Review: Just One Day

Just One Day
By: Gayle Forman

Release Date: January 8, 2013
Series: Just One Day

Description:
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 don't know how she does it, but Gayle Forman is amazing, she really knows how to suck you into a world and a life and make you feel what the character is feeling. Every emotion possible is in this book, I feel like I just got out of an emotional roller coaster and it won't end until the next book comes out. This is not soon enough in my opinion. These companion books of hers are well thought out and give everyone both perspectives of the stories. I feel compelled to let you know my heart is soaring right now. I was addicted from the very beginning of the book and now I'm going insane with a need to read the rest of the story.

We start off with Allyson and Melanie in London on a trip after their senior year in high school. It was a graduation present for them to go out and explore, but Allyson is very straight and narrow and is seen as the good girl. But honestly she just hasn’t found herself yet. They come upon a play that is playing in the park and there is a guy in the play that just catches her eye, something about him. The next day when they are off to another place she runs into him and they talk about how she missed going to Paris on her tour because of the strike. He convinces her to go with him and that’s when their adventure begins, because for just one day they explore Paris together.

They arrive and they experience the environment around them and they really have an amazing connection that you can feel it seeping through the pages. My heart jumps and gasps when they do. It’s beautiful really. Something happens and by the next day they get separated, she feels like he left her, but she’s not sure. Either way she needs to get back so she can get home to America. She does, and starts college. But it doesn’t seem to click with her. I can totally feel her depression and I feel so bad for her, but through time and making new friendships she learns to be open again. This brings her to the bright idea of finding him, just to find out what really happened.

She sets of to Paris at the end of the summer to look for him, on a wild goose chase. But things start falling into place and there are signs everywhere telling her this is where she should be. This was an adventure that is exciting and brave and just an all out freedom for Allyson. She starts to give up hope, and that’s when even more things start to fall into place. I don’t really want to give any more of the story away. Just know that I think this has to be the best book I’ve read in quite some time, I’m still reeling from it.

I cannot wait to read Willem’s point of view. I know that it’s going to be fantastic and I’m going to fall for him even more than I did in the first book. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from the book, and I leave you with, if you haven’t read it yet – what are you waiting for!!!!!

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. Anything can happen in just one day.