Just One Day (edition 2013)

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A copy of Just One Day was provided to me by Dutton/Penguin Group (USA) for review purposes.

'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.'

Admittedly, I do believe I started this when I was in the completely wrong sort of mood. I totally killed this story for myself in the beginning and could not get into it. I was mentally flashing to scenes from 'Taken' and kept waiting for her to start using her brain and NOT get on the train with the complete stranger BY HERSELF to PARIS where she's never been before, barely has any money, and can't speak the language. I can understand getting caught up in the moment and feeling a connection to someone so much that you just lose yourself in the moment... but this was just downright reckless and so potentially dangerous that it sucked all enjoyment out of it for me.

Allyson was such a strange and unrealistic narrator. Always the smart girl, the girl who played it safe, and then she meets Willem and he unlocks a side of her that she herself didn't know existed. Allyson had been on a tour of Europe for several weeks but had never got to see Paris, so he asks for her to go with him there. And this is where I get even MORE disturbed. They have one single day in Paris and it ended up being the most random, jumbled and seemingly unenjoyable day. So it wasn't the type of day spent in Paris like you see in the movies but they didn't even DO anything! So much beauty surrounded them and for part of it they ended up taking a nap in the park? Are you kidding me? If I had a single day in Paris and I needed to nap I'd be pounding the red bulls and trying to get the most I could out of that day.

'We kiss again. This next kiss is the kind that breaks open the sky. It steals my breath and gives it back. It shows me that every other kiss I've had in my life has been wrong.'

I’m not saying that it’s impossible to meet someone and only after a single day they have somehow managed to change a piece of you forever. I believe that can happen; I’ve felt it. But I didn’t feel it while reading this and I was left dumbfounded and confused to what Willem did exactly to evoke such a long-lasting reaction. I just didn’t’ believe it strongly enough. My other issue was with the fact that she attributed this other her, “Lulu”, as a result of being with Willem. It was disheartening to see her give up that new her just because he disappeared. I would have liked to see her take the situation for what it was: a life lesson that opened her eyes to how different she could live her life and actually enjoy it in the process. But instead she crawled deeper into her shell than she had before.

The Ending. Spoilers! For real. Don't click.
I found the ending to be a bit of an eye roll, to be honest. After all that and it was just one big misunderstanding and he had likely just gone out to get them breakfast?? And then he gets detoured because he winds up in the hospital requiring stitches? (My theory is that those guys ended up catching him after all.) Meanwhile, Allyson is flailing around Paris because she was sure he had abandoned her. And then she spends the next year dwelling on it and why he left her? I don’t know, I just didn’t buy it.

Of course I have to read the follow-up because it’s obvious that Allyson was lacking in answers and I can only hope we receive some resolution (that is logical too) from Willem’s side of things. And hello cliffhanger, thanks for that. Not terribly pleased with the story itself but there’s really no denying it, Gayle Forman can write one entrancing story.

*All quotes taken are from an uncorrected proof*

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I thought Just One Day overall while a fun quick moving novel, was a tad bit cliche.

Even with its excellent writing, the worn out "weak female lead and the unrealistic element of girl meets boy in Paris and finds her soul-mate who leaves her after they sleep together and then her life is ruined because she cant think outside of the guy", was often bothersome. This is a great daydream, and one I think many people have about magical romance and love at first sight, but in the real world this type of scenario speaks volumes to the danger of getting it on with a stranger in a foreign country, it also does a great job reinforcing female dependency on a male, or overall codependency on another person, something many feminist readers will bulk at. While I loved Formans If I Stay, I found Just One Day to evoke from me feelings of like and dislike. ( )

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. It’s the first in a series I can’t wait for the next book. It has everything that you want in a book love, travel, discovery, twists and turns and a wonderful cast. I loved the raw emotion in the book. ( )

I absolutely enjoyed this book. However, I did find it to be a little slow in spots which is probably why I read several other books before really reading this one. But once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It's a great coming-of-age book that not only explores becoming a responsible adult but also the woes of love. And while I found Allyson to be a little whiny at times, I think that Forman did an excellent job capturing the feelings of a first love. More importantly I liked the underlying story of the overzealous parent who wants to live vicariously through their child--with good intentions of course. There were parts that made me laugh out loud (especially Dee) and parts that brought me to tears (her falling out with her best friend). There is Shakespeare, Paris, and love, what's not to like.

This is my first book by Forman and I can't wait for Just One Year, which comes out in the fall. In the meantime, I plan on picking up other books by her. I enjoyed her writing style and loved the characters she made come to life. ( )

This book was... delighting! I can't really think of a different word to describe it, it made me happy, it made me want to travel, and in a way, it made me want to be 18 again.

This and other reviews can be found at (un)Conventional Bookviews.

Just One Day is the story of Allyson, who finally decides to take a chance, do something she wants to do and go with the flow. ( )