Just One Day

I've honestly been staring at this screen for a long time, wondering what more I can say or write about Just One Day that has not already been said (and beautifully) by someone else. It's one of the few books that I picked up on release day and read during its release week, so that obviously says a lot about its appeal. And it tells a story that it appears most of us can relate to, based on the reactions from most of the book bloggers I know. This book has wormed its way into my heart, leaving a lasting impression - and I know that it's going to be a book that I revisit and savor time and time again. The reason that this story resonated with me so much comes simply in the form of its main character - Allyson. It's not a secret that I often identify with characters in the books I read, but Allyson definitely takes the cake! Allyson is definitely me. It's almost as if Gayle Forman decided to ride along in my thoughts and write down whatever she experienced. The different facets of who Allyson was and who she became - I could definitely see myself reflected in them. I shared the same rigid, controlled, careful nature when I was younger, trying to do what was right and what was expected of me. And, like Allyson, there was this one moment in my life - moving to the US in 2010 (which, like Allyson's Europe trip, was my parents' idea) - that opened me up to a whole new set of experiences. These experiences, in turn, led to a spark that inspired a transformation in who I was. It took some time for me to readjust my perception of who I was and what I wanted to do, but it eventually got a point where I settled comfortably into the me I am right now. Watching Allyson go through the same journey in this book was a comfort, a treat and a total out-of-body experience since half the time I felt like going, "I've been there. I've felt that way. I know how that goes." Other great things about the book? Well, the setting is definitely one of them. Paris has been calling to me to come and visit for quite some time now, and I really, really hope I get to do it sometime soon. The way Paris is brought to life in this book is beautiful. There's not a big focus on the touristy Paris, but rather on Paris as it actually is in day-to-day life. Considering the limited time frame that this setting is given in the book, I commend the author for doing an impeccable job in making me feel like I was immersed in the busy streets and little side paths right along with Allyson and Willem. I also loved that the author set part of the book during Allyson's first year of college. There's certainly a lack of books (at least in my reading pile!) that feature college, and I loved that this one did. It brought me right back to my first year in college - the new friendships, adjusting to living away from home, learning what classes would suit me and what wouldn't. The authenticity just made me the slightest bit nostalgic for my college days (though I definitely do not miss the studying!). Allyson's friends, both old and new, were also essential people in the journey she takes. From the best friend that she has to learn to grow with (especially when they go to separate schools) to the new friends she gains along the way, each and every single one plays a part. My particular favorite is Dee, mostly because he's a very unique character, provides a quirkiness and humor to certain situations and because he proves himself to be a true friend to Allyson throughout it all. I suppose Willem is a very important part of this book, as it is her encounter with him that changes everything for Allyson. However, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, I honestly do not know how I feel about him. This is mostly because I don't know his side of the story. He seemed enchanting and charming and lively and adventurous to me when he first appears, but little by little, the facts that creep in started adding to my suspicions and doubts about who he is and what he's like. Even though we learn a few surprising things about him towards the latter part of the book, I find that I'm still conflicted about how to feel about him. Hopefully, of course, that changes when we read about what happened to him in the next novel! I have come to two very important conclusions after reading this book: (1) Everyone (and I mean just about everyone) has an experience that changes them for the rest of their lives. (2) Gayle Forman is a brilliant writer, and I'm an idiot for not having read anything by her before. Just One Day is a book with words that went straight from the pages and into my heart. The journey that Allyson goes through, the beautifully written settings, the wonderful and quirky characters and even the presence of a handsome European boy all combine together to form a wonderful, beautiful, incredibly moving tale. Without a doubt, this is going to be one of my favorite reads of this year - and one that I highly recommend to every reader.

