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Blue Sky Days

by Marie Landry (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 196 ratings · 63 reviews

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life...more

ebook, 207 pages

Published January 17th 2012 (first published January 5th 2012)

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The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labuschagne

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Dec 11, 2012 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Okay, I'm finally giving in and rating and reviewing my own book. I've seen other authors doing it for months, and I put it off, but here I am.

Blue Sky Days is my baby. I've written other novels, but I wanted this to be the first I published, because it's always had a special place in my heart. The characters, setting, and story are so real to me. They're a part of me and always will be. It took me seven years to complete this book, and it was definitely a labour of love.

I think Emma is a very r...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Working so hard to get somewhere in life, Emma doesn't have a clue about what she is going to do next. College is where she's been wanting to go to, but shes still doesn't know which one. Working at a diner has really payed off so she can decide what to do with her life. Without having her parents decide for her. It was either the diner or working as an insurance agent with her dad. Emma has been planning everything since she was little, trying her hardest to make her mother proud but nothing he...more Working so hard to get somewhere in life, Emma doesn't have a clue about what she is going to do next. College is where she's been wanting to go to, but shes still doesn't know which one. Working at a diner has really payed off so she can decide what to do with her life. Without having her parents decide for her. It was either the diner or working as an insurance agent with her dad. Emma has been planning everything since she was little, trying her hardest to make her mother proud but nothing helps. Planning out her life hasn't really helped, its made things worse now she has no idea what she is going to do anymore. So she has decided to pack up and move to Riverview to spend time with her aunt Daisy, who is probably the only person she can think of who will hopefully help her figure out what to do next. Moving to Riverview was the best decision she had ever made. Now she has met Nicholas someone who can be her rock and her best friend all at the same time, someone who can also love her and be there for her.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this it was such a fantastic book, all the detailing and descriptions blew my mind. I really felt like I was in the book seeing through Emma's eyes. I just loved her character. I never once got bored of this book i just kept reading it, I completely indulged it in one sitting. Emma was so sweet, smart and loveable even though she had been through so much because of her mother. And Nicholas was a great addition to the book I also enjoyed his character, he showed Emma how it felt to be loved and wanted something that her parents never really expressed at all. I thought that Daisy was amazing she was in a way a mom/sister/friend to Emma which was what Emma needed. I enjoyed this book so much it was such a page turner, its not fantasy at all cause things like this do happen in real life and it makes it so much more believable. I never really read books like this but now I am starting to which is out of my comfort zone when it comes to books but this was another exception. This story was really well written and fast paced, you fall more in love with it each time you turn the page. I was not disappointed at all. So please read this book I highly recommend it.(less)

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Dec 06, 2011 Tana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

First I want to thank Marie Landry for giving me the opportunity to read and review her amazing novel.

This novel is about a young woman becoming her own person, finding herself and finding true love.

Emma is a 19 year old woman, who has been raised by a very controlling mother she is demanding and critical; she has set impossible standards the no one including Emma could live up to. But Emma tried she worked hard all way through high school, yet her mother never re...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Lissette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Emma Ward has spent the last year after graduating from high school trying to make ends meet in hopes of making it into college. While her parents are able to help with such costs, she's intent on going it alone in hopes of showing them she can truly make it on her own. When she comes to the realization that her future is still undecided, she makes the decision to spend sometime in Riverview with her Aunt Daisy.

This decision, unfortunately, does not sit well with her mother. Regardless of that f...more Emma Ward has spent the last year after graduating from high school trying to make ends meet in hopes of making it into college. While her parents are able to help with such costs, she's intent on going it alone in hopes of showing them she can truly make it on her own. When she comes to the realization that her future is still undecided, she makes the decision to spend sometime in Riverview with her Aunt Daisy.

This decision, unfortunately, does not sit well with her mother. Regardless of that fact, she continues with her plans and looks forward to what the future has to bring. Upon arriving on her Aunt's doorstep, Emma feels optimistic. With a new place and a new beginning, she's sure that something good is just around the corner.

When her aunt welcomes her with open arms, Emma looks forward to their time together. Old memories are soon remembered as the two reminisce about the past. Slowly letting go of her fears, she makes herself at home and sets out to explore her new home. While out one day, she comes across Nicholas Shaw, a boy who stirs her senses and makes her want to get to know him that much better.

