Just one day (Just one day #1) by Gayle Forman
Rating: 3 out of 5 hearts
368 pages
Released: January 2013
Buy it @ book depository
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
"Because if time can be fluid, then maybe something that is just one day can go on indefinitely"
That ending! What a way to leave everyone hanging to find out what happens next. Luckily "Just one year" which is the sequel to this comes out in October, so there's not much longer to wait to find out what happens next.
The book started off a little slow and it took me a while to get any momentum to keep reading, I think that could be because the main character Allyson wasn't all that interesting. It wasn't until she met Willem and he named her "LuLu" that the story got so much better. Allyson took on a completely different personality when she became LuLu, she went from goody-two-shoes to rebel.
What I liked most about this book was Allyson's transformation. I went on a journey with her learning about Paris, culture and love. During the year that she travels around looking for Willem she changes the most. This is what I loved most about her, she learned to take risks and make friends with strangers. By the end of the book I felt that Allyson and Lulu started to melt into one person.
For those that have Gayle Forman's other books and didn't like them, I would recommend you read this because it's different from "If I stay". If you loved Forman's other books then I don't need to tell you to read this because you probably already have!
I can't wait to read the follow up book just to see what really happened when Willem left and what happened when they found each other again. It will also be interesting to read his point of view and see if Forman can write Willem in a way that lives up to everyone's standards.
The book started off a little slow and it took me a while to get any momentum to keep reading, I think that could be because the main character Allyson wasn't all that interesting. It wasn't until she met Willem and he named her "LuLu" that the story got so much better. Allyson took on a completely different personality when she became LuLu, she went from goody-two-shoes to rebel.
What I liked most about this book was Allyson's transformation. I went on a journey with her learning about Paris, culture and love. During the year that she travels around looking for Willem she changes the most. This is what I loved most about her, she learned to take risks and make friends with strangers. By the end of the book I felt that Allyson and Lulu started to melt into one person.
For those that have Gayle Forman's other books and didn't like them, I would recommend you read this because it's different from "If I stay". If you loved Forman's other books then I don't need to tell you to read this because you probably already have!
I can't wait to read the follow up book just to see what really happened when Willem left and what happened when they found each other again. It will also be interesting to read his point of view and see if Forman can write Willem in a way that lives up to everyone's standards.
On the cover
When I see this cover I think relaxation. She's staring out into nothing while enjoying a hot drink, sounds good to me! Only one thing is missing, a book! After reading I can see why that watch is a prominent peice on this cover.
What I'm reading next: Girl Defective by Simmone Howell
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