Just One Day

Allyson Healey has always been the good girl, which is why she's not exactly sure why she's ditching the rest of her tour group to see an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England. But when she sees him again--Willem--she knows he's the reason. There's something about him that makes her want to stop being good, rule-following Allyson and become the wilder world traveler Lulu. So, against all her inhibitions, she goes off with him to Paris for a day that she will never forget. And it's a truly amazing day, but when Allyson wakes up the next morning to find Willem gone, all that's left is the memory of it, horribly and irrevocably burned into her mind. Over the next year, as Allyson struggles to come to terms with that day and her connection with Willem, she starts to realize that she is simply not living the life that she wants. She's barely making it through college classes that she has no interest in taking, and she's having a hard time connecting with her roommates. She's starting to wish that she were Lulu again, but Lulu was only a dream that existed for a day, it seems, a terrible, beautiful day that ended too long ago. But in order to understand who she is, Allyson realizes that she first needs some answers, from herself and from Willem.

Now that I've finally read a book by Gayle Forman, I can see what all the fuss is about! Forman really knows how to tell a great story, from a plot that spans just the right amounts of glamour and ordinary, to characters that experience life and all its emotions, to issues that are both personal and universal. Just One Day swept me away from the very beginning, and not just because of the thrill of traveling through Europe; it was really Allyson's voice that made me want to read on, with all her doubts, insecurities, despair, and hope. Her story, both her yearning for this spark between her and Willem and her rocky assimilation to college life, felt so real to me. While Allyson's connection with Willem was certainly one of the focal points in this story, I have to say that I also really enjoyed how Forman depicted Allyson's relationship with her parents, especially her mom; the tension surrounding an only child going away to school is not something that I often see in YA, but Forman did a very good job of weaving these complexities into Allyson's life in a very natural way. In all, I truly loved reading Just One Day and I am extremely eager to see how the story continues in the companion to this book, Just One Year.

Just One Day will be enjoyed by fans of Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern, Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard, and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

“Travelling's not something you're good at. It's something you do. Like breathing. You can't work too much at it, or it feels like work. You have to surrender yourself to the chaos. To the accidents.”

I wish I had read this book while traveling, it would be the perfect vacation book!

I also wish Gayle had written a proper ending to this book instead of the lame one she gives here. Sure, there's the novella Just One Night that covers it, but why do you need to make it a whole separate book?

4.5 stars Hmm...what to say? This contemporary novel should win a prize, it left me sobbing, screaming in my head, kissing the book and then left me sitting in trauma. Errhh! My eyes are still sore and red from the crying. Okay... Now for the review.

Just One Day was a first for me in many ways. 1) This was my first Gayle Forman book, yes I know sad right? I'm going to be reading If I Stay as soon as I see it somewhere. 2) As far as I can remember, this is my first book set in the amazing Paris. And 3) This is my first book that I stalked for ages then wasn't too enthused to read. Just One Day, a book of many firsts, blew me away.

About to start college, Allyson has been on a tour with her friend Melanie. After meeting up with a cordial, gorgeous looking Willem, by 'accident' Allyson goes to Paris with him. (I know right?! Is this girl CRAZY?!!) Waking up the next day from a day of freedom and fun, Allyson finds Willem has gone. Can you really fall in love in just one day and do whatever you can to find them again?

Allyson is pretty dull at the start, nothing too likeable. What made me freak out even more was that she decides to go to Paris and ditch her best friend Melanie for a guy she's met in less than 10 minutes. Thankfully, Allyson is not what she seems, after finding that Willem had left her, she was dedicated, strong and very loving. I grew attached to her greatly.

When I read contemporary novels, I always try to steer clear of over done romance. Just One Day had it just magnifique! It may have just been one day of them actually together, but it felt like everyday as Allyson missed him so much.

I really dislike Shakespeare. I just don't understand them But this book suddenly made me crave to read some or watch a play. There is a lot of Shakespeare references and mentioning. Really loved how Gayle Forman could create such a loveable book <3

This heart felt, strong story of a love that went as quick as it came will touch anyone's heart. Anyone should try this book!

Hmm. What exactly to say about this one? Ever since I read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith I have looked for a similar story. I loved that one so much and Just One Day had some similarities, but it was also vastly different. I'm going to start with what I didn't like and then end on a positive note.

What I didn't like? Some of the naivety on the part of Allyson and Willem. Sometimes you need to use words. Some of the choices (there is sex), innuendo, gay relationships, and language. The innuendo and language were consistent enough for me to debate on not finishing it. This makes it sounds like there was a lot, but there really wasn't. It was just consistent.

What did I like? The book cover is perfect. I loved the characters! Allyson, who is really growing up and finding out who she is or will be. Willem, who is so perceptive, lonely, but full of life. A lot of their conversations were so full of humor, but could then be so full of heart or sadness the next instance. I loved the traveling! You really feel like you are there with them. (I've got to visit Europe, especially Paris, someday.) I absolutely loved Allyson's friend Dee! He was just full of character. The Shakespeare references and the way they played into the story - just lovely! Then the ending. I'm pretty sure I know who messed with Willem that morning, but I will have to wait and see and I can't say more or else it will spoil things. I couldn't believe she was going to leave without being sure. Now I have to wait a year to see what happens!

I would recommend this to those who like contemporary romance and don't mind the less-than-clean content.

Content: One instance of sex, plenty of innuendo, gay relationships, and quite a bit of language.

AT A GLANCE:

Just One Day was one of the best books I read this year and has even more secured Gayle Forman as one of my all time favorite authors. Just One Day made me feel a multitude of feelings -- in the same way If I Stay/Where She Went made me! It's everything I wanted and hoped for the moment I heard about this book -- the travel was to die for, the adventures stirred up an insatiable want for my own adventure, the romance just made my heart pitter patter yet simultaneous burst out of my chest and Allyson's story of self-discovery was honestly one I just really needed to read right now. Introspective and full of feelings, Just One Day will no doubt be another win for those previously familiar with her work and will take hostage those who've never had the pleasure of reading a Gayle Forman novel. Prepare your hearts, friends.

FULL REVIEW:

Oh Lord. Gayle Forman. I have an insane love for her books If I Stay & Where She Went so naturally this was one of my most anticipated reads for 2013. I tried to approach reading Just One Day as if it was written by somebody else because, you know, it's hard not to fangirl automatically for your favorite author. But, alas, I could not do that because the things that make a Gayle Forman book, well, a Gayle Forman book, just crept up as I was reading. It's the little pitter patters in my heart she is able to create or the fact that by the next page she is able to slice and dice my heart and makes it hurt so real.

It's the amazing characters that you just want to spend more time with and care so much about (and oh my goodness -- the minor characters are fab -- Dee, Giant, etc). It's the ability to make me feel every emotion so vividly. So, suffice it to say, this book was nothing short of amazing! I can't say whether or not I liked it more/less than If I Stay/Where She Went because they make me feel something entirely different for different reasons but it is 100% what makes Gayle's books my favorites. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES EVER!!

This story was amazing -- one of the best stories of self discovery that I've had the pleasure of reading. I just relished in the details and the little moments that happened throughout their day and could relate as someone with an adventurous spirit. The day just sounded perfect and I think that's what made a certain part even more excruciating. The spark between those two was something special and magical to me. Willem, like Adam in If I Stay/Where She Went says the simplest of things that just make my heart melt.

And yes, the travel was delightful, the romance was super swoony but I really enjoyed watching Allyson figure out her way to being the self that incorporated the parts of "Lulu" that she loved after she returned from Paris. I LOVED that this wasn't a quick transformation -- it was little pieces and Gayle Forman used the utmost even pacing -- and it wasn't about finding herself for the sake of the boy though he made a lasting impression on her & still held answers for her. It was one single day, of doing something extraordinary, that helped her eyes be open to what COULD be -- that she wasn't okay with just being content and doing what was always expected. It was some of the best introspection I've read it a while and her journey of self discovery was one that hit home for me -- a lot of things that have been weighing heavy on me lately were things that Allyson was thinking through. I have to be honest when I say it's the type of novel that made me want to be a little more bold and say yes more often. It made me realize I'd made some right decisions that I was scared were wrong. So I really felt invested in Allyson's journey because I really felt it -- as I'm sure it will resonate with most readers in a way. I just know that personally these are some similar things I've been dealing with and talking about with my husband.

And the ending! Oh the ending! Just One Year needed to be in my hand right after reading this.

"We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love it one day. Anything can happen in just one day."
-Just One Day by Gayle Forman

I picked up this book because I am a huge fan of Gayle's previous books, If I Stay and Where She Went, and I wanted to see if I could love this series as much as her previous one. I did love this book, but I guess I put too many expectations on it.

This book is about Allyson Healey meets Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter on a European trip in England. Allyson has always been the sheltered good girl, the one who never takes risks, but this time, when Willem offers her one-day to be "Lulu", a girl completely different from herself, she accepts. In that day, Lulu and Willem have the time of their lives; they share amazing moments together and in the process, even fall in love. When Lulu wakes up the next day, and Willem is gone, she begins to think that maybe she was the only one who felt the connection. Heartbroken, she goes back to America to be Allyson again. What happens when Allyson realizes that being Lulu was a life way better than she imagined? Can she really pick up the pieces and forget what happened between her and Willem?

Allyson (or Lulu) is a great protagonist. She was very relatable, and you couldn't help but feel just as heartbroken and depressed as she does when Willem disappears. It was nice to see how this book not only concentrated on the romance, but it concentrated on Allyson's life. About how she's unhappy and tired of "quitting while she's ahead".

This is actually what I liked most of the book. Allyson's self-discovery and subsequent character growth. I liked how at first she felt helpless to change anything about her life, but then goes and "takes a stand" to live her life how she wants to.

There are some secondary characters that really add a special touch to the book. Dee and Melanie's stories are great, and I'd actually love to read more about them. Not to mention all the special little characters that actually contributed a lot to Allyson's journey.

Another aspect of this book that I really liked was the setting. I loved how this was set in little places all over Europe: England, Paris, Amsterdam, Utrecht, etc. It fueled my desire to go visit these places even more! Especially since they were so well explored.

The romance was sweet but heartbreaking. I thought it was a bit clichéd at first, but then I fell in love with it. It was so heartbreaking to find out some things at the end, which definitely changed my views on Willem.

The only problem I really had with this book was how I expected this book to be something like If I Stay, which it wasn't. This isn't a bad thing. I'm actually glad the author did something different with this duet.

I was kind of disappointed that the ending left some loose ends, which is why I'm basically hyperventilating to start Just One Year. I MEAN WHAT A WAY TO END A BOOK. THAT WAS JUST PLAIN EVIL.

Just One Year is basically laughing at me and saying, "I'm right here! Pick me pick me!" I well get to you soon, my dear ARC.

Overall, I recommend this series if you like stories of self-discovery, foreign places, and romance.

Rating: 4 stars

This book is definitely going on my all time favorites shelf!! However, be forewarned, if you are not big on cliff hangers, the ending is the mother of all cliff hangers. Thankfully the sequel is out and I can't wait to dive right in!!

This is the first book I have read by Gayle Forman and I am now a huge fan and can't wait to tackle everything she has written thus far.

Just One Day is a beautifully written masterpiece about a young girl whose life is completely changed in just one day. It is changed by love, by accidents, and by Allyson being willing to open herself up to all life has to offer. However, change is a process, a journey, and us the readers get to be a part of Allyson's journey of love, loss, growth, and self discovery!!

Allyson is an only child, not from her parents choice, but due to their inability to have anymore. Because of this, she feels the pressure of having to be the embodiment of all their hopes and dreams. She is nothing more than the puppet in her loving, yet overbearing, parents plans. Until one day. A 24 hour period started a process that allows Allyson to become courageous and bold enough to find herself, the. To look for the love she lost, that day.

What a beautifully written work of art that had my emotions running the gamete of all possible feels. I honestly loved everything about this book. With maybe the exception of the ending which had me grasping my kindle and crying out for more.

If you are looking for your new favorite read look no further!!

I finished Just One Day hours ago. And I've been almost useless since I closed the book because wow. WOW.

I have just been busy marinating in my own feelings.

I related to Allyson a whole hell of a lot. At the beginning of the book, she's the quintessential "good girl." She does what she's told, does what's expected of her, and lets other people's expectations be thrust upon her. But then she meets Willem, swoony dutchy boy extraordinaire, and she takes a big risk. For once, she does what no one expects.

And she has the best time doing it.

Lord, did this book make me want to go to Paris. Which is interesting because Willem and Allyson don't necessarily do a lot of "sight-seeing." But France comes alive through their spur of the moment adventure.

And over the course of "Just One Day," not only does Allyson (or, as Willem knows her, "Lulu") fall for Willem in a big way (and trust me, as a reader, you will too), she sort of finds herself. Or who she wants to be, anyway. Someone that has adventures, does things that are a little unexpected. Someone who lets herself free of the box that she's shut herself inside.

This book is definitely swoontastic (and goodness gracious, I use this word a lot, but it just FITS). Willem is enthralling, makes Allyson feel sometimes like she's the only one who matters- but sometimes, making her feel like she's not special at all when she sees him interact with other girls. That's part of the growing she does over the course of the novel, I think. She's less threatened by other women he's interacted with, makes herself face them and that he has a past. And Willem is definitely flawed. Like Allyson, we only know him for a day and we don't know his whole history, but we definitely see both the good and the bad.

And can't help falling for him anyway.

But yes, though the swoon made me grow wide of eye and short of breath, it was when Willem leaves Allyson that I connected the most. Because then Allyson has to find her way back to that person that she wants to be without someone to guide her.

And it takes some doing.

This was the point at which I started to cry because honestly knowing you have every reason to get over someone, knowing it was short-lived and that the l-word shouldn't fit in the situation, and knowing that you're expected to be over it- it's hard when you're just not, and feel like you've lost a bit of yourself along the way.

