That’s exactly how it all starts off for
Jill Stevens, who is just one month away from her 30th birthday. On
top of that, she finds her boyfriend has been cheating on her and gets kicked
out into the street. As Jill would say, “I guess this is what rock bottom feels
like.”
Now back to square one: back to mother’s
house. Of course, you’d feel like a failure at this point. But maybe a list is
just the thing to get her out of this funk. “Thirty things to do before I’m
thirty.”
Some of the things on her list sounded
fun, like skydiving or riding a rollercoaster. Write a book, travel the world,
learn another language—all things on my
bucket list. Of course, how the heck was she going to complete all this in 30
days?
At first, things don’t go as well as she
hoped. Well, do they ever? But with the help of her best friend and an old high
school boyfriend, who looks better now than back then, Jill surpasses her
fumbling, harebrain attempts and learns to take them in stride, enjoying them
and even laughing a little.
For the most part, I enjoyed this book. Readers
will root for Jill to complete her list, even though that, realistically, it
may not be possible. But, like she said, “[the list has] been the only thing
keeping [her] going lately.” (103) I especially liked that, for once, Jill is
trying out all the things she’s wanted to try but never had the time. Perhaps
advice for us all? Certain areas lagged a bit but did not detour from the
story.
Ultimately, this is a story of nostalgia
and regret and putting a slamming twist to it all. Perhaps we should all make a
goal to do something new every day. Full of humor and wit, 30 Days to 30 is a great read for anyone battling a midlife crisis,
those seeking confidence, reassurance, and a lost self. It just makes you want
to get up, get out there, and do something. Live it up!
My rating: 4 stars
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