Includes Just One Day - and Just One Night

I love a book that I simultaneously can't wait to finish but yet want to last forever! I plowed through this book. I love reading stories from multiple perspectives and seeing the pieces fit together. This was perfection!

Thank you for this book, Gayle Forman is a good writer which keeps one excited for more, I have'nt started reading it yet, but I will very soon. I just finished Just one day and that made me want some more, so thank you again.

This book was written wonderfully, transporting me to different countries and locations as if I was actually there. I just wished it would have continued, let us in on the future of these two poignant characters.

Enjoyed accidentally finding Gayle Forman's books. My daughter is looking forward to seeing the movie based on If I Stay so I decided to read it. After Mia & Adam, I was led to Willem & Lulu. Where will I go next

This review will not contain spoilers for the book Just One Year. However, there will be spoilers from the first novel, Just One Day.

When I read Just One Day a few months ago, I never knew that it was going to leave me with a cliffhanger that made me want to pull my hair out. I was unaware of the fact that there was even going to be a sequel so I just wasn’t expecting it.

We meet Allyson, aka Lulu, in Just One Day. She meets Willem in a chance encounter, and decide to spend one day in Paris, France. Their encounter is more than either expected, except when Lulu wakes up the next day, after trusting this stranger and giving part of herself to him, he’s gone. The day changes Allyson in many ways, and she’s unable to move on until she finds out what happens next. The novel follows Lulu and Willem on their magical day and Lulu’s plan to find him. The book ends with Lulu knocking on Willem’s door, and him letting her in. Seriously. Worst. Cliffhanger. Ever. I almost threw the book until I remembered it was a library book and thats probably against the law, in book world.

Just One Year is the year that Willem spends after this magical day. He wakes up, disoriented, in a hospital, after being attacked, and he can’t remember much at first. By the time he remembers, its too late and Lulu is gone. He knows nothing about her; not her name, not from where’s from, nothing. He gave her the name Lulu. He literally has absolutely no way of finding her, and like Allyson, that day changed him and he can’t forget about it. The book shows the year that it takes Willem to get to that door that he and Allyson finally get to.

I LOVED this novel, and I think its because we already know Willem from Just One Day but we don’t really know him. We don’t see his personality, his family, anything. He’s a mystery, and yet we totally fall in love with him. You have this great desire to find out what happened to him, and how he got where he is. Its seriously all you’re wondering and all Allyson is wondering and she finally reaches that door in Just One Day and the BOOK ENDS! And you want to scream your head off, especially since she spent all this time looking for someone who didn’t want to be found.

But just a great novel. Willem is a world traveler, and he travels both to try and find Lulu and also to try and just figure out himself and how that day changed him and it makes for a beautiful novel. Just the backdrop of the novel, and the adventures that he has and the people he meets are enough to forget about the meeting that he and Allyson are eventually going to have. Honestly, so much of Willem’s story makes me want to hop on a plane and just GO somewhere, anywhere. He is so fearless and so ready to be in a new place. He just hops on a train, a bus, in cars with random strangers, eats new food and its just incredible and completely envious.

I can’t say much more than that because it will just ruin the novel. The whole point of Just One Year is to discover the mystery that is Willem since we get to see such a small sliver of him in the first novel. I don’t want to ruin any of the mystery for you guys, because living with Willem, discovering who he is and who he grows to be is the center point of this novel and its just a beautiful novel. Gayle Forman has a way of writing a seemingly normal, contemporary novel and she pulls at your heart in both good and bad ways. What a beautiful and talented writer.

Dear Ms. Forman. I love how you write. I love your story lines. I hate it when your books end, but never like THIS TIME. What do we have to do to get an epilogue out of you? Can I bribe you in any way? Threaten? Coerce? Send my Sicilian cousins?

Please have mercy and give us something like the epilogue in Where She Went (loved the tie-in, by the way). Is this perhaps a teaser for another story where all four of our beloveds meet in New York? By accident, of course. It could go something like this:

Mia drags Adam to a Shakespeare play in New York, which is starring Willem. Adam thinks Willem is great and they meet backstage:

Adam: Great job, man. Nice to see you survived Gayle Forman thrashing your love life.

Willem: Tell me about it, dude. But, hey, I didn't have my girl almost freakin' DIE. I just lost her for awhile.

Adam. Yeah. Lady Forman is pretty brutal. Turned out okay, though. How about you?

Willem: I still don't know...she wouldn't tell us.

Adam: Bummer. I wonder who's love life she'll screw with next. She's already hit a musician and an actor. Maybe a painter?

Willem: Yeah, maybe. I think I'd stop painting right now.

Adam: Dude.

Willem: Dude.

Throw us a lifeline...!

(copied from my Goodreads review)

Gayle, Gayle, Gayle....LOVE your writing and I liked this. But PLEASE now write a third book where we actually Willem and Allyson get together! You can throw all the usual trouble in their paths, but they are such special characters that we need more of them. Worth reading to prepare for the next sequel...PLEASE?

I read Just One Day previous to Just One Year. My daughter, Heidi R. Kling, who also writes YA novels, recommended it to me. Just couldn't wait to order Just One Year as soon as I completed Just One Day. As a result of reading these two magical novels, I've made plans to tour Italy, a dream of mine, next year. LOVE THESE NOVELS.

i was confused when reading this one because i was so in love withe the first one (If I Stay) that i just assumed this one was to be exactly like it, but it is not. it took me a few chapters to accept this and once i did i fell in love with the story all over again. just hang in there and it DEFINITELY gets to where you want to be. Soooooooooooo worth the read.

'It was like she gave me her whole self, and somehow as a result, I gave her more of myself than I ever realized there was to give. But then she was gone. And only after I'd been filled up by her, by that day, did I understand how empty I really was.'

Finally. We have Willem's story. Just One Day left readers contemplating what possibly could have gone wrong, why he never came back to Allyson and if they were ever going to be able to find each other again. Just One Year possesses the same melancholy feel as its predecessor with Willem stumbling around in an apparent daze, unable to trust the stability of his feelings for Allyson because after all... they only knew each other for a single day.

'...it's Lulu I miss, and I know it must be displaced, my loneliness a heat-seeking missile, her the heat. Only I can't seem to find a new source of heat.'

This is a tough one for me to figure out how I feel about. Willem was a tough nut to crack and I went through the majority of the book not feeling any sort of compassion towards him, no pity for his plight, when I think that would have been the regular response. He gave up his search for her very early on and considering we already know what Allyson went through physically and emotionally makes me sad for her. Willem was convinced to start looking for her again by friends and as much as he kept saying he was still looking for her that whole time, it wasn't an active search. It felt like he was simply sitting back and waiting for something to happen, for her to find him.

'The truth and its opposite are flip sides of the same coin.'

Willem's story became less about their romance and more about him discovering things about himself and becoming a better person because he met her. This is actually what I had originally hoped for her in Just One Day; for Allyson to recognize the incredibly transformed person she had become (and she did) but that even though it resulted from her meeting Willem that she didn't need him to continue to be as such. Willem found the independence and strength their meeting imbued and used it in a positive manner and while I'm glad at least one of them did this, I never quite liked Willem enough in order to root for him. I never saw what appealed to Allyson and I never understood quite why they transformed each others lives in the first place.

While I'm glad to have the closure of Willem's side of the story, I still can't help but feel the ending would have benefited from... more. I needed to see Willem and Allyson's transformations being applied since we as readers were only afforded a quick glance before reaching the final page.

Just One Year is a tale of transformation, of finding happiness, of finding love and finding yourself.

The phrase "it's not about the destination, but the journey" springs to mind when describing this duology. In this case, Allyson's story is about the destination, Willem's is about the journey.

I much, much, MUCH preferred this book over Just One Day (or, at least the latter half of Just One Day). Of the two, Just One Year is the better. It's still full of schlocky romance tropes, but it's much better character-and story development-wise

I wish the second half of Just One Day had been like this book, because then I would've had a lot more respect for Allyson/Lulu as a character. Everything that happens in the second half of Just One Day is driven by Allyson's need to find Willem--she is doing everything FOR Willem. Without Willem, she is useless and spends all of her time pining for him. She has very little character development along the way.

In Just One Year, everything Willem does is BECAUSE of Allyson. Sure, he's still looking for her, but at the same time, he's going out and having adventures; adventures which, of course, parallel and intersect with Allyson's to the point of being almost frustrating--I usually hate the near-miss trope in books, but this time I'll make an exception because Willem actually undergoes character development, whereas Allyson didn't. Where Allyson pushes her family away because of her search with Willem, Willem ends up embracing his family because of his search for Allyson. He travels, sees new places, experiences new things, and generally lives more because of her.

I enjoyed this duology enough to have Just One Night waiting in the wings. While I'll be sad to see their story end (or, more likely, begin again), I won't miss Allyson's pining and self-pity. I'll miss Willem though--he's a gem.

So if you read my review of Just One Day, then you know that I absolutely adored that book. The character development that Lulu went through felt so real and you were able to relate to Lulu. When I read that book, I felt as though I knew who Willem was as a character. I don’t understand why I felt like that when Willem was barely in the book. But I think that was the point. Lulu felt as though she knew who Willem was even though she had just barely met him. However, when you get to Willem’s perspective, I felt like he was a different person. He seemed as though he was missing a part of himself, the part that was Lulu. He wasn’t as distraught as Lulu was, but people cope with things in different ways. What I took away from this book, was that Willem needed to grow up a little bit before he and Lulu were reunited. Willem was jumping around from place to place because he didn’t know which place to call home. I’m actually glad that they spent a year apart from each other. Both characters grew, and when they are finally reunited, they are able to give each other the better versions of themselves. They also seemed to be more sure of what they wanted from themselves and from each other.

I didn’t like Just One Year as much as Just One Day. I think this is because I was able to relate to Lulu/Allyson better than I was Willem. This maybe for personal reasons, or maybe just a female relating to another female. I think I’m going to go with the former. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy Just One Year. The only complaint that I have is that I wish that there was more elaboration about the ending, when Willem is finally reunited with Lulu/Allyson. Allyson had made so many assumptions about Willem, like the fact that she thought he had a new girlfriend and all this stuff. I just wish I could have seen a conversation between them, explaining to each other what happened the day they were separated, what happened since then, and clear the air between them. Their ending was nice, but I guess I just wanted their relationship to be more cemented and find out what was in store for them.