Intrigued by him completely, she allows herself to befriend him, never once imagining he'd change her world completely. As the days go by, their relationship deepens and she finds herself falling in love with Nicholas as the minutes pass. Her world is everything she'd ever imagined and more until the moment Nicholas becomes ill.

Her entire world comes crashing down when Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer. Unwilling to take the easy way out, she's determined to show him that she'll be there for him no matter what. She does her best not to lose control as their relationship and faith is tested at every turn. Despite the bleak outlook, Emma knows she doesn't have to face Nicholas' ordeal alone. With the help of her friends and family, she realizes that miracles are always around the corner, only if you believe in them.

This was such a heart-felt and endearing story. I enjoyed every minute of it and cried when I learned Nicholas had fallen ill. Having lost several family members to cancer, I can very well understand Emma's feelings and the hopelessness that ensues when we think we're about to lose someone we love.

The love, pain, heartache, and despair are felt so clearly throughout the story. Marie is able to draw the reader into the world she's created for her characters in such a way that it leaves you wanting to know more with every turn of the page. Marie's writing flows quite beautifully and keeps us completely riveted. It's that vivid! Totally recommend the book for reading.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2012 April (Books4Juliet) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaries

I always love a happy ending.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but happy ending was certainly not one of them. From the summary to the excerpt, it looks like a really emotional and sad story and I prepared myself for a heavy reading and heartbreaking one.

When I started the book, I had a strong feeling that I’m going to be one heck of a heart broken for the next couple of hours or days.

But the ending…

Marie Landry made it beautiful. She made it worthwhile.

I knew it didn't matter that I...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-january-release, young-adult

Review to come..

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Marie Landry is a wonderful blogger friend and I was so excited for her when she announced the release of Blue Sky Days and even more excited when she offered me a copy prior to release, there's always that fear though of What if I don't like it? But I'm so happy that wasn't the case for this book which I absolutely loved.

19 year-old Emma Ward has made the decision to spend her summer with fun-loving and carefree Aunt Daisy in the small town of Riverv...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I requested Blue Sky Days a while ago from Marie because could relate to what was going on in the book through a similar experience and I am so glad I did or I would have missed out on a great read.

Marie has wrote a book that makes the emotions and feelings so real its hard not to get drawn in and start to feel a part of it all. You want to keep reading to find out what happens next, will they survive the next hurdle thrown at them, will it be good news or bad.

I loved the description of not only...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Molli (at Once Upon a Prologue) added it

Shelves: read-in-2012, young-adult

Original review, shortly after finishing: this was one of the most satisfying, emotional books i've read in a long time.

Updated review:

I've been lucky in the last year or two, since I started reading new authors and genres, to absorb some amazing books, but none of them have touched me in the way that Blue Sky Days has. From the prologue, I was captivated, and as Marie Landry's debut novel spun a web of self-discovery, longing, and growth around me, I fell deeply in love with the setting, the p...more Original review, shortly after finishing: this was one of the most satisfying, emotional books i've read in a long time.

Updated review:

I've been lucky in the last year or two, since I started reading new authors and genres, to absorb some amazing books, but none of them have touched me in the way that Blue Sky Days has. From the prologue, I was captivated, and as Marie Landry's debut novel spun a web of self-discovery, longing, and growth around me, I fell deeply in love with the setting, the plot, and the characters, especially the heroine, Emma Ward. Having graduated high school, but lacking the funds to venture on to college like the rest of her peers, Emma is stuck, watching her life pass her by. She's spinning her wheels. Emma was a character I identified with immediately. Her home life was nothing like mine, but the desire to do more, to BE more, to change who she was, I've been there. In so many ways, I connected with Emma, and I went on her journey with her.

