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Chasing Days
Two-weeks until Willa Wohlbreuk graduates.
Fourteen-days left for exams and senior pranks.
Three hundred-thirty-six-hours for friendships to unravel and to fall in and out of love.
Twenty thousand-one-hundred-sixty-minutes left to go wild and grow up.
And one million two-hundred-nine-thousand-six-hundred-seconds to figure out what freedom really means.
Willa faces her best friend Teddy—Theo now—as he defies his parents and reveals something about himself she never expected. Joss appears with blue hair and stirs things up. And Grady, finally, after four years, suddenly knows Willa’s name. Meanwhile, the undercurrent of uncertainty about the future dredges up the possibility that Willa isn’t even sure who she is. All she knows is life is about to change, epically.
Fourteen-days left for exams and senior pranks.
Three hundred-thirty-six-hours for friendships to unravel and to fall in and out of love.
Twenty thousand-one-hundred-sixty-minutes left to go wild and grow up.
And one million two-hundred-nine-thousand-six-hundred-seconds to figure out what freedom really means.
Willa faces her best friend Teddy—Theo now—as he defies his parents and reveals something about himself she never expected. Joss appears with blue hair and stirs things up. And Grady, finally, after four years, suddenly knows Willa’s name. Meanwhile, the undercurrent of uncertainty about the future dredges up the possibility that Willa isn’t even sure who she is. All she knows is life is about to change, epically.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2017
9 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Deirdre Riordan Hall
45 books264 followersDeirdre Riordan Hall is the author of the contemporary young adult bestseller Sugar, Pearl, and several YA fantasy novels. When she's not writing, she's probably surfing or in pursuit of magic. She also has a healthy case of wanderlust, is a major Harry Potter nerd, loves chips and salsa, and dreams about learning no less than three languages.
For more, please visit her blog or twitter
For more, please visit her blog or twitter
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 7, 2017
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
I feel like I should start this review by saying that this might be one of those "It's not you, it's me" cases where I personally didn't like the book but that could be just me?? But at the same time some of the issues I had do not fall under that category... I'm very confused and disappointed so I'll just tell you my thoughts and see where it leaves us, okay? Okay.
I don't even know where to start with this one?? Do I first mention what I didn't like to get it out of the way?? Or do I start positive? WHO KNOWS. Reviewing is hard peoples.
Okay, so while this book sounds right up my alley (YA Contemporary with LGBT themes? Yes please!), I ultimately did not relate to this book. Most of the time I felt too old for it too. As someone who does not live in the US, I personally can't relate to the craziness before graduation because it's not as big a thing here as it is in the US. It's not the same and thus, I cannot relate at all. Which is why I think most of my lack of enjoyment comes from that fact. If you CAN relate to that sort of thing, you'll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did. But that also makes me sad because I wanted to love this book.
Another thing that irked me was at times the writing, which I liked for the most part but was sometimes very cheesy?? Not in a bad way really... just a bit... out of place. I didn't feel the parts where I'm supposed to be hit in the feels. Most of that might be because I didn't connect to the characters and the story was a bit... meh?? I mean, the story as a whole I didn't mind so much, but the way it was executed felt a little jarring to me? Especially some of the chapter ends?? Some end in really weird places and then the next chapter jumps hours ahead in time or even to the next day and I didn't feel like that scene that just ended abruptly was done yet?? Again, this might be a personal thing. This is my opinion after all.
Also, and this is not really a bad thing, but at times I felt like I was reading a book version of one of those Disney Channel Original movies. I enjoy those, just so you know. But in book form, it just makes me feel too old?? I'm weird, I know.
Another big thing for me was the main character, Willa. I just didn't connect to her at all. Which makes me sad. She just made stupid choices and her romance(s??) felt all over the place and I don't even know who she was by the end of it all. Needless to say I did not get the romance with Grady or Joss or whoever at all. Like, I really have no idea anymore. Also certain things happened and they were NOT okay, at least not for me, and it felt SO unrealistic how Willa shrugged it off and I just did not compute. I didn't have a character of which I can say they stood out in a positive way. They were all... meh. Not very memorable to me.