Willem has no clue where he is after he wakes up. all he remembers is a mysterious girl. He doesn’t know her name or what she looks like but he does remember small details like; she’s American and he calls her Lulu but that’s not her real name. Ughh! What is her name and how do I know her? he spends months trying to figure this out but when he goes home, after being away for three years, his friends help him find her, but it’s no use. It’s like she doesn’t want to be found. he goes from Paris to Amsterdam, then to Utrecht, then to Deanville then back to Utrecht, then to Cancun, then Valladolid and Merida Mexico then to Mumbai, India trying to forget about the haze of a girl he called Lulu. Will he ever find her or ever forget about his mysterious Lulu?
Just One Day by Gayle Forman is a non-fiction, romance novel. This book is the second of a two book series. Gayle Forman does a fantastic job at describing the characters and really paints a picture of what each of them look like. While you are reading she puts this movie in your head of the scene that you are reading about. She also uses vocabulary most of us would not use on a daily basis. She does a fabulous job at creating cliffhangers. In the first book she leaves you thinking what happens and how the story of Willem and “Lulu” end. Though her books tend to be a little long, they are easy reads and they hook you to the story. They are great for joy reads because they move very swiftly and she makes it to where you cannot predict what is going to happen next, no matter how hard you try. I would say that both Just One Day and Just One Year are more on the girly side. I would recommend this two book series to teenage girls who are looking for a romantic, mysterious, and adventurous book to read. I would give this book a five out of five due to they way Gayle Forman hook you to the book and makes you want to read more and more.

I'll be honest. After reading Just One Day, which was a little unsatisfactory for me, I wasn't even certain I'd read Just One Year. In fact, I was set not to. But, damn my curiosity, I just had to see where Willem had been off to while this was all going on. So I read and I read and I'm still confused. I did like Willem's tale a little more than Allyson. I still just do not like her. I could have done without the long India trip or long descriptions of his travel. I get it's important to a degree, but Gayle Forman, no disrespect, is just not an A+ writer, so it doesn't have the desired affect for me. The bottom line was I didn't get what I was looking for. Sure it was cute to see their missed connections and how the opposite side of Allyson's questions were answered by Willem's actions in this book, but it was a cute idea and just not executed completely. And then to leave off the way they did, I felt a bit cheated.

I have now read 4 books by Forman, because I truly liked If I Stay so much. I felt compelled to keep reading. But I'll be honest, they've gone downhill since that first one. The ideas are clever, and I know these are young adult style books, but it's just not enough to keep me truly interested. I'm thankful for If I Stay though, that was worth the read.

This was one of my most anticipated sequels of 2013, and it only moved up the ranks after I devoured “Just One Day” in, well, just one day. Though this pair of novels didn’t quite captivate me in the way that “If I Stay” and “Where She Went” managed to, they didn’t disappoint either.

“Just One Year” picks up where Allyson and Willem’s paths diverge, after their magical day in Paris. The rest of the novel focuses less on Willem’s attempts to find Allyson and more on his attempt to piece his life back together and figure out what–if any–role Allyson played, or could play in it.

One of the things I loved about “Just One Year” was watching Willem’s character develop, until he moved from mesmerizing foreigner, to troubled, commitment-phobe wanderer with who feels the most lost among his splintered family and friends. His journey of stumbling and falling and screwing up and picking himself up nicely mirrored Allyson’s without feeling like imitation or repetition.

The place descriptions were gorgeous as always, and I enjoyed Forman’s portraits of cultures that were so different than the ones experienced by the characters in book one. I never much felt like I got to know Mexico or India in the way that I became acquainted with Amsterdam later in the story, but that felt right. Willem wasn’t attempting to familiarize himself with those places either, and to see a bunch of intimate knowledge from him would’ve felt disingenuous.

Unlike Allyson of “Just One Day,” Willem doesn’t do much actual reciprocal searching. I enjoyed this and I didn’t. Although it made sense for Allyson’s character arc to involve finding Willem AND herself, Willem’s was much more effective when he was searching more for a place–or a sense of place–to call his own. The way his sense of place tied back to his day with Allyson cemented for me how little he’d managed to forget her in their time apart. I would’ve loved to see more “Serendipity” type near misses and missed chances, but I understand how they might not have worked for this story.

My biggest gripe about the novel was how long it took me to remember Willem’s back story and get to know him through that particular lens. His family history, his heritage and past life weren’t painted with much detail in “Just One Day,” and I spent the better first half of this novel trying to remind myself, or piece together, what had happened to give him such a case of wanderlust. The importance those aspects of Willem’s life played in “Just One Year” made me wish I’d had more information about them going into the story.

I’d highly recommend this book, this series really. These companion novels were meant to be two sides of similar but divergent stories, and I almost think they’d be most enjoyable read immediately back to back. Take some time to savor the ending if you do. I’ve heard some complaints about it, but I think Forman ended the story in the most perfect place possible.

Willem wakes dazed and confused. He is unsure of where he is, let alone what city he is in. The only thing he knows is that he has lost something important to him, and if he doesn't snap out of it, he will lose whatever it is for good. Willem is in the hospital after a beating, suffering from a concussion. By the time he returns to his senses and remembers Lulu, it is too late. He spends the next year stumbling through his life, trying to find the piece of himself he lost over two years ago only to briefly recover it during that one magical day in Paris with a mystery girl he only knows as Lulu, and lose it again. As time goes on, Willem realizes how much Lulu changed him, and he would do anything to see her again. Can Willem somehow find a way back to the girl who touched his heart in just one day?
What I Liked:
*At last, I was able to get inside Willem's head and understand the mysterious boy who intrigued me in Just One Day. Just like Allyson, Willem is struggling on his own journey of self discovery. While Allyson is going through the growing pains of moving into adulthood, Willem is suffering from something worse. The loss of almost everything he held dear. Uprooted, lost and alone, Willem must somehow find himself again. Will he do it through friends? Acting? Or will he somehow find the girl who showed him how to live again?
*I was pleased to see that this story continued to focus on the theme of fate that was so prevalent in the first book. Willem whole heartedly believes in accidents and chance encounters, and I loved how the theme played over and over in this book. With each chance encounter, or accidental event, it brings him ever closer to finding himself. I especially liked seeing how with each chance encounter, his life changed.
*I enjoyed learning more about the difficult relationship Willem had with his mother. The two have always been distant, and Willem never felt like he connected with his mother. After a heartbreaking loss, the two drifted even further apart, but then in desperation, Willem reaches out to his mother, and learns that things were not as he always perceived them. I loved the way things developed between them, and I was pleased at the outcome.
Like Allyson, Willem has a life long best friend, Broodje, but unlike Mel and Allison, Broodje and Willem remain close and they have each other's backs. I liked the relationship between the two, and I liked how they supported one another. I also enjoyed exploring the many new friendships that Willem forms during the course of the year. Again, there is a heavy focus on friendships and relationships in this book which I liked.
*I was relieved to see the other side of the story and learn the truth about what happened at the end of the day in Paris. This book filled in many of the pieces that I needed to help complete the picture.
*Just like Allyson, Willem undergoes an extraordinary transformation as he goes on his own journey of self discovery. I loved his change and growth.
And The Not So Much:
*The ending once again was frustrating. It ends abruptly during the happily ever after moment leaving me with several unanswered questions and feeling a bit cheated. For instance, I never had an understanding as to what happened to the note he left? Where did he leave it and why did Allyson not find it? Where were the postcards he left in Allyson's suitcase? Did Celine take them? What transpired with the play? What was Linus calling about? I felt like there was much more to the story and the author should have either written a third book or taken the time to provide a satisfactory ending.
*I was disappointed that there was not more discussion on Willem's parents' relationship. Bram and Yael had an epic romance that came about after a chance encounter, which bears a striking similarity to Allyson's and Willem's romance. I was itching to know so much more about their romance and their life together, but the author only throws out snippets here and there, not enough for me to gather the whole picture.
*This book picks up at the end of the one day. I wished that it had gone back to the day in Paris so I could see things through Willem's eyes and see how his feelings for Allyson developed. The day in Paris was the highlight of Just One Day, and I felt that not reliving a bit of that day caused the book to lack something. After all, the romance begins that day, and I so wanted to see how Willem felt.
*Overall, the book was a bit lacking in comparison to Just One Day. The writing wasn't as gorgeous and I wasn't as invested in the story line. I liked Willem, but I wasn't as engaged with his journey as I was with Allyson. I thought the book began to drag somewhere around his trip to India, and I quickly grew bored during the final portion when he was working on the play. I was more than eager for the reunion, only to be slapped in the face with the same abrupt ending. It was a good read, but not a great one.

Just One Year is a bit of a disappointing sequel. While I enjoyed peeling away Willem's layers in order to understand him, I was sad that there wasn't more depth and detail in the story. The ending was the most frustrating of all as I was finally expecting some answers, and instead I was left with several lingering questions. I need a long drawn out happily ever after!
Still, I recommend this series because it is well written, and I liked seeing the journey and transformation of both characters.
Favorite Quotations:
"We have to snatch the sun when we have it, don't we?"
"Loving someone is such an inherently dangerous act. And yet, love, that's where safety lives."

I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Three Stars: A look at the other side of the story, but it lacks a bit of something.

Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

After finishing Just One Day by Gayle Forman, I knew that I needed to read the companion. Luckily, I had purchased it along with Just One Day so I didn't have to wait long. I immediately started reading this the second that I got home from school the day after finishing the first one.

The awesome thing about this book is that it's the same story as the first one, as it has the day trip in Paris as well as what happened afterwards, though it's told through Willem's point of view. I loved seeing how much Allyson impacted Willem. It was also great to see that he definitely felt the same way as Allyson. He had been searching for her just as she had been searching for him. They have such a beautiful love.

I felt really bad for Willem at times because nobody seemed to really care about him, even his mother. I really liked how their relationship changed over the course of the book though. That was nice to see. I found it rather awesome that Willem gets to travel a lot, though it must be hard to do that alone and try to make friends along the way. I know that if I did that I would have to bring someone with me because I don't do well alone and I'd feel too scared.

This book definitely offered up some answers about where Willem went when he disappeared that night in Paris, leaving Allyson stranded. He still had her watch, which was a nice touch in the story. He had that to remember her by, to keep him motivated. It showed that she was real and that he didn't imagine her. Willem's outlook on life is interested and altered my view of life as well. His whole belief of "accidents" and things just happening because they're supposed to and looking for the signs and all that-I believe it too. Some things have to be more than just coincidences. Take life as it comes and put yourself out there. I'm really glad that I read this book as well as Just One Day, and I'm excited to finally read Just One Night. Hopefully I will buy an e-reader soon so that I can do that, because I really need to know what happens!

