Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Age Group: YA, 14+
My Copy: ARC and hardcover
Source: Won via publisher and bought
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: January 8, 2013—out now
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Review by: Alicia
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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.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels.
Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!
When I first started reading Just One Day, I was enjoying
it, but I wasn’t hooked, so I put it down for the night and didn’t pick it up
until the next night. When I picked it up then, I was hooked—I could not stop
reading. I loved Just One Day and got completely swept into it. I could not
stop reading, so I ended up finishing it at about 2:30 a.m. and then I didn’t
fall asleep for another few hours because I could not stop thinking about it. I
had all of the feels—ALL OF THEM! Just One Day totally tugged at my heart
strings.
and what she wanted to do, rather than continuing to do what her parents expected
her to. I was heartbroken, like Allyson, when she woke up and Willem was gone. I
can’t imagine spending a day with a guy, falling for him, and then waking up the
next day to find him gone. I was really glad that Allyson doesn’t spend the
rest of the book being depressed about Willem. Yes, she is depressed in some of
it, but she does start to get over it and do other things.
totally sold on him. It was hard to really form an opinion on him because he
wasn’t in the entire book, but he seemed like a bit of a player and he was hard to read at times. I really don’t want to say too much because I
don’t want to spoil anything, but I’m very curious about Willem and can’t wait
to find out more about him in the next book. Also, I must know if he did really
feel something for Allyson—the wait to discover this will drive me crazy!
started the book that it would end the way it did, but I didn’t know how or
when it would happen. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it felt fitting to
end the book there. That doesn’t make me any less angry that it ended there
though.
Allyson at college and the places she visits when she travels. I enjoyed the
new friends that Allyson makes throughout the book too—Dee especially! He was
an awesome friend she met at college, and I liked that he was comfortable with
who he was. I wasn’t too crazy about her best friend Melanie though—I didn’t
think she was a good friend.
been over a month since I read it and I still can’t stop thinking about it.
this year! This makes me extremely happy as I am dying for Just One Year. The
wait feels torturous and I’m driving myself crazy coming up with all these
theories about Allyson and Willem, and what could happen next. Seriously.
YAY I am so glad you loved this one! I have heard nothing but fantastic things about Just One Day and I'm so glad you loved Allyson! I just love when I start a book again for some reason I go insane and have, like, a HUGE revelation and freak out about it!
Ha ha, I'm totally with you about the end! It was perfect, but killer. I just have this FEELING that he's awesome and felt the same way, but it might just be me hoping. Of course I figure since there's another book from his POV that's how it has to be. I mean, would she really write a book from his POV if he DIDN'T feel that way? That would be a bummer for us, I think. Though maybe she put in some twist or something that we would never suspect. Authors have been known to get twisty!
So glad you loved this one too!
I totally need to check out Gayle's books. Everyone is always raving about them! 🙂
All the feels!! Haha, awesome! I still have to read this, as well as Gayle Forman's other two books. They sound absolutely brilliant! The characters, the plot and writing, the settings – so much goodness! Can't wait to read this!!