THOUGH not everything is doom and gloom people. I did love how sex-positive this book is. I love it when a YA book isn't afraid to go there. Because it IS a thing teens can relate to. So YAY for that. I also loved Willa's loving parents. I recently talked on the blog about how I feel books need more awesome parents and this book had that so, hurray! That makes me so happy. I also liked that Willa had nice female friends. That also doesn't occur enough in my opinion.
Overall I hesitantly say that this book is probably just not for me, but someone who relates more to the things in this book might enjoy it a lot more. I do say MIGHT because I can't garantuee anyone they'll enjoy any book. Sadly my opinion of this one isn't that positive, but I do encourage you to give it a try and form your own opinion.
I feel like I should start this review by saying that this might be one of those "It's not you, it's me" cases where I personally didn't like the book but that could be just me?? But at the same time some of the issues I had do not fall under that category... I'm very confused and disappointed so I'll just tell you my thoughts and see where it leaves us, okay? Okay.
I don't even know where to start with this one?? Do I first mention what I didn't like to get it out of the way?? Or do I start positive? WHO KNOWS. Reviewing is hard peoples.
Okay, so while this book sounds right up my alley (YA Contemporary with LGBT themes? Yes please!), I ultimately did not relate to this book. Most of the time I felt too old for it too. As someone who does not live in the US, I personally can't relate to the craziness before graduation because it's not as big a thing here as it is in the US. It's not the same and thus, I cannot relate at all. Which is why I think most of my lack of enjoyment comes from that fact. If you CAN relate to that sort of thing, you'll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did. But that also makes me sad because I wanted to love this book.
Another thing that irked me was at times the writing, which I liked for the most part but was sometimes very cheesy?? Not in a bad way really... just a bit... out of place. I didn't feel the parts where I'm supposed to be hit in the feels. Most of that might be because I didn't connect to the characters and the story was a bit... meh?? I mean, the story as a whole I didn't mind so much, but the way it was executed felt a little jarring to me? Especially some of the chapter ends?? Some end in really weird places and then the next chapter jumps hours ahead in time or even to the next day and I didn't feel like that scene that just ended abruptly was done yet?? Again, this might be a personal thing. This is my opinion after all.
Also, and this is not really a bad thing, but at times I felt like I was reading a book version of one of those Disney Channel Original movies. I enjoy those, just so you know. But in book form, it just makes me feel too old?? I'm weird, I know.
Another big thing for me was the main character, Willa. I just didn't connect to her at all. Which makes me sad. She just made stupid choices and her romance(s??) felt all over the place and I don't even know who she was by the end of it all. Needless to say I did not get the romance with Grady or Joss or whoever at all. Like, I really have no idea anymore. Also certain things happened and they were NOT okay, at least not for me, and it felt SO unrealistic how Willa shrugged it off and I just did not compute. I didn't have a character of which I can say they stood out in a positive way. They were all... meh. Not very memorable to me.
THOUGH not everything is doom and gloom people. I did love how sex-positive this book is. I love it when a YA book isn't afraid to go there. Because it IS a thing teens can relate to. So YAY for that. I also loved Willa's loving parents. I recently talked on the blog about how I feel books need more awesome parents and this book had that so, hurray! That makes me so happy. I also liked that Willa had nice female friends. That also doesn't occur enough in my opinion.
Overall I hesitantly say that this book is probably just not for me, but someone who relates more to the things in this book might enjoy it a lot more. I do say MIGHT because I can't garantuee anyone they'll enjoy any book. Sadly my opinion of this one isn't that positive, but I do encourage you to give it a try and form your own opinion.
April 1, 2017
*voluntarily and honestly reviewed the ARC I received from the author*
This was.... wow. I won't lie about the last of my high school year: it sucked like no one's business, but after reading this, it seriously made me wish I had those four consecutive years of friendships and blatant gatherings. The writing style seriously grew on me. At first I had a hard time getting into it because it read like one of those really important messages you can't rush, and I'm used to fast-paced stories with a wham-bam feel. But this was totally worth all the little moments I tried sneaking in between my busy schedule to read it. Usually I detest gaps between reading a story but with this, I couldn't make it last any more than I did. Just major feels, man.
