Eric Walters

In this novel for teens, Sophie graduates from high school, her boyfriend breaks up with her because she's boring, and her best friend challenges her to try ninety different things.

90 Days of Different

Raven K

I can't even find the words to describe this..but I loved it and learned a few things from it ❤️

Steph Lodico

Not really spoilers in here since everything is pretty predictable, though if I read this summary I probably wouldn’t have felt the need to read the book. I decided to read it because I really liked the concept, but it was pretty poorly executed in my opinion. 

I will say, part of this is probably the fact that I’m in my twenties reading a book clearly meant for younger audiences—at the same time, the book itself felt wildly out of touch with the younger generation. I think men nearing their sixties CAN write books about 18 year old girls, but they need to stick to what they know, and he clearly doesn’t know much at all about how social media or high schoolers mesh in the modern world. It felt like Sophie got her validation through social media (and quite unrealistically too because it seemed like everyone and their mother was obsessed with her journey), which was the opposite of the message I was hoping for. 

Maybe the author made social media such a focal point of the story to make all of Sophie’s “differents” more believably attainable, because without those connections this would’ve been one very expensive summer. But really it still seemed way over the top, and I was so confused where on earth they lived that there were so many cool things happening so close. Instead of being purposefully unrealistic, it just felt a bit fraudulent. There’s a way to challenge yourself and try new things without purposefully getting fired from a job or being a runway model. 

Sophie’s little brother said something at one point about how he loved Sophie for who she is, not what she does. I thought that was really nice, except the entire book is about what she does and then her sharing it on social media, and almost not at all about who she is. She was basically “perfect” albeit too controlling, which predictably and thankfully changed in her character arc, but I never really got much emotion from her. I did REALLY appreciate her working through her mom’s death from years ago and the subplot happening there, and the lack of emphasis on romance. But I wished for more connections to the other characters in the book. Specifically, I felt like we didn’t get closure with her relationship to her best friend which is a huge part of who she is. 

It was the kind of book I had to push myself through, except I wasn’t even really satisfied in the end either. I loved the concept, and I thought the author was very creative, but it just missed the mark.

Chelsea Breher

90 Days of Different is a story about friendship, growth, and finding oneself. It follows the adventures of best friends Sophie and Ella during their last summer before college. After Sophie is dumped for her predictability and boringness Ella comes up with a plan to help Sophie step out of her comfort zone and find herself. Throughout Eric Walters’s novel you follow their adventure as the summer progresses and you see how each “different” changes Sophie (and Ella’s) perspective and sense of self. There adventures were not always realistic but their relationship was something I could relate to, as it is a lot like my relationship with my best friend. Where we push and encourage one another to step out of our comfort zones and try something new. 

Overall the novel is a cute, light hearted read full of nerdy references and sassy remarks. Each “chapter” is one day in their adventures so some are obviously longer and more detailed than others. Some of the adventures felt rushed, there could have been more expansion on what was going on and how it affected the leading ladies. But for the most part it was a great quick read. The use of social media throughout the novel, and the 90 days leading up to its release, is a great aspect as it connects with the current generation and their daily habits. 

Thank you Orca Book Publishers for giving me a change to read and review this novel.

90 Days of Different

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