I think that beyond swoon and that discovery of self, Just One Day is about changing relationships. Allyson does a lot of working to get her parents to see who she wants to be and she drifts apart from her childhood best friend. It's frustrating at time, but I never felt like Gayle Forman pigeon-holed Allyson's mother other former BFF as `villains.' In the case of her mother, they have some work to do, but in the case of the best friend, they simply grow into people that don't mesh as perfectly as they used to. And that's okay. It's life.

In every way possible, Just One Day is a book that will stay with you. At least... I know it will stay with me.

To sum up: Read Just One Day if you want to feel and feel a lot. You will not be disappointed.
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Allyson has always lived her life according to her parents, but when she meets Willem, she accepts to go to Paris with him for just one day.

This was fun and easy to read even if I normally don’t normally like these kind of books. I picked this up because I read Gayle Forman’s other books and liked them.

It was hard to get into it at first, but I was totally committed to the story and the characters by the middle of the book. I really liked Allyson’s character development and how the author portrayed her changes throughout the book because of one single day and the impact of it in her life.

I did think that the story was slow and Allyson really took a lot of time to begin taking action. The story was slow, especially when the main character was struggling right after the day at Paris, but it gets more interesting by the end.

While I didn’t find this as good as the author’s other books, it was still and interesting and I enjoyed reading it.

It has always been my dream to travel, Paris being one of the stops. With Gayle Forman's Just One Day, I was able to indulge in bitter-sweet romance, and trek the streets of the beautiful city of lights! Just One Day is sort of like a personal postcard of Paris forgotten on a side bench, waiting for someone to pick it up and live the memories its previous owner have written down. A stunning story of risks, chances, and self-discovery, a novel you do not want to miss.

Allyson Healey is known to be the good girl, but when she meets Willem, a Dutch actor on her stay in England, she decides to take a risk and journeys with him to Paris -- where they spend an unpredictable day just ... living. Doing things Allyson never imagined she would. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and in one day a lot can happen. Right when Allyson becomes sure that her feelings for Willem are more than just a fling, she gets her heart torn when he is gone the morning after their tumultuous day.

The story then jumps to Allyson's life back home and her first year in college. I wasn't expecting the story to move - or rather the relationship between Allyson and Willem to progress so quickly. It was quite a surprise, and I was actually going to stop reading the little bit towards the end, because I thought it was pointless - SO WRONG! After taking a breather, I came to terms that I actually like how Gayle Forman directed the storyline. It leaves you wondering what in the world happen with Willem, and the little snippet at the end, surely clear things up.

I find Allyson a character with development. You can tell from the beginning of the book, she was shy in taking risks, yet towards the end of the book, she takes a step out of her box and sets off on her own - determined to find answers. She trusts her heart (cliché) and I enjoyed reading about it.

Willem was a bundle of mystery. I questioned his intentions throughout the book, and I was disappointed, which was obviously short lived due to the preview of Just One Year. With Willem, it is like you know him, but at the same time you do not. I cannot wait to dive into his side of the story in the next installment! So many questions that needs to be answered! To clear things up, Just One Day can be read as a stand-alone. But mark my words, after you finish the last page of this book all you'll think about is getting your hands on Just One Year.

Just One Day, a recommend to YA and NA readers who loves a contemporary romance, with a sprinkle of vivid imageries, sparkling characters, and stirring dialogues.

I read Gayle Forman's Just One Day on holiday a good few weeks ago and I've been unable to get it out of my head ever since. I loved Gayle's previous books If I Stay and Where She Went and can vividly remember sitting at my kitchen table bawling my eyes out with my daughters looking at me in a "Mummy's clearly went a bit mad what do we do" kind of way. Forman's books seem to be guaranteed to bring out all kinds of emotions for me.

Basically Just One Day is the story of Allyson "Lulu" Healey and Dutch boy Willem De Ruiter's short time together and the huge impact this one day had on Allyson. Allyson is a kind of straight laced American teenager, her tour of Europe has been a bit too touristy and therefore disappointing but this changes when she meets actor and traveller Willem and they connect in the most amazing way. He offers to take her to Paris for the day and show her the real Paris that the tour buses miss. Their one day in Paris which is full of fun and flirty adventures leads to one night together but when Allyson wakes up Willem has gone, as in really gone and he doesn't come back.

For me, the real story in Just One Day was how Allyson was absolutely wholeheartedly affected by their one day together. Not knowing what exactly happened to Willem or why he left her without even a thought leaves Allyson feeling she that couldn't have been enough for someone like Willem to stay with. Almost crawling into a little ball for protection, Allyson spends the next few months in her first year of college like a girl who has been devastated by a full on break up with long term boyfriend. Withdrawn, heartbroken and lost Allyson seems unable to enjoy her college experience and her once perfect grades are affected.

With the help of her only new friend Dee (who I loved to bits) thankfully Allyson gradually starts to come back to life and decides that she has to face her fears, go back to Paris and try to resolve the mystery of what happened to Willem. Without financial help from her parents Allyson first needs to get a job to pay for her trip and the French lessons she decides are necessary. I loved Allyson's gradual reawakening as she throws off her cautious, mousey pre-Paris self and finally grows a set! Her trip back to Paris isn't the tour bus trip, this time she's prepared, can speak French and isn't afraid of veering off the beaten track and befriending people along the way to help her on her quest.

For me a book is really, really special when I can make a list of swoon worthy scenes or quotes which sum up how amazing the book was for me and Just One Day has so many to choose from:

- Double happiness- two halves finding each other,
- Love being a stain,
- Real travelling is getting lost in a city,
- The next accident will send you somewhere new,
- Taking real pictures on the barge trip along the Seine,
- Lulu and Will on one bike cycling around Paris,
- Seeing Shakespeare's As You Like It in the park,
- Having a bucket list of paintings to see.

Just One Day is exactly the kind of beautiful but heart breaking YA book that I adore, Allyson's coming of age story literally swept me away and I'm still thinking about it weeks later. Willem really did change Allyson's life in one day but she managed to find herself again all by herself. I can't wait to see Willem's point of view when Just One Year is released on the 10th of October.

Just One Day killed me, plain and simple. It is one of those books that I'd take with me if I were to be stranded on an island. Each chapter is a beauty in itself; a little push towards self-discovery, a dabble in what it means to go through utter desperation, to come down from a high and still not be over it, to be so determined towards that one goal that it ultimately makes you who you are. God, I don't think I can ever get over this book.

The beginning of Just One Day is conspicuously normal with Allyson nearing the end of her epic Europe tour full of sights, sounds and of course, Culture! The only exciting thing is the bob haircut Melanie, her best friend, forced her to get. There is no doubt that Allyson is as adventure-averse as they come. She is what I'd call 'trained to function'; doing things just because, not really thinking, keeping her annoyance to herself. In short, not really living life. I, for the life of me, couldn't understand just how Allyson would change.

Suddenly, through sheer impulsiveness, Allyson becomes Lulu and the stage is set. There is just something dreamy and far off about travelling in a city like Paris with a stranger by your side that appeals to every cell inside Allyson's body (and mine). You get to be whoever you are and that is exactly what Allyson does. She lets go and with Willem by her side, discovers how the other half lives. The doers who do things rather than just watching them.

Willem is a character that is pretty hard to forget about. He's Dutch through and through which shows with his love for canals, in his way of speaking and the striking differences between him and Allyson. He's mysterious and so very unpredictable that I kept expecting him to vanish more than Allyson did. When he spoke about being stained I just about died and went to heaven. He has that air around him, something akin to wanderlust, that makes him go places. He's likely to find contentment in some far off wilderness than civilization.

Allyson's impulsiveness hit close to home because I could feel the exact moment her heart shifted gears, her mouth took over her mind and spoke for her. Impulsiveness has consequences and Allyson knows that because of her thought processes throughout their day in Paris. But that's the beauty of impulsive decisions, being aware deep down that it's going to end up in a big mess yet going forward because it's worth the hurt. And it was. Eventually, it was. She could see it and I admired her for it.

However, when the day is over and reality kicks in, I could imagine Allyson detaching herself and coming to a few realizations because of that impulsiveness. As once you've imagined the high and taken the plunge, it's difficult to go back completely. The rest of her just had to follow through instead. And it did when things swayed between her and Melissa, when her roommates kept their distance, when her grades got bad, when she enrolled in a set of classes I couldn't see her ever enrolling in, when she met Dee, when she delivered that dialogue, when she started worked for Babs, when she had the talk with her mother and finally, when she came to the decision to get rid of her misery once and for all.

Just One Day is perfect as it is. The imagery is created in such a way that I could feel the heaviness and itchiness of the gold watch on her wrist. I felt my heart pounding when Allyson and Willem run for their life across the streets of Paris (one more thing to do when I go visit Paris, by the way). I felt the struggle inside me when I read about Allyson's struggles. It's a beautiful thing really, when the writing is so beautiful it never fails to evoke mental imagery and emotions that overwhelm you long after the last page has been turned.

Each and every thing that happens to Allyson and each and every character that touches her life one way or the other is there for a purpose. It is teary and it is exhilarating but in the end, it is what it is and it is what makes Allyson embrace herself. Change, like Allyson said, felt right. Just One Day is a book that will always, always stay with me and for that, I'm thankful to Gayle Forman.

Straightlaced high school senior Allyson Healey decides on a single act of rebellion during her tour of Europe. While her friend Melanie covers for her, she runs off to Paris for just one day with mysterious, good-lucking Shakespearean actor, Willem de Ruiter. He quickly dubs her "Lulu," and Allyson is only too happy to ditch her old persona in favor of trying on being edgy rule-breaker. About half the book recounts her amazing, turbulent, exciting and romantic day. Together, they take the train from London, meet up with Willem's (ex-girlfriend?) Celine, travel the canals, make new ex-pat friends, get lost, ride a bike to the Louvre, break into an artists studio and impulsively end up in bed together.

In the morning, Willem is gone, and over-protected Allyson is absolutely shattered. In a panic, she calls the tour group chaperone, who kindly arranges for Allyson to rejoin the group and head home. At home, Allyson starts her freshman year of college in a deep depression. Her overbearing mother demands that she major in pre-med. Soon Allyson finds herself overwhelmed, flunking classes, and unable to make new friends. This is a real coming of age story, as Allyson struggles to reinvent herself. When she switches gears her second semester and takes a Shakespeare class, she picks up a sassy gay best friend, D'Angelo Harrison, or Dee for short. I loved Dee and wished there was more of him in this book. Dee veers dangerously close to being a Magical Negro in this story - he uses his amazing code-switching abilities to support Allyson, effortlessly transforming himself from campy queer to New York hoodlum, to liberal arts intelligentsia as the situation needs it.

Allyson's mother is seriously crazytown. That woman needs to cut the cord, and find other means of fulfillment in her life! Her obsession with Allyson bordered on the disturbing. Allyson is an only child and the entire focus of her mother's attention. In a way, I shouldn't have been surprised by Allyson's obsession with Willem - since she's seen that kind of behavior modeled by her mother. Allyson decides to get a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant and learn French so that she can return to Paris and find Willem. When she goes back, I found the string of lucky coincidences that lead her back to Willem kind of stretched credulity. This was a blazing fast read. With a slightly tweaked ending this would have made a fine stand-alone book. As it is, we will all have to wonder how things resolve in the sequel, told from Willem's perspective, Just One Year.

So, you know that book that you are so excited about, that you just can't wait for to come out? So, it finally does come out and you read it and just kind of hope that it meets some of your expectations? Ya, this one didn't. It blew everyone out of the water.

Every. Single. One.

Seriously. I want to send this book out to everyone I know. (Including my good friend who is currently teaching in Gap, France, Hi Laura, waving at her now!) and spent one day touring Paris before she flew home for Christmas. It is that good. I loved this book. Couldn't put it down at all. I walked around the house and ran into walls because Iw as reading it as I went about things that I had no business doing while I was reading (like walking. I am not steady on my feet on a good day, put a book or e-reader in my hand and I am just and accident waiting to happen!)

But, after the week I had, but needed something wonderful in my life and oh my. Gayle Forman came through big time. If you haven't read If I Stay and Where She Went, shame on you. I loved them too. But you can hold off until after you read this one. The amazing thing is that she has a sequel to follow up on this one. I am not going to spoil anything for you, but....

The writing is incredible. Seriously, Forman tells such a story and pulls you in. You are such a part of the world that she creates that you feel the emotions along with the characters. You love and hurt and cry along with them. And I've never been to Paris, but I swear I could picture it along with them. I found myself wanting to go and pack my bag after I read this book. The characters that she creates are SO REAL! So personal! So amazing!

This was my first time reading anything by Gayle Forman and it definitely will not be my last. What an amazing writer Forman is! This was another read that felt so realistic. I was wary at first but I kept reading and I fell in love. I especially loved the Shakespeare throughout the book as well.

The book starts off with Allyson and her best friend Melanie standing in line to see Hamlet. They are on a Teen Tour of Europe before they start college. It's the last stop of the tour and while waiting in line a group of people come up and hand out flyers to a free performance of Twelfth Night under the stars. One of the guys handing out the flyers caught Allyson's eye. Allyson, the one who is always the "good girl" between her and Melanie, had the idea of skipping out on Hamlet to secretly go and see Twelfth Night. Can we say sneaky?? This surprises Melanie and of course she is down with anything fun and going against the rules. They end up going to the armature play and upon the end of the play "the" guy tosses Allyson a coin. Was this a sign? What could this mean?

The next day they are on the train to some of Melanie's family before they head home and this is where we meet Willem. Melanie is nursing a hangover because after the play she went out drinking and decides to sleep. Allyson was hungry so she went to get some snacks. She decided to sit at a table and eat so she could let Melanie sleep when the cute guy from the play sat at her table!! What are the chances?? They hit it off immediately. Willem called Allyson Lulu, after a famous actress. How romantic!! My stomach was in knots and had butterflies by this point.

