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181 Days
Mischa Lawrence isn't your typical teenage girl.
She's a social outcast who is tormented by her peers, and publicly persecuted by everyone in her tiny California mountain town. She is the sole caretaker for her younger half-siblings and cranky grandfather, with no help from her chronically depressed mother and alcoholic stepfather.
But Mischa also has a very dark secret.
In 181 days, Mischa will be dead.
Mischa ventures through her mundane life with a mental calendar telling her that in 181 days, she'll be gone. But Mischa isn't sad or afraid. In fact, she's looking forward to it.
And then Mischa finds herself suddenly thrown in the path of the most beloved boy in town, Jesse Alford.
Like everyone else in town, to Jesse, Mischa is just the weird girl who is always talking to herself and wearing ridiculous outfits. But after the two are forced to spend several days together working on a school project, Jesse realizes there is more to Mischa.
When their two completely opposite worlds collide, Jesse begins to see life from a new perspective, and he's willing to fight to have the future that he wants.
With the odds stacked entirely too high and unknown forces working hard against them, Jesse and Mischa must learn that not all battles can be won by the heart.
She's a social outcast who is tormented by her peers, and publicly persecuted by everyone in her tiny California mountain town. She is the sole caretaker for her younger half-siblings and cranky grandfather, with no help from her chronically depressed mother and alcoholic stepfather.
But Mischa also has a very dark secret.
In 181 days, Mischa will be dead.
Mischa ventures through her mundane life with a mental calendar telling her that in 181 days, she'll be gone. But Mischa isn't sad or afraid. In fact, she's looking forward to it.
And then Mischa finds herself suddenly thrown in the path of the most beloved boy in town, Jesse Alford.
Like everyone else in town, to Jesse, Mischa is just the weird girl who is always talking to herself and wearing ridiculous outfits. But after the two are forced to spend several days together working on a school project, Jesse realizes there is more to Mischa.
When their two completely opposite worlds collide, Jesse begins to see life from a new perspective, and he's willing to fight to have the future that he wants.
With the odds stacked entirely too high and unknown forces working hard against them, Jesse and Mischa must learn that not all battles can be won by the heart.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Jasmine Cartwright
3 books53 followersJasmine Cartwright was born in Oklahoma City. Her family moved to Sacramento, California after she was born, and stayed there during her early adolescent years before moving back to OKC. She is an advocate for mental health, prison reform, and marginalized voices. Combining her dedication to these social issues with her passion for fictional storytelling, Jasmine strives to create a safe space for the voiceless. An avid reader, she always found herself chasing "that one story." When she couldn't find that story, she decided she'd write it herself, and that passion turned into an ambition to become an author. Jasmine writes stories about young people who find happiness at the most inconvenient of times. She finds inspiration for her stories through traveling, reading, and personal experiences. She graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English, specializing in Fiction Writing.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 4, 2024
**Before reading 181 Days, please check the trigger warnings!**
With that being said, Jasmine has outdone herself again with 181 Days. She has a natural way of pulling you in. I laughed, cried (A LOT), wanted to drop kick my kindle at times; I also wanted to reach in and give some these characters a big hug (not all of the characters, as some I wanted to throat punch or hope they stub their toe). That’s it, that’s all I have right now as I sit here crying over this book.
With that being said, Jasmine has outdone herself again with 181 Days. She has a natural way of pulling you in. I laughed, cried (A LOT), wanted to drop kick my kindle at times; I also wanted to reach in and give some these characters a big hug (not all of the characters, as some I wanted to throat punch or hope they stub their toe). That’s it, that’s all I have right now as I sit here crying over this book.
September 22, 2024
I just finished reading this book and I wanted to give my initial review…I’ll do a longer one soon. Jasmine has done it again! This book is heavy but beautifully and tastefully written! Jesse and Mischa’s journey was an emotional one and reading their point of view gave me so much insight on their character development. Thank you Jasmine for this book and representing the realities of mental health.
October 10, 2024
I have to sit on this. I’ll be back.
September 24, 2024
10.15.24 🙌🏾‼️
THATS WHEN THIS MASTERPIECE RELEASES AND YALL BETTER RUN TO GRAB IT or PREORDER IT ASAP🙌🏾‼️
What can I say without giving away the good stuff… NOTHING cause the WHOLE BOOK IS THE GOOD STUFF 😍😍😍 ‼️
Image “The Weight of Blood” By TDJ… mixed with “Gothika” ( that Halle Berry Movie ) placed in a Small California Town that probably use to have “sun down rules” if you know what I mean 👀.
You step into the mind of a mixed 17 year old girl with a strong Mental Illness and too many responsibilities, and a Black 17 Year old Boy who has a change of heart and mind after being stuck with our FMC for a school project.
