Book Review- Just One Day

Overview

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.

via Goodreads

My Review

First, I want to express how much I love all of Gayle Forman’s books. I love her style of writing. I love how real everything feels in them. I love how she doesn’t always give you exactly what you wanted in an ending but once you get there you realize that she gave you exactly what you needed. You can’t possibly imagine it ending any other way once you finish.

So with that said, Just One Day was an amazing read! I’ve read so many books with all of this “insta-love” and happily ever after’s that they were all beginning to feel a lot like they were....the same? The stories and the plots were all different and of course they were good, but you knew that in the end “I love you’s” would be exchanged and they would wrap up nicely. Pretty pink bow and all. Again, the majority were wonderful reads but I needed something a little different to stir things up. And Gayle delivered on so many levels!!

This book made me feel like I was in it. I could feel the excitement, adventure, sadness, loneliness, heartbreak, risk, and love that Allyson felt. She was relatable, and I don’t doubt that many of us have struggled with some of the same emotions and decisions that she faced. And I loved that about her. Then we have Willem, who’s presence could be felt through out the entire book regardless of whether he was in the scene or not. And for me, this is something I don’t find in books very often. I fell in love with him from the very beginning. I also fell in love with the scenery! All of the places this book takes you are simply amazing. It made me want pick up and go travel to see the world. So it was definitely a wonderful treat. The story was unique to me too. Going in it wasn't what I had originally thought this book was going to be like. It was better! And then I was finished. I re-read that ending almost a hundred times. A part of me wished that if I read it over enough, it would continue. Or part two would magically appear. And then another part of me knew that this ending was EXACTLY how this book should end.

Since I finished Just One Day, I’ve been recommending it to everyone. At least attempt it. I doubt you'll be disappointed. The entire day I would find myself saying “Okay, just one more chapter..”, and before I knew it the day had passed and I had finished the book. I could not put it down! The version I have is an e-book but I plan on buying a physical copy because I feel like I need to be able to touch this book. To hand it down, and loan it. I need it to flip through in hopes that it will hold me over until Gayle releases Just One Year, the companion book in Willem’s point of view, this fall. I seriously cannot wait to see what direction she takes this story in! Patience has never been something I was good at, but I'm sure it'll be well worth the wait.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