Finally it was time for them to get off the train and Allyson mentioned about how the Teen Tours didn't get to go to Paris because of a strike. That is when Willem offered to take Allyson to Paris for a day, and then she could return to Melanie the next day. Hmmm, now this is when Allyson REALLY gets wild and agrees!!! She doesn't even know Willem!!! And in a foreign country at that!! WHAT?? After that one beautiful day, Allyson wakes up alone. Now this is where I was so mad, hurt, and yes, I was crying.

Both Allyson and Melanie are off to college after they get back home. They are both in different colleges so their friendship has hit a rough spot. Now is the time where they make lives for themselves apart. It's hard when the only person Allyson has been real friends with was Melanie. She also is torn from how things ended with Willem back in Paris. Will she ever get over him? How will she carry on?

This book was just spectacular!! When reading I kept asking myself if I would have ever done anything so brave. Unfortunately, the answer is no. I think that is why I loved this book so much. Allyson is everything I wish I was when I was younger. The book is not only about romance but about self-discovery. Forman had me from the beginning and I honestly couldn't put the book down. - Heather

I was fortunate enough to receive this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I've read Forman's If I Stay, receiving it with very mixed-up complicated feelings. But the premise for this was so appealing (travel in Europe! College! Shakespeare!) that when it arrived, I knew I'd give it a try.

First part: Allyson (sidenote: I have an unreasonable prejudice toward this name as my sister's is Allison and thus I feel like the only way to spell the name is with two l's and an i. It's stupid, I know) is a senior on a whirlwind school trip through Europe when she meets the Dutchman Willem and impulsively embarks on a day trip with him to Paris, intending to spend just one day. But soon she wants more, leaving her ruined when she wakes up and he is gone. Yes, he didn't make any promises but moving on feels impossible for her. For one day, she was glamorous Lulu, not dull dutiful Allyson, moving without an itinerary, a plan or a map, just on pure impulse for fun.

This part was okay. Allyson feels resentment toward her best friend Mel, who is embracing the new opportunities while Allyson is a stick in the mud as well as toward her extremely overbearing and interfering mother who can hardly let Allyson be. These feelings help explain why she's so eager to assume Lulu and run off with someone she doesn't know (this also kind of happened in Wanderlove and I hated it there-I do not feel like it is a safe idea and safety should be paramount). Then she has what she considers an amazing day although it doesn't sound all that great to me, probably another reason why Allyson and I didn't click.

The second part was aggravating. Allyson is at her college near Boston (Harvard? It's never stated but it makes me think of Yankee Doodle Dandy-movie shoutout :) and enrolled in premed courses as pressured by her mother but she doesn't want to do anything. She is tired all the time and floundering in school for the first time ever. I hated Allyson in this part. I understand that she was depressed but a. he was a one-night stand, why does he get so much of her attention? and b. she's a fictional character so I have zero sympathies for her hardships. I felt like she tossed everything aside because of this stupid boy, who she pinned so much of her aspirations and hopes to be a new person. Just be a different kind of person, Allyson!

Luckily for the third part she soon starts to take that advice, meeting the amazing Dee, one of my favorite book characters ever! He understands trying on all your different personae and without even trying, serves as an inspiration to Allyson, demonstrating friendship when she sorely needs it. She also begins to get more out of her head and makes plans to track down Willem, including a trip to Paris. These events set us up for the forthcoming Just One Year, which I believe will be told from his perspective and let us know what happened after Willem left in Paris.

Overall: I can definitely see why so many people have liked this book but it was most definitely not for me. Also really great for people who love travel as there are some great descriptions of Europe in here.

Cover: I love the watch-it is so fitting!

I’ve heard a lot about how wonder Just One Day is, and it always sounded interesting but I thought the book literally spanned one day and I wasn’t down with that. I had a friend tell me I was being stupid so I decided to give it a read. I loved it and was excited that the book was more than just one day (see what I did there?).

Paris made me love this book. Ok, yea the characters and just the overall story was pretty good, but it was definitely going and experiencing new countries with Allyson that drew me in. After I finished this book I had this huge desire to drop everything and jump on a plane. Gayle just made Paris seem so magical, and I wanted to be the one living Allyson’s adventures.

Then there’s Willem. I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t sold on him at first. Yes, he seemed dreamy but I knew he had a story, and I was interested in figuring out all of his mysteries. Unfortunately that never happens but he does kind of redeem himself by the end of the book.

I definitely should have read Just One Day sooner, and while I really really enjoyed it, I’m not sure if I’m going to read Just One Year. Willem just doesn’t interest me enough to read a whole book about him.

You can find more of my reviews at Endless-Reads.Net!

I can't decide how I feel about this book. For the first part, it was okay. I thought it was a little odd that this girl who is a goody goody and always follows the rules suddenly goes off with this guy to Paris for a day, but I went with it. I liked reading about the different parts of Europe that Allyson went to and reminiscing about my trip 10 years ago.

I did not like the middle part. Allyson was just too mopey and depressing. I mean, she was only with the guy for one day! I understand that she went through something tough but I just wanted to say "Get over it and move on!" Especially since she was starting college and had so been looking forward to it. At that point in the book, I kind of just wanted it be over.

But then towards the end, I got back into the story again. And what I thought was going to be the end felt right. The door to that part of her life was shut. But it didn't end there. It continued for just a couple of more pages. And after the last sentence I found myself shouting "No! The book can't just end there!" I didn't realize how much I wanted the book to continue until then. And now I'm anxiously waiting until the next book comes out telling Willem's side!

I have been waiting for a new Gayle Forman book ever since I read WHERE SHE WENT (twice!) because I really enjoy reading books in her voice and the way in which she writes that draws me into stories. I appreciate her way of making me feel as if a city is another character in the book and the way in which she writes a single day as worthy of an entire book. That is what I was hoping for in JUST ONE DAY, and I got that plus so much more.

This is a smart book. It has intelligence and humor and emotion and all of the feelings. It's a coming-of-age story for a new generation, with a bit of Shakespeare and Paris and travel and college life and family drama and best friends growing apart and romance and missed connections and finding what's right for what you want not what others want for you. It's a journey of finding oneself that takes more than just one day. There were some shocking moments and some moments that were so real and true to life that I felt utterly connected to these characters. And some of the characters were so great. Beyond the main characters, there were others that came into Allyson's life who I really wanted to stick around and hang out with. Some true friendships were developed, and others ran their course and started to drift apart, and that's what happens in real life.

The romance that develops between LuLu and Willem during their one day in Paris is endearing. The little moments throughout their day made me fall in love along with them. As someone who loves to travel internationally, I appreciated the way in which each city's character was drawn on the page. Some I have been to, and some I haven't, but after reading JUST ONE DAY, I felt as if I had been on a trip to each of them.

I was reading the end of the book during my students' independent reading time in class, and they knew I had 15 pages left, and when I was almost to the end I heard them laughing, and then I finished and made some "what?!" hand gestures because of the very ending of the book, and then they all started laughing louder and told me that my face and reactions were really funny as I was reading the end of the book. Yes, that is what happens at the end of this one. You'll want to throw the book on the floor, and then pick it up and hold it close. It's heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time, and it left me desperate for the sequel, JUST ONE YEAR. I'm glad we get two Gayle Forman books in the coming year, and I hope we get even more soon!

Everyone has their own reason for reading the books they select. I read mysteries to solve the puzzle, even if I don't solve it I keep reading them. I read scifi/fantasy to be amazed by new worlds that open up my imagination. I read YA fiction to feel.

One author that blew me away with her books If I Stay/Where She Went was Gayle Forman. I loved those books and when she released Just One Year I bought it straight away but I've held off reading it. I was worried it wouldn't live up to her other books. It's almost summer in Canada and I wanted to read a travel book so I picked up Just One Day.

Just One Day is the story of Allyson who travels through Europe on a teen tour with her high school best friend, Melanie. She meets the mysterious Willem, who only knows her as Lulu and they have a magical day until he disappears and she goes home distraught about what could've been. She continues on with her life, to college, but nothing makes sense to her - especially not the pre-med classes her parents have planned for her. So she returns to Paris, to find Willem and discover if there is more to it all.

MAGIC! Seriously Gayle Forman has created MAGIC! I was slow to liking Just One Day. With If I Stay/Where She Went in my mind I wasn't sure if I would like it, but Just One Day grabbed me and took me travelling with Allyson as she tried to capture what she had and find Willem. It took me through Europe (where I've never been) and oh the Shakespeare. I loved the Shakespeare and the college experience, and travelling.

I could complete relate to Allyson who has troubling making friends and embracing the "just move forward" motion of travelling. She gets there though and makes some fabulous friends, including Australian Wren (thank you Gayle for including aussies!) and it was a beautiful, wonderful story.

Of course now I NEED Just One Year. Luckily it's out later this year. My verdict on Just One Day is beautiful travelling YA fiction, read it!

Just One Day was a gorgeous contemporary read. It gave me all the best kind of feelings, including resurrecting my suppressed desire to be an expatriate. Really, it only took two chapters to make me want to sell everything I own and hop on a plane to anywhere but here.

I went into the book thinking it would be a swoon worthy tale of angsty romance, and while there was definitely some swooning, some romance and some angst, the true heart of the book was Allyson's journey of self-discovery.

Allyson was one of those characters I just instantly connected with. She was easy to relate to, because like her, I'm at a point in my life where I'm a little lost and knowing that a change needs to happen but not knowing what direction to take. I doubt there is a person in the world who hasn't felt that way at some point. And of course there are times when Allyson's naivety and occasional lack of a backbone, especially when it comes to her mother and her best friend, are very frustrating, but watching her pull herself together and become her own person was nothing short of inspirational. Forman's writing is brilliant, and the voice she gives Allyson makes it easy to feel everything she is feeling, and to understand why she feels that way, even when you are internally screaming at her to make better life choices.

I don't really have a lot to say about Wilhelm. While I didn't hate him, I didn't love him either. My feelings for him are pretty ambivalent. He's definitely mysterious, and charming in his own ways, but I have to admit that I didn't really understand how/why Allyson fell for him as fast and quickly as she did, or why it affected her so deeply. It just wasn't one of those romances that had me squealing all over the place. That being said, I'm looking forward to getting into his head in the follow-up, Just One Year.

This was just a really great read, as I've come to expect from this particular author, one I'm sure I'll revisit again and again.

"We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in one day."

Summery:

Allyson has pretty much had everything set for her. Her overbearing mother constantly makes plans for her and her parents never take the time to talk to her, just at her.

For a graduation present Allyson goes with her best friend and a tour group to travel around Europe. On the last day of the tour she and her best friend sneak away from the tour to go see an underground performances of the Twelfth Night. Allyson seems to have a instant connection with a dutch actor, Willem, who performs as Sebastian.

By chance, they managed to find each other and Willem convinces Allyson to go away with him to Paris for the day and takes a leap of faith and joins him. They find adventures and talk of love. By the next morning she finds herself alone, deserted in Paris.

From that one day her life would change. While searching for Willem she also learns a lot about herself along the way.

"And that's when I understand that I have been stained. Whether I'm still in love with him, whether he was ever in love with me, and not matter who he's in love with now, Willem changed my life. He showed me how to get lost, and then I showed myself how to get found.
Maybe accidents isn't the right word for it after all. Maybe miracle is.
Or maybe it's not a miracle. Maybe this is just life. When you open yourself up to it. When you put yourself in the path of it when you say yes."

My Thoughts

I swear books like this one ruin my chance of every finding someone. Willem in this book is just perfect (except for the disappearing bit) , I would love to meet him the way Allyson did and have that one day.

I would've given this book a 5 star but this book seemed to drag a bit. Allyson whiney It drove me nuts. She was a bit of a downer, couldn't she just let her friend and the people who wanted to be close to her know of her story. That would've saved a lot of time. Very predictable. I really liked the vivid details so what was happening and how she was feelings. It was easy to immerse yourself with the characters and everything she felt, I felt. This book has got me wanting to travel now, just reading the details of her adventure makes me want to go somewhere anywhere but here. I liked that she started off as the sheltered girls who pretty much did what she was told and went to being a girl who asserted herself and went for what she wanted. She did what she felt was right and gone for it no matter what her parents felt.

Trust me when I say to spare your feeling wait till the next book comes out to read it. Or else you'll be like me and have to wait months till it comes out. I hate that!

Gayle Forman is such a talented author and can really get her reader so emotional with her heart breaking books. If you liked this book you'll love her other books: Where she went and If I Stay

Oh yea I forgot to mention, Cliff hangers! NOOO!!! Can't believe I got to wait till October (I think) to see what happens next. So I'm looking at descriptions and such, is the story going to be Willems version of what happened or is is just gonna be what happens after this story. Hmm.

"...being Lulu, it made me realize that all my life I've been living in a small, square room, with no windows and no doors. And I was find. I was happen even. I thought. Then someone came along and showed me there was a door in the room. One that I'd never even seen before. Then he opened it for me. Held my hand as I walked through it. And for one perfect day, I was on the other side. I was somewhere else. Someone else. And then he was gone, and I was thrown back into my little room. And now, no matter what I do, I can't seem to find that door."

While I enjoyed Gayle Forman's other two books, If I Stay and Where She Went, I think I may actually love this book.
Just One Day is book one in a duology. It is Allyson's story of finding love but more importantly, of self discovery.

Allyson is on a trip with her best friend Melanie and other teenagers when she meets Willem, an actor in an underground performance of Twelfth Night. Throwing caution to the wind, and acting completely out of character, Allyson runs off to Paris with Willem, for just one day. There, the relationship grows into something more. Or so Allyson thinks before waking up the next morning to find Willem gone without a trace.

Heartbroken, Allyson stumbles back to America and into college life. But as she navigates her first year in college, she finds answers to questions she didn't even know she should be asking. And one that stands out most of all- what happened to Willem?

