Thirty to Sixty Days

by Alikay Wood

A hilarious and irreverent coming-of-age YA novel in which three teens facing uncertain futures embark on a madcap adventure that challenges each of their identities

Hattie Larken doesn’t know if she’s ever really been real in her life. A compulsive liar with a quick-witted response to everything, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to just skate through the rest of high school until she can graduate and escape it all: the mind-numbing monotony of this town, the guilt of everything that happened with her dad, and the debt that her mom’s dealing with that she feels responsible for.

But then Hattie finds out she’s dying. Not like in that overdramatic way that people sometimes say they’re dying. She’s literally dying. Apparently, she was exposed to a parasite because of a mistake her mom’s company made. (And no, the irony of that all is not lost on Hattie…) And she’s not the only one. Two other kids from her class also have been exposed to the parasite: Carmen, who seems to be totally perfect, with the class presidency, a loving family, and a totally beautiful girlfriend; and Albie, a quiet kid who survived childhood cancer only to deal with this, which feels like an incredibly cruel joke from the universe.

Hattie, Albie, and Carmen are told they only have thirty to sixty days to live. But instead of just sitting around a hospital and waiting to die, the three kids form an unlikely alliance to live the last days of their lives out to the fullest. Stealing and sailing a boat to Miami? Absolutely. Adopting the turtle that a random college student hands to them? Of course—they couldn’t leave Scooter to fend for himself! Sneaking into the sold-out music festival in town? You better believe it! And if Hattie just happens to find a way to raise some money for her mom through filming all their misadventures—well, she’s not going to not do that then.

Snarky, bold, and deeply real, Thirty to Sixty Days examines the ways that three teens grapple with the thread of imminent death—and how each ultimately discovers what life ought to be.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Young Adult Contemporary

Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 2023

Reviews

[Shannon Miz]

4.5*

This is such a charming gem of a book! If you are looking for something to make you laugh and lift your heart, this is the one for you! Now look, it does require a bit of suspension of disbelief, but I promise, it is worth it. And here is why I say it did require some suspension of disbelief: why, just why, would you test a deadly entity without first making sure you could reverse its effects? That was my one gripe with the story, but I was able to put it aside and fully enjoy the book.

First, despite the whole "death imminent" bit, it was funny! The characters, and the writing style, were just very clever and amusing, and it made the reading experience so enjoyable. Hattie, our main character, is... well she's kind of a mess of a person? And she knows this about herself, and fully admits it, which is kind of refreshing. She's got a lot of unresolved issues, and frankly, a lot of them stem from her own behavior and choices. She also feels extra guilty because she takes responsibility for her mom's debt, which caused her mom to have to take a job she didn't want to take, which lead to the current debacle, but that's a whole other story.  And one Hattie will have to figure out for herself (and you will have to read about!)

But Hattie isn't the only one who has maybe been infected! No, two other kids from her school, Carmen (wildly popular, class president, seemingly perfect life) and Albie (cancer survivor who can't seem to move past the "poor cancer kid" stage) have also been exposed. Hattie thinks it absurd for them to sit around in  the hospital and wallow, so they set out on an adventure to live while they still can. And what an adventure it is! They steal and boat and head to Miami, where all kinds of entertaining shenanigans ensue.

And while all of their travels and adventures are quite fun to read about, the real gem of this book is the character development. We already know from the start that Hattie has a lot to work through, but it turns out that she isn't the only one. Albie and Carmen both have plenty of work to do themselves. It's really heartwarming to see them all navigate their own journey, as well as their relationships with each other and their families and friends who wait at home. And you simply cannot help but cheer them on while they do so!

Bottom Line:  This is equal parts fun and heartwarming, and I loved every minute of Hattie and Company's adventures!

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

[Danielle Nichole]

Libby: I'm apparently the tenth or eleventh person to review this that wasn't an arc /advanced copy reader. Weird. Did not realize this was so new of a book when I checked out the audiobook from the library!

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't a good fit overall. The MC is a compulsive liar that's obsessed with lollipops for some reason? And if you forget for even a chapter that she's such a liar, she'll tell a sob story about her fake past and then tell them she's been diagnosed as a compulsive liar (but also only one doctor and after twenty minutes with her?). None of the characters are likable. I almost DNF'd two different times, but wanted to see where this train wreck was going.

An old lady has a crossbow, a teen boy is in love with his lesbian best friend (or is he, since he tries to get her to quit being his friend?), a cancer kid pretends to be a celebrity, and three misfit teens go on a last rights adventure...because apparently they're dying (they're not) by some disease created in a lab by the MC's mother. The MC secretly records her two classmates on this journey and uploads it to the internet in order to become an influencer to get basically a gofundme to pay off her mom's credit card debt because 12yo her gave her deadbeat dad the cards and he maxed them out. Wat. Also, the MC finds love. Too many things happening. I think the author didn't know where to go with her story so she didn't edit anything out.