Back when I read Just One Day last year, my first ever Gayle Forman novel & my ever favorite, I had a lot of feelings. I identified with Allyson so closely, and her story just came to life in front of my eyes with every single word. It resonated so deeply with me, and re-reading it before Just One Year just reminded me of my deep, deep love for it.

I was a little hesitant about Just One Year, mostly because I wasn’t sure what I expected of Willem. Would he be the type to pine over the loss of Lulu after just one day spent together? Would he be the type to shrug off the gift of a day she’d given him and jump straight into the next bed he was invited into? But all my uncertainty about Just One Year was completely soothed by this beautiful companion novel.

First, let’s get this important thing out of the way. When reading Just One Year, it’s important to recall that you are reading the story from Willem’s point of view. Honestly, I was guilty of sometimes still being in Allyson’s head and judging the things he did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say, and I had to check myself every now and then to make sure I was giving him a fair chance to tell his side of things.

The thing is, in spite of the one day that they might have shared, Allyson and Willem are two complex, unique individuals. So, it’s not particularly surprising that Willem’s experience in the year they were apart is so different from Allyson’s! While I never fully identified with Willem, there were aspects of his journey – the search, the constant loop between hope and disappointment, the longing for something he couldn’t name – that I did find easy to relate to. Plus, he visits so many places – Holland, Mexico, India – which absolutely awoke my wanderlust.

Willem is a boy who’s been through so much in such a short span of a lifetime, and I could understand how his personality had been shaped by his circumstances. He struggles with a sense of displacement, and a touch of grief. Plus, his inability to sustain a relationship or communicate properly with other people is definitely a bit sad. It’s easy for readers to see that Willem is adrift, constantly losing himself so that he can avoid addressing all these feelings and situations that are chasing after him.

Meeting Allyson changes everything. Allyson sees Willem, recognizing the deepest, truest parts of who he is. It’s no surprise that he’s drawn to her immediately, and it’s totally believable too! In spite of the way he might have behaved (especially around other girls), he is clearly pining for Allyson. His pursuit of her, the lengths he goes to, the adventures he goes on, it’s a combination of heartbreak and hope. I just fell completely in love with their love story, especially through his eyes, and for that alone, Just One Year is definitely worth a read.

Clearly, I fell hard for Just One Year. It was refreshing to get into Willem’s head, really getting to see what he thinks and how he feels. He does things that made me angry, or made me sad. But honestly, he’s just a guy going through some growing pains in a journey to figure out what he wants, and what he believes in. We’re all going through similar journeys in our own lives, with pitfalls and triumphs, and so, his story resonated with me as Allyson’s did, but in a different way. Beautiful storytelling coupled with emotion made for a great tale; Just One Year is a wonderful companion novel, and I can highly recommend it.

Just One Day left me with a craving for more and I was really curious too find out what had happened to Willem during the year that he and Allison were apart.

Just One Year didn’t disappoint one bit. It completely lived up to my expectations. Forman is an amazing author, she never stops surprising me. One of the things that I loved the most about this book is that we got to know Willem a lot better. In Just One Day he was a mystery and I couldn’t wait to find out who he really was. In this book we finally got to know this complex character bit by bit. We knew he travelled a lot from the first book but now we finally know why he started travelling in the first place. Together with Willem we visited a lot of places; Amsterdam, Utrecht, Paris, Mexico, Mumbai. All in quest to find the girl he met and only knew for one day. But he doesn’t realize that he hast to find himself before he can find her. Willem was a really deep character and we only got a glimpse of that in the first book. Just One Year shows how he became that person, what made him who he was at the moment Allyson met him. And then how meeting Allyson changed him.

We also got the meet a lot of new people, I loved them all. They were all so energetic, they pulled the novel in various directions and they made the story so much livelier. I really loved that his friends helped him on his quest to find “Lulu” and that they didn’t question him when he said that it was important. A lot of other people could have thought that he was crazy for finding this girl he only knew for one day.

There was another small thing that I really liked in this book. Forman made a cross-reference to Adam from If I Stay, when Willem went to his concert and after he was playing his cd over and over again. I think that it’s great that she didn’t forget about the characters from her previous books.

It’s a shame that Willem and Allyson’s story is over. I really enjoyed their journeys and I wouldn’t mind if they got another book that portrayed their lives after this book. But I realize why Forman decided to end it like this, the story is complete and I can imagine how their story continued from here. I really loved Just One Year and I can’t wait to read other books by Gayle Forman, she’s an amazing author and she’s probably one of my favorite authors at the moment.

~4.5/5

This book… was absolutely perfect. It was everything it could have been in companion to the first novel.

I loved the first book, with Allyson’s growing up and becoming her own person. And while I went into this hoping that I would get more time with Allyson and Willem together, Willem’s story was just as good and just as important.

I loved seeing Willem grow, become who he needed and wanted to be, find his family again and see it expand. Finally decide to commit to something, decide that he wanted to act. And also to see him want Allyson, go after her, as best as he could, in the same way that Allyson did for him.

I think it’s important to note going into this series that, while it is a love story, and their impact on each other is definitely present and acknowledged, this series is even more than that, about these two characters growing up and finding themselves and their families, on their own. This book ends in pretty much the same spot as the first, with I think a step farther that makes this series complete.

Then there were the places that he went, and the things he did, and the people he met. I love all of the side characters, and the way they’re all shown and developed. Broodje, in particular, is awesome; I love him.

This was a perfect companion, and I love that this series let me fall in love with the characters individually, while making you eager to see them together.

[More of my reviews are available on my blog, Geeky Reading, to which there's a link on my profile.]

First of all, the description for Just One Year is a liar. It does not in fact, pick up where Just One Day ended. It happens concurrently, picking up after Willem left Allyson in that squat. His story definitely doesn't start off how I imagined it would, and at first I was very annoyed. Memory loss? Really?! Yes, he was beat up, suffered a concussion and spent all morning in the hospital, but that is sooo soap opera! I could not believe what I was reading! But of course, Willem's memory does come back and he immediately starts looking for Allyson (I just cannot bring myself to call her Lulu, that's my puppy!) who is obviously gone thinking she was ditched. Then we get to see what happened throughout the next year when the two are searching for each other.

After that initial chapter, I did settle into Just One Year and really enjoyed it. Just like Allyson, Willem compiles everything he knows about her and uses it to try to track her down. He starts with her suitcase that she left behind, leaving her a note, in hopes that she'll retrieve her luggage. This totally made me inwardly scream, since of course she does, but doesn't find his notes! Ah! Even worse was when he remembered her family spends the holidays in Mexico and he's there and she's there and they miss each other! Nice touch with that sandwich joke though! So many near misses and coincidences! It drove me nuts, but in a good way!

Then Just One Year ends exactly where Allyson's story ended, but we get one little tidbit to tack onto the conclusion of their story. It's not a definitive statement, but I found it satisfying all the same. I'd like to image things went in one direction from that point, but it's equally possible that it went somewhere else entirely, which I would also be okay with. I love that kind of ending. It's open, but not so wide that you can't imagine the possibilities.

I was very excited to read this companion novel to Just One Day because I love Gayle Forman's books and wanted to hear more about these characters, particularly Willem because now we get to hear a little from his point of view. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't up to par for me.

I know that many people will be disappointed because this is a companion novel, not a sequel. It's Willem's story about what goes on with his life while "Lulu's" story in Just One Day takes place. Same timeline, different details. I knew this going in, so I wasn't disappointed, but I've seen so many reviews that were negative just because people were expecting something different from Gayle Forman. I don't fault her for writing the book she wanted to, rather than one she might feel pressured into. Besides, I kind of feel like it's her 'thing' to write ambiguous endings that are somehow simultaneously perfect and frustrating.

While I did like some portions of this book, overall Willem's narration just wasn't very interesting and this did nothing to make me like him more as a character. I wasn't very intrigued by any of the adventures he went on, the travel he was able to experience. I did manage to finish the book but it was very dull and boring to me. Although I didn't like him any less for all that I was learning about him, none of the supporting characters were captivating. I kept getting them mixed up with one another or I'd want to skip to another chapter in the hopes that he'd meet other people to speak with.

I don't think I'll recommend this book to anyone, though I will recommend Just One Day. I absolutely loved that book, though I could have done without the companion novel.

This review contains unavoidable spoilers for Just One Day and minor spoliers for Just One Year.

When I finished Just One Day, I was left speechless and schocked. I couldn't believe it ended where it did, and of course, I was eagerly anicipating Just One Year. For months I waited, and waited... It finaly came out, and I got my fingers on it, and it left me a little disappointed. It wasn't what I expected it to be. It was a good book nevertheless, but still disappointing for me.

Just One Year is more a companion novel to Just One Day than a sequel. It starts in Paris, after he left Lulu. He is confused and all he knows is that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. He is lost and heartbroken. In this book, he's not just trying to find Lulu, but he is also trying to find himself. The journy is long and sad at most times. He doesn't know what's happening to him. He has a feeling it's because he lost one girl who ment something to him and he doesn't know how to continue with his life from that point, but he's also trying to reestablish some broken relationships he left behind when he left for his trip around Europe.

His journey through this book leads him to Cancun, Mexico, to India and some other short trips. Those trips were funny and interesting at some times, but mostly I found myself borred with them, and just waiting for them to be over. I knew what I was expecting from this book, and what point I was waiting for.

The thing I enjoyed most in Just One Day, their day spent in Paris, was left out in Just One Year. I was looking forward to seeing how Willem saw that day, even tought we did see some moments from his memories, but I still missed it in this book. Also, the part that left me disappointed, is the end. I expected Gayle Forman would put some final clousure to it, and she did in some way, because we knew now how both, Willem and Lulu felt, and we could assume what would happen, but still I would preffer it written.

All in all, I believe you can't not like a book written by Gayle Forman. It has a beautiful writing, it has a great storyline, a great characters, but in this one, not everything was great and it kept me from truly enjoying this book.

Review originally posted at Bettering Me Up.

I have been waiting for Just One Year from the moment that I finished Just One Day. The latter completely blew me away and I couldn't wait for Willem's POV of their time apart and their reconnection.

So imagine my surprise at the disillusionment I felt throughout the novel. Do you see the description above? Where it says "picking up where Just One Day ended"? Guess what I was expecting. FOR THIS BOOK TO PICK UP WHERE THE PREVIOUS ONE LEFT OFF.

Guess what I got? NOT THAT.

Allyson's story in JOD was empowering and full of self-discovery. Willem's story in JOY was all wallowing in self-pity and shacking up with other girls while he was oh-so-in-love with "Lulu." And I just didn't buy it.