You guys, I crack myself up. No matter how hard I try to avoid finding out too much information out about a book before reading it in order to avoid expectations and therefore being disappointed by those expectations, I still find myself frequently saying in various reviews that whatever book wasn’t what I expected. It’s really quite humorous when I think about it. But that’s kind of where I am with Just One Day. I’ve read and loved If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Reading those was enough to tell me that I wanted to read more of her books. And then the reception that Just One Day received when it first released had me saying “yep, that’s one I’ll have to check out.” Well of course when it went on sale, I had to scoop it up for my kindle. And I’m glad I did, but somehow along the way I developed those pesky expectations that I was trying to avoid. Or maybe I didn’t. It’s weird. It’s not like I had some elaborate story already built up in my head that I expected Just One Day to be—as a matter of fact, I honestly don’t remember reading the description for this book at all—but at the same time after reading Just One Day I can completely say that it was nothing like I was expecting. How does that even happen? I can really relate to Allyson in a lot of ways. She’s pretty predictable and “safe.” She doesn’t do spontaneous. She doesn’t do wild. She doesn’t go out drinking with the other kids on the tour she’s on—not even with her best friend Melanie. She doesn’t understand why this guy she’s just met—Willem—could possibly be interested in her. But she doesn’t want to be that way anymore. She wants to live life to the fullest and experience new things. She just doesn’t really know that yet. Willem…well…I’m a little torn on him. I love the idea of him being a leaf in the wind—going wherever the wind takes him. But yet, I find myself being just as guarded and assuming the same things that Allyson does. There are red flags with him. Yes, it’s possible that they could be explained away, but they’re not comforting at the same time. I didn’t know this before reading Just One Day, but apparently Just One Year is not specifically a retelling, but backtracks a bit. It tells a period of events when Allyson and Willem aren’t together from his POV. I’m not exactly clear on where Just One Year ends in their story, but I’m afraid I’m not going to be excited about that. Anyway, I said all of that to say that I think what the reader is supposed to get from Just One Day about Willem’s character will probably be quite different from what Willem’s story actually is in Just One Year. As for the story itself, there were lots of moments that I felt were unrealistic (I mean I don’t care how sappy your story, but *highlight for spoiler* a hospital is NOT going to give you information about another patient, especially not their address). Yet, Just One Day had a fun and exciting feel to it (for the first 45%). The next 45% was what I wasn’t expecting, and I don’t want to go into too much detail about that part. And then we’ve got the last 10% which felt a bit unsatisfactory to me. I will say that the ending made me want to pick up Just One Year immediately, but not knowing the exact timeframe that Just One Year covers has me putting on the brakes and not rushing out to purchase it immediately. I will say that I really enjoyed the highs and lows that Allyson’s relationship went with Melanie. Everything surrounding those two felt very realistic. Favorite quotes: -…being with Melanie makes me feel like I’m losing a race I didn’t even know I’d entered. -“There’s a world of difference, Lulu, between falling in love and being in love.”…”You have to fall in love to be in love, but falling in love isn’t the same as being in love.” -“I think the double happiness is the two halves finding each other.” -We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. -Stains are even worse when you’re the only one who can see them. -“No one is who they pretend to be.” -There is no opposite of stain -Once accidents happen, there’s no backtracking. This is probably going to seem really random to mention in this review, but for all the talk of duplicity, of people pretending to be someone else (or something else), etc, Just One Day had me thinking about Catfish. It’s not like this was a story about a catfish or someone being catfished, but it definitely made me think about it a little deeper. Just something funny I noted while reading. Just One Day was extremely well-written. Gayle Forman had me devouring this book once I got started. The story wasn’t what I was expecting which was both a good thing and a bad thing. The characters we likeable, and I was rooting for a win the whole time. Parts of Just One Day felt spot on and realistic while others had me saying “that would never happen.” I couldn’t stop thinking about Just One Day for a couple of days after finishing it, but at the same time, I don’t feel the intense desire to rush out and get my hands on the sequel, Just One Year, even though I do hope to read it eventually. Just One Day gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read Just One Day? What did you think? Let me know!

