Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day

(Just One Day # 1)

By: Gayle Forman

Pub. Date: January 8, 2013

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Pages: 368

Source: Bought

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.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

I love Gayle Forman. She is a truly talented writer. I would read anything written by her, but after I read the synopsis, I was even more convinced that this book was going to be amazing, and it was!

Allyson has never done anything in her life that would cause a problem. She is an innocent and sheltered girl, and she's happy being that way. While in London with her best friend, she meets Willem and decides to spend one day in Paris with him. During this day, she becomes "LuLu", a girl who isn't afraid of life and of taking chances. When the day ends, Allyson will never be the same again. She spends the next year being a girl opposite who she originally was. She lies, she does bad in school, and she hurts her friends and family.

Allyson knows she can not continue like this, and even though Willem left her without any sort of explanation, she knows she has to find him again. All by herself, she goes to Europe in search of him.

I really liked the before Allyson, and I especially liked "LuLu". I could not stand after Allyson. She was annoying, immature and selfish, and I really didn't see any need to act like that. I loved Willem, and I am really looking forward to reading his story, Just One Year, which is out later this year.

The setting was a character all on it's own. Gayle described everything with such specifics, I felt like I was there with them, experiencing these new things with Allyson at the same time she was and I loved every single minute of it!

Just One Day comes highly recommended!