Not only do these two face obstacles like Bullying, Racism, and constant Ridicule from EVERYONE in town 🙄 including their so called “friends” They also have to face their very real emotions for each other. And how that disrupts both of their “plans” for the future‼️‼️
You get a very deep dive look into someone who struggles with Mental Illness, and how BOUNDARIES are so important AND needed at an early age in life‼️ And how they deal with Trust, Betrayals, and HORMONES 😩
I feel HEALED after reading this book. My 17 year old self NEEDED this book growing up to help me navigating through those bigger than life situations.
And my 30 something self feels like I will be a better Parent/Person because I read this book 💖
I will read/buy ANYTHING Jasmine Cartwright Publishes 🙌🏾🙌🏾‼️‼️
THATS WHEN THIS MASTERPIECE RELEASES AND YALL BETTER RUN TO GRAB IT or PREORDER IT ASAP🙌🏾‼️
What can I say without giving away the good stuff… NOTHING cause the WHOLE BOOK IS THE GOOD STUFF 😍😍😍 ‼️
Image “The Weight of Blood” By TDJ… mixed with “Gothika” ( that Halle Berry Movie ) placed in a Small California Town that probably use to have “sun down rules” if you know what I mean 👀.
You step into the mind of a mixed 17 year old girl with a strong Mental Illness and too many responsibilities, and a Black 17 Year old Boy who has a change of heart and mind after being stuck with our FMC for a school project.
Not only do these two face obstacles like Bullying, Racism, and constant Ridicule from EVERYONE in town 🙄 including their so called “friends” They also have to face their very real emotions for each other. And how that disrupts both of their “plans” for the future‼️‼️
You get a very deep dive look into someone who struggles with Mental Illness, and how BOUNDARIES are so important AND needed at an early age in life‼️ And how they deal with Trust, Betrayals, and HORMONES 😩
I feel HEALED after reading this book. My 17 year old self NEEDED this book growing up to help me navigating through those bigger than life situations.
And my 30 something self feels like I will be a better Parent/Person because I read this book 💖
I will read/buy ANYTHING Jasmine Cartwright Publishes 🙌🏾🙌🏾‼️‼️
October 26, 2024
Wow! This book has been one of my favorite books if not my favorite book this year. There are very few stories in which I feel such a strong connection with the characters. The way that Jasmine writes I felt like I knew the characters and like I was experiencing what they were experiencing.
The story had me truly immersed the whole time. It felt like I was watching a movie or a tv series play out. I had to put down the book so many times because I was anxious for what came next.
I have said this before and I will say this again. Jasmine truly has a gift for writing. She deserves to do this full time. If you are looking for a phenomenal read. This is it!
The story had me truly immersed the whole time. It felt like I was watching a movie or a tv series play out. I had to put down the book so many times because I was anxious for what came next.
I have said this before and I will say this again. Jasmine truly has a gift for writing. She deserves to do this full time. If you are looking for a phenomenal read. This is it!
November 24, 2024
To start I have to thank the author, the wielder of words, Jasmine Cartwright. Thank you for sharing Mischa and Jesse and the Littles and their heart wrenching, gut punching story. Thank you for all the care you put into depicting their struggles, realities, and unrealities.
181 Days is a book I will remember always; it was beautifully written and demands attention. My heart flew and suffered alongside its characters.
If you’re nosy and like secrets, read this book. You like to laugh? There’s some of that here. Love stories, suspense, unreliable narrators, tragedy - what doesn’t this book have?
Check your trigger warnings and check in with yourself. Take your meds 💘
181 Days is a book I will remember always; it was beautifully written and demands attention. My heart flew and suffered alongside its characters.
If you’re nosy and like secrets, read this book. You like to laugh? There’s some of that here. Love stories, suspense, unreliable narrators, tragedy - what doesn’t this book have?
Check your trigger warnings and check in with yourself. Take your meds 💘
September 23, 2024
Jasmine's literary abilities continue to wow me. But this time is a little different since she combined reading components that I am familiar with and placed them in a genre that I do not normally read. From the outset, I became attached to the main character, which made the voyage through this novel thrilling. This book will make you laugh out loud, outraged, and heartbroken. Truly a novel with all the feelings, written masterfully. Thank you for trusting me with reading your ARC Jasmine
April 28, 2025
6⭐️ wow just wow! This wowww I’m speechless. My emotions are all over the place right now.
April 23, 2025
She did it again!! Love this!!
November 7, 2025
This was absolutely heartbreaking. Mischa is just a 17 year old girl who has the world on her shoulders. She is responsible for her 3 younger siblings while her mother is extremely depressed, step father is a drunk, and her grandfather is unable to help due to him being disabled. On top of it all she has severe mental health disorders and we are following her story navigating her story as she has 181 days until she commits suicide.
Heavy.
She starts talking to a boy from her town/school named Jesse and that’s where her world starts to tilt.
From there the story starts to develop more and it was very hard to read 😭
I appreciated the mental health rep in this book so much. I think it’s so needed and it was so raw.
I think that this book becomes very repetitive when it comes to Mischa’s actions, thoughts etc. I would have loved to see more vs being told what was happening. There are quite a few jumps in the timeline which plays a roll in the connection for me.
Overall, I am so happy I read this && I definitely recommend.
Heavy.
She starts talking to a boy from her town/school named Jesse and that’s where her world starts to tilt.
From there the story starts to develop more and it was very hard to read 😭
I appreciated the mental health rep in this book so much. I think it’s so needed and it was so raw.
I think that this book becomes very repetitive when it comes to Mischa’s actions, thoughts etc. I would have loved to see more vs being told what was happening. There are quite a few jumps in the timeline which plays a roll in the connection for me.
Overall, I am so happy I read this && I definitely recommend.
January 20, 2025
How does this not have more reviews. Incredible. Read the forewarning but will forever be thinking of this book.
November 17, 2024
Easiest 5 stars
May 18, 2025
This one pulls at the heartstrings! A heartfelt story with mental health front and center.
My heart went out to young Mischa as she battled life’s challenges thrown her way! You truly don’t know what someone is going thru.
This message speaks volumes! I truly loved this story!
My heart went out to young Mischa as she battled life’s challenges thrown her way! You truly don’t know what someone is going thru.
This message speaks volumes! I truly loved this story!
October 15, 2024
Mischa is a young woman struggling to cope with mental illness, bullying, and taking care of her family. Jesse is the popular boy with his life planned out for him. When the two are grouped together for a school project, they form what seems like an unlikely bond.
I adore this book. The second half went so much differently than I expected. The story really causes you to think about some hard truths about society and the way people with mental illness are treated. For me, the MMC Jesse was the star of the story, I loved his character arc and the growth he experienced.
Definitely read the content warnings when starting this book because there are some heavy topics- but if you enjoy emotional stories I definitely reccomend picking this up.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded for GR.
I adore this book. The second half went so much differently than I expected. The story really causes you to think about some hard truths about society and the way people with mental illness are treated. For me, the MMC Jesse was the star of the story, I loved his character arc and the growth he experienced.
Definitely read the content warnings when starting this book because there are some heavy topics- but if you enjoy emotional stories I definitely reccomend picking this up.
4.5 ⭐️ rounded for GR.
May 4, 2025
181 Days by Jasmine Cartwright is PHENOMENAL! I cannot find the words to express how much I adore this book! It is so beautifully written and you will fall in love with Mischa from the very start. This is an exceptional, in depth look at the effects of mental illness on the individual, family, and community. Following Mischa, as she navigates mental illness, will infuriate you, make you happy, sorrowful, heartbroken, and best of all, hopeful! 181 Days is a captivating, heartfelt book that I wholeheartedly recommend to all readers!
October 15, 2024
Love it!! Very heavy subject matter, but the end had me 😮😮😮
July 6, 2025
Mischa was unique as a protagonist and narrator. Beyond living with untreated, several mental health disorders, she carries the weight of raising her younger half-siblings and caring for her disabled grandfather. Early on, readers begin to question how reliable she is as a narrator and this tension adds interest to her chapters.
Love interest Jesse is more than a savior or the one who can make Mischa cool. His chapters showed his confusion and frustration about his relationship with Mischa and his feeling about the life he thought he wanted.
Overall, two intriguing main characters and a unique story that feels both realistic and sometimes under-developed. There are a few big time jumps toward the end and the way the skipped years are treated feels like it was shoehorned in so the author could get to the good stuff. While the ending’s ambiguity is probably intended to be more realistic and thought-provoking than the usual HOA, it feels unsatisfying. Readers are supposed to accept that a main character has built a new, separate life but can’t move past their high school love from years earlier, despite almost no contact with that love for 5 years.
Love interest Jesse is more than a savior or the one who can make Mischa cool. His chapters showed his confusion and frustration about his relationship with Mischa and his feeling about the life he thought he wanted.
Overall, two intriguing main characters and a unique story that feels both realistic and sometimes under-developed. There are a few big time jumps toward the end and the way the skipped years are treated feels like it was shoehorned in so the author could get to the good stuff. While the ending’s ambiguity is probably intended to be more realistic and thought-provoking than the usual HOA, it feels unsatisfying. Readers are supposed to accept that a main character has built a new, separate life but can’t move past their high school love from years earlier, despite almost no contact with that love for 5 years.
May 21, 2025
Never have been so grateful in my life to stumble across a random TikTok with the beautiful cover of this book which was initially the reason I added it on my TBR and now has become one of my favorite reads of the year so far! I’ll never forget Misha, Jesse, and The Littles <3
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews