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90 Days of Different
On the last day of high school, Sophie's boyfriend breaks up with her. It turns out he thinks she is too predictable, too responsible, too mature...too boring.
When Sophie turns to her best friend, Ella, for comfort and reassurance, Ella just confirms what her boyfriend has said. And that hurts even more.
Then Ella comes up with a plan to help Sophie find her wilder side before college. In the ninety days between the end of high school and the start of university, she is going to arrange for Sophie to do amazing, new, different and sometimes scary things. Sophie has to agree to everything no matter what. And she has to share her adventures through social media.
Can ninety days of different create a different life? Can stepping outside your comfort zone help you find yourself?
When Sophie turns to her best friend, Ella, for comfort and reassurance, Ella just confirms what her boyfriend has said. And that hurts even more.
Then Ella comes up with a plan to help Sophie find her wilder side before college. In the ninety days between the end of high school and the start of university, she is going to arrange for Sophie to do amazing, new, different and sometimes scary things. Sophie has to agree to everything no matter what. And she has to share her adventures through social media.
Can ninety days of different create a different life? Can stepping outside your comfort zone help you find yourself?
312 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2017
158 people are currently reading
827 people want to read
About the author
Eric Walters
156 books905 followersEric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people—the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
November 25, 2017
Oh, the many reasons I hate this book. I read to the end because I wanted to see if somehow the storyline was going to change, like smart Sophie would tell her "friend" Ella to step off. Nope. The moral of this story seems to be that it's BAD to be a responsible teenager who isn't in to social media, likes to be in control and hasn't done some of the bad things that teenagers do. So Sophie agrees to let her "friend" Ella come up with various "differents" she springs on Sophie, and she has to join Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to tell the world all about them. Some of them are positive or neutral -- working in a soup kitchen, being an extra in a movie, wake surfing, rock climbing in a gym. But the point of most of them is to make Sophie uncomfortable or embarrassed, or to do those "teenager" things -- get drunk, break the law, sing karaoke, crash a wedding, get a tattoo -- all faithfully reported and documented on social media. Plus Ella puts beautiful Sophie in situations where Sophie feels ugly or literally looks ugly, and Ella will snarkily say as she huffs away, "Now you know how I feel when I'm with you (ugly, ignored)!" Wah, Ella! That's your problem. But instead Sophie has to THANK Ella for all the work she's done setting these things up as Ella whines Sophie just isn't appreciating what Ella is doing for her. Are you kidding me?!?!?!? I thought the end might be Sophie telling Ella off and saying she's okay with her different which happens to NOT be an out-of-control teenager. And the boyfriend who breaks up with her at the beginning of the book, because she's "too responsible and acts like an old woman," of course wants her back at the end after he's followed all these "cool" things that she's done over the summer.
Why do we need this book? Are there really a bunch of good teenagers out there who need to be shamed into thinking they will be better people and be liked more if they cut loose and get in trouble? Oh, and if you aren't neck deep in social media, shame on you! There are never any bad consequences for Sophie -- when Ella tells her to be super-obnoxious in her fast-food job so they can be fired before lunch, the manager of the restaurant messages her later and tells her thanks, I needed that and you've brought us a bunch of business. Really? When she gets caught tagging buildings, she's caught by the officers she did a ride-along with, so they just say, "Yeah, we're following you on social and know why you're doing this, go, be free!"
I could go on (and on and on and on). But enough of this book.
No. NO! Boo, hiss!
Why do we need this book? Are there really a bunch of good teenagers out there who need to be shamed into thinking they will be better people and be liked more if they cut loose and get in trouble? Oh, and if you aren't neck deep in social media, shame on you! There are never any bad consequences for Sophie -- when Ella tells her to be super-obnoxious in her fast-food job so they can be fired before lunch, the manager of the restaurant messages her later and tells her thanks, I needed that and you've brought us a bunch of business. Really? When she gets caught tagging buildings, she's caught by the officers she did a ride-along with, so they just say, "Yeah, we're following you on social and know why you're doing this, go, be free!"
I could go on (and on and on and on). But enough of this book.
No. NO! Boo, hiss!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2018
Not only was the writing style sub-par ( way too dialogue focused. And this is coming from someone who enjoys a lot of dialogue in a book) , but there were parts of the plot that really annoyed me.
The worst was the fast food restaurant "different". If these different experiences are supposed to make Sophie a better and more fun person, then why would she have to lash out and be so rude to random strangers for "fun"? I worked in fast food for three years, so I totally understand the pent up frustration that comes with dealing with rude (and downright mean) people all day, but even I would never dream of taking that out on innocent bystanders and fat-shaming them in the name of "fun"! I thought that would be the part of the book where they learned their lessons about taking things too far, but nope! In fact, they were praised for it. Boo.
Also, I thought at some point the problem with Ella's jealousy towards Sophie would be addressed, but that never was either.
This had the potential to be so much fun, but it just didn't work.
The worst was the fast food restaurant "different". If these different experiences are supposed to make Sophie a better and more fun person, then why would she have to lash out and be so rude to random strangers for "fun"? I worked in fast food for three years, so I totally understand the pent up frustration that comes with dealing with rude (and downright mean) people all day, but even I would never dream of taking that out on innocent bystanders and fat-shaming them in the name of "fun"! I thought that would be the part of the book where they learned their lessons about taking things too far, but nope! In fact, they were praised for it. Boo.
Also, I thought at some point the problem with Ella's jealousy towards Sophie would be addressed, but that never was either.
This had the potential to be so much fun, but it just didn't work.
September 12, 2020
I would make a list of 90 reasons why I hate this book but it doesn’t even deserve my time.
June 26, 2017
*Thank you to LibraryThing for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.*
Actual Rating: 3.0
Alright, alright, alright. I'm actually not sure what to think. I went into this book with crazily high expectations, because (1) the cover is gorgeous and (2) the summary sounds right up my alley.
90 Days of Different follows Sophie Evans; on the last day of high school, her boyfriend dumps her, his excuse being that she is too boring and predictable. Then, Sophie's best friend Ella agrees, and Sophie realizes that she has been playing it a little safe; as the best friend, Ella knows she has to do something about it, and she comes up with a brilliant plan: in the ninety days before Sophie goes off to college, she has to complete a bucketload of wild, crazy things - and hopefully it'll transform her into someone who's not afraid to step outside her comfort zone.
The characters were probably the bigger problem for me. It was extremely hard to connect with Sophie, because it felt like her only flaw was predictability. It became a bit unrealistic, on top of everything else; Sophie was considered beautiful, intelligent, "athletic" - it seemed a bit unbelievable that Sophie could be so talented at everything and yet be considered the most boring person alive. I felt like she was a bit annoying as well - maybe it's because I don't have the experience, but during the break-up scene, Sophie had some sarcastic comments that just seemed a bit unnecessary.
The plot idea was great, but for me it was also a bit hard to connect to because I felt like each different was very disconnected. Other than Sophie's character development, there didn't really seem to be an overarching storyline, and because of that, I felt like each different thing that Sophie did seemed like a separate little story in itself and it didn't quite feel like one cohesive book.