Couldn't put it down.
I really felt for Allyson, who doesn't want to let her parents down but isn't sure what she wants to do. I think it's pretty safe to say a lot of teenagers feel that way. That age, right as you enter into college, you may have some vague idea, but it can change quickly. Allyson is a typical teenager, struggling with all of the identity and social problems we all face.

Willem is an actor, traveling around doing plays. He's carefree, but there's a deep sadness to him that Allyson sees. I liked their time in Paris together, believing very easily how these two people can be drawn to each other and how one compliments the other. Even though I knew she was going to awake to find him gone, I was still sad for her when it actually happened.

Forman's talent of making hole and realistic characters play strongly in this book. As Allyson struggles with her future and the loss of losing someone she may have loved, she becomes a stronger character, a matured young woman who sees what must be done and then isn't afraid to take the leap.
The leap being going back to Europe and possibly finding Willem.

A wonderful story filled with heart, romance and taking chances. Sometimes, the greatest chance is on yourself.
Can't wait to read Willem's story in Just One Year, out at the end of 2013.

Let me just state that it's really not fair that I read Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard just before Gayle Forman's Just One Day.

I'm going to be blunt and say that Forman's novel is more about self-discovery after a perfect day comes crashing down, rather than travelling, though it was oddly reminiscent of the themes found in Wanderlove (I'm just going to go out on a limb and state that Wanderlove has most likely ruined every other travelling book that I will ever come across).

But even if it lacked the aspects of travelling I so yearned for, I still found it to be a fairly entertaining novel. It has the lesson of finding yourself amidst the chaos and confusion of abrupt change, how hiding your true self from the most important people in your life, especially yourself, may be disastrous, and how sometimes taking a chance is worth the risk of losing it all.

The first part of the novel pulled me in immediately. Here you meet the less than perfect, but still sexy, Willem, a dutch actor. Allyson, the protagonist, is intrigued enough to break from her perfectionism and strict lifestyle to spend one day in Paris with this stranger. While I am a sucker for a storyline like this, I will note that it is rather cliche.

"Carefree boy meets straight-laced girl. Carefree boy helps release straight-laced girl from the confines of her boring, controlled life."

Ignoring the cliche, I will admit that they are cute together, making me want to read more about their adventures. It is when they are apart, however, that Allyson's behavior grates on my nerves. For all you know, someone has stripped her bare of who she once was because of one perfect day. But it makes sense, because in a way, that one perfect day stole the controlled and well-behaved Allyson, leaving someone unsure of what she wants out of life.

That one perfect day is about more than just romance--but about who Allyson was pretending to be before Willem stepped in.

So, the novel spends a good chunk of the story trying to put the broken Allyson back together again into a new and more free-spirited Allyson. Though this is enlightening and powerful, the delivery is dramatic and boring. I kept expecting more and wanting more of the storyline. I wanted Allyson to stand up to those around her, I wanted her to do something regarding her misery, but she was just as quiet and controlled as always, even if she was slowly dying inside (emotionally, of course).

The conclusion though. Wow. THAT is a reason to keep reading this series. After all those months of suffering, Allyson finally returns to Europe and I loved it. The moment she decides to return, the story gains more life.

Though the writing is indeed beautiful and descriptive, the editing is horrendous. I know it is inevitable for a few editing errors to slip through the cracks (no one is perfect), but wow. On one page alone there must have been about five mistakes. I can't even begin to explain how irritating this was.

Even with my pickiness over the editing, I did love Allyson's character growth, the places she visited, and the many people she met. Would I read it all again? Probably, simply because of the travelling bits and Willem.

Always for Willem.

I recommend this one for readers who enjoy a good contemporary young adult read about self-discovery, romance, and a slight touch of travelling and exploration.

"So Lulu? What do you say? You want to go to Paris? For just one day?" Fortunately for us, Lulu (née Allyson) says yes. Good thing for Gayle Forman, too; otherwise her book would have ended on page 30. High-school student, Allyson, impulsively takes off for Paris with Willem, a Dutch actor whom she'd just met in England. She spends the day and night with him, and in the morning he's...gone. Allyson is shattered and flees Paris. These events are covered in the synopsis, but they play out over the first 142 pages of the book.

When part 2 picks up, Allyson is a freshman in college, and she's still deeply depressed. She attempts to suppress thoughts of Willem, but "they are buried everywhere, like land mines." She willingly ostracizes herself from her roommates. She avoids the party scene, using studying as an excuse, and spends her nights alone in bed. Her mother carries on with her overbearing ways and won't let Allyson forget that she left her suitcase and watch behind in Paris, although Allyson wisely told her parents they were stolen. But when her parents come to visit, she must play the role of "Happy College Student." It's not easy to read a book narrated by someone as unhappy as Allyson, and some people might get fed up with Allyson at this point. I, however, could easily relate to her plight. My freshman year was completely miserable (for reasons that had nothing to do with a Dutch actor), but my life at that point was quite similar to hers.

When Allyson visits her life-long best friend, Melanie, at Melanie's college in New York City, the contrast is stark. Melanie actually IS living the Happy College Student life; no faking necessary. At the same time, both girls realize that they have begun to grow apart, and they react to their changing relationship quite differently. (Side note - why does it seem that male adolescent friendships are much more likely to last in the long-term than female friendships?)

Can just one day change a person? A life? If you didn't believe it before, you might believe it by the time you read the last page of this book. In Allyson's case, the answer is a very emphatic YES. For just one day, she became a different person, and when Willem's disappearance snatched her new self away, Allyson couldn't recover. We're not asked to accept the concept of love at first sight; that's something I will never believe. But we are asked to consider the potentially long-lasting ramifications a single encounter can have, and Gayle Forman beautifully shows us both the heartbreak and the magic than can ensue.

Someone, anyone, give me some more stars because this book surely deserves it. I participated in the #JustOneDay read along with @PenguinTeen on Twitter. It started on the 11th of January at 5:00 p.m. and ends today on the 12th of January at 5:00 p.m. I started this book with the worst case of sick that his hit me this winter, so I got an ecopy from Barnes and Nobles since I was too sick to venture the world and buy a hardback copy and sat down with a cup of tea, blankets and my iPad. It is one of the most amazing books I read since The Fault in Our Stars that came out last January. Gayle Forman is an amazing, inspiring, mind blowing author. If you have havent read any of her books, I suggest you get started as soon as possible.

#JustOneDay takes place in London when an American girl meets a Dutch boy, after an amazing Shakespearean play, he offers to take her to Paris just for a day since she missed that part of her tour. She takes him up on his offer and ends up having the most amazing day of her life. The book goes from there and it takes you on an emotional roller coaster and introduces you to all these people you are almost certain don't exist in real life because people like that, they simply don't exist. You want them too, you want to meet them and experience things with them, and learn more about them in a day than youve learned about people in your every day life, that you spent years with. These characters, they come alive on the page, the places, I found myself craving them more and more. The food, even the public transportation. I want it, all of it.

I've always dreamed of one day going to Paris, one day getting lost in its streets and meeting people and taking a class and speaking to these people in my broken French accent. Its always been a dream of mine. And now, more than anything, after reading Just One Day, its all I want to do. I just want to pack my bags and go the way Allyson did. I want her courage, her dedication. She amazed me, Allyson did. When I first started the book, I thought it would be about a girl falling in love with boy. And it was, but it wasnt. It was about a girl who grew out of her comfort zone, I girl who faced the obstacles life threw at her and fought her way through them. A girl who met people and learned from them, one who became a friend before she knew how to be one. She lost herself and found herself and so much more. She fought for what she wanted and it hit home. Taking that one extra step, going one more mile. Throwing yourself in a world unknown, she did it. She did it even though everyone around her gave up on her. She did it even though she gave up on herself one too many times. And she is such an inspiration. I fee like this book wasnt just about finding love, and understanding it. But to me it was about finding yourself in a place you never thought to look, learning so much about yourself, what you are capable of when you allow yourself to step into the unknown. It makes me want to run out and be adventurous. To take a note out of this book and do it.

Don't even get me started on the writing, I love Gayle Forman's writing. Its so capturing. You become one with the words. She showed me a world I've only ever dreamed of. She didnt stick to the cliches and what everyone knew, she took you to real, the true Paris that not many people get to see because they are stuck in that comfort zone, using tours and guidelines.

Waiting for Just One Year is going to kill me. I just know it. Fall or not, I want it NOW. I cried, I laughed, I whooped for joy, I experienced places I've never been and loved people I've never met. All through these pages, so I recommend you grab a copy and you get started now. Like I said, I got the Kindle edition because I was too sick to go out and buy a copy but as soon as I dare to venture the world outside I plan on buying an actual copy. Its one of those books that needs to be bought, felt, lamented and put on my top book shelf with my Harry Potter, John Green and Hunger Games books because to me, this one is a must have. I want it, and having it in my iPad is NOT enough!

Okay, it’s time for another confession. Until I read JUST ONE DAY, I had never read one of Gayle Forman’s books. GASP I know, it’s an offense. I have IF I STAY somewhere in the Great Paperback Section of Doom, which takes up half my shelves – I think it’s around the entire series of VAMPIRE ACADEMY that I own but have never read. JUST ONE DAY was added to my wish list and forgotten until a friend passed along a copy. A few days later, I finished JUST ONE DAY and enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

But few books are without their problems, and JUST ONE DAY had a little nagging issue – the heroine became insufferable. Having been someone who suffered (and still does) from depression and questions over romance, particularly wondering if some guy is an ass and if I should dump him, I found Allyson’s response to be problematic. Not to mention annoying.

THE BEAUTY OF TRAVEL, THE DARKNESS OF COLLEGE

JUST ONE DAY blurs the line between young adult and new adult fiction. It’s published as YA, but ladies and gents, this is as new adult as they come from the big six. Our heroine is a card-carrying high school graduate who we meet the summer before she starts college at what I assumed was Harvard (never mentioned, but heavily insinuated).

The summer before I started college, I just sat around and watched TV and played golf – because I went to college for a year on a golf scholarship before I permanently damaged my ankle. Allyson visits Europe and ends up in Stratford-upon-Avon, where she begins to make some of the most fateful choices in her life. She skips out on a professional show of HAMLET and instead watches an outdoor performing of TWELFTH NIGHT, where fate leads her to meet Willem, a handsome and charming Dutchman. And the next day, spur of the moment, she goes with him to Paris for…wait for it… Just One Day.

I won’t ruin the moment of the next section, but once Allyson got back to the US and started college, trust me when I say that I understood what she was going through. When I was 18, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. My freshman and sophomore years were devoted to figuring that out before I settled into political science with a heavy pinch of international studies, economics, philosophy, East Asian culture and language, and creative writing. Allyson’s helicopter parents, while not reminiscent of my own, were overwhelming enough that I loved their conflict with her.

SOMETIMES HEROINES NEED TO ZIP IT

Allyson, quite frankly, spent half the book in a state of perpetual whining. Since it’s in the jacket copy of the book, I don’t feel bad about telling you that Willem has his way with her and then disappears into the night. Or, in this case, early morning. Allyson is left alone in an abandoned building without her suitcase (left at Willem’s friend’s place) or her expensive watch or the guy she’s fallen in love with, so she panics and gets help from her former tour guide to get home. For all she knows, Willem stole her belongings, had sex with her, and ditched her like the trash, but what does Allyson do?

She whines and moons and dreams of the guy that she thinks ditched her. And then she concocts a ridiculous plan to lie to her parents and cover it up while planning on going back to find him because she is still in love with a guy she knew for less than 48 hours.

Sweetie, let’s have a chat since your best friend seems more concerned with being popular than helping you. When a guy ditches you like the garbage, you need to move on. Your new gay best friend Dee is there to help you get past Willem, but all you do is act like a spoiled brat, convinced that you need answers. When my ex-boyfriend cheated on me, I didn’t follow him around the country to get answers. I said, “Fudge him,” and moved on with my life. Why didn’t you do the same thing? You would have saved yourself a lot of moping time.

JUST ONE DAY TURNS INTO JUST ONE YEAR

Despite my annoyance at Allyson, I quite liked JUST ONE DAY, and after a year of moping and plotting, of course there is room for a sequel that I can’t wait to read. Forman has a way with words that get you into the mood for traveling, and having spent just one day in Paris, I felt myself floating back, even if at times I felt a disconnect. Forman has a new fan in me, though, and I can’t wait to see what JUST ONE YEAR has in store for us next.

But seriously, I have no idea why I thought this would be cute. It was very depressing and dark.

VERDICT: If you ignore the whiny heroine, JUST ONE DAY is a powerful story about love, loss, regret, and finding yourself under the backdrop of that change from teen to adult. Check this one out.

I'm a new Gayle Forman fan - I read her other books just this year - but I'm now a fan for life. Her books are very emotional, realistic and timely and Just One Day is no exception.

This is the story of Allyson, an "everygirl" from the US on the last leg of "once in a lifetime" graduation trip to Europe with her best friend. She meets Willem while watching a Shakespeare play in Stratford-Upon-Avon and her world changes forever. She takes a huge leap and lets him take her to Paris, where they spend a magical day together. Her perfect day is shattered, however, and she returns home with a broken heart. As Allyson navigates her first year in college, nursing her wounds, she begins to trust people again and manages to pick up the pieces enough to open her heart once more.

I found Allyson's journey to be fascinating. I love that she wasn't a risk taker, yet she chose to throw all caution to the wind and go off to another country with a total stranger. I honestly was fearful for her for a minute! But, in making the decision, she basically changed the entire course of her life. She fell in love with Willem, who by the way is totally dreamy, and even if their relationship were to go no further than just that one day, Allyson had an experience she would always be able to take with her in the future. He taught her how to let go and to just be. I think, despite the fact that she had a rough year in college, her time with Willem allowed her to open herself to people she might otherwise have written off, like her roommate Kali or her classmate, D'Angelo.