Maybe I would have felt differently if there had been more interaction between the two protagonists. But I kept anticipating their reunion (picking up where the last one left off!!!) and felt nothing but anxiety and disappointment with each chapter.

WTF, Gayle Forman? Your previous works have left me bleary-eyed from too much crying, but were always worth the heartfail. This? Bleary-eyed from near-boredom. Had I known that I wouldn't get a whole book--or at least part of a book--with Willem and Allyson together, I'm not sure I would have read it. And I'm really glad that I borrowed this from the library instead of purchasing it; I would have rated it lower if I had spent any money on this sequel. As it is, three stars is being generous.

“Accident-how I found her. Accident-how I lost her. You have to give the universe credit, the way it evens things out like that.”
-Just One Year by Gayle Forman

While in Just One Day we see Allyson’s journey towards self-discovery, in Just One Year we get to see Willem’s own journey to self-discovery.

At first I was really disappointed in this, because I thought that this book was going to be a continuation as to what happened to Allyson and Willem, but this changes quickly as we get to see Willem’s version of why he disappeared.

In Just One Day I came to hate Willem because I thought he was a douche for breaking Allyson’s heart. But there’s so much more to Willem than what meets the eye.

Other than a wonderful actor, he’s also a boy grieving the death of his father, wondering how to bridge the distance between his mother, and ultimately a boy just… lost. This book not only provided us with Willem’s insight, but it also presented us with a magnificent story arc.

Willem travels the world trying to locate Lulu. He goes to Paris, Utrecht, Mexico, and even India trying to find her. But only with a nickname to go on, there’s no way to find her. Yet, Willem keeps trying and trying even when he keeps failing.

“There’s a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had. One is a disappointment. The other feels like losing a piece of yourself. “
-Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Along the way Willem also meets and *cough* acquaints himself with some girls. I’ve got to admit that it really hurt me to see him with other girls. I couldn’t wrap around my head the fact that even if he was looking for Lulu, he was sleeping with some girls on the side. But I do understand it. There was almost no possibility for him to find her, but still.

This book was so frustrating! Willem and Allyson would be so close to each other, but because the universe is such a b*tch, they would never cross paths. You don’t know how much I raged over this! Why couldn’t the universe give them a break? One little break?

Nevertheless, if they had found each other sooner, they wouldn’t be who they are today.

Also, this book was so heartbreaking! Not because of Willem & Allyson’s love story, but because of Willem’s story. Willem’s relationship with his mother is strained. Completely strained. Willem feels unloved and unwanted, and his mother just doesn’t know how to express her feelings for him. I could feel Willem’s despair. I could feel him wanting to change, wanting to be closer to her, but had no idea how to do so. Their relationship definitely went full circle. His character growth was even more impressive than Allyson’s in Just One Year.

Overall this book is definitely the best way to close both Allyson and Willem’s stories. Now I’m not sure which duology I loved more: If I Stay, or this one!

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book was provided by the Publisher via Netgalley .

After spending a perfect day with "Lulu", Willem wakes up in the hospital, with Lulu nowhere in sight. Willem retraces his steps to discover how he ended up in the hospital and sets out to find Lulu. Along the way he tells the story of his family and the great disconnect between his mother and himself, and learns more about himself then he thought he knew.

I don't read a lot of contemporary YA fiction. I have a couple of favorite authors that write contemporary YA fiction and I generally try to read/listen to their books. These include Maureen Johnson, John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Gayle Forman. I loved the If I Stay/Where She Went books and also Just One Day (the first half of this series). I'd heard mixed reviews about Just One Year, but I decided I needed to know how Willem and Lulu's journey would end.

After having finished the audiobook of Just One Year, I have to say this was the story that "I" wanted told. It might not be the story that everyone wanted to hear, but it was the one I wanted. I wanted to know why Willem had been travelling for so long, never stopping long, never spending any real time with anyone. In Just One Year we find out why he is this way and what it takes to make him keep his roots in Amsterdam. We find out the story of his past and his family, and how the disconnect between his mother and himself and his Uncle starts to narrow and they become more of a family. We delve into his acting and feel his passion for it. It is a beautiful story.

Gayle Forman writes a beautiful story, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Loving travel myself, I loved all of Willem's travels from India to Amsterdam to Cancun - it was a great a adventure! I loved all the colorful people he meets on the way and we meet his friends in Amsterdam and his family. It was a great story and even though I personally would've liked more Lulu, I still loved every second of it.

Daniel May narrates Just One Year and gives a great voice to the character of Willem. There is a diversity of accents in this book and he delivers them all superbly. I wouldn't hesitate recommending this series to YA fans. I do recommend starting with Just One Day though to get the full experience of these two books.

3.5 Stars.

This review covers both Just One Day and Just One year. As I read them in succession, and my thoughts are pretty uniform for both books.

Just One Day follows Allyson Healey, her meeting with Willem De Ruiter and the subsequent consequences of the time they spend together in Paris. The whole book is written from Allyson’s POV, and for the most part I really enjoyed it.

I liked seeing a pretty well adjusted teenage girl, albeit more of a follower than a leader, make the conscious effort to step out of her comfort zone, and stand up for herself. To go ahead and make the life choices and decisions for herself rather than to keep others happy, and as the book progresses you get a more thorough understanding as to how much of a big deal that is.

Allyson as an only child has the whole of her parents (in particular her mother’s) expectations thrust upon her, and as she begins to examine her feelings and responses to the time she spent with Willem, the more she realizes that these expectations may not necessarily be her own. I loved Dee, and his participation in what was essentially her emancipation from their expectations, and from all of the things that were holding her back from discovering the real person she actually was.

…..It was just one day and it’s been just one year. But maybe one day is enough. Maybe one hour is enough. Maybe time has nothing at all to do with it…… (Taken from Just One Year)

Just One Year, is Willem’s POV for the same timeframe, and boy does he get around. We are taken to India, Mexico, and Amsterdam to name but a few destinations, and again you are privy to the realization that life is not just going to be the same after the time he spent with Allyson. You are also given the reasons as to why they were separated rather than continuing their adventure on together.

Willem for me was a more complicated and multi faceted character, compared to Allyson and what essentially boils down to her push for parental freedom. Reading his story you are given an insight into a deeply troubled man, who in essence is running from the grief, memories and responsibilities that are waiting for him back home. He uses women as band-aids and travelling as his painkiller.

It was frustrating to read just how close they both came to being together again as Just One Year progressed, and I must admit the anticipation to see how things would work out when they finally cross paths again was what kept me reading past my bedtime……

This is where I have to say my star rating dropped from 5 down to 3.5 because you literally get nothing. At the end of Just One Day you are given a glimpse as to what happened, so I was expecting more information and a little more story of them together at the end of Just One Year, and I think there was so much potential for it. I hope that Gayle Forman gives us a novella or something just so I can put Willem and Allyson’s story to bed, as it in a way feels unfinished for me at the moment.

Gayle Forman is still one of the best Teen/NA writers I have come across for a while. They way her tales are interwoven and pulled together are nothing short of magic. I cannot wait to see what she releases next. ARC of Just One Year provided by the publisher through Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above review.

[...]

I think it's safe to say that nobody really hates love. Sure, some people might find over-the-top, ooey gooey declarations of how the mere sight of one's beloved sends their spirits soaring through the air and all that a tiny bit sickening. But no one actually hates love. Love is perennial, timeless. It's been there since Adam and Eve, to Romeo and Juliet, to Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr. In Gayle Forman's "Just One Year", we have Willem and Allyson. This sequel to "Just One Day", which, I kid you not, had me squealing on the edge of my seat, was released just last week, and I, hopeless romantic that I am, naturally had to grab it. ASAP.

Rewind one year. When Willem wakes up in a hospital, he doesn't know where he is, or why he's bruised and battered. All he knows is that he's alone once again, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. He remembers that one day they shared together in Paris, just one day in which Willem begins to wonder whether he's met the girl he's not going to fall in love with--but stay in love with. Determined to find her, Willem travels all over the world in an attempt to chase fate, from Mexico to India. But as a year passes by with no sign of Lulu, Willem begins to lose hope--and the belief that they were fated to be together.

While I absolutely loved both Lulu and Willem in "Just One Day", I have to reluctantly admit that I was a little disappointed with Willem's character in "Just One Year". The entire book kind of goes like this: 'Gasp I have to find a girl named Lulu', 'darn, pissed off my ex-girlfriend because I slept with her again (oops) so I can't just wait for Lulu when she comes to pick up her luggage', 'let's go to Mexico', 'let's go to (insert other country here)', 'oooh hot ex-girlfriend, time to sleep with her again', 'sad sad where's Lulu', etc. You catch my drift. I just felt like Willem was such a frustrating protagonist to follow throughout the novel, because there's so much he could do, but he just so easily gives in to his whims and fancies. I mean, this whole thing where he's sleeping with any and all of the ex-girlfriends he stumbles upon, even though he's still pining over the elusive Lulu? Sure, he's nice and charming and good looking and all, but I just couldn't help but feel like he was way too complacent. That being said, there is some character development going on, especially with his family issues and insecurities, and that was definitely one area in which I found myself sympathizing with Willem a little more. And yes, he is the type, because of those issues, to run away from commitment, whether to a girl, or places, or jobs, but I mean, come on, Willem! Snap out of it!

The plot of "Just One Year" was a little diminished by the whole wanting-to-slap-Willem-awake thing, but was pretty exciting nonetheless. Don't get me wrong, Willem isn't a character you end up hating. He's just frustrating, is all. It's really interesting to see things from Willem's perspective, after having spent "Just One Day" in Allyson/Lulu's, and meeting his friends and family and numerous ex-girlfriends coloured his character in a little more as well. What's especially exciting is that Willem, of course, travels all over the world, so Ms. Forman takes her readers across the globe from Mexico to India to Holland. It's like going on an adventure, seeing different cultures and types of people--like taking a little trip through reading. The people that Willem meets on his journeys are diverse and dynamic, and really added dimensions to the story and Willem himself as well.

Frustrations with Willem aside, I thought that the writing in "Just One Year", as always, was beautiful. Ms. Forman is able to create thoughtful, striking prose, with nuances that are both understated and poignant at the same time. And such incredible and balanced writing is necessary when dealing with Big Themes like love, since you don't want cliched, over-the-top tropes that you hear over and over again and become over-sensitized to. In fact, let me give you one of my favourite lines in the book:
There's a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had. One is a disappointment. The other is truly a loss.
Like, wow. There's nothing flamboyant or crazy about those three short sentences. But the words capture such a powerful truth in the most perfect way, one that hits you right in the heart and makes you think, Exactly. It is really through Ms. Forman's prose that I found myself really being drawn into the story, seeking moments of connection and realization of so many truths in life, ones that you don't really notice until you see them written out just like that.

