Just One Day
by Gayle Forman
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: YA, contemporary, romance
Published January 8th 2013 by Dutton Juvenile
Source: Traded
Purchase: Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Book Depository
Local purchase: National Bookstore
Blurb (Goodreads):
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!
My Thoughts:
This is hard. Really hard. You know, there's this thing about me where I really liked a book and I'm feeling a lot of different things, and there's a lot of things that I wanted to say and wanted let my feelings out, but I can't seem to find the right words--the perfect words, afraid that there wouldn't be enough justice.
Gayle Forman awed me on her If I Stay and Where She Went duet. If I Stay broke my heart and fixed it again. Where She Went did the same. But there's this one thing about her books that made it stand out and just makes me wanna read it. Feel it. Savor it. And in Just One Day, I realized, finally, what it is.
Just One Day showed how Gayle Forman is really good in writing. Just like she said on her interview on her book signing event here in Manila, she don't just write love stories. She writes love story with life in it. I proved it while reading her words. They're like spring. Colorful and alive. I liked how the book seemed like a big quotation. Or like a book made of quotations. I just wanna stop by each page, take the paragraph or dialogue and quote her and share it everywhere. Which, I'm pretty sure, most people will relate. I loved the part where Willem tells Ally a.k.a Luluthe his definition of falling in love and being in love. He also said something about stains and accidents. That even if we never expected it or wanted it, it will happen and it will turn out to be a good accident. I loved his simple definitions in life and I agree to all that he said. His 'definitions' turned out to be a huge part in this book. It was like the axis where the story evolved.
Another thing I liked about this book was that I can relate to the main character, Allyson. She's the kind of girl who prefers at home than party at night. She does what exactly people wants her to do, but there's something deep inside her that wanted to step out from that bubble. I saw myself in her on the first chapter and I knew then that I would like it.
It's hard to say if I liked the overall story or not. I liked how All and Willem met, how they learned about life and love, how they were just natural when together and even brings out Ally's side she's never thought she had. I didn't liked the little I've been with Willem, but I liked the way I've missing him and wanting to find him as well. To find him physically and to find out what kind of man he really was. Because, at the end, I realized that his non-existence in most of the book--one of the things that I liked--made Ally learned along the way and grew as a person. The ending made me want to cry. Because, why, in all of occasions would an author end a book to the moment I've been waiting for? I know there's Just One Year (book two; Willem's perspective) around the corner but I also know that that wasn't the kind of sequel I was looking for. Because I know it will end the way it ended here. And if that happen, I might really cry and wish on all of stars and beg another author over Twitter to please give us one more book in the series. I just hope I'm mistaken.
When I look back to the book I've read, I know one thing: I loved Just One Day. And it's true: "Anything can happen in just one day." That sentence alone struck a chord to me.
Just One Day was poetical, beautiful, relate-able, and a rich novel. I felt like I read a real life story, not a fiction one. Heart-warming, sweet, and mysterious. This book will let you hum for love and life and make you wanting for more. Literally. Oh, and did I also tell you that another thing that I liked here was there's travelling and Paris in it? ;)
Gayle Forman awed me on her If I Stay and Where She Went duet. If I Stay broke my heart and fixed it again. Where She Went did the same. But there's this one thing about her books that made it stand out and just makes me wanna read it. Feel it. Savor it. And in Just One Day, I realized, finally, what it is.
Just One Day showed how Gayle Forman is really good in writing. Just like she said on her interview on her book signing event here in Manila, she don't just write love stories. She writes love story with life in it. I proved it while reading her words. They're like spring. Colorful and alive. I liked how the book seemed like a big quotation. Or like a book made of quotations. I just wanna stop by each page, take the paragraph or dialogue and quote her and share it everywhere. Which, I'm pretty sure, most people will relate. I loved the part where Willem tells Ally a.k.a Lulu
Another thing I liked about this book was that I can relate to the main character, Allyson. She's the kind of girl who prefers at home than party at night. She does what exactly people wants her to do, but there's something deep inside her that wanted to step out from that bubble. I saw myself in her on the first chapter and I knew then that I would like it.
It's hard to say if I liked the overall story or not. I liked how All and Willem met, how they learned about life and love, how they were just natural when together and even brings out Ally's side she's never thought she had. I didn't liked the little I've been with Willem, but I liked the way I've missing him and wanting to find him as well. To find him physically and to find out what kind of man he really was. Because, at the end, I realized that his non-existence in most of the book--one of the things that I liked--made Ally learned along the way and grew as a person. The ending made me want to cry. Because, why, in all of occasions would an author end a book to the moment I've been waiting for? I know there's Just One Year (book two; Willem's perspective) around the corner but I also know that that wasn't the kind of sequel I was looking for. Because I know it will end the way it ended here. And if that happen, I might really cry and wish on all of stars and beg another author over Twitter to please give us one more book in the series. I just hope I'm mistaken.
When I look back to the book I've read, I know one thing: I loved Just One Day. And it's true: "Anything can happen in just one day." That sentence alone struck a chord to me.
Just One Day was poetical, beautiful, relate-able, and a rich novel. I felt like I read a real life story, not a fiction one. Heart-warming, sweet, and mysterious. This book will let you hum for love and life and make you wanting for more. Literally. Oh, and did I also tell you that another thing that I liked here was there's travelling and Paris in it? ;)
Rating:
I loved this book too and my review was also so hard to write. I really feel like this is a book that sticks with you. I haven't read If I Stay yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Great review! :)
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this book would definitely stick with me forever. There's just something about Gayle's writing that made me love every word she wrote. This book is too memorable. I can't wait to have my real vacation; I could read Just One Year then.
DeleteHope you enjoy If I Stay! I think I also gave that book 5 stars. I loved the second book too, Where She Went. ;)
Have heard some good things about Gayle Forman. One thing is i am not a fan of cliffhangers, makes me crazy esp if the next book doesn't really satisfy that much. :/
ReplyDelete