The romance is definitely solid. Willem and Allyson's chemistry is palpable and even though they develop their feelings in a very short period of time, it didn't feel like insta-love or unrealistic. He's a fun character and I love that we're going to get to know more about him in the forthcoming sequel, Just One Year. Allyson's transformation, her self-education, was the more important bit here, in my opinion though. I think that the changes she makes throughout her year will definitely affect the outcome - she's not the same girl she was and will not, nor should not, react in a similar fashion.

And this is why I like, and appreciate, Forman's stories. Sure, she has great romance and swoonworthy boys, but a lot of the focus of her books has been self-discovery, self-awareness, evolution - all things that are part of being alive. So, thank you, Gayle Forman, for giving us another lovely story that anyone can relate to.

5/5

Just One Day by Gayle Forman exceeded my expectations. It was a much deeper story than it sounded- high school girl, first romance on a European trip--okay... I only picked it up b/c I liked Forman's book If I Stay and it was sitting there in a pile of books someone gave me, and easier than driving to the library or a bookstore. Surprisingly, I could hardly put it down, even though my tolerance for high school angst is normally pretty low. This is definitely more coming-of-age than YA romance. The story stays with you. I don't give 5 stars easily, so you know I'm recommending it.

I'm really starting to think I need to spend more time in the Contemporary genre. While I'm there I might as well finally read If I Stay and Where She Went. Yes, I can't believe I haven't read them yet either. No, I'm not sure what my malfunction is. But what I am sure of is how happy I am to have finally read a Gayle Forman novel. Just One Day came complete with a charming cast of characters, Parisian backdrop and such a relatable coming of age story.

Right from the start I knew I would love this book. Allyson reminds me so much of my younger self. She's unsure of herself, follows the rules to the T, is more focused on the approval of other around her verses what she wants, etc. I'm sure we could all relate to feeling that way at one point in our lives and that's what made this book real for me. While Allyson is traveling Europe with her teen tour group, she stumbles across Willem, who seems to be the opposite of herself. So for just one day, Allyson decides take a few chances, takes up the alter ego "Lulu" and becomes the spontaneous traveler.

I totally get that. Sometimes you just want to take a page from Nike and JUST DO IT. Even still today, I get those urges of just letting go and let live. But then, the next thing I know things have gotten so widely out of control. And soon after, I'm once again craving my comfort box.

But enough about me...

What I loved about Just One Day is how Allyson both loses herself that day in Paris and later finds herself over the course of a year afterwards. When all is said and done and she has to resume her life after being left by Willem, she's broken, a mere shadow of who she thought she was. I think it was there that I truly started to connect with Allyson on a deeper level. Here we have a former honor student struggling to get by in her college courses, struggling to keep former relationships intact and struggling at making new ones. What I found most interesting is that it's not her relationship with Willem that metaphorically heals her, but the secondary characters she meets at college. How often do we read in YA novels the male heart-throb being the catalyst for change in the heroine? Too often, in my opinion. Allyson's change is gradual and is due to various people and experiences, most of which have nothing to do with Willem. Ya know, pretty much how life is supposed to work.

I went into this story expecting some sort of fluffy romantic contemporary novel, but I guess I should have known it wouldn't be that simple. I suppose that's what I get for being fashionably late to the Gayle Forman party. *dons her party hat* What I got was a novel that really examines that feeling of uncertainty of who we choose to be, how others perceive us, and how those two situations are sometimes mutually exclusive. The feeling of enlightenment I had with Just One Day was very similar to how I felt while reading Wanderlove, which also features a girl searching for answers, but ends up finding so much more.

Then, of course, you have the fantastic setting of Paris. I've always wanted to go to Paris and one day I intend to. But while I was reading, it was so easy to visualize the french cafes, the old buildings, the culture. This is the second travel type novel I've read and it's a wonderful change in scenery. High school angst vs. Europe. I think we know who wins that round.

If there is one thing I have to nitpick, it'd be the ending. Not that it was bad, but I think it has more to do with personal tastes. It's also where I found myself conflicted. Right after finishing Just One Day, I felt I needed more, that I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. I wanted her to find Willem and to figure out what happened. But on further reflection I realized something. This wasn't about Willem. It was about Allyson finding herself. So clever, Forman. But I still want to know what happens after that door opens. So, I think it goes without saying that I'll be needing Just One Year. Heh.

I love novels that take me away from the usual and make me think. Just One Day was just what I needed. Refreshing, humorous and deep.

ARC was received from the publisher for and honest review. Thank you, PenguinTeen!

More reviews and other fantastical things at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog.

I was so excited to read Just One Day by Gayle Forman that I kind of put the book I was reading and put it on the back burner for it. I regret nothing! This book was fantastic, touching, heart breaking, thrilling, and the romance was pretty awesome even though it wasn't all out there in your face. It starts during a trip that Allyson and her friend, Melanie are taking as their graduation present. Allyson has kind of found the whole trip to be dull until the last day when they decide to break away from the tour group and go do their own thing and watch a Shakespeare in the park type performance. This is when Willem comes in and throws a coin to to Allyson. Nothing more comes from it then though.

The next day they are on the train when Allyson is eating her breakfast when Willem starts talking to her. The conversation is light and cute, about how her breakfast is utterly confused. I loved the chemistry the two of them had off the bat. You could just feel it through the whole time. Willem says she reminds her of a star that had the nickname LuLu, and so he calls her that, never knowing her real name. She told Willem how she had been disappointed by not being able to go to Paris and that she really wanted to go. On a spur of the moment thought, he tells her to go and that he would show her around it.

Wanting to break away from her old safe self, she goes with him. Dangerous, right? I mean she doesn't know this guy yet she is going to go to Paris, without her best friend there, and spend a day with him. Her friends okay with it too although there were the threats made to him which was kind of funny.

Willem tsk-tsks. "You Americans are so violent. I'm Dutch. The worst I will do is run her over with a bicycle."
"While stoned!" Melanie adds. "Okay, maybe there's that," Willem admits.

If I were in her shoes, I surely would not have gone off with a guy I didn't know but, that's what makes stories like this so amazing, right? They allow you to do things that you wouldn't do without actually doing them. Anyway, Willem pays for her ticket and they go off to Paris. Along the way, Allyson finds that Willem knows a lot of women and they find tiny tidbits out about themselves but not really enough.

After they spend this great day together things get a bit more serious where they stay and when Allyson wakes up, she finds that he is gone. She looks for him for a bit but ultimately decides to just call for help and go back to her hotel.

"I think everything is happening all the time, but if you don't put yourself in the path of it, you miss it"

The second part of the book is a bit more darker as Allyson has gone off to college but is still in this black hole of emotion because she is depressed about Willem leaving her. There was no closure for her and she actually fell for him. She is sleeping all the time and not doing well in her classes while she pushes everyone else away from her. Melanie and her also grow apart as she is in Boston and Mel is in New York.

She finally takes her classes into her own hands instead of having her mom run her life and she meets Dee who I absolutely adored. He was a fantastic addition and kind of pulled her out of her friend rut. There was a lot of him but I really wanted more, he was just a great character.

Finally she opened up about Willem and Dee and her dorm mates help her to try to track him down which leads to more growing from her. She decided to go back to Paris.
When she's in Paris, she's alone, but it doesn't stop her from making friends with other tourists and they help her try to find her.

The cliffhanger at the end of this book, my god. I want more and I want it now. Gayle Forman knows how to reel you into a book and keep you intrigued. Her writing is marvellous and the descriptions of the places were beautiful. This is a five star book and definitely one that you would want to re-read over and over.
I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.
He looks at one of the pictures for a long time. Then he looks at me. "I'll keep you up here." He taps his temple. "Where you can't get lost."

Friends, stop whatever it is you are doing right now and READ THIS BOOK. READ IT. If I could urge you all to do this is something more stressed than CAPSLOCK BOLDFACE, I would. So, this is me, starting my review of JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman at the end, the part when I sum up my thoughts, telling you all that this book is amazing and to READ IT as soon as you can. That is all.

Just kidding. When have I ever not been able to flat-out run my mouth over a book that I loved til the end of time? Because that's how much I love Gayle Forman's JUST ONE DAY. I read it two weeks ago, and I still think about how much I loved it, and how much I was transported into the story, and how much I loved Lulu (it's so strange sometimes to think of her as Allyson, even though that's her actual name) and Willem. I can't think of anything about this book that was even remotely poor. And-I must confess-I oftentimes judge books that I love unequivocally much HARDER than others, using a finer-tooth comb to find things that went wrong, as if it is impossible for a book to be SO basically perfect. Honestly, JUST ONE DAY doesn't have anything like that, not for me. Gayle Forman is the for real best.

I feel like I have to discuss Allyson/Lulu in two separate parts because that's how JUST ONE DAY does it: the beginning, with Willem, when she is Lulu, and then the rest, when she is Allyson-in-the-real-world trying not to lose Lulu. I spent most of JUST ONE DAY feeling what she was feeling, understanding her emotions and the way her brief time with Willem slowly changes her so much. Gayle Forman does such a great job with Allyson/Lulu's growth in the aftermath of her one day. I know that so much of the attention for this book is on the relationship and Willem, but the truth is that we spend much more time with Allyson, and how this one day with this one guy first makes her feel his loss keenly, but then makes her more confident and strong and brave. She knows so much more about herself, and changes so much. It starts with Willem, but Allyson on her own is the one who really makes JUST ONE DAY super special.

Don't worry, though. Willem, for all that he graces JUST ONE DAY with his presence for only a while, makes as lasting an impression on the reader as he does on Allyson (well, Lulu). Willlem is one of those guys who gets my blood rushing. But in a really complex way. Yes, he is sexy and mysterious and confident, and super tall, and that makes me swoony. But he's also secretive and kind of inconstant and is one of those guys who has girls everywhere. He literally has a little black book. He never lies about it, never pretends that it's not there, but still. IT'S THERE. Allyson is always reminding herself that she's just one of many girls in Willem's past, trying to reinforce the fact that she wasn't anything special to him to no doubt cushion herself from further hurt. But you know what it is about Willem? MAGNETISM. He's got this force field of attractiveness that sucks women in. He's got this jaunty, refreshing thing going on, and he's kind of dangerous, and...Hold up for a second: do you see how many adjectives I've just used trying to describe this guy to you all? This is why Gayle Forman is amazing. Her characters are so real and complicated and have so many facets that you couldn't hope to capture them completely in just one paragraph. We don't even capture Willem completely in one whole BOOK. At the end of JUST ONE DAY, there's still so much about Willem we don't know.

Incidentally, this is a theme in JUST ONE DAY. About who we are and who we pretend to be and about self-discovery and the truth. There's a stellar character named Dee-a friend of Allyson's from school-who has this amazing line: "And the people we pretend at, they're already in us. That's why we pretend them in the first place." This-Allyson's growth, where she slowly becomes not just Lulu, but more fully Allyson, too-and the relationship between Willem and Lulu is what drives JUST ONE DAY, and what makes it so wonderful, and what made me recognize all of these things I saw in myself when I was 18 and 19 years old. Things I recognize in myself still. SIGH.

Of course, there's also the magic of travel that makes JUST ONE DAY so vibrant. You can tell that Gayle Forman loves these places with the way they jump off the page. It felt like I was there visiting these places, exploring them and making all these great memories from unexpected things.

Bottom line, friends? JUST ONE DAY by Gayle Forman is a new forever favorite, and I loved it. I LOVED IT, and I can't wait until JUST ONE YEAR, Willem's story, comes out this fall. If this book is any indication, Willem's point of view is going to be off the chain.

Originally reviewed at: [...]

*Excerpts included in quotations*

Before I get started on this review, let me first say that when I began this blog, nearly one year ago, I primarily read paranormal/ supernatural and dystopian YA. I had read a little bit of contemporary YA, but for the most part I skipped it. I thought that someone like me, who had left her teenage years behind a long time ago, was going to have a hard time relating to a contemporary realistic YA book. I think the first YA book I read that made me feel differently was John Green's An Abundance of Katherine's. Then I read Melina Marchetta's Saving Francesca and soon after Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss. Well, needless to say, I WAS DEAD WRONG in my views of Contemporary YA. Not only can I relate, but I have come to LOVE it. In fact, most of the books I have read over the last year that have meant so much to me (The Sky is Everywhere, Small Damages, Wanderlove, Saving June) fall into this genre.

In addition, I was introduced to the New Adult genre this year, an offshoot of YA that focuses on the important time when a young adult has finished high school and is moving into the adult world. I love New Adult because it focuses on a time of self discovery in a young person's life. A time of new freedom and independence which can be exciting but also scary. It's a time in my life that holds some of my fondest memories.

Just One Day is a book that encompasses all the best qualities of both YA and New Adult fiction. It is a book that focuses on themes like self discovery and personal identity. It's a book that looks at changing relationships between parents and daughters as well as between close friends. Just One Day is a book that examines college life and traveling abroad. And it is also a book that looks at first love, love at first sight, connections and bonds formed over a short period of time, and the concept of destiny and fate. Just One Day is a book about choices and a book about trust. To me it is the quintessential coming of age story, written as only Gayle Forman could write it. I thought If I Stay was an incredible book, and I loved the sequel Where She Went even more. Just One Day tops them both. Just when I thought I couldn't be more amazed by this talented author, she raises the bar yet again.

As Just One Day opens, following an awesome and very relevant excerpt from Shakespeare's comedy, As You Like It , we are introduced to Allyson, a recent high school graduate who is wrapping up a trip to Europe with her best friend Melanie and the other members of the Teens Tour! travel group. Allyson is tired, ready to go home and start the next phase of her life: college and then med school. She grudgingly admits to herself that this Trip of a Lifetime has, in reality, been a bust. Nothing has lived up to her expectations so far and she's ready to call it a day. While waiting in line to attend The Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Hamlet, Allyson meets a tall, lanky boy with amazing dark eyes passing out fliers for a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, staged by a company known as Guerrilla Shakespeare which is to be held later that evening. After telling her that "the night is too beautiful for tragedy," Allyson talks Melanie into ditching Hamlet and attending Twelfth Night instead.

