3.5*
This is a sweet book about friendship, learning to move forward, and to let go. 100 Days is a very character driven story exploring the lives of three teens, one of whom has progeria and has already lived longer than most people with the condition. Agnes knows that she isn't long for this world, but she worries more about those around her than herself. She's a beautiful character, and one who I couldn't help but fall in love with. She worries mostly about her mom and her best friend, Moira, who is kind of a lost soul.
Then along comes Boone. Boone used to be friends with the girls, but there was a falling out. Boone is a mess. Moira is slow to forgive Boone's past actions. It becomes very apparent that Agnes is the glue, but when your group's glue is the fragile, sick one... things can get messy, fast. And that is mainly what the book explores, through a series of both flashbacks and current events, told one day at a time.
What I enjoyed:
- The friendships. The friendships were everything in this book, and I loved it. Moira considers herself Agnes's protector, but Agnes is just as much Moira's. A strong, beautiful female friendship is portrayed- but not unrealistically. They have squabbles and tiffs as any best friends, and it was refreshing to see that level of realism.
- The idea of second chances and reconnection. Boone isn't a villain. He's not a bad guy. He's a guy who needs a chance. He's a guy who needs a friend. And it's important for Moira to be able to give those chances, so it is a double win.
- Obviously, there are feels. I was happy and smiling, laughing, and yes, crying. It's a nice balance, though.
- Family was featured very prominently. Don't get me wrong, some of them were messes, but they were a huge part of the story. Some of them were uplifting, some broke my heart, but they were all important.
What I didn't love:
- I didn't fully understand the reason behind the formatting. Each "day" was a separate chapter, which I adored, but some of the chapters didn't seem to warrant whole chapters. Like, a random memory that popped up didn't make sense as a whole DAY to me, I guess. It threw me off a little.
- There was quite a bit of the "misunderstanding/lack of communication" trope, especially in the middle of the book, and frankly, I just don't like that trope very much. It frustrates me as a reader. But that could just be my hangup.
Bottom Line: A very sweet story about three young people navigating life and relationships while they figure out how to deal with the unfairly short lifespan of one of their own. Definitely come for the friendship and the feels, but know that it is very character driven.
*Copy provided for review