The writing style does seem targeted to a younger audience (it says 12+ on the back) but overall I thought the writing style was good, if you didn't count the parts where I thought Sophie's narration was a bit annoying.
Overall, it was a good read. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone strongly, but if anyone is looking for a quick, light read, then go for it!
Actual Rating: 3.0
Alright, alright, alright. I'm actually not sure what to think. I went into this book with crazily high expectations, because (1) the cover is gorgeous and (2) the summary sounds right up my alley.
90 Days of Different follows Sophie Evans; on the last day of high school, her boyfriend dumps her, his excuse being that she is too boring and predictable. Then, Sophie's best friend Ella agrees, and Sophie realizes that she has been playing it a little safe; as the best friend, Ella knows she has to do something about it, and she comes up with a brilliant plan: in the ninety days before Sophie goes off to college, she has to complete a bucketload of wild, crazy things - and hopefully it'll transform her into someone who's not afraid to step outside her comfort zone.
The characters were probably the bigger problem for me. It was extremely hard to connect with Sophie, because it felt like her only flaw was predictability. It became a bit unrealistic, on top of everything else; Sophie was considered beautiful, intelligent, "athletic" - it seemed a bit unbelievable that Sophie could be so talented at everything and yet be considered the most boring person alive. I felt like she was a bit annoying as well - maybe it's because I don't have the experience, but during the break-up scene, Sophie had some sarcastic comments that just seemed a bit unnecessary.
The plot idea was great, but for me it was also a bit hard to connect to because I felt like each different was very disconnected. Other than Sophie's character development, there didn't really seem to be an overarching storyline, and because of that, I felt like each different thing that Sophie did seemed like a separate little story in itself and it didn't quite feel like one cohesive book.
The writing style does seem targeted to a younger audience (it says 12+ on the back) but overall I thought the writing style was good, if you didn't count the parts where I thought Sophie's narration was a bit annoying.
Overall, it was a good read. I'm not sure I would recommend it to anyone strongly, but if anyone is looking for a quick, light read, then go for it!
March 17, 2020
The word obnoxious sprang to mind too often throughout 90 Days Of Different.
It’s obnoxious that rather than support her alleged best friend, Ella sides with the ex-boyfriend in bluntly declaring Sophie boring. To me, a genuine friend in the immediate aftermath of their best friend being dumped would have said something along the lines of you don’t need to change who you are for anyone other than yourself, there’s nothing wrong with you, he just wasn’t right for you.
It’s obnoxious that Ella so resents her alleged best friend that she revels in any moment where Sophie isn’t at her most beautiful or succeeding. Would an actual friend want you to look bad so they could feel better about themselves? Or mock you for falling and injuring yourself?
It’s obnoxious when Ella tells Sophie she’ll be boring if she doesn’t drink.
I kept thinking surely somewhere towards the end of the book there will be an explanation for Ella’s behavior, something that leaves you with a feeling that going forward their friendship won’t be quite so toxic, but nope, that never happens. In fact, more often than not Sophie's the one apologizing to Ella and thanking her for the awful treatment.
It’s also obnoxious that because Sophie once had a bad experience working in a fast food restaurant, she and Ella take it out on the employees and customers of another fast food restaurant, belittling a man (who was nothing but kind) for being the manager of the restaurant as if that’s a job to be ashamed of, criticizing customers about their weight and making a mess that some other employee would have to clean up. So later in the book when Sophie is on the receiving end of body shaming, I didn’t feel the empathy I was supposed to feel for her, I felt like she got her just desserts. Maybe I’m old-fashioned since I don’t understand why anyone would “like” Sophie’s antics in the restaurant, and I definitely don’t understand a book implying that responsibility and kindness are the last things you should aspire to, while being incredibly disrespectful means you’re fun.
Maybe I could have gotten more on board with the 90 Days of Different premise had it taken Sophie’s revelation about her mother’s death and its affect on her and used that as the impetus for her summer-long quest rather than an ex-boyfriend and (should be ex) friend making Sophie feel so bad about herself that she thinks she has to change. I probably could have enjoyed it more had it been a quest of her choosing, not something she’s been shamed into, not something that’s about changing who she is but instead designed to explore who she is beyond the pseudo mom role she took on, and it wouldn’t have hurt had more of the activities on her list led to character growth and emotion.
The emotion was something I really found lacking in the execution of her activities, it always seemed so much less about what she was feeling and more about the research, the step-by-step of how the activity is done. There’s more telling than showing going on here and the structure (aside from the final few chapters) had such an episodic feel to it that there’s a lack of flow and arc.
I received this book through a giveaway.
It’s obnoxious that rather than support her alleged best friend, Ella sides with the ex-boyfriend in bluntly declaring Sophie boring. To me, a genuine friend in the immediate aftermath of their best friend being dumped would have said something along the lines of you don’t need to change who you are for anyone other than yourself, there’s nothing wrong with you, he just wasn’t right for you.
It’s obnoxious that Ella so resents her alleged best friend that she revels in any moment where Sophie isn’t at her most beautiful or succeeding. Would an actual friend want you to look bad so they could feel better about themselves? Or mock you for falling and injuring yourself?
It’s obnoxious when Ella tells Sophie she’ll be boring if she doesn’t drink.
I kept thinking surely somewhere towards the end of the book there will be an explanation for Ella’s behavior, something that leaves you with a feeling that going forward their friendship won’t be quite so toxic, but nope, that never happens. In fact, more often than not Sophie's the one apologizing to Ella and thanking her for the awful treatment.
It’s also obnoxious that because Sophie once had a bad experience working in a fast food restaurant, she and Ella take it out on the employees and customers of another fast food restaurant, belittling a man (who was nothing but kind) for being the manager of the restaurant as if that’s a job to be ashamed of, criticizing customers about their weight and making a mess that some other employee would have to clean up. So later in the book when Sophie is on the receiving end of body shaming, I didn’t feel the empathy I was supposed to feel for her, I felt like she got her just desserts. Maybe I’m old-fashioned since I don’t understand why anyone would “like” Sophie’s antics in the restaurant, and I definitely don’t understand a book implying that responsibility and kindness are the last things you should aspire to, while being incredibly disrespectful means you’re fun.
Maybe I could have gotten more on board with the 90 Days of Different premise had it taken Sophie’s revelation about her mother’s death and its affect on her and used that as the impetus for her summer-long quest rather than an ex-boyfriend and (should be ex) friend making Sophie feel so bad about herself that she thinks she has to change. I probably could have enjoyed it more had it been a quest of her choosing, not something she’s been shamed into, not something that’s about changing who she is but instead designed to explore who she is beyond the pseudo mom role she took on, and it wouldn’t have hurt had more of the activities on her list led to character growth and emotion.
The emotion was something I really found lacking in the execution of her activities, it always seemed so much less about what she was feeling and more about the research, the step-by-step of how the activity is done. There’s more telling than showing going on here and the structure (aside from the final few chapters) had such an episodic feel to it that there’s a lack of flow and arc.
I received this book through a giveaway.
February 25, 2019
I liked Sophie's character development, and the message of the story overall, but Ella annoyed me a lot. It seemed that she was trying to put down her friend all the time and for being jealous of the way she looked. I can understand if she feels insecure, but that just made her a crappy friend for accusing her and purposely making Sophie feel bad for having a nice body. Like, one of the adventures that Ella has Sophie do is become a modal for a day, and the stylist instantly said "OMG you're huge! all my models are size 00, and you're a size 6!" And the first thing Ella to Sophie said was "Now you know how I feel whenever I walk beside you." Like WTF?? What kind of best friend says that? There was conflict and tension rose near the end of the book, and there was like a brief two chapters where Sophie and Ella didn't talk to each other, but then they made up the next day without having resolved the issue at all! They didn't even talk it out or acknowledge the issue, it was just a basic "We looked at each other and hugged, our silence saying everything."
Second, I thought 90% of the dialogue was ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY. All the characters said explicit actions AS THEY WERE DOING IT, which is what made me feel like I was reading a book for nine year olds. Especially this one section where Sophie resolves the issue with her father and brother being able to look after themselves, and so they hire a MAID. Um, weird solution but okay. Anyways, the conversation went like this, "I have one more question. The house, well, it looks clean. When did you have time to do that as well as cook and order groceries?"
"I hired a cleaning person to come in once a week."
"I've also found a laundry service. They charge by the pound."
"So, you have somebody to clean the house, deliver groceries and the two of you are cooking."
Like, the dialogue repeats itself so much. It was really annoying.
I did think it was somewhat original cuz it was the first contemporary YA in a loong time where there was no romance what so ever. And Sophie truly gained closure and acceptance as readers unveil how her mother died. That part did get to me, I'll admit.
The description of the use of social media was also really cringy though. You could tell it wasn't authentic and it was some old person disguising themselves as a teenage girl. Like, realistically, is Sophie was a normal 18 year old girl she would know what Instagram and Twitter is as well as the basic logistics of it, regardless of whether or not she's active on it. Some parts too explicitly described Twitter and Snapchat, etc, and you could just tell that the author IRL had no knowledge of social media at all.
Other people also mentioned the lack of consistency in this novel and how each different 'day' was completely unrelated. I guess that was the point of the book, but I didn't expect it to be THAT random. It was incredibly fast paced and didn't leave readers enough time to catch up with the characters.
The storyline was meh. Characters had potential. I liked the father, but he seemed really submissive at times. Good message and it was a tad mit encouraging and made me want to start trying new things, so I'll give you a point for that. But the ending had no closure between Sophie and Ella at all. I thought they would get some huge scene where they get to say their goodbyes but it was a mere narration of Sophie saying how she'll miss her, and that was that. It was mainly a farewell between her and her father. That part was kinda heart tugging too.
Second, I thought 90% of the dialogue was ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY. All the characters said explicit actions AS THEY WERE DOING IT, which is what made me feel like I was reading a book for nine year olds. Especially this one section where Sophie resolves the issue with her father and brother being able to look after themselves, and so they hire a MAID. Um, weird solution but okay. Anyways, the conversation went like this, "I have one more question. The house, well, it looks clean. When did you have time to do that as well as cook and order groceries?"
"I hired a cleaning person to come in once a week."
"I've also found a laundry service. They charge by the pound."
"So, you have somebody to clean the house, deliver groceries and the two of you are cooking."
Like, the dialogue repeats itself so much. It was really annoying.
I did think it was somewhat original cuz it was the first contemporary YA in a loong time where there was no romance what so ever. And Sophie truly gained closure and acceptance as readers unveil how her mother died. That part did get to me, I'll admit.
The description of the use of social media was also really cringy though. You could tell it wasn't authentic and it was some old person disguising themselves as a teenage girl. Like, realistically, is Sophie was a normal 18 year old girl she would know what Instagram and Twitter is as well as the basic logistics of it, regardless of whether or not she's active on it. Some parts too explicitly described Twitter and Snapchat, etc, and you could just tell that the author IRL had no knowledge of social media at all.
Other people also mentioned the lack of consistency in this novel and how each different 'day' was completely unrelated. I guess that was the point of the book, but I didn't expect it to be THAT random. It was incredibly fast paced and didn't leave readers enough time to catch up with the characters.
The storyline was meh. Characters had potential. I liked the father, but he seemed really submissive at times. Good message and it was a tad mit encouraging and made me want to start trying new things, so I'll give you a point for that. But the ending had no closure between Sophie and Ella at all. I thought they would get some huge scene where they get to say their goodbyes but it was a mere narration of Sophie saying how she'll miss her, and that was that. It was mainly a farewell between her and her father. That part was kinda heart tugging too.
June 11, 2017
The book doesn’t cover every single “day of different,” but does cover a lot of them. The variety is nice, but at the same time makes the book quick and disjointed. While a few days had serious introspection and well done emotional moments, the majority were light and fluffy. I looked forward to seeing what Ella had planned for Sophie, but it wasn't really gripping and lacked a sense of suspense or urgency (I’m not sure I would have finished the book if I wasn’t reviewing it).
As a child, Sophie lost one parent and compensated/coped by becoming super responsible and regimented to take care of herself and her remaining family (she also developed a need of being in control). This personality worked well within the story premise, and it gave Sophie a sympathetic angle.
I found it grating that the topic of how hot, gorgeous and photogenic Sophie is came up several times. It’s cliché for female characters to be conventionally attractive, and we don’t need books putting an emphasis on the importance of being a boy-magnet. Ella harbors some bitterness/jealously over Sophie’s looks, and I thought the author might take that in a sinister direction since Ella was the one setting up all Sophie’s days of different, but the envy didn’t go anywhere. Luckily Sophie decides not to date over the summer, otherwise this could have turned into 90 Days of Different Boys.
Sophie details her days of different on various social media websites, and is hurt over a few negative comments. This would have been an excellent opportunity for the author to explore how nasty people can be on the internet—and the harassment women get in particular—but it was glossed over. The positive impact Sophie had on one of her blog readers was glossed over too. I wished he could have gone deeper into those topics. Perhaps that would have been too much to cover in one book.
Overall, I thought the book was okay. The message about trying different things and getting out of your comfort zone is handled well, but the characters were bland and it was too much like a Hallmark movie for my tastes. The back says it’s Young Adult, but I think it’s more suitable for middle grade.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a child, Sophie lost one parent and compensated/coped by becoming super responsible and regimented to take care of herself and her remaining family (she also developed a need of being in control). This personality worked well within the story premise, and it gave Sophie a sympathetic angle.
I found it grating that the topic of how hot, gorgeous and photogenic Sophie is came up several times. It’s cliché for female characters to be conventionally attractive, and we don’t need books putting an emphasis on the importance of being a boy-magnet. Ella harbors some bitterness/jealously over Sophie’s looks, and I thought the author might take that in a sinister direction since Ella was the one setting up all Sophie’s days of different, but the envy didn’t go anywhere. Luckily Sophie decides not to date over the summer, otherwise this could have turned into 90 Days of Different Boys.
Sophie details her days of different on various social media websites, and is hurt over a few negative comments. This would have been an excellent opportunity for the author to explore how nasty people can be on the internet—and the harassment women get in particular—but it was glossed over. The positive impact Sophie had on one of her blog readers was glossed over too. I wished he could have gone deeper into those topics. Perhaps that would have been too much to cover in one book.
Overall, I thought the book was okay. The message about trying different things and getting out of your comfort zone is handled well, but the characters were bland and it was too much like a Hallmark movie for my tastes. The back says it’s Young Adult, but I think it’s more suitable for middle grade.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2018
Whoa, tohle mě fakt bavilo!
Přečteno za jeden den, na léto fakt doporučuju, zvlášť pokud už máte dost zamilovaných románků. Trochu mi to připadalo jako Skoro úplný seznam těch nejhorších nočních můr od Krystal Sutherland, jen míň dívný... Jediné , co bych vytkla, je nerealistická dokonalost hlavní hrdinky a to, že její jedinou "chybou" je smrt matky. Nakonec to ale autor (pořád nechápu, jak něco takového mohl napsat muž) zaobalil docela dobře.
4,5/5*
// Celá recenze: https://marky-books.blogspot.com/2018...
Přečteno za jeden den, na léto fakt doporučuju, zvlášť pokud už máte dost zamilovaných románků. Trochu mi to připadalo jako Skoro úplný seznam těch nejhorších nočních můr od Krystal Sutherland, jen míň dívný... Jediné , co bych vytkla, je nerealistická dokonalost hlavní hrdinky a to, že její jedinou "chybou" je smrt matky. Nakonec to ale autor (pořád nechápu, jak něco takového mohl napsat muž) zaobalil docela dobře.
4,5/5*
// Celá recenze: https://marky-books.blogspot.com/2018...
July 2, 2020
I thought this book had a lot of potential to be something really fun and unique, but I was disappointing. This book felt like it was trying to cover to many topics at once, and it was overwhelming. It was also really hard to connect with any of the characters.
One of the biggest issues I had with this book was Sophie's best friend, Ella. Right at the beginning of the book, Sophie is dumped by her high school boyfriend, Ryan, who says she is too mature and unpredictable that their relationship isn't fun. Upset and confused, Sophie turns to her best friend, who instead of consoling her, says that her boyfriend was right! What kind of a best friend would do that? Ella was also constantly jealous of Sophie and all of the attention she would get by being 'prettier' and 'smarter' and Ella would pick constant, pointless fights about it. This issue was never resolved which left the book more than a few loose ends.
The premise of the book is Sophie's journey to become 'wild and reckless' and have a bit more fun by doing 90 new activities in 90 days. This sounded like a really cool idea for a novel, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Ella and Sophie must have spent an insane amount of money on their adventurous summer from taking professional diving lessons to crashing on Hollywood parties. Some of the tasks seemed very unrealistic for the abilities and budget of two teenage girls, who as far as I know, have only ever worked in fast food restaurants.
Another problem I had with Ella was the fact that she was pushing Sophie into doing things that Sophie clearly did not want to do. Ella convinced Sophie to do 'differents' like underage drinking, getting a tattoo, and illegal graffiti. Yes, the point of the tasks was to push Sophie out of her comfort zone in order to have more fun, but when it becomes borderline illegal, it's going too far. Ella should not have pushed Sophie to do the things that she VERBALLY STATED that she was not comfortable with.
Unfortunately, this book skipped about a third or more of the 90 tasks, which I found disappointing, and many of the tasks lasted barely more than a page. The tasks also closely mirrored those that Emily did inSince You've Been Gone, such as crashing a wedding and sneaking into a bar underage, which made reading 90 Days of Different like deja-vu, although I will say that I liked Since You've Been Gone much better then I did this book.
Although I did just say a lot of negative things about this book, I didn't hate it, so here are some of the parts I liked about it:
- I liked how the impact of Sophie's tasks on other people was mentioned through the people at the soup kitchens, the young girl who had also lost a mother and all of the other people following her journey that were inspired by it.
- Sophie showed a lot of growth throughout the novel, by becoming more adventurous, learning to trust her dad more and forgiving him for not being there as much as he maybe should have, and how she learned to stop caring how others thought of her.
- Some of the tasks were fun to read about like .
So, overall this book was a light read with a lot of potential (and a pretty cover), but I had more than a few issues with it and ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
One of the biggest issues I had with this book was Sophie's best friend, Ella. Right at the beginning of the book, Sophie is dumped by her high school boyfriend, Ryan, who says she is too mature and unpredictable that their relationship isn't fun. Upset and confused, Sophie turns to her best friend, who instead of consoling her, says that her boyfriend was right! What kind of a best friend would do that? Ella was also constantly jealous of Sophie and all of the attention she would get by being 'prettier' and 'smarter' and Ella would pick constant, pointless fights about it. This issue was never resolved which left the book more than a few loose ends.
The premise of the book is Sophie's journey to become 'wild and reckless' and have a bit more fun by doing 90 new activities in 90 days. This sounded like a really cool idea for a novel, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Ella and Sophie must have spent an insane amount of money on their adventurous summer from taking professional diving lessons to crashing on Hollywood parties. Some of the tasks seemed very unrealistic for the abilities and budget of two teenage girls, who as far as I know, have only ever worked in fast food restaurants.
Another problem I had with Ella was the fact that she was pushing Sophie into doing things that Sophie clearly did not want to do. Ella convinced Sophie to do 'differents' like underage drinking, getting a tattoo, and illegal graffiti. Yes, the point of the tasks was to push Sophie out of her comfort zone in order to have more fun, but when it becomes borderline illegal, it's going too far. Ella should not have pushed Sophie to do the things that she VERBALLY STATED that she was not comfortable with.
Unfortunately, this book skipped about a third or more of the 90 tasks, which I found disappointing, and many of the tasks lasted barely more than a page. The tasks also closely mirrored those that Emily did inSince You've Been Gone, such as crashing a wedding and sneaking into a bar underage, which made reading 90 Days of Different like deja-vu, although I will say that I liked Since You've Been Gone much better then I did this book.
Although I did just say a lot of negative things about this book, I didn't hate it, so here are some of the parts I liked about it:
- I liked how the impact of Sophie's tasks on other people was mentioned through the people at the soup kitchens, the young girl who had also lost a mother and all of the other people following her journey that were inspired by it.
- Sophie showed a lot of growth throughout the novel, by becoming more adventurous, learning to trust her dad more and forgiving him for not being there as much as he maybe should have, and how she learned to stop caring how others thought of her.
- Some of the tasks were fun to read about like .
So, overall this book was a light read with a lot of potential (and a pretty cover), but I had more than a few issues with it and ultimately, it just wasn't for me.
September 5, 2020
I feel like ella isn't a real friend. For one she shouldn't shit on sophie the way luke did. If you think so little of sophie then why are you still around her? You can't simultaneously appreciate her responsibility and all the benefits it comes with but call her boring for it.
Then she proceeds to post that picture from one of the first differents where sophie looks bad and she looks great. It's so obvious that she wants to make sophie look bad. That isn't how a friend behaves. She talks about Sophie's looks as if they're a direct attack on hers. She makes sophie question herself about whether or not she should be upset that the photo is Ella's profile picture and if asking her to take it down would be extra on her part. When it fucking isn't. Friends don't want their friends to look bad so they can look good. Ella is garbage.
This is even more apparent when they go to work at a fast food place and the entire time are just looking down at this manager for being proud of his work. Then sophie proceeds to be really rude to customer's telling them they should have salad instead and one guy shouldn't risk gaining weight or he'll lose his girlfriend. Wtf. If you want to comment on how shitty customers in the industry then write about a customer being really rude or making a demand that doesn't make sense. Not about their weight. At this point sophie seems incredibly shallow and her "friend" isn't much of a friend.
Wow she gets worse. Ella literally just said it amuses her to see sophie stress about the differents she has planned. Friends don't want friends to be filled with anxiety for their own amusements.
The kiss in the mall was weird. On some level I could see it but the interaction was unrealistic. At least I don't see any conversation going like that with an old man I just walk up to.
After that sophie is just harping on how her dad and brother are eating. She has a real problem with canned food. Her unrealistic and idealistic bullshit is really what's killing this for me beyond her shit friend. DnF. @day 19.
Then she proceeds to post that picture from one of the first differents where sophie looks bad and she looks great. It's so obvious that she wants to make sophie look bad. That isn't how a friend behaves. She talks about Sophie's looks as if they're a direct attack on hers. She makes sophie question herself about whether or not she should be upset that the photo is Ella's profile picture and if asking her to take it down would be extra on her part. When it fucking isn't. Friends don't want their friends to look bad so they can look good. Ella is garbage.
This is even more apparent when they go to work at a fast food place and the entire time are just looking down at this manager for being proud of his work. Then sophie proceeds to be really rude to customer's telling them they should have salad instead and one guy shouldn't risk gaining weight or he'll lose his girlfriend. Wtf. If you want to comment on how shitty customers in the industry then write about a customer being really rude or making a demand that doesn't make sense. Not about their weight. At this point sophie seems incredibly shallow and her "friend" isn't much of a friend.
Wow she gets worse. Ella literally just said it amuses her to see sophie stress about the differents she has planned. Friends don't want friends to be filled with anxiety for their own amusements.
The kiss in the mall was weird. On some level I could see it but the interaction was unrealistic. At least I don't see any conversation going like that with an old man I just walk up to.
After that sophie is just harping on how her dad and brother are eating. She has a real problem with canned food. Her unrealistic and idealistic bullshit is really what's killing this for me beyond her shit friend. DnF. @day 19.
July 14, 2020
On the cover of the book it says that the author has written over 100 books. Well, let me say that from my experience with him, this book was so poorly written I can't see someone would want to publish so many of his books. (but maybe the other ones are better?) The main two characters - Sophie and Ella - are unlikeable from the very start. Especially Ella, as I'm sorry but I really wouldn't want someone as her to be my bestfriend. In fact, I think I would rather have no friends at all.
Another thing: What is so bad about being responsible and predictable? And yes, maybe one of the reasons why I didn't like this book was the fact that I've seen myself in Sophie and this book felt like it was attacking me for it. I like to have things under my control. And so what? It's not like I can never have fun....
I didn't mind this book didn't have any romance in it, as I think it was one of its main points. You can be happy and have fun while being single and that's completely fine. Not every young adult book needs to have a romance in it!
To sum it up, this book was boring. The writing wasn't good, the characters weren't anything better and I didn't find the whole point and plot of the book anything special. Maybe the author had a good idea at the beginning but it just didn't show. And the end...seriously? You couldn't think of anything more cliché?
Anyways... I'm sorry if this review sounds a bit too harsh. I'm sure there are people that will enjoy this book and if you are one of them, well.., good for you!
Another thing: What is so bad about being responsible and predictable? And yes, maybe one of the reasons why I didn't like this book was the fact that I've seen myself in Sophie and this book felt like it was attacking me for it. I like to have things under my control. And so what? It's not like I can never have fun....
I didn't mind this book didn't have any romance in it, as I think it was one of its main points. You can be happy and have fun while being single and that's completely fine. Not every young adult book needs to have a romance in it!
To sum it up, this book was boring. The writing wasn't good, the characters weren't anything better and I didn't find the whole point and plot of the book anything special. Maybe the author had a good idea at the beginning but it just didn't show. And the end...seriously? You couldn't think of anything more cliché?
Anyways... I'm sorry if this review sounds a bit too harsh. I'm sure there are people that will enjoy this book and if you are one of them, well.., good for you!
January 31, 2021
hmm... i have a lot to say about this. i was really excited about reading it, the title and synopsis were right up my alley, but by chapter 3 i was willing to give up. the characters were weak, the plot was weak, the differents were weak and at times seemed under-researched by the author, the relationships were poorly built and quite frankly, in my opinion, the book was badly written.
i would say this writing style is suitable for a younger audience, however the wisdom and life lessons a reader should take with them from this story were partly problematic(?). the main characters focused on the wrong things, some of the differents were hurtful to others and the reaction to those were the opposite of what they'd receive in the real life. in my opinion, it's not a good example for our youth. for everyone else, i think the simple writing and dialogue-based text wouldn't even invite to finish the book at all.
lastly, i suffered through it just to get over with and put it behind me, but the most suffering i experienced through sophie's and ella's own friendship. they didn't give off best friend vibes and i felt bad that this was the best friendship they had ever seen.
10/10 would go back in time and not read it
i would say this writing style is suitable for a younger audience, however the wisdom and life lessons a reader should take with them from this story were partly problematic(?). the main characters focused on the wrong things, some of the differents were hurtful to others and the reaction to those were the opposite of what they'd receive in the real life. in my opinion, it's not a good example for our youth. for everyone else, i think the simple writing and dialogue-based text wouldn't even invite to finish the book at all.
lastly, i suffered through it just to get over with and put it behind me, but the most suffering i experienced through sophie's and ella's own friendship. they didn't give off best friend vibes and i felt bad that this was the best friendship they had ever seen.
10/10 would go back in time and not read it
June 17, 2020
I think I kept on reading this to see how bad it could get.
Sophie's boyfriend breaks up with her at the end of high school and accuses her of being too mature and predictable. Sophie's friend Ella decides to make Sophie do something different every day for the 90 days of the summer holidays.
Ok, so some of the ideas were great. But some were downright wrong. (deliberately setting out to be fired? Giving into peer pressure with the vodka?) And the use of social media in the book horrified me. Accept everyone (even the trolls?) There is no validation unless it is on social media - yeah, not the message you want to send.
Then there is the toxic friendship that is never addressed. There are jealousy issues that are never addressed. Ella seems to delight in making Sophie come across as less than perfect - but only in terms of her looks. And don't get me started on the tattoo. I can't believe any decent tattoo artist would go ahead and tattoo someone who had no idea what the design was going to be. I can't believe someone who is your friend would force you to do something that permanent.
There was potential for so much more in this book. It didn't deliver.
Sophie's boyfriend breaks up with her at the end of high school and accuses her of being too mature and predictable. Sophie's friend Ella decides to make Sophie do something different every day for the 90 days of the summer holidays.
Ok, so some of the ideas were great. But some were downright wrong. (deliberately setting out to be fired? Giving into peer pressure with the vodka?) And the use of social media in the book horrified me. Accept everyone (even the trolls?) There is no validation unless it is on social media - yeah, not the message you want to send.
Then there is the toxic friendship that is never addressed. There are jealousy issues that are never addressed. Ella seems to delight in making Sophie come across as less than perfect - but only in terms of her looks. And don't get me started on the tattoo. I can't believe any decent tattoo artist would go ahead and tattoo someone who had no idea what the design was going to be. I can't believe someone who is your friend would force you to do something that permanent.
There was potential for so much more in this book. It didn't deliver.
January 14, 2018
Everyone needs to read this book, whether you are 10 or 110! It's about a girl whose mother died seven years ago and she took over taking care of her father and younger brother, so when she's 18 and graduating from college, she's really 35 and stuck in a life she's not living. So her friend, Ella, designs a summer of firsts for her and she has to post all of the firsts on social media.
I guess the reason this book resonated with me so much is that I think many of us get so caught up in doing the day to day of life that we stop living our lives. I don't remember the last time I did a different, and I think I need to add some of those back into my life. Walters is one of my favorite YA authors. I'm amazed that a man could write a teenage girl so well! Sophia is a well-rounded character who is both sympathetic and strong. I'm especially happy she didn't end up with Luke... I guess that's a spoiler, but he was a jerk! She was stronger and happier and didn't need him in her life to feel whole. Yay!
I guess the reason this book resonated with me so much is that I think many of us get so caught up in doing the day to day of life that we stop living our lives. I don't remember the last time I did a different, and I think I need to add some of those back into my life. Walters is one of my favorite YA authors. I'm amazed that a man could write a teenage girl so well! Sophia is a well-rounded character who is both sympathetic and strong. I'm especially happy she didn't end up with Luke... I guess that's a spoiler, but he was a jerk! She was stronger and happier and didn't need him in her life to feel whole. Yay!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2021
Genuinely one of the most uncomfortable books that I have ever read. The main character’s best friend clearly hates her, they do some pretty awful things, and it’s always exceptionally weird to read a book that is supposed to be from the perspective of a young girl that was so clearly written by a middle aged man. The author wrote some things that would have really bothered a teenage girl with no detail at all, but you had better bet that the day she went to the gun range got pages and pages of descriptions. Not overly impressed with this one.
April 17, 2018
Just not my thing. Good on Sophie for shaking up the routine in her young life and boldly trying to get out of the rut she’s in. But having to measure the success of your endeavors in changing your perspective and growing you as a person by how many likes you get on Facebook and Twitter? This is not a way to build strength of character and confidence in oneself. Disappointing.
Read
March 20, 2018Roztomilé letní čtení, ideální na pláž ke všem těm zmrzlinám, co jsou na obálce. Už aby to léto bylo!
Nečekejte od něj zázraky, je to prima oddechovka, navíc s příjemným bonusem toho, že tam vlastně není žádná milostná zápletka, což bylo hrozně osvěžující.
Nečekejte od něj zázraky, je to prima oddechovka, navíc s příjemným bonusem toho, že tam vlastně není žádná milostná zápletka, což bylo hrozně osvěžující.
August 6, 2018
Suitable for grade 7 and 8
July 9, 2025
An interesting concept to challenge oneself, however, I struggled with the direction this took. Did this narrative reflect best friends or one friend on the verge of bullying the other, with no recognition that this might be the case. In the current climate, it is critical for young women to stand up for themselves and not tolerate bullying even if disguised as friendship. For that reason, I did not thoroughly enjoy this book.
January 24, 2022
90 Days of Different by Eric Walters is a young contemporary, and coming of age novel. It tells the story of a teen girl spending her last summer before college working on herself… doing different things every day for 90 days. It all started when Sophie’s boyfriend, Luke, dumped her on the last day of senior year because she was too predictable, too responsible and too boring. When she talked to her best friend and family, they said Luke wasn’t completely wrong. And, he wasn’t. Sophie was known for being over the top responsible and very predictable. She was the type of person to always follow the rules and do the right thing. Following the breakup, Sophie’s best friend, Ella, took her out for ice cream. When ordering, Sophie asked for the same flavor and cone she always gets. Ella stopped her and told her to try something new… try something different. Sophie selected “Wild n’ Reckless”, a flavor which comes to describe her summer. And so began the 90 days of different. Ella began to plan different challenges for Sophie every day until the end of summer. Some of the things Sophie ended up doing were completely insane and scary. On top of the daily challenges, Sophie dealt with friend and family drama. She also shared her adventures on social media and on her blog. Every day of Sophie’s summer was adventurous, and most of the time, terrifying.
This is the perfect book to read during the summer or if you want to make a change in your life. I found this book thought provoking, and enjoyable. The characters experience realistic feelings and go through entertaining experiences. You will learn about self growth and dealing with the hardships of life.
This is the perfect book to read during the summer or if you want to make a change in your life. I found this book thought provoking, and enjoyable. The characters experience realistic feelings and go through entertaining experiences. You will learn about self growth and dealing with the hardships of life.
April 8, 2020
Totally in mood for summer!
Just don't expect any romance, you could be disappointed. This is the right opposite, it's about enjoying being single.
Just don't expect any romance, you could be disappointed. This is the right opposite, it's about enjoying being single.
August 6, 2022
Ella is toxic.
December 17, 2022
Although this book wasn’t terrible, it was definitely not well done. There was essentially no transitions between chapters, it got very repetitive and just wasn’t intriguing. The concept was great, but the actual execution wasn’t!
September 23, 2024
Napad super, ale provedeni teda velky zklamani. Se vsi uctou k autorovi mi to neprislo vubec ctivy a ani dobre napsany. Taky by me zajimalo, jestli by v realnym zivote fakt fungovalo, ze holka si zalozi fb, insta a twitter a behem par dni/tydnu ma tisice sledujich, kteri ji nabizeji celkem velky akce zadarmo.. Plus jako vsechno dobre dopadlo a byla z toho nadsena? To je za vlasy pritazeny.
January 28, 2025
Kdybych knížku nečetla do výzvy, tak jsem ji odložila po pár prvních kapitolách... námět zní zajímavě, ale provedení se vůbec nepovedlo.
March 16, 2024
V hlavni hrdince jsem se celkem našla. Zodpovědná, opatrná, asi i nudná.. Jinak příběh fajn, ale občas jen nudný “výčet” těch události. Hlavní myšlenka ale dobrá
August 19, 2020
*1.5
I don’t usually write reviews, but I think this book needed one. This book is about a responsible but predictable teenage girl who gets challenged by a friend to try new things. I thought this book would be about a girl’s journey for self discovery. But this book isn’t really about a girl stepping out of her shell. It’s about a girl who is “different” from others her age being challenged to do more “normal” teenage stuff including getting fired from a job, getting drunk, breaking the law, getting a tattoo, and going to a topless beach.
There are many instances of fat shaming, jealousy, and bullying that are just brushed to the side. When Sophie and Ella are trying to get fired from a burger joint, they make comments about the people’s weight and no one gets offended. The man she told “could use a few less calories” even agreed with her and ordered a salad without dressing instead of a double cheeseburger.
When Sophie has to walk the runway, she gets called “huge” by the woman running the show because she is bigger than a size zero. Sophie says she’s a size six. I get that models are generally thinner and taller than the average person, but really? A size six gets called huge? I’m 17 and I wear between a 5-9 depending on the store. Is this supposed to make girls feel good about themselves? Ella even makes a comment about how Sophie is shorter and fatter than the models, but it isn’t what you would expect from a supposed “best friend.” Ella instead comments about how she is invisible next to Sophie and “how does it feel to be the ugly one?” As if beauty is about the size of clothes you wear or if your friends are more attractive than you.
I have a problem with Ella’s character in general. Ella is supposed to be Sophie’s best friend, but she never acts like it. Throughout the book Ella makes snide comments about how perfect Sophie is and how she will never be that perfect. In one instance, Sophie sprains a wrist while rock climbing and Ella makes a post about it saying “the princess fell down and broke her crown.” Sophie—THAT NIGHT—made a blog entry about how great of a friend Ella is. This made me angry. Ella and Sophie fought about it, but made up just days after. It would be different if Sophie was some rude and entitled person. She is not, though. Most things she does is for other people. She takes care of her family and works hard to be successful. But Ella is always making rude comments about her friend and when she gets called out for it she says that she is appreciated enough and Sophie is forced to apologize. This leads Sophie to think that it’s all her fault and she even starts dressing down around Ella so that boys will see both of them.
I’m also uncomfortable by the amount of older men who hit on and Sophie. I understand that she’s eighteen, not technically a minor, but she gets hit on by an old, creepy magician, a sexist man on social media, a street artist, and a young police officer. Sophie turns them down every time, but that seems to upset Ella. The reason is never explained.
And throughout the entire book, her dad is on board with everything. You’d think that a single father might care that his only daughter was drinking underage, going to clubs and bars, getting a tattoo, and going to a topless beach. But what does her father say about all of this? “18 is the legal drinking age in other countries so it’s fine that you drank half a bottle of vodka while I wasn’t home” or—and this is my favorite—“your mom would be prouder of you now than when you were just studying all the time and taking care of things around the house. You remind me so much of her. She was very adventurous, too.”
It is also obvious that this book is written by an older man. The author tries his best to make it believable, but he’ll never understand what is like to be a female. Heck, he doesn’t even know how the average teenager thinks. The characters are way too polite and talk way too formally to be teens. He also makes it seem like such a big deal to unplug. Sophie get challenged to not have any contact with people for a whole day. The way she acts when she can’t have her phone, iPod, and computer is stereotypical and exaggerated.
I don’t usually write reviews, but I think this book needed one. This book is about a responsible but predictable teenage girl who gets challenged by a friend to try new things. I thought this book would be about a girl’s journey for self discovery. But this book isn’t really about a girl stepping out of her shell. It’s about a girl who is “different” from others her age being challenged to do more “normal” teenage stuff including getting fired from a job, getting drunk, breaking the law, getting a tattoo, and going to a topless beach.
There are many instances of fat shaming, jealousy, and bullying that are just brushed to the side. When Sophie and Ella are trying to get fired from a burger joint, they make comments about the people’s weight and no one gets offended. The man she told “could use a few less calories” even agreed with her and ordered a salad without dressing instead of a double cheeseburger.
When Sophie has to walk the runway, she gets called “huge” by the woman running the show because she is bigger than a size zero. Sophie says she’s a size six. I get that models are generally thinner and taller than the average person, but really? A size six gets called huge? I’m 17 and I wear between a 5-9 depending on the store. Is this supposed to make girls feel good about themselves? Ella even makes a comment about how Sophie is shorter and fatter than the models, but it isn’t what you would expect from a supposed “best friend.” Ella instead comments about how she is invisible next to Sophie and “how does it feel to be the ugly one?” As if beauty is about the size of clothes you wear or if your friends are more attractive than you.
I have a problem with Ella’s character in general. Ella is supposed to be Sophie’s best friend, but she never acts like it. Throughout the book Ella makes snide comments about how perfect Sophie is and how she will never be that perfect. In one instance, Sophie sprains a wrist while rock climbing and Ella makes a post about it saying “the princess fell down and broke her crown.” Sophie—THAT NIGHT—made a blog entry about how great of a friend Ella is. This made me angry. Ella and Sophie fought about it, but made up just days after. It would be different if Sophie was some rude and entitled person. She is not, though. Most things she does is for other people. She takes care of her family and works hard to be successful. But Ella is always making rude comments about her friend and when she gets called out for it she says that she is appreciated enough and Sophie is forced to apologize. This leads Sophie to think that it’s all her fault and she even starts dressing down around Ella so that boys will see both of them.
I’m also uncomfortable by the amount of older men who hit on and Sophie. I understand that she’s eighteen, not technically a minor, but she gets hit on by an old, creepy magician, a sexist man on social media, a street artist, and a young police officer. Sophie turns them down every time, but that seems to upset Ella. The reason is never explained.
And throughout the entire book, her dad is on board with everything. You’d think that a single father might care that his only daughter was drinking underage, going to clubs and bars, getting a tattoo, and going to a topless beach. But what does her father say about all of this? “18 is the legal drinking age in other countries so it’s fine that you drank half a bottle of vodka while I wasn’t home” or—and this is my favorite—“your mom would be prouder of you now than when you were just studying all the time and taking care of things around the house. You remind me so much of her. She was very adventurous, too.”
It is also obvious that this book is written by an older man. The author tries his best to make it believable, but he’ll never understand what is like to be a female. Heck, he doesn’t even know how the average teenager thinks. The characters are way too polite and talk way too formally to be teens. He also makes it seem like such a big deal to unplug. Sophie get challenged to not have any contact with people for a whole day. The way she acts when she can’t have her phone, iPod, and computer is stereotypical and exaggerated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2017
read the full post on my blog: jennaandherthings.wordpress.com
90 Days of Different tells the story of Sophie Evans and how she thinks she has it all figured out. High school is done and college is up next, and then her boyfriend Luke breaks up with her because she’s too critical, responsible, and boring. When her best friend Ella agrees with Luke, Sophie knows something has to change, she has to do something… different. Ella steps in and challenges Sophie to do something different everyday for the 90 days of summer vacation and document it on social media (find the ACTUAL social media accounts down below) and knowing she needs a change, Sophie accepts.