Overall, "Just One Year" is more of an okay sequel to "Just One Day", largely because of how frustrating Willem is throughout the novel! Nonetheless, there is some interesting character development going on, as well as some exciting adventures, and, of course, the beautiful, striking writing. I'd definitely recommend checking out the first book out--and maybe checking out "Just One Year" if you really want to hear more about Allyson and Willem.

Rating: 3/5

Admittedly Gayle Forman's "Just One Day" was the sort of book that totally snuck up on me, not expecting much from it, having not been the biggest fan of her "If I Stay" series. "Just One Day" exceeded my expectations in every way, shape, and form, being, without a doubt, one of the best books that I've read this year. With every word I felt as if my heart would explode at any moment and, for that very reason, I will remember it for many, many years to come (it doesn't hurt that it featured Paris, a place near and dear to my heart). Because of the utter amazingness of "Just One Day", this book quickly became one of my most highly anticipated of this year- and I thought that it would only be stronger than the first (as I found the case to be with "Where She Went"), however, I must admit that it was anything but.

Where I found that emotion was the biggest strength in "Just One Day", in this, I found it to be it's biggest weakness. Willem had SO MANY road bumps in his life, however, I found it near impossible to dredge up any sympathy for him because of the overall lack of emotion. I think that the biggest contributing factor to this was his voice- I feel that his voice was far too similar to Lulu's, not bringing anything new to the table (which is a shame, because I can't recall another instance of preferring a female's POV over a males). Because of being unable to connect to much of the story, I found it to be quite draggy and slow at times.

That being said, I loved all off the various settings of this book- it allows the reader to experience another level of escapism, getting a stamp in their mental passport of sorts. Additionally, I did think that the parallel storyline about Willem's parents to be quite interesting, having a sort of "Jellicoe Road" vibe to it. Furthermore, the last ten or so pages of this book were ABSOLUTELY breathtaking- they were filled with the magic that I had been SO hoping for. They were close, but no cigar, to making me forget about the earlier 320 pages.

All in all, while I think that this book had great potential, I do think that ultimately it was unable to live up to said potential. That being said, that it is not to say that it is a bad book (I do think that it it much better than many YA contemps/ coming of age novels out there), it just wasn't quite able to fill the shoes of its predecessors. Furthermore, despite my complaints, I do now consider myself to be a 'Gayle' junkie and will do anything in my power to get her books in my hands.

Let me tell you about this amazing book that I just consumed (because reading would imply that I took my time and read it, consuming is picking it up and not coming up for air until the very end.)

This was probably my most anticipated book to come out this year. I had previously read Just One Day, and I loved it so much. I mean I can't begin to tell you how much I loved the first book. Reading this second one? Was just like putting the last pieces in the puzzle. Forman has proven once again why she is among my favorite authors. This book was just so amazing.

One of the great things about this book was all the details that were included and how Forman incorporated them into the story. I was amazed at how Shakespeare played into the story and all the elements that were tied in.

I also loved how parallel the stories are. You just know that Willem is right there sometimes, so close to finding his Lulu. I think that is part of what makes this story so amazing.

`Sometimes fate or life or whatever you want to call it, leaves a door a little open and you walk through it. But sometimes it locks the door and you have to find the key, or pick the lock, or knock the damn thing down. And sometimes, it doesn't even show you the door, and you have to build it yourself. But if you keep waiting for the doors to be opened for you... I think you'll have a hard time finding single happiness,let alone that double portion.'

The other thing about this book, is it wasn't a true all out love story. It was a story about a boy who needed to grow up. Who needed to accept some things in his live, and most of all, needed to find out who he was.

`There's a difference between losing something you knew you had and losing something you discovered you had. One is a disappointment. The other feels like losing a piece of yourself.'

So, in my final round up on this one, if you only read one book that I recommend this year, read this one. Of course, if you haven't read Just One Day, read that one first. And even if you read it before, read it again, cause you will be amazed at what you will forget!

Beautiful, wonderful, amazing. Yep, favorite book so far for 2013. No question.

Willem de Ruiter has been stained. And now it’s his turn to speak and remember just one day.

Just One Year starts off in Paris when Willem leaves Allyson sleeping. Where, in Just One Day, you don’t know where he went or why, you begin in the hospital with Willem as he suffered a concussion and can’t remember much of anything–especially Lulu/Allyson. He is desperate to remember, piecing together that he left someone. Throughout the novel are pieces, pieces he remembers, what he wished he did differently, and pieces of conversations he wished they had. Pieces of the love he shared with her, it’s all there. His feelings are at times raw, heart-wrenching, and slightly scattered brained.

Where in Just One Day you read about Allyson’s struggles to adjust, then her search for him, his starts sooner than hers did, in a way. I was especially happy when he went to Mexico, but missed her. You learned more about his past, including the story of how his parents meant, the affects it had on him, and the affects and similarities it has with his “story” with Lulu.

Of course the adventure was there. There were comedic parts, especially when certain things went wrong. He lived his life without Allyson, but she never “left him” in the sense he carried her with him. Although in the beginning he gets a new girlfriend (no spoiler alert, it’s in the first 50 pages) he starts to change.

Willem’s tagline, or concept really, on life is accidents.

“Accidents. It’s all about the accidents.”

There is some truth to that, even truth that reflects in my life.

“Sometimes the wind blows you places you weren’t expecting: sometimes it blows you away from those places, too.”

From Mexico, to India, back to Amsterdam, the wind blows Willem to different places that all remind him of one thing, or person: Lulu/Allyson. One of my favorite quotes about her is

“It was just one day and it’s been just one year. But maybe one day is enough. Maybe one hour is enough. Maybe time has nothing at all to do with it”

Maybe all it takes is just one day to fall in love. Forman might be after something there. Even when you fall in love with some, start to love them, even if it happens over time there is a particular instant where you know; you know that was when love hit. In that moment, on that day.

I would highly recommend this book. Especially if you read he first. I never read Where She Went by Forman, although I read If I stay and loved it. This was a first read for me of hers where the narrator was a male; and, where events overlapped, but not completely identical. I listened to it on audio, so it took a little longer for me to finish. I do think if I read it, I might have liked it more; the narrator’s voice on the audio took a little to get used to. I still think this is a good book to swoon to because the few swoony moments there are really are swoon-worthy. And Willem is so insightful. Really a majority of the people he meets are. There are plenty of quotes I bookmarked on goodreads. Thank you Forman for a good, sweet conclusion and fun adventure.

“Loving someone is such an inherently dangerous act. And yet, love, that’s where safety lives.”

For more reviews, you can go to indiewritergirl0329.wordpress.com

The perfect companion to Just One Day, this book is simply magnificent.

This story isn’t just about finding Lulu (Allyson), the girl he spent one day with in Paris. This is Willem’s story about how that one day with that one girl set so many different things in motion in his life, about how that one day changed everything.

It’s about self-discovery and unrequited love.

As he continues to travel and to analyze that day in Paris, Willem learns more about himself; how he found something that he wanted more of, that in turn made him want to get away from it. His grandfather would always say, The truth and its opposite are flip sides of the same coin, and he finally understands what that means.

And the suspense! Knowing Allyson’s story of the year she spent looking for Willem, it was aching to watch Willem search for Allyson and feel both their hope and dejection in turns. And discovering they were in the same vicinity multiple times, but fate and their choices kept them apart!

By the end the suspense was KILLING ME. I knew where Just One Day left off and all the anticipation of both their journeys from the past year culminating in that one moment!

That moment was perfect.

I am absolutely in LOVE with these books, they are amazing. I wanted more once I finished it, but the way it ended was so fitting for the story that I’m not at all bothered by it. I just love Willem and Allyson together so much that I want more of them! BUT I’ll just have to be content with my own musings about their story’s continuation:)

5/5 stars;)

[...]

I adored <i>Just One Day</i> and I mean adored it. It's definitely one of my favorite books that I've read this year. That said, <i>Just One Year</i> fell a bit flat for me. I found it harder to connect with Willem's POV. I was also expecting more at the end, but it's nice not knowing exactly how things end up for Willem and Allyson. While not what I expected and what I wanted, I did still thoroughly enjoy it.

When we first meet Willem we know he's not in the best of places and has had an interesting life up until that day in Paris. We just didn't know why or to what extent. This is what we finally learn. He's not as cocky as he seems and he's actually not so much a player. In both <i>Just One Day</i> and now <i>Just One Year</i> we watch both of the main characters really grow up and find themselves. In this installment, we get to watch Willem actually repair some relationships of his that weren't working out so well.

The other characters were good and helped move the story along. The only complaint I had is that some of them would randomly pop up as if you were supposed to know who they were already. That made it a bit confusing. It was nice that there was a focus more on places not previously visited, like India. India was definitely the highlight and it definitely makes me want to visit.

Overall it was a really good book. It just didn't captivate me as much as Allyson's story did. I wanted more and while there was good substance to this one, it just fell short for me. This isn't so much a standalone as <i>Just One Day</i> is. While I'm sure you can enjoy it, it wouldn't be as easy to follow as if reading both of them. Still, I strongly recommend this duet!

Just One Year is the sequel to Just One Day. While I've tried to keep this review as non-spoilery as possible, you might want to be familiar with the premise of Just One Day before you read this review!

Forman's sequel to Just One Day follows Willem de Ruiter as he travels across the world searching for the mysterious Lulu, with whom he spent one perfect day in Paris, and outrunning his past. The novel is full of missed connections and soul searching as Willem learns that in becoming totally lost, he will find his purpose.

Just One Year provides a lot of answers to the multitude of questions raised in Just One Day, and after reading a novel all about Allyson--or, "Lulu"--wondering who Willem really is, it's exciting to delve into his character. Willem is wholly unlike most male protagonists in YA fiction; his world perspective is very unique, and his blend of confidence and vulnerability make him both a likable and a frustrating character as he fumbles through the year after Paris. Forman's plot tends to be slightly too serendipitous to be realistic, her characterization of Willem and her portrayal of his relationships are probing and honest. The story might have been more affecting if it had been told in alternating chapters with the prequel, but Forman's ability to plot out complicated storylines and emotional landscapes is impressive. Don't skip this sequel.

Cover Comments: I'm really happy that this cover matched the cover of Just One Day! I love the reflection of the glass and the appearance of being in a city. And, who can NOT swoon at the sight Allyson and Willem finally reunited? Although, it does seem a little bit misleading...the timeline of Just One Year follows the timeline of the previous book pretty closely.

