-love book but that's what I like about it, and it was done very nicely. What I loved about it was that Tessa didn't have to know what Weston looked like to fall in love with him. Those types of stories get me.
Cover
It's gorgeous and it's yellow... Need I say more??
But seriously. This cover is stunning and it's definitely on my list of favorite-covers-I-could-sit-and-look-at-all-day-long-list.
Overall
THE CUTE CONTEMPORARY READ I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. It feels like it's been so long since I've read a book that put me "in the feels". And this is definitely a must-read, especially for those who are looking for something cute and refreshing.
Caution: some minor swearing but nothing much.
100 Days of Sunlight was released on August 7th and is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (but if you continue reading this post, you will have the chance to enter in a giveaway for an free eBook copy).
Now for my favorite part...
photo via Abbie
INTERVIEW WITH THE SUPER AMAZING DEBUT AUTHOR, ABBIE EMMONS
Abbie, thank you so much for joining us today... As I'm sure you're aware, I really enjoy pizza. But today, we are setting that love aside to embrace your love for waffles!
*enters with plates filled with all the waffles your heart desires* I hope this is enough to last us the whole interview. So, let's begin, shall we? Please, take a seat, dear. Make yourself at home.
Did you have to do a lot of research for 100 Days of Sunlight?
Yes, I did so much research. Honestly, it was such a fascinating journey to research and write about Tessa and Weston’s disabilities. I read A TON of articles, blog posts, first-hand accounts, more blog posts, watched videos, vlogs, asked questions, rinse, repeat. The researching process was long and daunting, but always educational and eye-opening. Also, my editor had worked as a sighted guide at a center for the blind so she was able to give me some great input on Tessa’s condition and experiences.
Did you design the book cover yourself? If so, was that the original design you wanted to go for, or were there prior drafts to this beautiful design?
I always had a vision in my mind of what I wanted the book cover to look like, and the cover art right now is exactly what I saw! It was really just a process of turning my ideas into reality. Thankfully I’ve always been really into graphic design, so Photoshop is familiar ground to me. I actually really enjoyed putting my ideas together and playing with the typography and illustrations. And I’m super pleased with how it came out!
What does it feel like to hold a physical copy of your first book? How does it smell? (We support book sniffing in this household.)
IT FEELS AMAZING. I’m still freaking out?? Like, I’m not sure how this is even real??? But it’s so so good. And the book smells awesome! I’m definitely a book-sniffer as well, it’s an important part of the reading process. My books have a very nice clean fresh smell and I really dig it.
Which character did you have the most fun writing?
Weston. I try not to favor one of my characters of the others (like a true book-mom!) but Weston is just so special to me. I love his personality and writing the dynamic of his tough side and his soft side. And his sense of humor! A lot of people already know this, but I love writing comedy – it’s one of my favorite aspects of a story, and with Weston’s voice I had plenty of opportunity to insert humor where it was needed, and of course, sassy banter between him and Tessa.
NO SPOILERS but was there a specific scene that you loved writing?
Oh gosh I loved writing SO MANY SCENES. But particularly Weston’s backstory, that was some of my favorite stuff to write. I loved writing all the scenes with him and his brothers, and the dynamic of their relationships. And of course everything with Rudy! I love writing family/friendship themes, so these scenes were especially close to my heart.
How did the idea of this book come to you? What was the main message that you wanted to convey?
One day I was thinking about my own lifestyle and how much I use my sense of sight for everything I do: blogging, writing, making videos, reading, everything -- and then I thought how different all that would be if, for some reason, I suddenly went blind. I pondered this thought for a few hours, and then suddenly the idea struck me: blogger girl loses her eyesight, meets a boy with no legs (unbeknownst to her) and he helps her overcome her struggles. That was all I had at the start, but it was enough to totally steal my heart and make me want to write the book ASAP.
The message I want to convey is: hope. You are strong, even when you don’t feel like it. You are worthy. You are loved. Your life is priceless. There’s nothing you can’t do. And when life knocks you down, remember that you are strong enough to get back up again.
What helped push you through the entire process of 100 Days of Sunlight?
The dream. Being able to share my book with the world, with people who need it. Being able to shine a light in the dark places. That is what kept me (and continues to keep me) going. The hope that I’m positively impacting someone’s life in even a tiny way – that is so encouraging, and gets me out of bed every morning and excited for life!!
What helped you choose the setting of the book? Did all the same characters make it to the final draft?
It’s actually kind of funny because this is the first book I’ve written with a setting very much like my hometown. Although Rockford NY is entirely fictional, and I live in Vermont, it’s very much inspired by the upstate country small-towns I’ve been surrounded by all my life.
Yes, all the characters made it to the final draft! I typically outline so thoroughly before I start writing, so not much changes from first draft to final draft, except cleaning up the prose and sometimes pacing.
How were you able to handle your other creative jobs/hobbies while writing this book?
Oooh that’s a good question. Well, I wrote the first draft in NaNoWriMo of 2017, so I was able to carve out that whole month to do pretty much nothing except write the book. Which was awesome. But from that time forward, I’ve had to really balance my other creative projects and this book in order to keep all my ships sailing smoothly.
The past couple of years have involved a lot of goal-shifting for me, and much introspection and thinking about my priorities for the future. So some things have slid closer to the back burner while I focused on the publication of 100 Days. It’s been an interesting season of growing and learning a lot!
What made you want 100 Days of Sunlight to be your first published book?
I always knew there was something special about this book. While I was writing it, I just knew it was going to be my debut novel. It’s very close to my heart and conveys the themes I’m most passionate about. My biggest goal is to shine a light in the dark places, and I really hope this book will do that for people.
What is your next grand project?
I can’t reveal too much about my next grand project, but I’m very excited for it! It has to do with my YouTube channel and all things writing, but my lips are sealed as to what exactly it is. Hehe. Stay tuned! ;)
HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO FINALLY SHARE THIS BOOK WITH THE WORD?!
SO FREAKING OVER THE MOON EXCITED LIKE I CAN’T EVEN WORDS I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING IT’S SO SURREAL!!!!
Thank you so much for interviewing me on your beautiful blog, Kenzie!! It was a pleasure chatting with you about all things writing + 100 Days. :D
WHERE TO FIND ABBIE...
✨NOW FOR THE SUPER EPIC GIVEAWAY (that you will be very thankful for, trust me) ✨
I will be giving away THREE eBook copies of 100 Days of Sunlight by Abbie Emmons. That means you have the chance to win a copy, you will have a chance, and you will have a chance!
Thank you so much, Abbie, for allowing me to be part of this super exciting blog tour. I see amazing things in your future. ;)
Just so y'all are aware, Abbie is actually giving away some super awesome BOOKISH MERCH on her blog so you should definitely check that out by clicking here.
