Just want more!

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) by Gayle Forman

Rating: 3 out of 5 hearts
323 pages
Released: October 2013
Buy it @ book depository

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

Review

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I enjoyed this book, although I think I had built it up a little bit too much because I was hoping for a bit more than what I got. 

It didn't take long for me to pick up where things left off in the first book, when Willem disappeared after that perfect one day. The story was a little slow around the middle, but the pace picked up again towards the end. It was great getting to know Willem more, I loved travelling around with him all over while he was trying to find himself. Just like Allyson in "Just One Day", Willem changes and grows so much over his travels. We see him make new friends and strengthen friendships with old friends. Something that made my heart melt were the moments between him and his mum. Finally realising that she has been caring for him all along when he thought she hadn't.

The ending was nice, but I wanted more! I found out that there is going to be an ebook called "Just One Night", which sounds like a nice taste to that more I wanted. I will always read Gayle Forman's books because they are fantastic and such a lovely read. I recommend her as an author for those people looking for a romantic contemporary novel.

To read my review of Just One Day - click here

 

On the cover

I don't particularly like this cover. I don't like when couples are making out on the front cover, especially when it doesn't even happen in this book. I like the purple though, and the cool color flare.

What I'm reading next: Every Breath by Ellie Marney

 

Took more than just one day to read

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.

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