I've been highly anticipating this book and now that it is here... Oh the J.O.Y! Before opening this book, I was expecting something else. I was sure Just One Year was going to pick up right where Just One Day ended. Instead, we get Will's journey in which he redefines himself. None the less, this was an excellent read. Gayle Forman is by far one of the most talented authors out there. Her words are beautifully written and Just One Year is just one of her masterpiece.

We all know Just One Day follows the romantic story of when Lulu (Allyson) and Willem met. We all read about their adventure together in the city of love, Paris and how both unknowing fall in love. We learned about Allyson's self-discovery and now it's time to learn more about Will.

Just One Year starts off the morning when Will gets beat up, in which we all learned in the first novel. However, we get his version of the story. We learn in this novel the pain this morning brings him during his journey of self-discovery. He is hurt physically but more importantly, he is lost emotionally.

For years Will is in search of something he isn't quite sure of, always on the move, seeking to fulfill that emptiness. But with Lulu in the picture this becomes more challenging for him to discover. When he realizes love is not something you protect but something you risk, worth staying... In the end, Will finds his missing piece, his double happiness.

Just one girl. Just One Day. Just One Year. This is such as a heartwarming journey!

Note to Gayle - Please, pretty please we need a third book ;) - Leydy

It’s been a while since I read the first book in this duology. It might have been a year and I think that was the main reason why I didn’t give this a 5 star rating. Maybe I should have read the first book again but alas, I did not. I enjoyed this book but it was like how I enjoyed Just One Day. I really loved Just One Day but I felt a little disconnected to Willem here. Maybe it was harder for me to step into his shoes when it was like being at home with Allyson. Either way, Gayle Forman’s writing is astounding. I always enjoyed her writing style and I love the many impactful messages that she sneaks into her books.

Just like with the previous installment, Just One Year is a story of love and self discovery. I know that I despise insta-love but how these two books are written, it didn’t feel that way. They didn’t admit to being in love the first time they met. I think that slowly coming to that realization gave it a different feel. What I love about these books is that we get to see how they both tried to find each other and along the way they ended up on a journey to finding their true selves. Reading Willem’s side of the story really helps put the missing pieces together. When he disappeared the next day in Just One Day, I didn’t want to believe that he just treated Allyson the same way he did others. But it’s great to finally know the truth. I also enjoyed seeing how stories and situations connected to the ones I read in Just One Day. For example, we know why Celine didn’t tell Allyson the entire true or what happened to the letter that she sent.

I think a big problem with not having read the two books back to back was that I didn’t remember details from the first book. It was problematic to me because things I would have been excited for in Willem’s point of view, such as the letter, fell flat for me because I didn’t even remember that Allyson had sent one. I constantly found myself picking up my copy of Just One Day and looking through it to find where Allyson was and what she did to find Willem. It wasn’t that big of a problem but it did slow me down. The last thing that I love about these books was that in losing each other, they found, not only themselves, but new companions and mended relationships. I love how they were in polar sides of the world yet found themselves in similar situations. I love how they both repaired relationships with their mothers. I love that we found out more to Bram’s and Yael’s story. I thought it was all so mushy and cute!

A truly perfect companion to Just One Day. (If you haven't read that book yet, goooo! What are you waiting for? Scoot, scoot!) Like its predecessor, Just One Year was moving, eye-opening, and one hundred percent entertaining. I couldn't put it down all weekend. It. Was. Addicting.

My favorite thing about Just One Year was that it was from Willem's POV. I didn't feel like I really got to know him during Just One Day. He was there and then gone in the blink of an eye. And he's such an enigmatic character. You want to be around him. You want to stay in his presence and learn all there is to know about him. So, it was satisfying to read his "side of the story" after his magical day in Paris with Lulu, and walk with him down his own path to self-discovery.

What made this book even better was the added element of knowledge. We already know the ending, and we already know what Lulu's side of the story is. So that means we already know the consequences of Willem's decisions and actions--how each one will lead him away from Lulu, rather than closer to her...And trust me, there are parts where the two of them are literally feet apart and don't know it. It was wonderfully frustrating and made their reunion at the end all the sweeter.

My only, only, only nitpick: I'd hoped for a longer reunion between Willem and Lulu at the end. The only time we've gotten to spend with them together was during the first half of Just One Day (not even a full half, actually). Surely it wouldn't have hurt to add a few extra pages or even a chapter to give the reader a chance to enjoy being in their shared presence again?

I guess Gayle Forman will just have to write one more book about Willem and Lulu/Allyson? She can call it, Just One More...Yes, that sounds good. Let's do this. Get out those magical typing fingers, Gayle! ;-)

This is an outstanding book you won't want to miss. Read it!

Read it, read it, read it, read it!

Just One Day was a great read, and I have been looking forward to its sequel for a year now. I was so excited to read Just One Year, even though it's told from Willem's perspective and a male POV is not my favorite thing. Forman excels at writing emotion, and she does not disappoint with Just One Year. I enjoyed getting to know Willem better, even though I did not agree with many of his choices, it was good to really delve into his character. What I didn't like is that the book ended at the same point in time that Just One Day ended. What the heck, Gayle Forman?! So we spent an entire book going over everything that happened to Willem after his one day with Allison...and the book ends with their second meeting...just as book one ended with their second meeting?! So I'm really not any more sure of their future than I was after reading book one. Will there be a sequel? Will I get some closure or clues as to their happily ever after? I sure hope so. I liked the book but was so disappointed in the ending.

If you’ve read my review of Just One Day then you know how much I loved it. So, of course, I had unbelievably high expectations for Just One Year. At first I will admit I was disappointed and found myself reading this book just for the sake of finishing it. But as the book goes on it gets better and better. I am so glad I stuck with it!
This book is basically Willem’s version of everything that happened after he left Allyson in Just One Day. At first I found this incredibly frustrating. Every time he thought of Allyson, or Lulu as he knows her, I just wanted to shout out where she was, and how she missed him too. But eventually I figured out that I had to read it as Willem’s story and not as Willem and Allyson’s story. As much as Just One Day and Just One Year are romantic, they are far more about each of these characters journeys after meeting one another. We see just how much Allyson influenced Willem during the one day they had together.
This book is definitely a romance, though not in the traditional sense. Willem’s journey is shown after he parted ways with Allyson, so it does not have the romantic day that would label Just One Day a romance novel. However his search for Allyson was so romantic. His endeavours to find her are so sweet and show how much he wants to find her. He literally flies across oceans to find her!
I loved this book so much and found myself immersed in Willem’s story. His journey is just as beautiful and hard to tread as Allyson’s. We get too see who Willem really is and not just the man he shows to the women he encounters on his journey.
I would recommend this book to anybody who loves a sweet romance or a journey of self-discovery. While this is a companion novel, it would be necessary to read Allyson’s story, Just One Day, first.

2.5/5

When I found out about this book, I was ecstatic. I waited over a year for this book to be released, and when I finally got my hands on it, I jumped for joy.

I wanted to read Williams side of what happened while Allyson was looking for him. And the book delivered it......for the first half of the novel. Shortly after the half-way point William stops looking for Allyson and just bums around whatever country he's in. I tried to like it, I really did, but after about 2 chapters I gave up and finally skipped to the last chapter just to know what happened. I have to say that I was BEYOND disappointed at the ending. It left us with the EXACT same cliff hanger that the first book did, and I thought this was supposed to give us closer.

Honestly, I'd say just skip this book.

I read If I Stay, Where She Went and Just One Day, absolutely loved them. So I was excited and kept thinking of Just One Year, so excited about the developing chemistry between Allyson and Willem. So I bought the book on Audible.com. I kept listening to chapter after chapter of Willem's travels and thoughts and thinking when is Allyson coming into the picture here? This was more about Willem's journey. Chapter after chapter more travels, thinking about Allyson, but no reunion yet... It's just not what I expected. I was in it for the love story, this isn't about them, it's about Willem. Which is fine, but I like the romance aspect, that's why I wanted to read it. Willem by himself was not that interesting. If you must read this, save your money and reserve it at the library.

I am so glad that I was able to jump straight into Just One Year as soon as I finished Just One Day. I didn’t even take a breather, I closed one book and immediately opened the next. If it hadn’t already been late, I would’ve finished Just One Year in a single sitting! Where Just One Day was Allyson’s story, how she ended up in Paris, her day with Willem and then her coming to terms with him leaving her, Just One Year is Willem’s story. Without giving anything away (I hope), we find out what really happened to Willem and the year following. I was in tears again with this book, knowing more about Willem and what makes him tick, why he made the choices he did and how he was changing. I just loved it.

“Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began…”
Warning if you have not read Just One Day yet then do not read this book first because you will be confused only because Just One Year is the conclusion to Just One Day. Just One Year may say it is a romance on the back cover of the book but it is not your typical love story it is more of a journey/adventure. Unlike the original novel Just One Day is the story of a woman named Allyson and Just One Year is the story of a man named Willem. Just One Day was the beginning of Allyson and Willem’s love connection. Willem is cultured, elusive, spontaneous, and an experienced traveler which is the total opposite of Allyson but Allyson fell in love with him anyways. This novel was supposed to be about what happened with Willem and Allyson after Willem left Allyson (also known as Lulu) after their accidental accouter one night in Paris and then just suddenly disappeared on her. But in all honesty the story didn’t really have anything to do with the finding of Allyson and I was very disappointed because the plot was very monotonous, the voice of the characters are way different than in the original novel. This novel made me feel like Willem wasn’t even trying to find Allyson or cared as much about finding her as much as Allyson cared and tried desperately to find him in Just One Day I felt that he was just chilling and waiting to see what happened next and honestly this book didn’t really paint a good image of Willem at all. But hey, don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a terrible book at all I just felt that I could not connect with Willem’s story as well as I could with Allyson’s story in the original book. But what I did like about this book was that it kind of (I use this word loosely) continued from the original sequel it was kind of a retell from the original but just in the point of a different character. I'm not sure why but I’ve always liked that about books with sequels. If they ever decide to make a movie I would love to watch it to see how well the movie and the book correlate together. I love Gayle Foreman and all her other books I really do but, this was not her best work.

Not really sure about this story.

It was Willem's tale of the year he spent trying to find 'Lulu' whom which we later we find her name to really be Allyson, Lulu was an actress she reminded him of so that's what he referred to her as.

While this book was really about nothing I still liked it. Accidents, seemed to be the common theme, not always bad but still presents. Meeting lulu was accidental and losing her was too. If you think about it life really a series of accidents/what ifs or random occurrences....or is it?