"As the hot day softens into twilight and I'm sucked deep into the illusory world of Ilyria, I feel I've entered some weird otherworldly space, where anything can happen, where identities can be swapped like shoes. Where those thought dead are alive again. Where everyone gets their happy-ever-afters. I recognize it's kind of corny, but the air is soft and warm, and the trees are lush and full, and the crickets are singing, and it seems like, for once, maybe it can happen."

The experience sets in motion a chain of events Allyson could never have imagined. The next day, aboard a train bound for London, the last leg of her journey home, Allyson again meets the striking actor from the night before. An instant connection is made between she and Willem, a twenty year old Dutch native who is getting ready to return home himself after two years of living on the road. When Allyson mentions that she is disappointed to have never visited Paris on this trip, Willem suggests she do it. Journey to Paris, with him, for just one day. And although she barely knows him, and although it's is extremely out of character, Allyson takes a deep breath and agrees. What follows is a day and night that Allyson will never forget.

So a question for you: do you believe in love at first sight? I'm on the fence about that one. But what I DO believe in is feeling a spark, a chemistry, an instant connection with someone. I know because it has happened to me. And that is exactly what happens with Allyson and Willem. Allyson opens up to Willem, in ways she could never open to anyone else, not even her best friend. Isn't it sometimes easier to confide in someone you don't know very well, because they are less likely to judge? Allyson finds herself admitting to Willem that she doesn't want to go to med school, that's her parent's dream, not hers. She admits to feeling let down by this trip, and feeling hesitant about starting college. She admits to not wanting to disappoint others, and that most of her decisions stem from this fear. They talk about travel. They talk a little about family. They talk about time and fate and karma. And they talk about love.

"Have you ever fallen in love?"
"No," I reply. "I've never been in love."
(...) "That's not what I asked," Willem says. "I asked if you have ever fallen in love."
The playfulness in his voice is like like an itch I just can't scratch. I look at him, wondering if he always parses semantics like this.
Willem puts down his fork and knife. "This is falling in love." With his finger he swipes a bit of the Nutella from inside his crepe and puts a dollop on the inside of my wrist. It is hot and oozy and starts to melt against my sticky skin, but before it has the chance to slither away, Willem licks his thumb and wipes the smear of Nutella off and pops it into his mouth. It all happens so fast, like a lizard zapping a fly.
"This is being in love." And here he takes my other wrist, the one with my watch on it, and moves the watchband around until he sees what he's looking for. Once again, he licks his thumb. Only this time, he rubs it against my birthmark, hard, as if trying to scrub it off.
"It's something that never comes off, no matter how much you might want it to."
"You're comparing love to a stain?"
He leans so far back in his seat that the front legs of his chair scrape off the floor. He looks very satisfied, with the crepe or with himself, I'm not sure.
"Exactly."
(...)"How many languages have you been stained in?" I ask.
He licks his thumb again and reaches across the table for my wrist, where he missed the tiniest smudge of Nutella. This time he wipes it- me- clean. "None. It always comes off."

Guys, this is one of the most beautiful "falling in love" books I have ever read. EVER. It is poignant. It is emotional. It is FULL OF AMAZING SWOON.

"When he finally kisses my mouth, everything goes oddly quiet, like the moment of silence between lightening and thunder. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi. Four Mississippi. Five Mississippi.

Bang.

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

So, you have read the above summary and you know that this is only the beginning of the story. After an amazing day and night together, Allyson wakes up alone. Willem is gone without a goodbye. The carefree Allyson, who had slipped into an alter ego that Willem named Lulu (after silent film star Louise Brooks who Allyson reminds him of,) is instantly thrown into a tailspin and all the former self doubt and questions rush back in. Allyson, lost and distraught, slinks back to America with her tail tucked between her legs.

I knew going into Just One Day that there would be moments of joy and wonder (it's Gayle Forman, after all) and moments of utter heartbreak (again, it's Gayle Forman.) And there is. Allyson returns home, enters college and reverts back to her old life. Except stepping back into the role of dutiful daughter and friend isn't as easy as she expected. Meeting Willem, becoming Lulu, even for just one day, has irrevocably changed her, and there is no going back.

At this point in the story the pace slows down as Allyson, in the grips of a deep depression, muddles through her days and nights at college. Yes, it is a little Bella Swan/New Moon-ish in feel. Except that Allyson isn't depressed just because she lost a boy. Allyson lost so much more that day in Paris. She lost an identity. She lost the chance to become the person she inwardly longs to be. And that is what makes this book so compelling. Allyson's struggle to find herself, to stand up to all the self doubt and fear that she feels inside, and to challenge herself to become the person she wants to be.

"I have a full life. How can I be this empty? Because of one day? Because of one guy?"

When Allyson reaches a turning point, and with the help of some new found friends (D'Angelo, you ROCK) she realizes that the only way she is ever going to be able to move on is to go back to Paris to try and discover some answers: What really happened to Willem? Was what she experienced over the course of that day one sided, or did Willem feel it too? The remainder of the story is Allyson readying herself both physically and mentally for her return to Paris. And as Allyson finally begins to let people in, she rediscovers hope and trust.

I was absolutely fist pumping and cheering Allyson on as she made that return trip to Paris. You guys, I was so swept up in this story, I felt like I was living it through Allyson's eyes. I don't know how she does it but Gayle Forman allowed me, a married mom of two, to feel personally connected to this story in so many ways. There is magic, not the kind found in paranormal or supernatural books, but REAL, LIFE MAGIC written into Just One Day. Just One Day is a book that will lift you up, make you laugh and smile, and break your heart in the next instance. It will take you on a journey, just as Allyson journey's to find Willem and, ultimately, herself. It is powerful and it is authentic. It may be just an every day story, something ordinary that could happen to anyone, but it is made extraordinary by the talented story telling of Gayle Forman. In my opinion, Just One Day epitomizes all the best things about Young Adult and New Adult contemporary literature. I wish that I could have read a book like this when I was just starting out. But honestly, I think that the themes and messages found in this book are lessons that anyone, young or old, will easily relate to.

Guys, trust me. This book is not to be missed. I read a touring ARC that I had to mail after one week. It was a busy week because I had copious amounts of notes, quotes and excerpts marked that I had to jot down before sending it on. Needless to say, I have already pre-ordered a copy for myself because this is a book I will definitely read again and again. Especially as we near Fall of 2013, when the story continues through Willem's point of view, entitled Just One Year. I am already FULL of speculations as to what his story is will be:)

Believe me when I say that you are going to want to read this book. And then come back and let me know what you think so we can discuss it in all it's blazing glory, okay? Please? Thanks:)

5/5 Stars- This one gets all my stars:)

After a whirlwind tour through Europe, Allyson is looking forward to returning home and starting college in the fall. Even if it means missing Paris and even if the tour wasn't everything Allyson thought it would be.

Two days before she is set to return home, Allyson sees an underground of Twelfth Night that unexpectedly changes everything.

Accompanied by a laid-back Dutch actor named Willem as her guide, Allyson spends a whirlwind day in Paris where, finally, Allyson understands what her European tour was meant to feel like. As she and Willem grow closer, Allyson starts to understand what a lot of things are supposed to feel like.

At least, she thought she did.

When Allyson wakes up the next day to find Willem already gone, Allyson's previous certainty shatters.

Starting college in the wake of Willem's abrupt departure, Allyson starts to fall apart. She knows what is expected of her. She even knows most of what's wrong. But she has no idea what she wants. No idea how to fix anything.

One day gave Allyson the chance to change everything even if it meant losing Willem. With one year, Allyson might be able to finally find herself in Just One Day (2013) by Gayle Forman.

Just One Day is the first novel in a duet. Willem's story, Just One Year is set to publish in fall 2013.

Forman expertly chronicles Allyson's self-destruction during her first semester of college as well as her efforts to start fresh (with a tabula rasa, if you will) in the following term. Allyson's changing relationships with her family and friends are also handled well in the story.

Filled with travel and a variety of settings, Just One Day is a vivid trip through Europe filled with descriptions of all of the sights Allyson takes in over the course of her story. I also loved the inclusion of so many Shakespeare references as counterpoints to Allyson's experiences. The underlying buoyancy and serendipity of the story is also refreshing as (after the obligatory wallowing) Allyson works on moving forward.

Told over the course of one whirlwind day and the subsequently turbulent year, Just One Day is ostensibly a love story--or at least a story of lost love. Except it's also a more than that. Knowing that the book is part of a duet, there will of course be answers about Willem's disappearance and his own feelings about Allyson. However, by the end of the story, that's very secondary to the story of Allyson finding herself and figuring out what she wants.

Possible Pairings: The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life by Tara Altebrando, Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley, Stranger in the Forest by Eric Harsen, Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, As You Like It by William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, The Statistical Probability of True Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Like so many others, I'm a huge Gayle Forman fan. I just adore the stories she comes up with so I was really excited about reading this one. I think I had pretty much forgot what the book was about when I opened it up so I didn't know where the story would go and that worked really well for me. I wasn't sure if the book takes place in one day, or what. And it doesn't, it takes place over a year but it's based on one special day and something that happened that day.

The book was full of things I love, international travel (London, Paris and more), romance, finding oneself and their way and family and friends. I love to travel but haven't traveled internationally yet, so I just live vicariously through books. While initially I felt a bit disappointed in how it was going it quickly changed and in the end of I fell head over heels for the travel aspect in the book. I know many weren't a fan of the romance, but personally I loved it. It just killed me a little when the book ended because it was sort of cliffhanger, but yet was kind of perfect too. Through the book we see Allyson and how she's kind of a perfectionist, doing everything possible to keep her parents happy but not acknowledging her own dreams. Once she starts finding her way and opening up she becomes a different person and I totally loved her. Her mother was infuriating in her control freak ways and I wanted to scream at her to let Allyson live her life and to stop controlling every single thing she did. Once Allyson broke free of that she was an amazing person.

The friendships in this book are actually pretty epic and something I really want to talk about more in depth. While she has a bit of a tumultuous friendship with her best friend who is off at a different college finding her own way, once she learns how to make friends with others things start getting amazing. Allyson never really had a lot of friends, so once she makes some and learns how to be a good friend she finds she can do anything. In this book all these side characters, even ones who make brief appearances are important. And the author did an amazing job fleshing them out and making it so we really know them in such a short time. They all had these amazing personalities and were people I wanted to know. These are people from her classroom, from the street who she randomly talks to, people in restaurants who come to her aid, just random people everywhere and anywhere. And with all the horrible things that have been happening in this world this was a good book to read because it sort of renewed my hope in humanity. There are far more good people out there than bad. Far more.

This book made me laugh and cry. I cried tears of sadness, tears of frustration and tears of happiness. I wasn't bawling or anything, but more like the feeling in your throat, when you have the urge to shed a tear or two. But it was good, it was just evidence that this book was really impacting me and hitting the right spot.
The next next book, Just One Year, is scheduled to come out this year and I cannot wait!

I definitely recommend this book. I have seen some bad reviews and I have to say that this is one that I don't get it. I loved the book and many others have as well, so you need to give it a shot at least!
While this is categorized as YA, it is more NA as the MC is over 18 and is starting college. While there's implied sex, it's off the page and there's very little cursing.

This is going to be another mega-hit! More of the Forman you've grown to love, minus the devastating medical circumstances. Might be even more powerful without that device.

I absolutely loved Gayle Forman's first two books, and therefore jumped at the chance to read more of her work. Her first duo, If I Stay and Where She Went, were gorgeously written sweeping contemporaries that were perfect examples of all that is right in YA today. I was hoping for more of the same with Just One Day, and wasn't disappointed.

Just One Day is an exploration of what happens when a good girl lets go and allows herself to be impulsive for just one day. Allyson finds herself agreeing to go to Paris for the day with a boy she barely knows, and who knows even less about her. Having always striven to be everything her parents ever wanted in a daughter, Allyson struggles with being confident enough to trust her instincts, as well as trusting enough to keep from ruining what could be an incredible experience.

Just One Day also explores what happens after that day is over, and the girl has to go back to her regular life, where everything is the same as it was before- except the girl.

As a reader who has never done much traveling, this story which is dependent on explaining the travel experience was a great virtual-vacation. As a reader who was looking for contextual clues to the character's transformation, the changes of scenery were perfect signposts for how Allyson was evolving.

Allyson's relationships with others were great indicators for how she was changing as well. Whereas she begins the story with one close friend, by the end of the book, she become close with an eclectic group of interesting people, including her own mother. As she becomes accepting of others and allows them to know her and accept her, she also learns to appreciate herself- not as thinks she should be, but as she really is.

I love the message of self-acceptance and confidence that comes through as a strong theme in this novel. I think that we spend so much time cautioning teens to be careful that we forget to teach them to trust themselves to be able to recognize real danger. I recognize that, as a mother, having my daughter do some of the things Allyson did in this book woud scare me silly. As a woman, I wish that at her age I'd had the confidence to experience the world by chance a little bit more.

Experiencing the world by chance is what Willem seems to have been doing for at least the last couple of years. There are hints that he is a very wounded boy, and it seems that, for a while, at least, he believes that Allyson, or Lulu, as he calls her, can heal him.

I believe that we're going to see, in book two, that these two characters have actually been doing a lot of self-healing. They've inspired each other, and are working toward a middle ground where they just might find their Happily Ever After. I, for one, will be ready to pounce on book two as soon as it's available, so I can find out.