Emma was a loner, concentrating on her studies in high school, and although I had a few close, good friends, so was I. I didn't go to a lot of parties, and I didn't date during high school. I was too content to just be, to watch everyone else live instead of going out and living, myself. It wasn't until I graduated that I started taking risks, branching out, and trying to get more involved in my own life, and so to see Emma struggling, at odds with who she was, was so poignant. I felt like Marie had peered back in time and revealed a glimpse of me, and probably, of many other young girls, confused, lost, not quite sure of who they were. Watching Emma, with the help of her aunt, Daisy, Nicholas, and a few amazing friends learn to discover who she was, who she could be, brought tears to my eyes. Her evolution as a character felt real and genuine, never forced or preachy. And the family and friends who helped her along the way were wonderfully fleshed-out, from debonair and earnest Nicholas, pretty and loving Maggie, vivacious, encouraging Daisy, and supportive Vince. They were such amazing foils to Emma's own mother, and I wanted to wrap my arms around them all. Watching Emma change struck a nerve in me, reminding me of the years I spent finding out who - I - was.

Also heart-warming was watching Emma fall in love with Nicholas. Blue Sky Days is only 207 pages, but Marie Landry made every word, every scene and chapter, count. I never felt like it was the dreaded insta-love with Emma and Nicholas. Although they do move somewhat quickly, it also made sense. Marie Landry perfectly captured the high of first love, those moments when the other person can make you smile, even when they are just a brush across your thoughts. I was right there with Emma, falling in love for the first time, realizing it IS possible to care SO much about another person, realizing that someone can look at you, of all people, and see someone special. For all the authors who write about love and romance, Marie got it absolutely right, pinpointing with subtle grace what, exactly, first love and in this case, real love, is. Nicholas and Emma were heart-warming and their interaction brought me to tears more than once, seeing how much they cared for one another, through good times and through bad - that when it really mattered, when they were both terrified, they were still right there for each other.

I also really admired the way Marie developed the relationships between Emma and the others in her life. Her aunt, Daisy, was so full of life, that it was infectious in a good way, and it was easy to see how much she and Emma loved one another. Daisy was such a good influence on Emma throughout Blue Sky Days, becoming Emma's rock, in some ways. Maggie and Vince were amazing friends for Emma, who learned through them what friendship was about. And Nicholas, who taught her so much about life - how to live it and how to love it - was so much more than a boyfriend. But what I applaud the most is that Emma, although she learns from all of the secondary characters, and leans on all of them in hard times, never becomes TOO dependent on anyone other than herself. She learns strength and she learns how to believe in herself, and even when faced with hard times, she never crumbles. I was so proud of her!

Blue Sky Days moves along nicely - pausing here and there to allow the reader time to fall deeper in love with the story being told - then picks up the pace, bringing me, literally, to the edge of my seat. At one point, I was shaking, because I knew what was coming, then because I had to know what was next. I shed tears of happiness, and tears of fear for the characters. For a short novel, Blue Sky Days was brimming with emotion, and it never felt fake. I've rarely come across a novel that clicked with me so powerfully; in some ways, I felt almost overwhelmed from how much I cared about the characters, especially Emma and Nicholas, by the end, but it was in a good way. Marie Landry made me FEEL something for her characters, and when I read the last page, I felt like I was saying not goodbye, but "see you when I see you" to friends. It's a rare gift, to be able to accomplish that over the course of a novel, but Marie did it. I won't forget Emma, Nicholas, or Blue Sky Days anytime soon. (less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Anastasiya rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelf_ya_life, _2013

READING
It reads like a 'blue sky holiday'. Wonderful and light and somewhat simplistic and idealistic.
No wonder I keep expecting the other shoe to drop.

POST-READ
How should I put it?
Too... Perfect? Fast? Detached from reality?

I kept reading and feeling like someone slipped me a drug, the LSD kind . Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole kind of feeling. So surreal it makes my teeth ache.

Too picture perfect in the end. Too picture perfect all way through.
Not my thing.

Better books out there, believe me.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 22, 2012 Brandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Blue Sky Days is a lovely read. The story shapes itself around the female protagonist, Emma Ward, as she struggles to make sense of her life as an adult. After graduating high school, Emma moves from the bustling metropolis of Toronto to the quiet and serene town of Riverview to live with her eccentric Aunt Daisy. I think most young people can relate quite easily to Emma; I know I could. She's always done the right thing - gotten good grades, participated in the right events - and now she's havi...more Blue Sky Days is a lovely read. The story shapes itself around the female protagonist, Emma Ward, as she struggles to make sense of her life as an adult. After graduating high school, Emma moves from the bustling metropolis of Toronto to the quiet and serene town of Riverview to live with her eccentric Aunt Daisy. I think most young people can relate quite easily to Emma; I know I could. She's always done the right thing - gotten good grades, participated in the right events - and now she's having an identity crisis. Who hasn't been there, done that? I know I have.

Shortly after her arrival, Emma finds herself infatuated, for the first time in her life, with a young man - Nicholas. They fall fast and hard for each other and Landry's description of their first kiss is what I like to refer to as a knee-cap melting moment.
"When his body shifted to lean toward me, my knees began to shake and I worried that I would melt into a puddle and wash away with the rain." - see what I mean?! Every person in the every tiny corner of the whole wide world needs to experience a moment like this at least once in their lives. Landry captures the moment perfectly.

About half way through the novel and only a short time into the couple's whirlwind romance, readers and characters alike find out that Nicholas has Leukemia. The rest of the novel takes readers through the trials and tribulations of a family dealing with the life-threatening disease. I'm not going to tell you whether Nicholas dies or not...you're just going to have to read the novel.

While Nicholas fights his disease, he and Emma become ever-closer and at one point, Nicholas proposes to Emma; they plan to marry if he survives. This is the only part of the novel that I had trouble with and it's really only because I'm a cynic. First boy in her life, first kiss, first love isn't really a recipe for a successful marriage and I often found myself thinking; "This is pretty unrealistic." However, just because it doesn't work for most people doesn't mean first loves as lifelong loves won't work for some people - like Emma and Nicholas - and I should just bite my skeptic tongue and embrace the romance!

I highly recommend this novel for anyone who wants a heart-warming read. You'll fall in love with Landry's characters and anticipate the ending as if you are part of the story yourself.(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Ellie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, 2012, bad-awful-books, reviewed, young-adult, romance, contemporary

I was really looking forward to reading this book. I got excited when I read the summary of the novel, at first glance I thought it was such a fantastic premise. I really thought to myself that this sounded like a book I would really enjoy reading but the novel didn't live up to my expectations.

There were so many things that bugged me about this novel. I immensely disliked the character of Emma, who was the narrator of the novel. I found her to be dull, self-absorbed and incredibly whiny. The c...more I was really looking forward to reading this book. I got excited when I read the summary of the novel, at first glance I thought it was such a fantastic premise. I really thought to myself that this sounded like a book I would really enjoy reading but the novel didn't live up to my expectations.

There were so many things that bugged me about this novel. I immensely disliked the character of Emma, who was the narrator of the novel. I found her to be dull, self-absorbed and incredibly whiny. The character whines constantly about how her mother doesn't love her, about how she regrets spending too much time studying in high school because it meant she never had time to enjoy being a teenager, about how she has no friends, etc. There are chapters and chapters of this. It's annoying and extremely off-putting! Note to the author: Emma hates her mother, we get it, we don't need to be told this a million times, enough already! The reader doesn't need to read 100+ pages of Emma moaning on and on about her hypercritical mother and her lack of a social life! This persistent whinging is quite draining to your readers and drives them crazy!

The romance storyline is revoltingly sickly sweet and corny. Emma and Nicholas's relationship is so perfect - it's boring! In fact, even the characters are too perfect. None of them (apart from Emma and her mother) have any flaws at all. They are all too unbelievable to be realistic. Every single one of them is perky, cheerful and easy-going ALL OF THE TIME. The characters are completely infallible and can do no wrong. The novel is chock-full of Mary-Sues. People aren't like this in reality. It makes all of Landry's characters, even Emma, seem one-dimensional. This made it impossible for me to connect with the characters. Landry spend a lot of time describing how her characters' LOOKED (especially Nicholas) but not enough time defining her characters personalities. All the characters need 'roughing up'.

The dialogue between Emma and Nicholas seemed false throughout the novel. The relationship between the characters was cheesy and unbelievable. Romantic moments, which I'm sure the author meant to be touching and heart-warming, turned out to be unintentionally hilarious as they were so far-fetched and nonsensical.

Absolutely nothing happens in the first 48% of the novel. Literally you could skip the first 150 pages and start reading from the middle and not miss a thing. There's virtually no exciting twists and turns to keep the reader interested in the first half of the book. I think the novel would have been much better if there were multiple narrators instead of one sole narrator. I think it would have been more interesting to see Emma and Nicholas through the eyes of the other characters. This might have made it easier for me to connect with the characters of Emma and Nicholas, as well as help the supporting characters (which were poorly developed) evolve.

The second half of the book was better but I thought it seemed a bit rushed. I think the author should have put more focus on the leukaemia storyline. I thought that Nicholas's illness should have been introduced a lot earlier in the novel. It would have made the story so much more compelling. The author padded out the first half of the novel with nonsense that really shouldn't have been there in the first place and then the most interesting part of the story was just squeezed in at the end. What was the point in that..?

I received no enjoyment what-so-ever from reading this novel. At times, it really was a chore to read which is why I'm only giving it one star. Blue Sky Days is a ridiculously bad romance novel but it may be an excellent cure for insomnia though. It's a total snooze-fest! (less)

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Jan 22, 2012 Jessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, freaking-tear-jekers, great-contemporary-romance

Sweet Jesus, this book was FANTASTIC! I am requesting my very own Nicholas pretty please :) I absolutely adore his character. He is kind, compassionate, loving, encouraging, I mean I could go on about how wonderful he is. I loved Emma as narrator, while reading this book I literally felt every emotion she was feeling ( I went through a lot of Kleenex). The secondary characters were wonderful and I loved how supportive they were and how everyone was family, minus Emma's Bitch of a mother. I was f...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 Rea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, romance, young-adult

Full review can be found here.

I have to be honest as I start this review: I think that this is one of the most difficult reviews that I have ever written. Even in my own head I am very torn about this book. On the one hand, I did like the story and the message that it conveys, but on the other hand it was lacking something for me. But what, exactly, was it lacking? Well, I’m finding that I can’t quite put my finger on that. I’m going to try to figure it out for myself as I write this.

So what’s t...more

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Joanne Beard rated it 5 of 5 stars

First off, I need to mention that this is the first ebook I've read using my kindle app on my phone so it was a little weird at first to get used to. And thank you for giving me a chance to read this lovely book!

I knew from reading the description that I would instantly love this book! And I was right! It had me hooked right off! At times (and there was many!) I was literally in tears! Emma is an interesting character that left her overly critical mother to stay with her aunt in Riverview. There...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Gemma rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, arr-goodreads, young-adult

I was sent this book via the Basically Books group in exchange for a review.

I was really looking forward to reading it, the synopsis was really long and I was soon to realise it actually told the whole story the rest in the book was padding!

The story was about a young girl, who escapes her over protective, not very nice Mother and goes to live with her Aunt, Daisy in a town 3 hours away. Emma, who previously had no social life and no friends, quickly falls in love and makes new friends. Emma is...more

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 Wendy Unsworth rated it 3 of 5 stars

In many ways I really enjoyed 'Blue Sky Days.' I found the writing style straightforward and it flowed well and confidently through the story and the seasons. I really felt that I got to know the little town of Riverview where Emma moves for the summer and ends up staying. I could easily visualise Daisy's house and the park and the diner where Emma spends time with her boyfriend, Nicholas. I felt that the author must know this place extremely well in her mind and I wondered if it was modelled on...more

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Jan 20, 2012 Krazybooklady added it

Shelves: 2012-debut-authors

Blue Sky Days is a sweet, emotional love story. Emma has spent her life trying to please a controlling, emotionless mother. At 19 years old, she decides she is ready to take charge of her life and make changes, so she leaves home and moves to another town to stay with her Aunt Daisy. Aunt Daisy is much younger than her sister, and Emma has always had a good relationship with her. Emma almost instantly feels at home in Riverview and meets Nicholas the day after she gets there. She has never had f...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 27, 2012 Jenny - Book Sojourner rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-copy, read-in-2012

This was a good contemporary read. Emma was transitioning out of living her life to please her mother and discovering what it was like to live her own life, and deciding where she wanted her life to take her. Self-discovery is a topic I can relate to, as I'm sure many others can as well, which makes this book appealing. Of course, everything seemed really great in the beginning of the story, so you knew something tragic was coming, but I was glad for that. The story seemed a bit saccharine sweet...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Melissa Simmons rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-author-for-review, drama, romance, favorites

Have you ever read a book that opened your eyes and made you take a good long look at your life and the choices you've made? This is one of those books. I truly adored every word of it. From start to finish, it pulls at your heartstrings, makes you laugh and reminds you of what's really important in life.