I can't really say much more or even try to explain what I read other than to say it was like a travel journal. The end is happy all be it blunt.

This was an incredible love story with profound lessons about relationships, but not just romantic relationships-- family relationships, friendships, strangers, parent-child, romantic, and most importantly the relationship with oneself.

Anybody who reads this after reading Just One Day will be moaning. Supposly beginning where the first book left off is incorrect. We pretty much have the same story as the first one just through the other character. It worked with If I Stay and Where She Went but her it was lacking. Again we go through their search for each other and again they find each other in the last chapter and thats it. She leaves the story incomplete in what happens to them after finally finding each other. Besides that Willem character is not the same in both books which is easy to catch on too after a few pages. I do admit it was an easier and more fast pace then the first but that is about it!

4.5 stars

You know how there's that fear the sequel to a book you love won't live up to the original? Or how there's that fear that your favorite author's new book will disappoint? And you know how those two fears are sometimes joined together? Like, for example, in Just One Year. God was I nervous to read this book. Like even when a friend told me she was sending me her advance reading copy and I was so happy for the chance to read it I was also kind of equally afraid.

After Just One Day I honestly really didn't love Willem. Yeah, I liked him and I liked him and Allyson together and I was so happy when Allison finally found him, but that was almost more about my love of Allyson than my love of Willem or of Allyson and Willem as a couple. Even before Willem disappeared in Paris I didn't love him. He was just too carefree for me. And then he disappeared and left Allison stranded and I just didn't know what to think.

I want to say that reading Just One Year made me fall in love with Willem, and that is true, but I'm going to attach a caveat to it. I did fall in love with Willem. I loved reading a book from his perspective and learning all about his background and especially how he felt about his time with Allyson, but I was also dying to know more about their reunion. Then, about halfway through, after wanting Willem to keep holding onto Allyson, I kind of started to wish he would let her go. He was just so miserable, and I don't think it all had to do with Allyson, but I wanted him to let go of everything holding him down, including Allyson, and build a great life for himself.

I'm kind of making it sound like I didn't like the book, which couldn't be further from the truth. I loved this book. I cried several times, I came to really care about Willem and his family, and I felt really invested in what was going to happen, especially towards the end as we got closer and closer to Allyson reappearing in Willem's life. My real problem lies with how this book fits in with Just One Day, but I think that has to do more with my personal expectations than with anything that Gayle Forman did. When I finished the book my immediate emotion was disappointment, but the more I think about it the more I think the ending was appropriate. Yes, I will always want more, but honestly, the more I think about it, I can't picture the ending any other way. The way I wanted it to end would pretty much require an entirely separate book (which I still want, come on Gayle Forman!).

The thing I thought about most while I was reading this was that I wish I had a clearer memory of Just One Day. I actually happened to go into a Barnes and Noble when I was about halfway through Just One Year and I decided to finally buy Just One Day and flip through it quickly to reorient myself. But they only had the paperback! I've since ordered it and I'm excited to re-read and refresh my memory and see exactly what Allyson was up to, especially the logistics of how exactly she finds Willem. So my recommendation is, if you're going to read Just One Year, pick up Just One Day before so you're not driving yourself crazy (unless you have a better memory than I do, which is a real possibility because I have a terrible memory).

My absolutely favorite part of this book was the message. In the end, and I don't think I'm spoiling anything, if you read Just One Day you know how it ends and this is more of a general statement any way, Willem learns to make his own happiness. There will always be things in life that we want and can't have, whether it's a lost camera, a dead family member, or the one who got away. I've always believed that life is full of disappointments and loss and other tragedies, but at the end of the day it's up to us to make our own happiness and I love how Gayle Forman did such a great job of demonstrating that message.

Bottom Line: Outside of my own crazy expectations this book completely lived up to Just One Day. I came to absolutely love Willem and I found myself aching for him and cheering for him and by the end I was even happier that Allyson managed to track him down. Gayle Forman is a complete genius and if you haven't given her books a chance you need to do so ASAP.

I borrowed a copy of this book from a friend, whose friend of a friend works for Penguin. So I guess somewhere down the line I got the book from Penguin so thank you to whoever there gave a copy to my friend's friend.

JUST ONE YEAR (JUST ONE DAY 2) by GAYLE FORMAN

Double happiness.

I am happy that Willem and Allyson found each other… again. Just One Year is the perfect story about accidents that was meant to happen and of a rekindled love. And that’s the thing about Gayle Forman’s books, you don’t seem to be sure if the characters you loved in book 1 will have their HEA in the sequel. At the back of your mind, you know they will but you can never be so sure and the fact that she has this pattern of writing what had happened in the male POV and after reading the book, you are left wanting more. I loved the story. I loved how two people, two strangers found that security and love in one day only to be shattered by life events that lead them to part ways in a not so good way. But, like what I felt after reading Where She Went, I wish there was more. I may sound greedy coz I really want an epilogue. At one point Gayle’s stories doesn’t need an epilogue coz there are no words only emotions that would tell you that the characters you love found their happy ever after but one the other end, I as a kind of reader that wants more assurance wants an epilogue. I know. I should be contented… but I am. It’s just that…

There is no doubt that Gayle Forman is one of the best YA authors out there. She proved that in If I Stay & Where She Went and she did it again in Just One Day & Just One Year. Her writing style is different and unconventional. She doesn’t give what her readers wants to read but rather, she gives something more. And the more you read her beautiful and lovely stories, the more you understand that it is her story and she will share it the way she wants it to be shared. At least that’s what I think.

Would I recommend her books? HELL YES! So worth of reading and there’s no doubt that it will be loved and treasured like any other beautiful stories that was ever written.

** Also posted on my TUMBLR & GR account

Ever read a book that just doesn't measure up to it's comparison/sequel? Well to me I feel like I was missing something in Just One Year. I do not know what it was but I have loved every single book written by Gayle Forman that I have read. Sadly I cannot say that about this one. I mean it was great to know what was going on with Will while that year passed, but it just seemed to be blah.

I think I would have liked a smaller amount of his story and more of what happens when they finally find each other. I just dont have words for this. And I'm terribly disappointed.

A book you can't put down. I love how familiar I was with what was happening because of the first book. I love how it answered all the questions from the first book. Both books intertwined in this one. I was breathlessly awaiting the outcome....... This series was so much fun!

I think what I love most about both the first book "Just One Day" and this sequel "Just One Year" is that while they are undeniably romances, and epic ones at that, they are more centrally about Allyson's and Willem's quest to love and accept themselves. They cannot do one without the other.

Just as the first book swept you headfirst into Paris, this book brings you to several places around the world that each have their own feel and importance for Willem. You can't read these books and not feel Gayle Forman's love of travel bleeding through the pages. She utterly transports you to each place and the bits of essence she captures unfurl as you read. I find myself putting down each book and yearning to hop onto the next plane heading anywhere.

While these might be categorized as young adult, I think they fill that gap between many YA books that are set in high school and the 'adult' books that focus on marriage, family and children. Essentially they are the gap year of novels for anyone who no longer feels a teenager but also doesn't quite feel like an adult either, which is a genre I feel is often neglected. However, with the emergence of the New Adult category that these books definitely fit into, that might change in the future.

Basically, if you enjoy romance, but even more so you want to read a true journey of self discovery, I'd urge you to give these two novels a try.

The two novels work together as a brilliant pair that tells a complete story, one that pulls at your heartstrings.

I have been waiting for this books for a year and I had built up high expectations for it. Since the promotion of this book kept saying it picked up where Just One Day left off...that is what I was expecting. It does NOT pick up with Willem opening the door for Allyson. It picks up at the end of their day in Paris after Willem left Allyson. So that already had me a little annoyed.
I was really hoping this book would be like Gayle Forman's other book, Where She Went. I liked that we got to see Mia and Adam interacting in the present while also finding out what has happened with Adam the past few years they've been apart. We don't get that with Just One Year and I was really disappointed about it. Early on in the book Willem mentions his parents love story and as soon as I read that, I had a good feeling of how I thought the book was gong to end. Unfortunately, it was not the ending I wanted. I was hoping to be proven wrong, but, that was not the case.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!
Allyson doesn't appear in the book until the 2nd to last page. Yes, the end of the book. So we find out absolutely nothing more about where Allyson and Willem will go in the future. We don't get to see them discussing on the times they just missed each other while looking for the other. It was very upsetting for me.

All that aside, the novel as a stand alone novel about a man's journey to discovering himself is great. I just wished they had promoted it as a companion novel and continuation to Just One Day, because it really wasn't.

I was happy to hear willem side of things that always bugged me when reading the first book. And now we've read both sides of what happen after that night. I will have to check out the next book to see how it ends.

This book is one of the reasons why we should always see things from the perspective of the other person. We've seen a chunk of Willem's life from the point of view of Lulu but in Just One Year, we get front seat to its entirety.

The story is told from Willem's point of view and picks up from where Allyson and Willem separated in Paris (not from where Just One Day ended as per the blurb above). In this book, the readers are enlightened as to what truly happened to Willem after his night with Allyson. Did he really leave her? Has he already forgotten about her? I'm not in the position to answer those questions for you but all I can hint for the fans is that the answers are pretty obvious. *wink wink*

I love this book to pieces but dang. You have no idea (unless you've already read this) just how frustrating this is. Seriously, this book has taken the word frustrating to a whole new level. I was constantly shouting WHAT?! and WHY???? and HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? and AFTER ALL THIS TIME?? @*#&(*@&!! But why, you ask? Because remember those places Allyson went to during the year? Let's just say they are connected to Willem. Yes, they are and I'll leave it at that.

In Just One Day, we saw how Allyson coped up with losing Willem after their night in Paris. We saw how she grew into an independent and strong-willed character. In Just One Year, I'm glad to report that Willem's also doing a job well done making amends with his troubled past. If Willem was the catalyst to Allyson's journey to self-discovery in the first book, Allyson is also Willem's trigger to his own. Most of the aspects that I loved in Just One Day are still present in Just One Year like the travels and the meeting of new people. I'm a little bitter though, because Willem is meeting new people and having intimate moments with some of them while knowing that Allyson is broken miles away.

Forman's writing is as brilliant and hypnotizing as with the first book. I devoured her words and the pages flew by quickly until there was only a few pages left and I was both yearning and dreading the ending. However, like in Just One Day, I didn't like its ending that much. Though that's just me wanting to see them all cuddly and sweet together but on the other hand, I loved how both book's ending finally merged together down into one story.