Original Read - December 2012: Given that it's Gayle Forman, I don't think it would have been possible for me to give it any less than five stars regardless. But Just One Day truly deserves it and earned a special place in my heart, as all Gayle's books do. It was definitely an emotional roller coaster and even though nothing close to the events that play out in the book have happened to me, then sentiment is just the same: falling in love, doubting how fast those feelings come on, fear of rejection, being rejected, and the quest to find the answers WHY. I can honestly say I've been through those exact situations and felt those feelings far too many times in my own teen/college years and I was right there with Allyson as she fell in love and then felt her heart break over and over again. I don't know what more to say about the book except that I hope whoever reads this feels the same way I did - Totally invested, totally connected with the characters. I think if you've ever felt that way in a relationship (or non-relationship in some cases) that I think you'll easily fall right into step with the characters that Gayle Forman creates. It's also further proof that I can actually read books set in foreign countries. Clearly before the select contemporary romances that I had read this year, I was not reading the right books. I've never been to Europe, but through the beautiful writing of Gayle Forman and several other contemporary writers, I've never felt more at home in Paris, London, Amsterdam, and various other sections of Europe. To me, that really says a lot, and I think the reason why is that I wasn't just getting descriptions of events that happened here and there - It was an emotional connection to that canal, that house, that park that made it feel like a place I could see myself. I have a tendency to tie places back to feelings and that was something that was expertly written in Just One Day. Of course I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I'll recommend Gayle's books to people until the end of time and there's something so timeless about not only her writing but the way she writes her characters. I feel like even in 10 years when new generations pick up her books, they won't feel dated. I'm sure some minute details like the technology of whatever cell phones turn into in 10 years may be outdated, but only slightly so because the focus is almost entirely on the feelings that Allyson experiences and the universal message that she not only learns for herself, but that the readers can pick up about their own lives as well. And the end - AH! I feel like I'll definitely read this book a few times before I can get my hands on Willem's side of the story. I know it may feel like a long way from now, but maybe like the characters, I can wait Just One Year. Re-read completed 10/2/13, review posted 10/14/13: Pretty much ever since I finished JUST ONE DAY, I had been dying for a re-read. Between this book and IF I STAY/WHERE SHE WENT, it was really the reason I started the Gayle Forman Read Along -- I needed a good, solid reason to re-read when I was drowning in books I still haven't read. Ever since I first finished JUST ONE DAY back in December of last year, I felt like I NEEDED to read it again. I had connected with it so much the first time around but I needed to reach out and make that connection again. I needed to fall in love and get heartbroken all over again. I needed to remember what was so special about this book for me. I think one of the most interesting things about re-reading this book was that it was RIGHT after I had met Gayle Forman. (I died. I was SO nervous.) I was actually a bit thrown off by her speech at the Anderson's YA Lit conference because she talked about JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR more as Allyson and Willem's journeys of finding and discovering themselves more than any part of this romance and I was like, "WHAT!? Gayle, you're crazy! These are hands down love stories." (Okay, I didn't actually say that.) Obviously they're still love stories and hi, I swoon. I melt. But hearing that from Gayle and then re-reading JUST ONE DAY (which I had actually just started before that conference) had totally changed how I viewed this book -- in a good way. I'm just going to come out and say it: I'm a review buffer. I knew I loved Gayle Forman and I knew I did love reading JUST ONE DAY... But... I don't think I knew exactly WHY I was giving it five stars my first read around except for the fact that I wanted to. I knew I felt a connection, but I didn't exactly know specifically why other than the fact that I knew I was going to love it. The magic of re-reading JUST ONE DAY opened my eyes to everything that I wasn't sure of the first time around. I knew that JOD was not only about Allyson & Willem but also about Allyson's self-discovery and that was just SO much more apparent to me this time around. Allyson didn't just fall into a depression after her Europe trip because of Willem -- she missed that part of herself that was free and independent and fulfilling. I think I passed up a lot of those moments when I first read this book because I was looking for a heart-breaking romance and I missed one of the main points of the book. I also really got to appreciate all of the Shakespeare references and allusions so much more. Not like I've brushed up on my Shakespeare since my last read, but I think that re-reading, I was less anxious to get to the end and see what happens (since I already knew), so I got to really take my time and drink up every single word on the page. I read into the Shakespeare ties and saw exactly how much these plays paralleled what was going on in Allyson's life as well. There were so many underlying themes that I appreciated so much more the second time around and I was kind of fascinated how closely the book followed these themes in the selected Shakespeare plays! JUST ONE DAY was exactly what I needed before I started the much-anticipated JUST ONE YEAR. It also rekindled my thirst to write for which I cannot thank Gayle enough. Her writing is truly an inspiration to me and on a personal note, it's made my WIP feel like a real book for the first time when before it was just random paragraphs that had little cohesiveness. It was such a pleasure to read this book again and create an even deeper connection than I had before!