Chasing Days will take you back to high school, when you were on the verge of graduating and finally getting that freedom to do whatever the heck you wanted... or were absolutely terrified of the unknown. It goes through the emotions of trying to figure out who you are, what the last twelve years of school had done for you. What you'd done for yourself. Everyone was done pretty well, but in the end, it really was all about Willa and her issues. At times her selfishness really rubbed me the wrong way but at the same time, I couldn't fault her for it. When it comes to things like finding yourself, sometimes you gotta be selfish. You owe it to yourself. The stories within this story, the drama, the would haves, could haves and should haves. I seriously loved Teddy and died a little inside with her when things changed again and again. The things she experienced were things I couldn't even begin to think about when I was her age. It's all just... well let's just say if this ever turns into a movie, I'll be at the premiere.
Overall, it's a fantastic read about high school and the 'being' in 'human being'. If you thought it sucked and like me, is glad it's over and done with, read this. It'll change your mind at least a little. God knows I haven't had a trip like this since I don't know when.
This was.... wow. I won't lie about the last of my high school year: it sucked like no one's business, but after reading this, it seriously made me wish I had those four consecutive years of friendships and blatant gatherings. The writing style seriously grew on me. At first I had a hard time getting into it because it read like one of those really important messages you can't rush, and I'm used to fast-paced stories with a wham-bam feel. But this was totally worth all the little moments I tried sneaking in between my busy schedule to read it. Usually I detest gaps between reading a story but with this, I couldn't make it last any more than I did. Just major feels, man.
Chasing Days will take you back to high school, when you were on the verge of graduating and finally getting that freedom to do whatever the heck you wanted... or were absolutely terrified of the unknown. It goes through the emotions of trying to figure out who you are, what the last twelve years of school had done for you. What you'd done for yourself. Everyone was done pretty well, but in the end, it really was all about Willa and her issues. At times her selfishness really rubbed me the wrong way but at the same time, I couldn't fault her for it. When it comes to things like finding yourself, sometimes you gotta be selfish. You owe it to yourself. The stories within this story, the drama, the would haves, could haves and should haves. I seriously loved Teddy and died a little inside with her when things changed again and again. The things she experienced were things I couldn't even begin to think about when I was her age. It's all just... well let's just say if this ever turns into a movie, I'll be at the premiere.
Overall, it's a fantastic read about high school and the 'being' in 'human being'. If you thought it sucked and like me, is glad it's over and done with, read this. It'll change your mind at least a little. God knows I haven't had a trip like this since I don't know when.
April 1, 2017
I received a copy via the author in exchange for an honest review
Willa is counting the days until graduation, not because she can’t wait for high school to be over – quite the opposite. Willa is surrounded by people she feels knows who they are and what they are going to do with their lives, and Willa doesn’t know what she’s going to do in two weeks when school finishes. However, these last two weeks hold something she’s never expected. Her best friend Teddy – now Theo – has started to defy his parents, become distant, and reveal something that changes what she thought she knew about him. A new girl called Joss makes Willa confront her feelings and growing attraction to girls, and her long time crush Grady finally is paying attention to her.
Chasing Days is, ultimately, a coming of age book. A book following Willa in her last days of high school and her journey of self-discovery. She navigates complicated friendships and explores her sexuality. She develops new feelings for a new girl, called Joss, and has to learn to navigate these feelings and new relationships with Joss and Grady. She is figuring out what to do after high school and who she really is.
A lot of people who follow me have probably seen me recommend Radio Silence by Alice Oseman a 100 times due to how well it deals with teenagers and the pressures they face to have everything figured out and uncertainty for the future, and what options are available for teenagers. I think Chasing Days also does a pretty decent job of this, so definitely a book I’d recommend to teenagers unsure of where they are going.
Chasing Days also had some pretty great parental relationships. Teddy had some pretty demanding parents, who didn’t understand him as a person and put a lot of pressure on him to follow the path they have laid out for him. A lot of his story is him disobeying them and trying to be true to himself. Willa, on the other hand, has parents who support her in whatever endeavour she wants to do. They are fun, supportive, and give her a lot of space to be a teenager – even if she doesn’t really take advantage of it.
Throughout the novel, Willa is exploring her sexuality. It was a confusing and complicated thing for her, she didn’t know where to put herself or which labels to use, she didn’t know whether she had to pick the boy or girl – and what it meant when she did. But her exploration was positive and I liked it. She was discovering what it meant for her, and not anyone else. But I did also love how everyone around her was so supportive – her parents and friends, and both Joss and Grady, her two love interests.
