Weeks and Days

by S.E. Phinney

Simple but powerful, Weeks and Days by S.E. Phinney combines straightforward narration, complex but relatable characters, and a moving storyline, creating a fresh, realistic portrayal of being a teenager.

On Valentine’s Day, Emily meets—then argues with, then promptly forgets—Stephen. But two weeks later, he shows up again, blunt, spontaneous, a spectacular complication in Emily’s otherwise ordinary life. As they grow closer, Emily realizes that Stephen, who she’d initially thought told her everything, is also keeping secrets—or one, at least. She doesn’t know what it is—whether he’s a compulsive liar, a drug addict, or simply just very, very odd. Not once has she considered what turns out to be the truth, and when Stephen finally tells her, she isn’t remotely prepared.

Even as Stephen’s reality becomes worse and worse, he knows exactly what he wants, and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get it. Emily, meanwhile, doesn’t have a clue what she wants, or even, really, what she likes. Until Stephen, she’s always been okay with that. But eventually, as she accompanies Stephen through what are simultaneously his best and worst days, Emily finds that there’s more to life than just floating through.

Part romance, part tragedy, part bildungsroman, Weeks and Days is an honest, engaging debut that hits hard and pulls none of its punches.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult

322 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2016

About the author

S.E. Phinney is the author of Weeks and Days, available in April 2016. She lives in Portland, Oregon, and works for the Multnomah County Library.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading middle-grade fantasy novels, biking, sewing, and watching costume dramas without paying attention to the plot. She is overly fond of em dashes, but also likes garage rock, remote islands, and yogurt, among other things.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really review this without spoilers, but I don't like to put spoilers in my reviews. If you're a fan of John Green or Robyn Schneider I say give this book a read. The ending was a bit sudden I guess you could say but I enjoyed this.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: the author is a coworker that I really like, so I was predisposed to like this. And I did like it. I just added it to a list I made of young adult books called Smart Kids, Real Challenges that contains books by John Green and Rainbow Rowell, and it's that kind of book. Smart, articulate young people having really interesting conversations as they go through some hard things and fall in love with each other. There's a lot of talking in this, and I liked that-- I liked how you never quite knew what they were going to say next. The young man and young woman in this book take a photography class where they learn how to develop film, and I really liked the language and images around that part of the book.

Being "normal" and not sticking out matters a lot to this pair, and I went back and forth in how I felt about this. For god's sake. Serious shit is going down. Is it really so very important that no one notices anything is wrong? But then again, facing adversity with dignity certainly has some value.

I liked this book and I was never bored. I'm so impressed that my coworker kept going, kept writing, and created something so interesting and good.

[trin🤍 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but wasn’t a huge fan of the sudden ending! I definitely suggest and think the novel was an amazing first book. Definitely got me a little emotional because Stephen was so incredibly lovable.

[Lindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first novel by a Portland, Oregon writer, Weeks and Days has been compared to The Fault in Our Stars. Okay, it does have that thing going on, and Phinney very skillfully leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for the narrator and reader without giving away too much. Emily, the narrator, comes off as a pretty normal 16 year old; that is, insecure and unsure of her direction. Enter Stephen, who gives her the push she's been needing to think about what she wants. Both main characters feel real. Secondary characters are deeper than expected as well. I'll be watching for S.E. Phinney's next book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how honest this book was. The romance was presented in a refreshingly normal and realistic way that I really enjoyed. It really did seem like two kids I may have known back in high school experiencing things together instead of the fairytale or even just the drama that's sometimes presented in books. For the first time in a long time I couldn't see it as a movie. Which was nice. I'm look forward to reading more from this author.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author said she didn't want to write a book that could be turned into a movie, and I think she succeeded. Told in conversation and inner monologues, this is the story of two people falling in love and figuring out who they are and what they believe is true. This is how I remember talking to my friends when I was growing up - so very real and believable. I can't wait to read more from this author.

[Ann Laskowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! I loved it especially the end because it didn't bring tears to my eyes like I thought. You knew what happened but it didn't drag on and on. Thank you for sharing S.E. Phinney! You are a great writer!

[Abbey · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was ok but it felt like I was reading a lot worse more graphic version of the fault in our stars.