Gayle Forman is notorious for surprising you with a small but powerful book, and she doesn't disappoint with Just One Day. What seems like it might just be a simple romance turns into a very different kind of book, and I think you are going to like the journey! Allyson is a sheltered high school graduate whose parents want her to "see the world" through a carefully monitored Teen Travel trip. She is reluctant to go, but her best friend is going too, so she packs the emergency kit her mother got her and heads off to England. Towards the end of the trip, Allyson and her friend stumble upon an underground Shakespeare production called Guerilla Will. Allyson is taken by one of the actors who catches up with the girls after the production. Dutch Willem is handsome, mysterious, and everything Allyson has been sheltered from. When he offers to take her to Paris for Just One Day, she realizes this is something she would never do... but Lulu would! When Willem nicknames her Lulu, it is like Lulu takes over Allyson. She heads to Paris with Willem, a guy she just met, on an adventure never dreamed she could have. But she wasn't expecting the "just one day" to mean she was left alone in a warehouse in the morning with no idea where she was, how to get home, or money to get there. When she finally admits, hours later, that Willem abandoned her despite their amazing night together, she calls the tour leader who gets her back to England. She returns to the states and continues on with her life, but nothing about Allyson's life is the same. Usually a strong, confident student, Allyson's freshman year in the pre-med classes her mother registered her for is ugly. Her roommates realize she is a dud, and first semester is a nightmare. When she returns for her second semester, her advisor convinces her to take some different classes to break up her hectic schedule. It is the first time Allyson has ever veered from the plan her mother has arranged for her to go to medical school and become a doctor. But Allyson likes pottery. And Shakespeare, no matter how many ugly memories it brings back. And the saving grace is an unusual man named Dee, a classmate of hers who makes her truly examine who Allyson really is... not who her parents want her to be, or her roommates want her to be, but the real Allyson. The Lulu if you will. And the real Allyson has to know what happened to Willem that day a year ago in Paris... OK. If you read this review, you have to promise me you will read the whole thing because it is going to describe the wild journey my opinion of this book took from start to finish, and if you stop early, you won't know how the journey ended! So this book started like a mediocre romance that was any parent's nightmare: your sheltered 18 year old daughter agrees to go to a foreign country with a strange, mysterious boy (whom she doesn't even know his last name), very little money, and no one knows where she is going. Sounds like a Liam Neeson thriller, right? Yep. Pretty much. I was waiting for her to get kidnapped and sold into an ugly prostitution ring. That didn't happen, but when Willem abandoned her in the artists' squat, I was intrigued. Maybe this wasn't the cliche novel I was starting to imagine it as (and was shocked Forman would write). And it wasn't... The Allyson went to college and acted like a whiny, depressed lump and I was totally unimpressed. Yes, honey. Some guy made you think he liked you, you slept with him, and he bolted. It sucks, but is it enough to throw your life away for? I think not! But then I started to realize something. When Allyson starts to take the Shakespeare class and meets Dee, it occurred to me she wasn't acting this way because of Willem (although he was part of it). She missed Lulu! When I realized this, the book took on a whole new light for me. Dee was this amazing guy who morphed himself to any situation he was in. When he a girl saw his pink boots and assumed he was gay, he played gay. When someone heard he was from the Bronx and assumed he was form the ghetto, he played ghetto. He even had a persona he put on to pacify Allyson's parents. Seeing Dee's continuous, unapologetic act made Allyson realize she had been living an act- the one she thought everyone wanted her to live. And this is where everything came together for me. It was beautiful really... poetic. I loved it. Dee was a phenomenal character who really made Allyson realize how she had been living her life. It wasn't a romantic relationship, but rather a mutual understanding and respect. And while Allyson's trek back to Paris was clearly to find out about Willem, it was more about finding Lulu- the person Allyson knew she really was. And I loved this transformation in Allyson. More to the point, I loved this novel. It is so much more than a romance, a story about lost love, or even a story about breaking free of your parents. It is about finding yourself. And what 18 year old girl doesn't need to take that journey? So push past the frightening actions of a girl who finally found her will (and took some huge risks that make me cringe) and see the journey of a girl you will be proud of. You won't be sorry!

I was so excited about Gayle Forman's newest book that I turned into something of a stalker. I entered every giveaway I could find, nearly broke my mouse requesting e-galleys and finally ended up pre-ordering on Kindle (which I nearly never do) to make sure I could get my copy as soon as humanly possible. If you think this is leading up to the bit where I say that Just One Day didn't live up to my lofty expectations, you're almost right. The first 30% or so I was so completely underwhelmed and disappointed I actually contemplated throwing it back on the shelf (metaphorically speaking), and pretending the whole thing never happened. But I stuck with it, and I'm really glad that I did. My first issue was the characters. I get that Allyson is supposed to be a great example of what breaking out of confines can do, and growing up is hard and learning to be yourself is important, but I actually didn't like her as a character. I found her whiny, negative and quite boring to be brutally honest. I also didn't get the attraction to Willem - I'd built this book up in my head to be an incredibly romantic story with a swoon-worthy lead, but he just didn't work for me. And when Allyson returns to the US and college, I literally wanted to reach through the pages and slap her. Yeah, this was an adventure, kinda romantic and completely out of her comfort zone, but she was so f-ing mopey. But once I got past the day in Paris and the mind-numbing my-life-is-crap attitude, I really really enjoyed Allyson's coming-of-age - shrugging off the expecations of her parents, learning that things cannot always stay the same, finding her own passions and doing things outside her comfort zone, all of which made her a more likable character. I loved the travel aspect, particularly some of the final stages of her trip, and her determination to find the answers to the questions that had been driving her crazy over the past year. So in the end, Just One Day redeemed itself for me after a rocky start.

I can already tell that my words are not going to be adequate enough to explain just how deeply I loved Just One Day by Gayle Forman. I have started and restarted this review over and over, but nothing sounds quite right. All I can say is that I adore this book, and I knew with every page I read that I was in the middle of reading a book that was going to be one of my all time favorites. Since finishing the book I want to sit and relive each moment again in my mind, and I am already itching to begin reading it again. It is that good. In so many ways this reminds me of the way that I feel after returning home from an amazing vacation. I just have this feeling inside me that NEEDS to relive all the highlights again and again in my head until they are permanently etched into my psyche. Just One Day is the story of a journey. Allyson begins the novel at the end of a European tour she has taken as a graduation present from her parents. After a trip with very little adventure or deviation from the carefully determined itinerary, Allyson decides to sneak to an underground Shakespeare production where a Dutch actor named Willem is performing. One thing leads to another, and soon Allyson is headed to Paris with Willem for a one day adventure. And what an amazing day it was! In a short span of twenty-four hours Allyson changes ... more than she even realizes. Things seem perfect until she wakes up the next morning to find that Willem has seemingly abandoned her, breaking her heart in the process. What follows is a year of self-discovery as Allyson learns that she is not the girl she thought she was. Through a long and difficult process Allyson finally begins to live. I'll leave the plot description at that. This is a book that you have to discover as you read it. So beautiful. Some of my thoughts: I could relate to Allyson's journey in so many ways. She was a likeable lead character for this story. I rooted for her to find success. I felt like I could feel every spectrum of emotion that she was going through ... her heartache, her joy, her depression, her excitement. This could have easily become a book bogged down by depression and whining as Allyson dealt with the aftermath of Willem's disappearance. But it didn't. It was not exactly a story about a girl pining after a lost love, although there was some of that in the story. It was more about Allyson's growth into her own person after a lifetime of living her parents' dreams. Willem is awesome, but he is a bit of an enigma. He isn't around for most of the novel, and the truth is that Allyson (and so also I, the reader)don't really get to know much about him at all. His character and motivations are often a mystery. I want to like him, and I did like him ... a lot. But I did spend a bit of time wondering if I was making the right decision in liking him so much. The book was so well-written that it took a story that could have become melodramatic and turned it into something deep and moving and thought-provoking. I LOVED the Shakespeare references found throughout the novel. I seriously want to go out and read some Shakespeare right now ... OUT LOUD. I can't say that a novel has ever inspired me to do that. The ending is not a cliffhanger, but OH MY WORD!, when I got to the last line I was not ready for it to be done. I turned the page, hoping for an epilogue or something. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to these characters. I felt like I had traveled this huge journey with Allyson, all the way to the end, but then I didn't quite get to see what happened next. And oh how I want to know what happens next to Willem and Allyson! Thank goodness that there is a second book in this series coming out with Willem's point of view. I CAN'T WAIT! Seriously, I need this book to be here soon. Final verdict: Go out and get this book now! It is definitely one of my favorite ya contemporary books ever. I highly, highly recommend it. Five huge stars!

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars Quite a few months ago, in my early reviewing days, when I was just a new face in the world of reviewing and book blogging, I read a book called Die for Me. Although it had an interesting and original premise (which, ultimately, was revealed to be poorly executed), a pretty cover, and some mixed to positive reviews from friends of mine, the main reason I really wanted to read Die for Me was because it took place in Paris, and I'd hoped that the author would take advantage of such a wonderful and rich setting. Unfortunately, the most background of Paris the author provided us readers with in Die for Me was the Metro and a few coffee shops. Maybe a lake or two. Some really great details of Paris in that book, you guys. Since then, I've been wary of books taking place in Paris. Until, however, Just One Day appeared on my feed. Written by an incredibly hyped author and receiving rave early reviews, I figured that Forman could do no wrong with the beautiful Paris. And I was right. I'd gone into Just One Day with expectations of heartbreak, high levels of swoon, awe-worthy prose and a strong, overwhelming desire to hop on a plane to Paris immediately. And while all of those expectations were met, and in fact exceeded, I came across quite a few surprises along the way - such as the fact that Just One Day is filled with truly hysterical passages and moments - which I don't say very often about books, especially not about books in the YA genre, considering the fact that I have the sense of humor that will have me inevitably burning in hell, and most YA novels don't cross that particular boundary to meet my sense of humor - and the fact that I'd be so engaged with Allyson and Willem's travels in such a short amount of time. Allyson was, for the most part, an awesome and incredibly witty character, and in the end, I am definitely able to say that I enjoyed reading in her perspective and seeing her character meet such a large amount of growth throughout the course of the novel. While she did, at times, get on my nerves - most notably how she got jealous whenever a girl looked at Willem, or whenever a girl talked to Willem after knowing him for just one day (oh look, I've used the title of the book in my review! This is almost as exciting as when the title of a movie is spoken in said movie.), she eventually ended up winning me over once again with her wit and snark. Willem was also an amazing character, and while he wasn't met with very much growth at all throughout the course of Just One Day, I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes where he opened up to Allyson - however slightly - about his home life, even after knowing her for such a short period of time. Charming, often hysterical, with some great characters, equally as great relationship dynamics, and a clever incorporation of Shakespeare, Just One Day is not a novel to be missed for anyone looking for a quick and incredibly fun read that makes you feel like you're roaming the streets of Paris. If you had asked me before reading this novel if two people can fall in love in just one day, I probably would have lectured you about the vast difference between lust and love, but after reading this novel and experiencing the relationship that is Allyson and Willem's firsthand, my opinion may have been swayed.