Read by Sarah Welborn. #booksin24

[Erin]

3.5 Stars, rounded up

You know what this book is? Really fun. Sure, it's not quite believable. There's a lot of disbelief to be suspended. But it's a romp of a story full of wild twists and turns that just begs you to forget logic and sink into it. Popstars and poets, illegal TTRPG gambling rings, a (possibly endangered) sea turtle in a baby sling... oh, and some biological warfare, too. A bit of everything thrown into the mix just to see what sticks, and I think that's what made it great. It's fun. It's funny. It's perfectly escapist.

Anyway, my full review will be available June 16, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

[Destiny Salinas]

I thought it was so cute! Parts of the plot was questionable but maybe I’m a sucker for a cute mini romance plus I love the banter between them all and how it develops into a life long friendship. Just a really fun read :)

[Kibbenza]

(I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.)

Hattie is a compulsive liar. The only thing worse than that is that her mother doesn't *believe* the diagnosis. Despite the overwhelming evidence, her mother wants to see the best in her. Hattie can't stop lying, though, not even when another, much more serious, diagnosis falls into her lap. Along with two of her schoolmates, Hattie has been exposed to a deadly parasite. Which means they only have a month or two until they're done for. Now, why would they stay put in a hospital with only days left? It's time to break out and live life!

I actually really enjoyed this story. At first, I kind of hated the main character. It's hard to root for a compulsive liar. However, as the story went on, I got to know and care for Hattie and her classmates, the "sick kid" and of course, the "perfect student". I wanted to see what would happen to them, and found myself rooting for them in their journey.

All in all, I enjoyed most of the characters, and the plot/writing hooked me from the start. Would recommend this to other readers if you like a fast paced story with a somewhat unreliable narrator!

[ally rumbaugh]

I didn’t have super high expectations for this book, solely because I don’t read a lot of YA anymore, but I was blown away. There’s something about the writing style that immediately draws you in and wraps you around it’s finger. It’s just such a cute, funny story and was a very refreshing read.

I found myself wishing that they ****did**** have the parasite and that one, if not more, of them would pass away from it, but I was pleasantly surprised with the ending regardless. I think my slightly morbid hopes can be accredited to the fact that I’ve read a lot of depressing, heart-wrenching books lately so the YA happy ending was a nice change lol!

[Kortni]

4.2⭐️

I think the best way to describe this book is that it felt like receiving a warm hug. It honestly just made me happy.

Sure, there was believability issues within the plot. Especially concerning the “deadly biological entity” and how the program responsible flubbed containing three teenagers.

But if you can look past that, the writing is clever and the infectious humor pulls you right in.

The story follows Hattie, she is a self proclaimed compulsive liar and a complete mess carrying the weight of her familie’s debt, along side two other teens she normally wouldn’t have anything to do with: Carmen, the “perfect” class president and Albie, the cancer survivor. After being exposed to a biological threat, the three decide they don’t want to die in a hospital and hatch a plan to break out, steal a boat and take it to Miami where unhinged chaos ensues.

They:

1. Hang out/impersonate popstars and poets
2. End up with a (possibly?) endangered turtle in a baby sling
3. Punch an old lady in the groin and participate in an illegal TTRPG gambling ring

But my favorite part of everything is the character development through all these shenanigans.
Watching these three teens navigate their personal growth and evolving friendships will be sure to lift your mood. Didn’t the turtle in a baby sling sell you on it?? Read this 🐢🖤

[Kyra Carmack]

This book was a pretty quick read. It was my library’s Teen Book Club book for November and I finally got around to reading it. Again it was a fast read, but I found it difficult to really like the characters. Maybe I’m being too critical, but I didn’t really like Hattie much. It was difficult to with how she treated Carmen and Albie. Still, I wanted to finish the book to discuss it. Overall, it was an okay book. I’d say it’s a solid 3 star story.

[Carolina Colleene]

Language: R (25 swears, 3 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
Hattie, a compulsive liar; Albert, a cancer survivor; and Carmen, a perfectionist teacher’s pet, happened to be in the same wrong place at the same wrong time. They were exposed to a parasite with the potential to kill them in the next thirty to sixty days. They have to make the choice to either spend their last days being tested in the hospital or attempt escape and live while they still can.
From boat hijacking to turtle-napping to being pepper sprayed, these three teenagers really do live life to the fullest, though most of it is unintentional. The real life experience comes from their less exciting moments of working together, admitting truths, and asking for forgiveness. Life is all around us, just waiting for us to open our eyes and count the things that matter, a point that Wood conveys through this humorous story with surprisingly heartfelt moments.
Hattie is implied White, Albert is Chinese, and Carmen is Mexican. The mature content rating is for mentions of drugs and sex, underage drinking, criminal mischief, and illegal activity. The violence rating is for fistfighting.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Emma B.]

Thirty to Sixty Days is a fun, light read with a wild journey and diverse characters. The novel follows the characters of Hattie, Albie, and Cameron as they deal with exposure to a nervous-system-targeting parasite and have to decide what they want to do with their last thirty-to-sixty days. The story is told by Hattie, a compulsive liar and rather unreliable narrator. Wood's writing is interesting in this way as the reader is never certain as to whether or not Hattie is telling the truth. It creates conflicts between characters, forcing others to decide whether or not to trust what she is saying. However, while this is an interesting point, the plot tends to rush between different events. This could be attributed to the fact that the novel is written in the YA voice, but it still may leave the reader with a sense of whiplash between scenes. Overall, Thirty to Sixty Days is a light read that asks readers to be honest with themselves and the world around them.

Language: 3/5. Light use of heavy language.
Sex: 3/5. Discussion of heterosexual, homosexual relationship, passionate making out. One character is randomly kissed by a stranger.
Violence: 2/5. Characters punch each other, are threatened with a weapon, assaulted.
Drugs: 3/5. Underage characters drink, characters use marijuana, smoke.

[Caroline Schley]

Thank you to NetGalley and Amulet for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! First, the premise was so fresh and interesting. The writing really delivered and I felt drawn into Hattie's world from the very first page.
The quick pace and thoughtful dialogue kept me engaged and I liked the variety of characters. Hattie, Albie and Carmen really complimented each other and the story arc felt natural and believable (but with just a touch of Carl Hiaasen's ridiculous Miami flavor, which I love!)
I would definitely recommend this book for a fun and quick-paced YA read!

[Tracy]

I enjoyed the concept of three teens having to get to know each other under stressful circumstances and then working together to LIVE life.
I struggled a bit with the practicalities such as money, transportation, and the fact that their parents could probably ping their phones and know where the kids were at all times.
I also thought some of the adventures didn't make sense. There were several times when things were just too far-fetched for my taste.
That being said, I did enjoy the characters, their personalities, and the dialogue. So I'm sort of mixed about how I feel about the book.
I guess if you don't take it too seriously it is a fun read.

[Dana Goldstein]

Thank you NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy. I needed a few days to process this one. I'll give it 3.5 stars for the solid writing and entertaining story. Given the premise of the book (an accidental infection by a killer parasite) and the timeline, I was expecting more hilarity and antics as the characters lived out their remaining days. I was disappointed that the whole adventure was over in a few days after a way-too-easy escape from the hospital. Still, the book is a fun read for a younger YA audience.

[Kaylahansonn]

Absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with the characters quickly and the plot kept me so engaged that I finished the book in one day!
The authors sense of humor shines brightly in this book and I found myself laughing out loud at least once a chapter! Such a fun story of adventure, learning to tell the truth, and a coming of age story for three very different teenagers. I loved every word!

[Zev]

No part of this was funny. It's not irreverent, really. Nothing about it is coming-of-age. Spoiler: nobody dies and it's a huge fakeout. One of the characters whines that he doesn't want to be a protagonist in a sick lit novel (paraphrased). Apparently the author thinks her audience is stupid and so is sick lit, -because the book is supposed to be part of the genre-. No one is likeable. Bizarre decisions are made. Being a compulsive liar doesn't pardon your behavior. Being an older woman with a crossbow is--what? Supposed to be quirky yet violent? Was that the joke? And such a hardcore gamer that you can't tell fantasy from reality? And the protagonist spills her guts about her dad suddenly due to this tabletop game? This is insulting. It's not ridiculous and not funny. There is much better, actual sick lit out there where sometimes, kids do survive. Some sick lit can be very funny and then you're still crying at the end. This is not that. Skip it, please.

[Maureen]

Fun, humorous, and sensitive novel about three teens who contract a manufactured parasite and have 30-60 days to live. They break out of the hospital and have a huge adventure, deciding to live fully before they die. Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

[Donna Brown]

What if you only had thirty to sixty days to live? What would you do differently?
These teenagers learn a lot about living in the short time they think they have left.
Entertaining while actually being an enjoyable read.

[Katelyn]

Fun debut novel from Alikay Wood! Relatable characters, fun plot line, with just enough heart mixed in with sarcasm. Well done and highly recommend to all YA readers :)

[Jerri Wood]

Really enjoyed this book. Interesting story line. Well developed plot and characters. Lots of hidden gems of wisdom sprinkled throughout. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Jessica Kompelien]

Fun, madcap adventure with heart.

[Elizabeth]

2.5 stars

[Kylee Lookabaugh]

I EXCEEDINGLY enjoyed this novel. It was a light existential adventure that I finished in two days. Great premise, cool characters and INSANE plot. Genuinely such an enjoyable book😁

[Olivia]

3.5

[Kate B]

What a quirky YA book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Allie Murphy]

angsty teen girl with mommy/daddy issues in a cute coming of age

[Isaiah Jones]

3.89
Worth a read, not a reread