From here on out, there are spoilers! Just so you know.
Let’s start with what I didn’t really like about this book. I thought the whole idea of the book was super interesting and similar to one of my favourite books (Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson) and I decided to read it. I’ll admit, it did take me awhile to read this book and I kind of had to force myself to read it. The next thing I didn’t really like: the characters. I didn’t get attached to any of them and I really didn’t like Sophie’s friend, Ella. I thought she was actually really mean to Sophie in the beginning and well into the book. She was obviously jealous of Sophie, but she had put Sophie in that position to become, basically, famous. I also thought the character of Night Crawler aka Cody aka mysterious graffiti boy was unnecessary, as he was literally in the book for one chapter. I would’ve liked to seen him come back at one point during the novel. Another thing I thought unnecessary was the part when Todd asked Sophie out at the rifle range. That was just so awkward. I literally cringed while reading that. The final thing I didn’t particularly enjoy was how some parts of the novel felt like it was written by a middle aged man.. which it was, so I guess I can’t be too mad about that. It just really bothered me when Sophie and Ella called social media “social”. That is not a thing. Unless it is, and I’m the middle aged man in this situation.
Now, moving on to what I did like. I did like how this book was super light, it didn’t require a lot (if any) thinking. It was easy and enjoyable, perfect for anyone who wants some light reading. Like I said above, I loved the premise of the book. I also LOVE how you can read the actual blogs/tweets/grams from the book. That is dedication if I’ve ever seen it. In the book, social media wasn’t always portrayed as a being a positive influence in life and I feel like that’s super accurate. Sophie received some hate and she realized that social media wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. The variety of the differents is another thing I liked about the book. I don’t know what I was expecting as the differents, but I was surprised with every flip of the page and it kept me somewhat determined to keep reading, to see what dares were next. I have to say my favourite part of the book was how Sophie flat-out REJECTED Luke when they meet at college, it truly was the most obvious point of her character development and I let out an actual cheer. Of course, being a Canadian teenage girl I also have to give points for the Shawn Mendes references within the book. I guess me and Ella are going to have to duel it out over who gets to marry him. I also let out a little whoop at the mention of Dundas square, one of my favourite places.
I gave 90 Days of Different 3/5 stars. It was an enjoyable book, but I had trouble continuing to read it and it’s not one of my favourite books. However, I do respect the amount of work put in to make the Sophie’s world as realistic as possible (the social media accounts).
90 Days of Different tells the story of Sophie Evans and how she thinks she has it all figured out. High school is done and college is up next, and then her boyfriend Luke breaks up with her because she’s too critical, responsible, and boring. When her best friend Ella agrees with Luke, Sophie knows something has to change, she has to do something… different. Ella steps in and challenges Sophie to do something different everyday for the 90 days of summer vacation and document it on social media (find the ACTUAL social media accounts down below) and knowing she needs a change, Sophie accepts.
From here on out, there are spoilers! Just so you know.
Let’s start with what I didn’t really like about this book. I thought the whole idea of the book was super interesting and similar to one of my favourite books (Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson) and I decided to read it. I’ll admit, it did take me awhile to read this book and I kind of had to force myself to read it. The next thing I didn’t really like: the characters. I didn’t get attached to any of them and I really didn’t like Sophie’s friend, Ella. I thought she was actually really mean to Sophie in the beginning and well into the book. She was obviously jealous of Sophie, but she had put Sophie in that position to become, basically, famous. I also thought the character of Night Crawler aka Cody aka mysterious graffiti boy was unnecessary, as he was literally in the book for one chapter. I would’ve liked to seen him come back at one point during the novel. Another thing I thought unnecessary was the part when Todd asked Sophie out at the rifle range. That was just so awkward. I literally cringed while reading that. The final thing I didn’t particularly enjoy was how some parts of the novel felt like it was written by a middle aged man.. which it was, so I guess I can’t be too mad about that. It just really bothered me when Sophie and Ella called social media “social”. That is not a thing. Unless it is, and I’m the middle aged man in this situation.
Now, moving on to what I did like. I did like how this book was super light, it didn’t require a lot (if any) thinking. It was easy and enjoyable, perfect for anyone who wants some light reading. Like I said above, I loved the premise of the book. I also LOVE how you can read the actual blogs/tweets/grams from the book. That is dedication if I’ve ever seen it. In the book, social media wasn’t always portrayed as a being a positive influence in life and I feel like that’s super accurate. Sophie received some hate and she realized that social media wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. The variety of the differents is another thing I liked about the book. I don’t know what I was expecting as the differents, but I was surprised with every flip of the page and it kept me somewhat determined to keep reading, to see what dares were next. I have to say my favourite part of the book was how Sophie flat-out REJECTED Luke when they meet at college, it truly was the most obvious point of her character development and I let out an actual cheer. Of course, being a Canadian teenage girl I also have to give points for the Shawn Mendes references within the book. I guess me and Ella are going to have to duel it out over who gets to marry him. I also let out a little whoop at the mention of Dundas square, one of my favourite places.
I gave 90 Days of Different 3/5 stars. It was an enjoyable book, but I had trouble continuing to read it and it’s not one of my favourite books. However, I do respect the amount of work put in to make the Sophie’s world as realistic as possible (the social media accounts).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2018
3.5/5 stars!
This book had a really interesting plot and I guess that's what got me into it but it wasn't my absolute favorite. However, I really enjoyed how quickly I managed to read it because of how I was anticipating what Sophie's next 'different' would be. In a way, it's kind of like the person reading the book is one of the people who see the progress on her journey through social media. I also liked her character development, since, even as the reader, it was nice to see her change and have less weight on her shoulders.
I suppose the only problems would be that there were some parts of the book that didn't have much going on (didn't get me really interested in it) and that I kind of didn't like Sophie's character at times. Still, I'm not used to reading contemporary and so that's probably one of the reasons why
Overall, this read was fun, quick, and unique, and the writing style is great!
This book had a really interesting plot and I guess that's what got me into it but it wasn't my absolute favorite. However, I really enjoyed how quickly I managed to read it because of how I was anticipating what Sophie's next 'different' would be. In a way, it's kind of like the person reading the book is one of the people who see the progress on her journey through social media. I also liked her character development, since, even as the reader, it was nice to see her change and have less weight on her shoulders.
I suppose the only problems would be that there were some parts of the book that didn't have much going on (didn't get me really interested in it) and that I kind of didn't like Sophie's character at times. Still, I'm not used to reading contemporary and so that's probably one of the reasons why
Overall, this read was fun, quick, and unique, and the writing style is great!
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