I absolutely adored Just One Day. I had been reading fantasy/dystopian books nonstop lately, and it was kind of nice to read a book that could bring me back to reality a little bit. But I didn’t just love the book because it was a nice change from the usual. There was so much that I loved about the book as a standalone. Just One Day is about a girl named Allyson who is on a graduation trip in Europe. On the last day, she meets a guy named Willem, and she randomly decides to run off with him and explore Paris for a day. In a single day, she falls in love and gets her heart broken. This may seem like its a typical story about falling in love in Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world. But its so much more, I promise you. When I first saw the title, I thought that this was going to be 300+ pages about 24 hours. However, the events in the book take course over a year. The story is much more than just about a whirlwind romance, its more about finding yourself. When you’re 18, fresh out of high school and going into your first year of college, a lot of things can happen and sometimes you just need to jump into the unknown to start that discovery of yourself. At first, I was unsure if I was going to like Allyson. She seemed to be a bit of a control freak in that recluse sort of way. She had never done anything to call herself brave. However, the character development in this book was phenomenal. She was such an obedient girl when the book started, but by the end she was a strong woman who was brave. She was able to stand up to her parents, rush off to Europe, and face the one thing that has been haunting her. Her journey was more about herself than it was about some guy she fell in love with. I felt as though she was so brave for facing the things that she knew scared her and the things that were unfamiliar to her. One thing I was happy to see was that Allyson was brave enough to admit that she was scared. She was able to gain courage, but still admit that she was vulnerable. I liked this aspect a lot because sometimes I see characters who start off as scared but later become courageous, but also maintain the idea that they are almost invincible. Its admirable to know that you can be that courageous, but sometimes its good to know that you can be both courageous and vulnerable at the same time. So, I have to mention this. This book made me crave macaroons like crazy. They were always talking about them in the book. A couple of months ago, I was dying to try them out for the first time. It wasn’t until a month ago that the bakery that I like to go to actually had them in stock. They were made fresh, but they’d fly off the shelves before I would even show up. Once I had one, I fell in love. I haven’t had one since, and that’s a shame. So, now I want one. Also, this book made me want to go to Paris. I wanted to go to Paris and have a macaroon, just like Allyson. I’ve been to London, and its amazing. I should have taken the two hour trek to Paris, but it just never happened. After reading this book, I made the promise to myself to go do all those things. So, with that being said, I love when a book makes me want to do things like that. I am a traveler at heart, and the book made me realize how much more of the world I want to see. When you can connect to a book like that, you know you’ve found a good one. I recommend this book to almost anyone. If you’re looking for a good romantic read, a book to help you find yourself, or just a good read, this one can relate to to so many aspects of a person’s life.

Read the whole series and loved the characters and the story line. Must read.

"She went looking for him and along the way she found herself." This sentence sums up the plot pretty well for this novel. Throw in travel, Shakespeare, art, identity, love, heartbreak, self-discovery, Paris, theatre, romance, goodbyes, fate, chance, mistakes, friendship and adventure plus the utter beauty that is Gayle Forman's writing and you've got Just One Day - one of my new all-time favourite books. Ever. I'm a huge fan of Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went so I had the total first date feels about Just One Day. I was nervous and excited and had no idea how it was going to go so I put off reading it until I couldn't resist any longer and I wish that I wasn't so scared to pick it up and that I read it sooner because this book was everything I hoped it would be and more. I loved everything about this book and I did the thing were I went and liked every quote from this book I could find on Goodreads which I only ever do with those extra special books that I deeply connect with. If you're familiar with Gayle Forman's books you'll know how beautiful her writing is. Her turn of phrase is so honest and raw sometimes that it hits me right in the gut and I get all chocked up and emotional without really knowing why other than that I've just read something true. Once again her words set the scene for my eyes, and the feelings of the characters for my heart so that I was completely invested in this story. Whilst Just One Day has a heart wrenching romance it's so much more than a love story. I'd even go as far as to say that above all it is a book about taking a leap of faith into the unknown and going on such a once in a lifetime journey that you can't help but come out the other end changed. Allyson starts off as a quiet, anal, stick to the rules kind of girl and by the end of the book she has grown into this strong, independent, adventurous young woman. I loved that Just One day was a mature YA/ New Adult book and dealt with themes like growing apart from high school friends, figuring out what you want to do with your life and discovering who you want to be. I felt like Gayle Forman really got the thoughts and feelings of an 18 year old girl starting out in the world for the first time and discussed these feelings in her book. Just One Day was in my opinion a complete masterpiece that made my heart thirsty for adventure and travel. I'm so happy that the companion novel Just One Year is out this October because I can't wait to get Willem's version of events. After all, there are two sides to every story.

ine wundervolle Geschichte darüber, wie ein Tag ein ganzes Leben verändern kann und das man sich Hals über Kopf verlieben kann, ohne viel über den anderen zu wissen. Mir ist Allyson ans Herz gewachsen, besonders als sie sich gegen die übersteigerten Erwartungen ihrer Mutter stellt. Die Wandlung von Allyson zu Lulu wird am deutlichsten, im Vergleich zu ihrer Freundin aus Kindertagen, die sich alle paar Monate selbst erfindet, nur um schließlich doch den ihr bestimmten Weg folgt. Wohingegen Allyson die harte Schule des Lebens durchmachen muss und durch ein Tal der Tränen, bevor sie merkt, dass sie den Schlüssel zum Glück in der Hand hält und niemand anderer. Ich mochte schon die ersten beiden Romane der Autorin, deren Schreibstil mich vom ersten Satz an gefesselt hat. Die Charaktere sind so wirklichkeitsnah beschrieben und trotz Fehlern so liebenswert, dass ich mir zeitweise auch einen draufgängerischen Schauspieler wie Willem in meinem Leben wünschten oder zumindest einen Tag in Paris abseits der Touristenattraktionen. Die Botschaft des Buches ist einfach und doch so hinreißend verpackt, dass ich es kaum aus der Hand legen wollte. Lebe den Moment, sei offen für die Wunder um dich herum, aber vor allem lass dir von niemandem vorschreiben, was du tun sollst. Manchmal kann halt schon ein Tag alles auf den Kopf stellen.

Allyson Healey est une jeune femme américaine, sage et sans histoire. Elle ne s'écarte pas du droit chemin; celui que lui ont choisi ses parents. Elle est ce qu'ils attendent d'elle: une gentille fille, collectionnant les horloges et s'apprêtant à entamer de longues et difficiles études de médecine... Mais sur ce chemin tracé par ses parents qui la mène en Angleterre, il y a Willem. Un jeune homme mystérieux qui semble croquer la vie et les femmes à pleines dents. Pour lui, elle devient «Lulu» une femme intrépide, libre et heureuse, capable de toutes les folies, comme de s'enfuir pour 24h avec un étranger dans un pays inconnu. Mais après une journée éblouissante, Willem disparaît sans laisser de trace, faisant disparaître Lulu et réapparaître une Allyson amoureuse et désemparée. Mais qui est elle vraiment? Allyson? Lulu? Pourquoi l'a-t-il abandonné? C'est une quête de l'amour aussi bien qu'une quête de soi-même. Ce livre est un vrai coup de coeur et je trépigne d'impatience en attendant de découvrir l'histoire de Willem. Mais qui est-il vraiment???

"You have to fall in love to be in love, but falling in love isn't the same as being in love". A beautiful story about love, loss and learning to live again. I really feel the pain of the story and fell in love with the character. Highly recommended.♥️