Allyson is tired of being the "good girl". So while she's abroad on a teen experience tour, she decides to spend a day in Paris with the mysterious Willem, who she just met. What could possibly go wrong? Well, she gave him her expensive new graduation watch, slept with him, and then never saw him again. Now it's time to go to college, but she can't stop thinking about him. She could have sworn they had a connection. And she might just be willing to break out of her shell, track him down, and find out if love could blossom in just one day.

I love Gayle Forman but this book just didn't have the spark and chemistry of her other books, such as If I Stay. This was a cute story overall, but quite slow in the middle. I would recommend Forman's other books such as If I Stay or Where She Went before this, but I will say the cliff hanger does make me want to perhaps pick up the next book in the series to find out what happens.

*2 STARS*

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I received this book from Penguin a few months back, and honestly forgot about it. But then I saw last week that there was going to be a readathon, so I finished up what I was reading and picked this up. I'm a big fan of Gayle's and was really excited to read it. Her If I Stay & Where She Went are probably two of the best contemporary young adult romance books out there. If you haven't read them, well get to it.

One thing that intrigued me about this book was the idea of falling in love with someone in a day. Love at first sight. Does it happen? Is it ridiculous to say you love someone when you really don't know them? Well Allyson finds out when she meets a Dutch actor in London who is performing with an underground Shakespeare group. He's a mystery and Allyson is smitten. What surprises Allyson and her friend, is that she's willing to travel to Paris with Willem on a whim.

As they make their way around Paris, Allyson (who Willem calls Lulu), she finds out that Willem is more complex than originally thought. He knows people, mostly women, that he's been intimate with, but is off on his own. He's an enigma. As each person break through the tough skin of walls, they both become entranced with each other. Until it culminates in making love in an abandoned warehouse. When Lulu wakes up the next morning, Willem is gone and her world crashes around her.

Once back stateside, and a freshman in college, Allyson struggles. She struggles to understand why Willem would leave her with no note. Struggles to appease her parents who try to rule her life with an iron fist. And most importantly she struggles in college. But depression hits, she loses her best friend to NYC and that life. Her friend at college may or may not be a fantastic actor who can be anyone he wants to be. A real-life chameleon.

However, Allyson can't let Willem out of her head. She gets a job to earn enough money to find out where Willem is and what happened that one day. As she gets closer to the truth, she realizes that everything may not be as it seems and perhaps, his leaving wasn't something that he wanted.

A beautiful story of want and longing and first love and hopes and dreams. Doing what is right for you and following your own path.

I literally inhaled this book because I really had no clue where it was going. But once I got there, it was marvelous.

There will be a companion piece to this one, Just One Year, which will tell us Willem's side of the story. And the way that Just One Day ended, I cannot wait! I've read that it's June sometime. Highly recommend for fans of Forman, Dessen, Elkeles and Echols.

JUST ONE DAY was not what I expected. I highly respect Gayle Forman, so I was expecting to love the novel. But I expected a romance. Allyson and Willem meet and have a whirlwind day before he disappears. In my head, based on the summary, I figured JUST ONE DAY would be all about finding Willem again and the true lovers reuniting. As Forman is an excellent author, what she delivered was much better than what I'd assumed. JUST ONE DAY really is Allyson's story. Willem shook her world up, for better or worse, and she has to decide how she wants to live her life and repair her relationship with herself before any sort of romance is going to work.

Upon physically looking at my bookmarks in the book, Willem and Allyson's relationship is not insignificant. At least two thirds of the book are basically what I expected. But that third that was so unexpected lingered in my mind. Allyson's freshman year of college is not easy. She's hurting, she's separated from her best friend and not doing well at making new ones, and her grades aren't what they were in high school. As everyone must, however, Allyson learns to adjust and reassess her goals. Part of the shock of college is being truly responsible for your life choices. Allyson's college experience doesn't resemble mine in any way, but it was emotionally authentic. Sometimes it was hard to read because her struggle hit so close to the bone.

If there's one thing Forman does really well it's play your emotions.

I have to give props to the entire cast. I'm sure many reviews will go on and on about how hot Willem is. I'll admit that he's intelligent and fun, but he has some douchebag qualities. Part of Allyson's growth is not idealizing Willem and figuring out if she wants to be with the guy who actually exists. But I want to say a few things about characters who might go unheralded. I love Kali, who emphasizes her words, and all of Allyson's other roommates, who might not be the people Allyson first assumes. (Who is?) Dee the chameleon is priceless and I want a book all about him. I like that Melanie falls in and out of the narrative because she has her own life and is adjusting, albeit in a different way than Allyson.

You should read JUST ONE DAY if you have any interest in contemporary YA, amateur Shakespeare, Paris, or impeccable characterization. Forman is one of YA's crown jewels and I think her new duet will only add to her reputation. I'm certainly looking forward to companion novel JUST ONE YEAR.

My Thoughts: I expected to like this a bit more than I did. I still enjoyed it a lot but I thought this would end up being a 5 cupcake for me, but it just wasn't.

We are introduced to Allyson who goes to England with a traveling group to enjoy the sites, and experience culture, and something she hasn't really given the chance to explore before, she's happy and content, but she never has as much fun as she hopes.

Until she meets Willem. Willem is so sweet, and he's a bit of a charmer. But, even though Allyson connects with him, I really didn't. She spends one amazing day with him and then its all over, and she goes home. During the year, she constantly thinks about him, and that one amazing day. She doesn't even know his last name. So she decides she's going to hunt him down, and things go from there.

Honestly, I wanted to love this more. The middle half felt like it dragged on, and I just thought she was being too depressed over a guy she spent one day with. It's just one day! I get it, I do. She gave a big piece of herself to him that day but if he was stupid enough to leave then that is his fault. She was just too special to have to deal with that.

Just One Day was an interesting start to a series. I heard this is supposed to be another one. And of course this ends right on the spot I wanted to know what happened next.

I felt like this book was pretty neat, but I wanted a little more out of it, and some parts of it probably could have been taken out, and I would have been fine with that.

I did like Allyson as a person though, and a few of her friends. The characters were interesting enough to keep me reading, and want to finish this one.

Overall: Really enjoyed it, but had hoped to enjoy it a little more. Maybe I'll like Forman's next book a little more. I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks of this one.

Cover: Like it. It makes you feel like you're really sitting there with her. Love the watch!

What I'd Give It: 4/5 Cupcakes
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Taken From Princess Bookie

Just last year, I began my own journey through the vast country of contemporary YA books. While I prefer my fantasies, paranormals and horrors, I decided that it was worth to see what was on the other side of the fence. One of my first experiments with this genre was Forman's incredibly famous novel If I Stay. I liked it, but it was the companion/sequel Where She Went, the one that sold me to Forman as a writer and as a solid builder of realistic, but hearbreaking stories. So, after that, I was sold on the idea of reading more from her. When Just One Day was announced, along with its inclusion of Shakespeare, I knew I had to read it. While I must admit that I did like it and was fairly entertained with it, the novel for some reason left me wanting something more.

After the deep emotional experiences that were Mia and Adam's journeys in the If I Stay series, I expected to be completely moved and feel entirely invested emotionally on Allyson's journey. The truth is that it took quite some time for me to even get used to her. While I admit that she was a layered protagonist with a well-constructed psychology, I didn't immediately liked her or related to her or even cared that much. She didn't transcend the page for me and a lot of what I got from her was whining, excuses and complaints. I did like Willem's character, but that was mostly in a superficial way because he was constructed to be charming and endearing. I suppose he'll get his own chance to fully develop into a real person in the following novel, Just One Year, which will tell the experience from his own perspective. Aside from recognizing that he was a cool and charming love interest, and that he and Allyson did have some chemistry, his character never truly captured me. There were a lot of interesting characters thrown around the novel, and I was particularly interested in Allyson's best-but-soon-to-be-estranged friend, especially because of the way Forman chose to develop her. But many of the other character's relationships with Allyson more often than not felt a bit forced, especially in the case of Dee, whose characterization was a bit over the top for me. I feel like Forman made it a bit too easy for Allyson to meet people and get help from them and move the plot along.

What's great about Forman's books is that they are journeys of character development, and in that case, Just One Day didn't fully disappoint. Allyson's character does growth considerably from beginning to end, and I do like the note with which she ended the novel, but I felt that her journey was more about following a boy that finding herself. All throughout her depression, her decision to make herself and the execution of her plan, I never actually felt like she was doing this for herself, like the whole metaphor of the journey implies. Sure, she discovered a part of herself in that trip, one true part of herself that she didn't know and she wanted to explore, but her entire journey didn't feel to me like it was primarily about that, because, well, there's the fact that she does make her trip about him and the deep, unreasonable depression that preceded it only reinforced my feeling.

Where Forman did not disappoint me at all were with the writing, the honesty behind every word, and the beauty of the world she manage to capture. This book is beautifully written and Forman used the full extent of her ability to bring Paris to life, a part of it that we don't see portrayed everywhere because it might not be as beautiful, but which she still made amazing in the novel nonetheless. The thing with this book is that, in spite of all the things I've already said, which could be taken as somewhat negative, this book was still very engaging and I still very much want to read the sequel. So, it is fair to say that, while they were some issues for me with the execution, the overall feel of the novel makes it a worthwhile read.

A beautifully-written account of a realistic, conflicted girl in a gorgeously rendered-world, Just One Day might not have been what I expected, but it was still very enjoyable and touching in many occasions, filled with many interesting characters and a wonderful journey towards self-discovery.

Yes, I partook in the Just One Day Read-a-thon. I didn't exactly win it- I only just finished the book a couple hours ago, but I did make a pretty good dent in the book in that 24-hour period, reading a little over 200 pages. That also included a lot of sleeping, dinner at Olive Garden, and seeing Pitch Perfect. So I think I did pretty good.

Anyway, you want to know about the book itself. Well, it was pretty much fantastic. I wish I hadn't been doing so much this weekend so I didn't have to put it down so often! Forman really writes a compelling story and I loved seeing Allyson grow throughout the book. There's a real change in her from beginning to middle to end.

I also realized how Forman intends to write these companion novels. I was a bit confused just going by the titles, thinking this would be about one day and the other about one year, just from the different perspectives. But I see that the book is divided up into two parts- Just One Day and Just One Year. So in the first half, we witness the day Allyson/Lulu and Willem spend together and then go through the year afterward in the second half, where Allyson is at college and then starts to try and find Willem again.

I really enjoyed seeing Allyson and Willem's interactions. It never felt dull even though pretty much that whole first half (about 140 pages) is mainly just the two of them together with no other characters. I wanted their adventure to go on and on!

Like I said before, I loved Allyson's journey toward doing more and realizing her potential in the second part. I particularly liked her friendship with Dee, someone she meets in her Shakespeare class. He was such an interesting character and even though it probably won't happen, I'd love it if he popped up in Just One Year somehow.

Overall, another amazing book by Forman and it may have intimidated me as a writer a bit. She just writes so wonderfully and beautifully. Definitely pick this book up!

Gayle Forman has a way of touching you with her words. Her stories are fairly simple in terms of plot, but they resonate deep within you in a way you never expected. Just One Day is no exception to that rule.

Allyson is on the "Dream Trip" to Europe before she starts college - when something completely unexpected happens. She meets Willem, an actor in an underground production of Twelfth Night, and she spends a day with him in Paris. This one day changes her life, she wakes up the next morning to find Willem gone - along with her expensive watch she'd received from her parents.

Now here is where most girls (I think) would just write him off as a jerk who stole her watch and get on with it. But not Allyson. She spends the next year in a deep funk, which eventually brings her to Dee, her new best friend, and to finding out who she wants to be amid high expectations from everyone around her.

Eventually, Allyson goes back to Paris - and for me, this is where the book really picks up. I think in the last 30% of the book she grows in ways I had never expected. And it really turned the book around for me.

To sum it up? I really loved the first 1/3rd of the book, where Allyson is in Paris on her adventure with Willem. I found myself struggling through the middle chunk - her depression was hard to read, not because it wasn't well written, but because I felt it along with her. Then, I loved her adventure back to Europe.

Now? I just have to wait. (Rather anxiously!) for Just One Year - Willem's story! I'm dying to know what happened to him (aside from what I've pieced together under assumptions!) and I can't wait to find out what happens with these two!

I cannot recommend Gayle Forman's writing enough - and Just One Day is a fantastic, and quick, read!

Well she's done it again! Gayle Forman has a gift for contemporary teen fiction. She has the uncanny ability to write stories that people across generations can identify with.

I was immediately drawn to Allyson. She's the good girl who never gets in trouble, gets good grades, and generally seems to have life planned out. But, she's the product of obsessive parenting and feels like she's never gotten a say in anything she has ever done. A spur of the moment trip to Paris and the events that happen in one day leave her questioning her own desires. And I understood so much of what she was going through. I loved watching her see the joy in doing something so impromptu. I lived through those beginning moments of falling in love, even when you don't believe in love at first sight. I was heartbroken right along with her when she realized he was gone. And I seriously understood every moment of her depression and soul searching over the next year.

I was completely unsure of Willem. We see him through Allyson's eyes, and as much as she's falling for him, she's also expecting the worst. But, he kept doing these little gestures that seemed so real and heartfelt. The connection was there, I was sure of it. When he was gone the next morning, I thought I knew what had happened. I can't wait to get Willem's story to see it for myself!

The added touch of Shakespeare was really just a bonus for me. I'm a Shakespeare fan and thought it was perfect backdrop for this story. The author did a fantastic job of weaving it in.

I can't say enough good things about it. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, and didn't carry the same punch for me as If I Stay. But, it was beautifully told. And as I said before....I can't wait for Just One Year!

We've all been anxiously awaiting a new book from Gayle Forman, right? I was left heartbroken and in love after If I Stay and Where She Went. Just One Day is very different from those books, but it still captures some of the same feelings. I certainly loved it.

You really can't go wrong with books set in other countries. Just One Day starts out in Stratford-upon-Avon where Allyson is having a not so great time on a teen tour. That all changes when she meets Willem. The next thing she knows she's having a one day adventure with him in Paris. Sounds like the most romantic thing ever, huh? It pretty much was.