The story is told from the point of view of Emma, our main character. You follow her as she learns to live her life in a totally new way and it's really inspiring. Emma is a very strong person...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book as part of a read and review through the group, Basically Books. I wanted to absolutely love this book because I was so drawn in by the summary. Unfortunately, it didn't go there for me and it makes it so hard to write this review.

I agree with several other reviewers that 50% of the way through, it was like nothing happened. I didn't feel an emotional connection and I didn't feel like I had a reason to keep turning the pages. Everything was perfect and none of the...more

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Jennifer rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-ebooks

I really wanted to like this book. The summary sounded full of promise: young girl struggles to find herself after years of oppression from her mother, meets a young man and eventually has to help him through an extremely difficult situation. However, shortly into the story I knew it was going to be a struggle to finish.

Emma left her home to live with her aunt Daisy after realizing that she will never live up to her overbearing mother's expectations. Her goal was to find herself and figure out...more I really wanted to like this book. The summary sounded full of promise: young girl struggles to find herself after years of oppression from her mother, meets a young man and eventually has to help him through an extremely difficult situation. However, shortly into the story I knew it was going to be a struggle to finish.

Emma left her home to live with her aunt Daisy after realizing that she will never live up to her overbearing mother's expectations. Her goal was to find herself and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. She rarely made any effort to do so though, instead she relied on Daisy and Nicholas and his friends to lead her around and make many of her decisions for her. Additionally, other than Emma, who is whiny and appears very ignorant, all of the characters are so perfect that they are completely unrealistic. Even the town is perfect with it's drive-in theater, 50's style diner and meticulous homes. I found it very difficult to relate to the characters or setting and therefore had no connection with them or reason to care what happened.

Emma's relationship with Nicholas is also too corny and contrived to be believable. All the gazing into each other's eyes and holding hands and sharing their life stories for pages and pages and pages was very dull to read about. There was absolutely no conflict to keep me interested. As bad as it sounds, I was looking forward to Nicholas' cancer diagnosis just to bring something more substantial to the story line.

As I have been both a cancer patient and a caregiver for a family member battling the disease I am very particular about details when a book uses the illness as a plot point. I did not have high hopes for the author's ability to convey all the aspects of the disease and treatment accurately when they rest of the book had been written through such a rose-colored filter. However, I was mildly surprised at how the diagnosis and treatment was handled. Although it doesn't appear that the author did much research into treating leukemia at least there were actual side effects from the chemo, both physically and emotionally. The characters were allowed to be less than perfect and the story was more readable, at least for a while. Unfortunately, the plot "twist" was predictable and ruined by the cheesy way it was resolved. The story once again turned saccharine sweet and annoying and it was with great relief that I finally finished the book.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed this book because I admire anyone who has the courage to produce a story and put it out there for other people to read and hopefully be entertained. (less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Jacqui rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really good book, I am very impressed. I loved the story it is so inspiring, I have had several people in my life who have battled with cancer, so the struggle is very real and scary. That was portrayed very well. The whole story , not just the beating cancer part was touching and very real. Being lost and confused as a young adult is very prominent among today's youth. Reading this book I learned a few things about myself and my life that I want to change, it has been an eye opener. I find that...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Joss Landry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry
Asin B006U97B20
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Emma Ward just graduated from high school. She has worked hard all her life, trying to please a mother who is rarely satisfied. Now, she’s at a crossroads and feels the need to take time off to decide on what she would like to study in college—or even figure if she wants to attend.

An only child, with no friends, and a father still deep under his wife’s spell, the loneliness begins to have her realize how much she...more Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry
Asin B006U97B20
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Emma Ward just graduated from high school. She has worked hard all her life, trying to please a mother who is rarely satisfied. Now, she’s at a crossroads and feels the need to take time off to decide on what she would like to study in college—or even figure if she wants to attend.

An only child, with no friends, and a father still deep under his wife’s spell, the loneliness begins to have her realize how much she has missed doing the usual every day stuff that kids do when they grow up. Even the year off she takes to do menial jobs to save money to go to college, does not fulfill her. She decides to go spend the summer with her aunt, Daisy, the much younger sister her mother has never liked. Too many years difference between them, and complete opposites character wise.

Emma hopes to discover who she really is and what she wants out of life, somewhere, three hours North of Toronto.

Marie Landry has a good eye for details and renders this story in the perfect tradition of a YA genre, with lots of candid introspection from our heroine, and many rewarding episodes that literally transform Emma before our eyes. Landry’s portrayal of Emma’s naiveté, blossoming into a wonderful young woman, leaves us in turn smiling with hope, biting our fingernails with worry, and rooting for her newfound love to be the real deal.

This wonderful character every young woman is dying to meet is called, Nicholas Shaw. And the story portrays him as a hero from the beginning, leaving us to question his motives, his loyalty, and whether or not his devotion to Emma will endure.

The normalcy of everyday conflicts, lined with some extraordinary events roots us there, tied to day-to-day living among Emma’s friends, in a small village called Riverview—when it becomes more and more difficult to put the book down.

This is Marie Landry’s first novel, something she says she had put away many years ago, and then decided to finish; and I’m so glad she did. She has been a freelance writer since 2009 and to find out more about her, you can visit her website: http://www.marielandry.blogspot.com and see what else she has cooking.

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Dec 14, 2011 Jaikaies rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: YA lovers

Recommended to Jaikaies by: Marie Landry

I have only read the manuscript of this novel and a little of the final copy (so far), but it is fabulous! I can hardly wait until this book hits the shelves so everyone else can enjoy it too!

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Jan 04, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Emma and Nicholas fall in love at first sight and so begins a life altering romance.
I couldn't help feeling like I stepped into the movie Pleasantville. This is a YA contemporary but I felt at any moment there would be a secret reveal that we were in fact in a time warp. Everyone is so sweet, supportive and kind in that small home town kind of way.
That's a good thing because Emma and Nicolas face a heartbreaking test to their love and commitment to each other when he is diagnosed with Leukemia.
T...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Peggy(Le BookSquirrel Blogger) Warren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Taken from my Blog Le' Book Squirrel

What a wonderful story about finding love and finding yourself.Emma Ward has no idea what she wants to do with her life so she decides to visit her Aunt Daisy.While There she meets Nicholas who she falls in love with.However,They have more trials then the normal couple.

I could not put the kindle down!I was enthralled in the lives of Emma and Nicholas.The love they have for each other is hard to find and they found it.It was refreshing to have a book jump ou...more

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Jan 17, 2012 M.B. Mulhall rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blue Sky Days was a very sweet coming of age kind of story. There’s first love, first heartache (although not for reasons most people go through), deciding what to do with one’s life and standing up for one’s self. The romance is cute and sweet but not without struggles and hurdles to overcome.

I have to admit, this isn’t the type of story that I normally go for. I tend to like my romances a little more…intense, but this was a nice change of pace and it was certainly enjoyable. I think it will ap...more

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Jan 18, 2012 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars

OMG!Can I say that this debut book was freaking awesome! Marie Landry wrote this intricate story tha just had me hooked from beginning to end. Every word written was Sooooo descriptive. I sat at my desk boo-hooing, when a book makes me cry, then u know that this was no ordinary book. I loved the Emma and Nickolas oh to have that type of instant love and connect was just beautiful and to see that conveyed in words it was beautifully written.I don't do reviews just my thoughts and if my thoughts w...more

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Dec 19, 2011 Tracey (YA Book Addict) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Blue Sky Days should come with a warning attached: THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU FEEL!!!! Love, anger, pain, grief, sadness, joy... You will FEEL and experience them all!!

I was in love with this story from the very first page. It pulled me in and made me a part of it and I knew it was going to be special!! I think I may have even shed a tear in the prologue.... Yes, only two pages in and I was teary!! You see, I had read the book description and was a bit more clued in than Emma and Nicholas. So I kne...more

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Feb 25, 2012 Melanie Cusick-Jones rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

With my YA reads this year, aside from The Hunger Games I've been trying genres that I don't normally read and as far as possible - indie debut authors. One of the things I like best about the good indie authors I've read is that the freedom of publishers and others shaping the book means that the story is exactly what the author wanted to tell and in the way they wanted it. If you look at an author as an artist, then this freedom is a good thing.

So...Blue Sky Days...this is a contemporary roman...more With my YA reads this year, aside from The Hunger Games I've been trying genres that I don't normally read and as far as possible - indie debut authors. One of the things I like best about the good indie authors I've read is that the freedom of publishers and others shaping the book means that the story is exactly what the author wanted to tell and in the way they wanted it. If you look at an author as an artist, then this freedom is a good thing.

So...Blue Sky Days...this is a contemporary romance in the main, a genre I don't often read and so in some ways this was a refreshing change. In many YAs I read, the romance is something that comes along with action and angst and great danger. This book is almost a complete inversion of that model - the 'action' and 'danger' have significance and grow out of the romantic theme.

I'll not be giving anything away - as the blurb tells you - that after a beautiful initial romance, Nicholas becomes ill - so you can hopefully see what I mean about where the 'danger' comes from. In many ways it was good to read a book about real danger...the things that threaten people's lives every single day, the hardship that people have to endure through serious and terminal illness and how that impacts the relationships they have with those around them.

I'd read several reviews prior to reading Blue Sky Days and knew that many readers had found this an emotional book to read - unsurprising given the subject matter - and I certainly found it thought-provoking for the same reasons, not necessarily identifying completely with Emma and her experiences, but her responses and perspective made me consider things in my own life that perhaps you don't take the time to focus on enough in daily life. Every moment for Emma and Nicholas becomes precious and special, placed under a microscope because of their situation, and their relationships with friends and family are very affectionate and open - despite their difficulties, it is a world many people would want to live in.

Emma's narration is very interesting - it is so personal and open emotionally, that I felt like I were reading her thoughts in a diary. In this way it is unlike other YA books I've read - the depth of her self-reflection and knowledge were much greater than others I've read, however, this may be more typical of romance genre (and I wouldn't know!) :) In turn, all of the characters close to Emma are very similar - very emotionally open and articulate their feelings regularly through unguarded dialogue or affectionate gestures. Some readers might find that openness unusual - but as Emma regularly notes, she finds it hard to believe herself, given her past experience with her mother - and for the style of book, it all works together well. Right from the start of the book Emma is on a journey, transitioning from a life of eduction and boundaries to a new world of independence and she draws you into this as though you are absolutely a part of her life, just as Nicholas, Daisy and the other characters do for her.

'Blue Sky Days' themselves - as you discover in the story - are these wonderful moments of time and clarity, when you look at the world around you and see what is truly important: the people you care about, the beauty in the world around you and the things that change your life.

Blue Sky Days feels like a very personal book. The characters, situation and emotional intensity feel as though they come from real experiences and perhaps this is the case. I rarely read author's acknowledgements in books, but for this I did and feel that there is a real and important connection between the author and this story, more than most. And this brings me back to the beauty of indie authors - this is Marie Landry's and Emma's story, told exactly as it should have been.

Overall a lovely book, to be read with the knowledge that you're delving completely into someone's life and - just as I read in another review - Blue Sky Days will make you feel.

(Review also posted to blog: http://asidefromwriting.wordpress.com)

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Basically Books!: ARR #5 BLUE SKY DAYS by Marie Landry	63	79	Apr 10, 2012 09:35pm
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About Marie Landry

Marie Landry is the author of BLUE SKY DAYS (contemporary YA—January 2012), UNDRESSED (a collection of short erotic romance stories—October 2012), THE GAME CHANGER (chick lit—November 2012), and WAITING FOR THE STORM (contemporary YA—April 2013). Marie has always been a daydreamer; since early childhood, she's had a passion for words and a desire to create imaginary worlds, so it only seemed natur...more

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