Overall, a great coming of age story – one I’d definitely recommend for a number of different reasons. I’d also definitely read other works by this author as I’ve consistently heard good things about both Sugar and Pearl.
Willa is counting the days until graduation, not because she can’t wait for high school to be over – quite the opposite. Willa is surrounded by people she feels knows who they are and what they are going to do with their lives, and Willa doesn’t know what she’s going to do in two weeks when school finishes. However, these last two weeks hold something she’s never expected. Her best friend Teddy – now Theo – has started to defy his parents, become distant, and reveal something that changes what she thought she knew about him. A new girl called Joss makes Willa confront her feelings and growing attraction to girls, and her long time crush Grady finally is paying attention to her.
Chasing Days is, ultimately, a coming of age book. A book following Willa in her last days of high school and her journey of self-discovery. She navigates complicated friendships and explores her sexuality. She develops new feelings for a new girl, called Joss, and has to learn to navigate these feelings and new relationships with Joss and Grady. She is figuring out what to do after high school and who she really is.
A lot of people who follow me have probably seen me recommend Radio Silence by Alice Oseman a 100 times due to how well it deals with teenagers and the pressures they face to have everything figured out and uncertainty for the future, and what options are available for teenagers. I think Chasing Days also does a pretty decent job of this, so definitely a book I’d recommend to teenagers unsure of where they are going.
Chasing Days also had some pretty great parental relationships. Teddy had some pretty demanding parents, who didn’t understand him as a person and put a lot of pressure on him to follow the path they have laid out for him. A lot of his story is him disobeying them and trying to be true to himself. Willa, on the other hand, has parents who support her in whatever endeavour she wants to do. They are fun, supportive, and give her a lot of space to be a teenager – even if she doesn’t really take advantage of it.
“It’s too bad they don’t realize the thing dad and I did earlier. So many of us parents think it’s our job to make you into these certain kinds of people, like you’re supposed to be little duplicate images of us, but I believe it’s our job to build you a nest, give you all the flying pointers we know , and then encourage you to spread your wings”.
Throughout the novel, Willa is exploring her sexuality. It was a confusing and complicated thing for her, she didn’t know where to put herself or which labels to use, she didn’t know whether she had to pick the boy or girl – and what it meant when she did. But her exploration was positive and I liked it. She was discovering what it meant for her, and not anyone else. But I did also love how everyone around her was so supportive – her parents and friends, and both Joss and Grady, her two love interests.
“I’ve come to understand that I’m not picking a guy or a girl, not Grady or Joss. This isn’t about me being bisexual, not able to make a commitment, or being a slut like the girls in the bathroom said. I’m not a stereotype nor am I defying assumptions about what it is to be bisexual. This is about me committing to myself.”
Overall, a great coming of age story – one I’d definitely recommend for a number of different reasons. I’d also definitely read other works by this author as I’ve consistently heard good things about both Sugar and Pearl.
August 3, 2018
There was some lovely writing in this book, and I appreciated seeing a bisexual on the page. But ultimately there seemed to be too much going on, especially when the book really only covers fourteen days of Willa's life. And her friends' lives.
There was a lot to like - great parents, a positive and realistic attitude toward sex - but I just didn't connect with the main character. She seems not content to drift, but accepting of the fact that's what she's doing. And even when she makes a decision to take a step toward discovering who she is, it isn't all that decisive.
Shame... There's a lot of potential here.
There was a lot to like - great parents, a positive and realistic attitude toward sex - but I just didn't connect with the main character. She seems not content to drift, but accepting of the fact that's what she's doing. And even when she makes a decision to take a step toward discovering who she is, it isn't all that decisive.
Shame... There's a lot of potential here.
January 25, 2020
Chasing Days was a great read by Deirdre Riordan Hall. Willa graduates high school in two weeks. That leaves two weeks for exams, end of the year festivities and senior pranks. Willa tries to be there for her best friend Teddy as he goes against his parents wishes. Teddy has changed and just revealed a big secret to Willa. Willa has had a crush on Grady and he finally seems to take notice of her. Then Joss rolls in to stir things up for Willa. Willa spends her last two weeks of school trying to figure out who she is and what she wants to do with her life. I enjoyed reading Willa's story and loved Laura Shank's narration.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews