Review: Just One Day




Author: Gayle Forman
Date of Publication: January 8 2013
Pages: 368
Source: Library

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.


Review:

I've heard nothing but good about Just One Day by Gayle Forman and I had very high hopes based on my love for If I Stay and Where She Went. Just One Day wasn't what I was expecting, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Allyson is considered a good girl. She has never gotten into trouble and she's known for being dependable and stable. One day, there comes the opportunity to be someone else. Someone daring and different, and go on one last adventure before university, and she takes it. And from here, the novel explores the incredible possibilities and significance of just one day.

I don't think there were many moments as I was reading that stopped me. You know when you read something and you're thinking, "Oh my god, this scene is incredible." What Just One Day succeeds at is creating a real story that spans a long time. Nothing is overly dramatic, but the collection of little scenes and actions are inspiring.

The relationships in Just One Day and their developments were fantastic. They were well fleshed out with awkward starts and stops. None were idyllic, but I could clearly picture them. I liked that Allyson had all these people around her that she honestly connected with in different ways that changed. It made her, and the story feel true.

My favourite part of this novel is the journey. Allyson changes throughout the story and the transformation felt natural. I could empathize with Allyson and I felt like I was learning with her.

Just One Day is also incredibly thoughtful. I think the theme is delivered so incredibly powerfully. I don't know about everyone, but I have wondered before if life, the way I see it, is it. Just One Day shows that even the tiniest thing can lead to something else and the whole is incredible.

The ending of the story was very tastefully done and satisfying. I liked that Gayle Forman wrote a realistic ending. The ending ended Allyson's story pretty well while also leaving the reader to salivate over Just One Year. It was with this ending that everything fits together and I marveled at how talented Gayle Forman is.

I've tried to keep this review incredibly vague because I want new readers to experience the journey themselves. This is probably one of those books that teaches the reader a little about life and love, and there's nothing to say except this was an incredible journey. 4 hearts.


-P.E.


6 comments:

  1. Sounds like we had pretty similar thoughts about the book, but that you enjoyed it slightly more than we did.

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    1. I think it's definitely a good book, but people will enjoy it differently based on their tastes.

      -P.E.

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  2. Still sitting on this one for some odd reason. I really must make time for it. I love, love Gayle Forman.

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    1. Definitely make time for it. I don't know if it's life changing, but it's a very good read.

      -P.E.

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  3. I think that's part of the wonderful thing about Just One Day and Just One Year. There are such beautiful scenes and lines. I'd find myself stopping so I could jot down some beautiful quotes. I'm not in love with the story, but I think it's a really makes you think, you know? At any moment someone who has the potential to change your life and change you. It's scary but I think it also makes me hopeful, at the same time, I'm not going to be waiting around waiting for that moment :)

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    1. I think that's the message I go too. It's the tiniest things that can change your life, but you have to look for them.

      "Find something you love and never let it get away" or something along those lines is a lyric from a song and it's huge to me. You're not always going to be happy, but you should try your best to be happy. And be prepared to be happy, and have that life-changing experience.

      Yeah, I totally thought the themes in Just One Day were strong. :p

      -P.E.

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What do you think?