Also, I just want to note that Willem mentioned Adam Wilde here which means that Just One Day and If I Stay are set in the same universe and timeline! Now I want to see them all together. I wonder if they'll become bestfriends? Forman should really write about those four, lol.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Disclosure: This ARC was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the follow-up book to Just One Day. It follows Willem's adventures from the day he disappears from Lulu/Allyson through the next year. My problem with this book is that it follows Willem. I just don't think he's that great of a character w/o Allyson. I enjoyed them as a couple more than the individuals. I wished this book had alternated chapters between each character and where they were at that exact moment. Darn it, I wanted something else than this book gave me. I ended the book disappointed.

I didn't read too much about this book - so I just thought it was a sequel, but instead it was the next year from Willem's perspective. It look me a bit to get used to him. There were times when I wanted to shake him for his decisions. But his way actually worked - he found himself and discovered his dream. I really liked this book - but I confess I wanted a little more at the ending, just an epilogue or a chapter. Maybe it's it better to imagine the accidents that come their way.

I am now a fan of anything that Gayle Forman writes! In her last 4 books (Just One Day, Just One Year; If I Stay, Where She Went)
Gayle writes from the female point of view in Book One and the male point of view in Book Two. She is spot on with the emotion and thoughts of both characters as they work out their highly emotional situations concerning life and love. Wow. These are great books and I would recommend that you read all of them!

Love the accurate description of a functioning depressed teen. I also love the coming into her own, and growing up. Also the travel, as always, is where she excels! Truly excels. It's like I was there, and that I really love. I'm glad willem grew up too and Allyson got to a place where she knew she really didn't need him but wanted to find him anyway. So much better than obsessive stalking.

Very similar to Where She Went, the second book AKA the follow up to Just One Day is told through the eyes of Willem. We get to find out exactly WHY he left Lulu and his life after that year. Which was great because we actually get to know the mysterious Willem. Gayle Forman as usual, does a magnificent job tying the story lines together and making the book immersive in travel. Great plot and great way to end the book too.

I kept reading. I was hooked after the first few pages to find out what happened. I felt let down by the shallowness of Willem. I wanted more from him than needing acting and some mystery girl to turn him around. The plot line was the driving force, ahead of character development. By the end I was only reading to find out if he every found the girl.

I wanted a love story, a finding of kindred spirits and a change of circumstances that allowed two lonely souls to discover that they can drop the masks and be themselves with each other. This book was a journey, but not a love story. It had Themes of identity and connection and it ended EXACTLY where Just One Day ended. So not satisfying!

What did I want? I wanted to hear Willem side of the story and his intent to find his Lulu. I wanted the last 30% of the story to be what happened AFTER he opens the door and discovers that Allyson has found him. Does he change his man-whore ways. Is she the one? Was it all in his head or is she the one, the last one? Just One Day started their love story and made us yearn for their reunion, "I imagine my Lulu waking up the next day, finding me gone, reading a note that promised a quick return that never materialized. I wonder, as I have so many times, how long it took her to think the worst of me." But as voraciously as I took this one in, the expected reunion and subsequent "love story" doesn't happen and was a REAL let down.

Willem is depressed after losing his Lulu, but is it her absence of the desertion of his family? His father and grandfather were dead and his mother had always kept him at arm's length. "my mother and I, we both speak Dutch and English. But we never could speak the same language". There wasn't anyone who cared enough for him to feel that his life mattered. He was able to fill this void with the temporary adoration of fans of his acting and one night stands, but after meeting Lulu/Allyson, he woke up to the fact that he had been lost the last three years and was drifting. This story tells of how he puts his heart back together and discover who he is.

Where the Just One Day paralleled Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this one was a parallel of As You Like It and takes place mostly in Holland with Willem's friends playing subtle secondary characters. Willem identifies with Orlando, from the play, and discovers that his life experiences, especially his time with Lulu, start to make sense to him and gives him a life purpose.

So, I wanted a love story and this was a boy coming of age story. While well written and full of interesting travel, I would probably not have purchased the book had I known. I wanted to know what happened when these two characters got back TOGETHER and what happens now that they are a year older and changed in so many ways.

There was some fairly non-descriptive sex scenes (similar to book one only not with main character!) and some profanity

Would I/Did I buy it? Yes
Would I read it again? No
Would I recommend it to friends? Yes, but letting them know that it is JUST Willem's story.

completely love the companion... and now want to re-read allyson's story again

like that the stories mirror each other, and at the same time provide their own reflections...

and doubly happy that the author had enough confidence and love in their story (and in her readers) to not do the sequel intro characteristic to so many reads where we have to get "caught up" on what "just happened" in case we missed it or just fumbled into the room... each story stands strong enough on its own, and together they tell the two sides of the same coin

the author does do the backstory thing with JUST ONE NIGHT... and it is short enough and cute enough and inside two heads/hearts simultaneously enough that it works :)

THANKS Gayle Forman... well done and keep writing

Even though I liked Just one Day better, I really enjoyed this book. I really felt like I was in Willem's head and heart as I was reading this. I really appreciated the author showing his vulnerability, especially with his mother.
I also enjoyed the touch of humor via Willem's friends and all the parallels with Allison's story, her friends, etc.

If they ever make a movie, I think they should combine all three books, one day, one year, one night.

This book dragged on constantly adding new characters. I was ready to just flip to part two to where they meet up but it didn't even get into that yet. Honestly it just went on about his life and didn't even get into what happens when she finally finds him. And I feel like you have to be a Shakespeare fan to appreciate either of these books. Nothing like the if I stay novels.

The follow up to just one day is filled with beautifully described puzzle pieces of interaction, mind sets, the agreements and beliefs between charters, locations, timing and reason. This series does a fantastic job of showcasing wanderlust, finding ourselves and our other half and bringing it to the to the table of where we belong and with who in a chaotic voice of naivety and chance.

Gayle Forman's language, her writing style is simply awe-inspiringly brilliant.
But...
Why does Willem's 'writing voice' sound like...a girl's?
Why does he think and talk like an American? Shouldn't he sound more like the way Europeans speak English, more British perhaps?
Why does he say 'soccer'? SOCCER??? Really??? He's European and they say FOOTBALL!
Why Messi? Why not mention Cristiano Ronaldo too?
Oh well...on the whole, a tad disappointing.

I'm sorry but I HATED the ending of ALL her books. She NEVER actually ends them and gives us closure, this one was the WORST!!!! I expected MORE. I was so angry after reading all 4 books in hopes of better endings. The story are so amazing, the endings ruin the whole book series.

A most dazzling and satisfying accompaniment, Just One Year bridges the gap between Allyson and Willem's life-changing day and the heart stopping conclusion of Just One Day, all from Willem's point of view. Romantic, emotional, and with flawless execution—everything one comes to expect from Forman.

The follow up to just one day is filled with beautifully described puzzle pieces of interaction, mind sets, the agreements and beliefs between charters, locations, timing and reason. This series does a fantastic job of showcasing wanderlust, finding ourselves and our other half and bringing it to the to the table of where we belong and with who in a chaotic voice of naivety and chance.

Gayle Forman's language, her writing style is simply awe-inspiringly brilliant.
But...
Why does Willem's 'writing voice' sound like...a girl's?
Why does he think and talk like an American? Shouldn't he sound more like the way Europeans speak English, more British perhaps?
Why does he say 'soccer'? SOCCER??? Really??? He's European and they say FOOTBALL!
Why Messi? Why not mention Cristiano Ronaldo too?
Oh well...on the whole, a tad disappointing.

I'm sorry but I HATED the ending of ALL her books. She NEVER actually ends them and gives us closure, this one was the WORST!!!! I expected MORE. I was so angry after reading all 4 books in hopes of better endings. The story are so amazing, the endings ruin the whole book series.

A most dazzling and satisfying accompaniment, Just One Year bridges the gap between Allyson and Willem's life-changing day and the heart stopping conclusion of Just One Day, all from Willem's point of view. Romantic, emotional, and with flawless execution—everything one comes to expect from Forman.

This was, well, I was about to say fine, but it wasn't, really. It was quite boring and disappointing, actually. This book is not what it's sold as (If I remember correctly the word romance is on the cover), and, in my opinion, it is also not a very good coming of age novel which is what most people here seem to call it. It's Willem's journey, but more like a literal journey than an actual mental development. He goes places, which is fine, but I never really believed that the author had been there because they all seemed the same to me. Same goes for the supporting characters. They were all fine, and they did their job, but nothing more (excluding his mum, maybe. She was better, but not very profound either.). None of them actually had a personality - not Willem's friends who loved this, sorry, dick oh so much for whatever reason and not the girls who obviously ALL lay to his feet, none of them having any kind of dignity.
What I liked is Willem's relationship with his mum which does actually touch him and hurt him and made me feel something for him (not sure if it was sympathy but at least it was something).
I can't shake the feeling that the author did this - not reuniting their characters, not really, not for longer than five pages and maybe ten words - because Willem and Lulu don't actually work together. I liked Just One Day, a lot better than Just One Year, but I never thought that Willem and Lulu had any kind of ... love between them. There sure was some chemistry, but nothing going deeper. He was way too closed off for me to believe a single word he said, always acting cool and arrogant, not likeable at all - not even now that I've read a whole book written in his POV. That didn't add anything to what I had already guessed - that he'd be all I-love-Lulu-she's-the-greatest even though they never seemed to actually ... like each other when they were together. Lulu/Allyson was fine, but not that interesting either.
To sum it up - don't read this if you're not desperate to read just about anything written by Gayle Forman. She's a great author but this one, well, to me, it's by far her worst. This book wants to be so much and in the end, is so little.

I liked Just One Year so much more than JUst One Dy. I think I like Willem more than Allyson. I enjoyed watching Willem grow as a person, learn about himself, and come out of it a stronger, better person.

This story is like throwing a box of puzzle pieces in the air, then finding them all connected when they hit the floor. I loved reading Willem, being in his head. I felt his longing for love and travel and his family. I enjoyed reading along as he found the meaning of home. This story was excellently written and kept me flipping the pages waiting for one moment in particular!

As the 2nd book in a series, you wonder if it could be as good as the 1st. This one was that and more. Every city Willem visited, I felt I was there. It is very hard to put down. Can't wait for the next.

I loved this book. Its so beautiful. Gayle Forman is my favorite author. OMG

This book was so good. When I finished just one day, I needed more of Willem and Lulu I couldn't let go of them. This is the perfect sequel to Just One Day.

This book is from Willem's point of view and thank god it is. I kind of started hating Willem a bit for a lot of reasons but he cleared it all out in this book. Now I love Willem. Towards the end of the book Willem kind of grew on me but it had the PERFECT ENDING. This series is very close to my heart.