Allyson wasn't your typical YA main character. For one thing she's older that most MCs. She's 18 and just getting ready to start college when the story begins. Her personality was really realistic to me. She was so unsure of herself and she felt like an outcast compared to her peers. She reminded me a lot of myself, actually. I thought it was so interesting that she really struggled with school and her friends after her day with Willem. She was depressed for quite awhile and that's exactly the appropriate reaction to a breakup, but you don't see that often in books. Her growth throughout the book was remarkable.

Willem really wasn't as swoon-worthy as I was hoping for, but I did really like him. He's still somewhat of a mystery to me. I have a feeling I'm going to fall head over heels for him in the sequel.

Just One Day was a refreshing and different contemporary read. It was a lot of fun and almost impossible to put down. I'm already anxiously awaiting Just One Year. I can't wait to see where Gayle Forman takes us next.

While I can definitely say that I enjoyed Just One Day, I can't say that I fell in love with it. I think it's unfair to compare Just One Day to If I Stay, but my love for If I Stay set the bar really high going into Just One Day.

Allyson is a good girl. She plays by the rules. Instead of going out and drinking while on a trip through Europe (where she's legal) she stays in and watches American movies every night. Her best friend rags on her lack of adventure frequently and it starts to get on Allyson's nerves. When she is faced with the option to go to Paris with a boy she barely knows, she does something completely out of character and goes. For just one day.

I think it's because of the title and the fact that I didn't need to read the summary to know I wanted to read this book, but I was expecting this novel to take place in one day. In actuality, it takes place over an entire year. This is probably the first place the book disappointed me. I love books that take place over one day, and though I enjoyed the month-by-month formatting of Just One Day, it wasn't what I expected.

I really liked Allyson when she was in Paris, but I got really frustrated wither her behavior in the following year. I didn't understand her complete lack of motivation to do well in classes/make friends/live a happy life. She was also really disrespectful to her family (who aren't evil or anything), something I had a lot of trouble getting over.

Though I had some trouble with her attitude, I was pleasantly surprised that so much of Just One Day focuses on Allyson's development instead of a relationship. I love the romance aspects of books, but I think major character development adds a whole new level. I really got to know Allyson and to understand the weight of some of her actions toward the end.

Just One Day shines the most Allyson is in Europe. I absolutely loved the way Forman wrote the descriptions and Allyson's reactions to certain cultural things. Forman did a great job increasing my wanderlust and fortifying my intentions to study abroad!

Despite my issues with Just One Day, I really did like it. Forman's writing is beautiful, and she knows how to write a connection between two people. I was compelled to know what happened next and, well, the ending pretty much killed me. To say that I'm looking forward to Just One Year is an understatement. I'm ravenous for it. I must know Willem's side of the story.

Just One Day is a great novel that will make you wish for one day in Paris of your own, and for the sequel even more

This is one of those perfectly written, beautiful reads that will connect with you while you're reading, and leave you thinking about long after you finish it. Whether you're at that stage in life where you're trying to figure out who you are and where you want to go, or whether you're long past that stage (like me). This is a book about finding yourself, and in following Allyson's story it took me back to those moments and years right out of high school where I had the world at my finger tips, and I had to decide what I was going to do with it. Like Allyson, during my adventure of figuring out the world, was the discovering of who I was.

Just One Day is also a story that encompasses love, loss, friendship, venturing out on your own, fear, hope, accomplishment, and empowerment. I'm talking that empowerment that only one's self feels after they achieve something they never thought possible. Gayle's writing is beautiful. It's raw, it's honest, and moving. Gayle's writing extremely realistic and encompasses so many things that real life throws at us. Well in my case Gayle's writing also offers me something I've always wanted to do and haven't yet done, and that's seeing parts of the world I've yet to see. I love feeling like I was traveling right alone Allyson. Feeling her joys, her worries, and understanding what she was dealing with both with her heart, and with her friendships.

I LOVED this book. This is a book that readers of all ages will/can connect with on some level. It's one I'd highly recommend picking up if you're a teen reader and older.

Oh my gosh!! I had seen this book a lot, and it looked interesting. However, I did not think it would be a book that I would love. I was so wrong though! This book blew me away.

Allyson was very relatable, and I easily put myself into her shoes as I was reading. She had a hard time being spontaneous, but when she is- wow! Their adventure in Paris for a day was crazy!! I always want to visit a foreign country and not see the main tourist spots, but all the authentic local spots. I liked that about their trip to Paris. It was very authentic. Willem on the other hand was a little more mysterious. I found myself having all the same doubts and worries about him as Allyson did. He was hard to interpret, but in an intriguing way.

During Allyson's time back in America, I got a little bored with the book. I wanted to know what happened to Willem!! I definitely think the in between time was necessary for the story though, so I would not count that as a bad thing. It just made me read faster to get to the good stuff!

The second trip to Paris was just as crazy as the first, only in different ways. I could never see myself traveling all over another country completely alone. I would have been terrified, and very lost, but Allyson handled it really well. She went on such a long "hunt" that I was relieved when it ended, but was disappointed in the way the hunt ended. But then!?! The ending. Y'all the ending of the book was crazy! I am dying for the next book already!! So, so good! Read this now!

I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

Gayle Forman consistently writes the most amazing books that I have ever had the pleasure of putting my hands on. Just one day was only proof of that and I'm seriously counting down the days to Just one Year.

Allyson "Lulu" is a girl who just graduated high school and goes overseas on a tour trip her parents gave her for a graduation present. She goes with her best friend and as a girl who does what her parents want of her, lives to their every expectation, and follows the rules. Until One day she meets Willem, a guy guy in a play. I love that Shakespeare's plays were such a huge part of this book. Anyways on the train to London where after the weekend her and the best friend will be returning home, she runs into Willem and in London they decide to go to London where they have the best day and night of her life.

Allyson returns home not as she was and realizes she wasn't living life. I think everyone experiences at least one day in their life that is so amazing it changes our lives and the way Gayle Forman wrote this story it was AMAZING. You couldn't help but feel her being stained, feel the betrayal and loss, and the going through the days just making it through and not really living again. Until she decides to move on, however her decision to move on not only helps her feel happier in life, but also leads her back to WIllem or at least on the search to know what happened after their day.

FIVE COMPLETE STARS for this book.

This book broke my heart and sort of made me an emotional wreck by the end. And I'm almost 100% sure that if I hadn't been borrowing it from someone else that I would have thrown it across the room at times. Gayle Forman is one of my favorite authors - of all time. So right off the bat I knew that this was going to be a great book, but at the same time I had to try and get rid of the biased view that was building up in my head. And well that didn't really work for very long, because there's just something about Gayle Forman's writing that makes me forget about everything else.

For the first... 1/3 of this book everything was perfect, in a way that we knew that Willem and Allyson wouldn't be able to stay together because they live on opposite sides of the world, so they'd leave each other on good terms... But if you've read the synopsis, you know that isn't the case. But I didn't expect it to be so HEARTBREAKING. After Willem leaves her, Allyson goes through this stage where she's questioning everything about her life and she discovers what she really wants to do.

This book was so incredibly fantastic and the characters were amazing, but I disliked all of them at one time or another. This wasn't one of those cases where the characters are annoying or just unlikeable people. It's just that we had to see them fail before we saw them succeed - sometimes they even failed more than once. Allyson, our main character, went on a journey of self discovery and during that time she made mistakes, but she learned from them. Granted it wasn't as fast as I would have liked it at times, but that's part of what made her such a great person. The secondary characters were also equally fantastic because even though they don't play this huge part in the book, they still add to Allyson's discovery and with the few details we have of their lives we can learn so much about them.

And I really don't think I could succesfully review and share my thoughts on this book without a little snippet on the romance. Allyson, or Lulu (persona she takes up in Paris) meets Willem while she's on a guided tour in Europe and the two instantly have a connection. They spend this intense day together, just one day, and it was enough for me to fall for his character. THE SWOON that is this guy. There's so much going on with him, and I seriously cannot wait to read the next book... which is in his perspective. Because I need answers. And there really isn't much for me to go off on because they didn't spend long together, but just trust me... he's worthy of a swoon alert.

If you haven't read If I Stay or Where She Went, I wouldn't say I'm not recommending this book to you. But I'd say read those ones first. You'll be incredibly frustrated with the ending of this book, and if you don't understand this author's style it'll frustrate you to no end. This book broke my heart into a million little pieces, but I have faith that Gayle Forman will put it back together with the next book in this series, Just One Year.

This book? Eh, I really don't know where to begin.

I started it and thought it would be so fun, unique, clever. It was none of those things.

Allyson was a main character it was hard to respect. She was so wishy washy, all over the place. She mopes on a European tour we would all love to go on. She shows desire to throw caution to the wind. She takes dangerous risks. Acts stupid. Falls apart. We think she shows some backbone, but then with the last chapter we aren't so sure. Hard to respect.

Anyway I really liked the authors other series, so I was surprised. As it seems some are. I just don't know what was so special about Willem to make her so immobile. And she did it to herself! And as for her, yeah just not that great. I liked Dee and her friends met when she returned to Paris much more. And her Grandma. Could have done without the rest to be honest.

This book is a really great book! At first glance, I thought it would be a cheesy romance novel that I would get bored halfway through, but it was the complete opposite and was more of a coming of age story where a girl finds the answers to who she really is. This book was very interesting from the start and introduced the main characters flaw of always trying to do things for everyone else very early. I read this book in three days because it was so interesting to me.
After she experiences Paris with Willem and the events that follow the day in Paris, she becomes a depressed person with many questions. It's not until she barely passes her first semester of college that she realizes that she should do things for herself and stop trying to please everyone and more importantly, stop trying to please the Allyson that Willem tried to push her to be. She begins to take classes that she can actually keep up with and be happy in. She meets new people that she slowly gets to know, and soon she finds herself telling these people about Willem and her questions that she has for him. They encourage her to go back to Europe to find the answers and from there, Allyson takes off into working and learning French so that she can go on her terms without needing anyone of anything. After months of working, much to her parents dislike, she leaves for Paris where she has the time of her life. She meets a very important group of people that help her on the quest to find the answers. She tracks all over Europe, ending in a very different place that she first planned.
All of the answers come to her slowly during this trip and she learns so much more than what she would imagine. This book is a really good read and inspires you to find answers in your life. I rate this book a solid 5/5 stars. I can't wait to read the send book from Willem's perspective. This book hold's many unique characters with interesting lives. Characters such as Melanie, Allyson's childhood best friend who changes her personality every 3 seconds. Not only does Allyson learn to change for the better in this book, the characters she meets and makes friends with change. Allyson's relationship with her parents completely changes and everything in her life looks up by the end. This book is very inspiring and I will definitely read it again.

It is rare for me to read a book in almost one sitting. I think it took three for this one, simply because I needed to eat, sleep, and work. Otherwise, if I was awake and not working or eating, I was reading this book. Loved it. Very few authors can pull off a cliffhanger ending that makes me trigger happy for the next book instead of making me want to break something out of anger, but Gayle Forman did it, probably because she brought us full circle with the lead character's growth and quest, so, in a way, the reader does get an ending.

This book made me laugh, and it made me bawl my eyes out. But most of all, it made me want to continue turning the pages until I reached the end.

My only criticism is that the book contained over twenty spelling/grammar errors (I stopped counting at twenty): mostly missing words. For example, it wasn't uncommon to read a sentence like the following: "She waited to see where ball bounced," and left out the word, "the." Most authors who make such errors--and so many of them--would lose a star from me, but Forman is such an amazing story crafter, she more than makes up for the errors to the point I would give her extra stars if I could.

I can't say enough about how incredible this story was for me, and how eager I am for the next.

I'm a huge fan of Gayle Forman. I read If I Stay in just a few hours. Same with where she went. She has this way of sucking you. It took me a while to finally pick up Just One Day. I think I was afraid of being let down.

Similar to If I Stay in didn't take me long to finish but I wasn't as wrapped up in the story. There were quite a few times where I wanted to shake Allyson and tell her to get a grip on life. She seemed overly dramatic. She did end up redeeming herself but it took a bit. By the last 100 pages or so I couldn't put the book down.

The ending may disappoint many but I find it kind of perfect. It wasn't about finding Willem it was about finding herself.

If you're a Gayle Forman fan you'll want to make sure you read this one too!

Cover: Enticing
POV: First Person. Present. Allyson.
Rating:5.0

I don't think I can do this, I'm not sure if I want to. But if there is one thing this amazing journey taught me is to be brave. I'm beyond amazed at this `global-trotting' that Allyson embarked on and it couldn't have come at a better time.

For you to understand my fascination with this book at this moment I must explain how everything came to. Maybe if I had read it the day a bought it, exactly two weeks ago, then it would have gone as a trivial trek. Maybe if I hadn't fought with my mother that night I wouldn't have grasp it as if my life depended on it. Maybe if I would have read it in a day I wouldn't be completely broken as I am now.

I had this review all planned out, the typical review I have been priorly doing, but somehow I don't find it fitting. I don't care if people rated it 4-stars or 3-stars, I rate it 10-stars and beyond because it was perfect. With all of its heartbreaking moments, and anger induced flipping of pages, it came together breathtakingly beautiful. I haven't read Gayle Forman's previous works and perhaps that is why I enjoyed this book more than others, and for that I am gratified.

This can easily be a review in where I right all about Allyson Headly and Willem de Ruiter, a story about being stained in one day, losing the other in one year, and finding romance in Paris, but a story about finding yourself above all everything else.

Allyson started out in a way like this,
"In my mind, I am bold and forthright, but what comes out always seems to be so meek and polite.

"The people things happen to and the rest of us, who just sort of plod on with things. The Lulus and the Allysons."

That's how her one day journey started out, with a new identity. Someone who she wants to be, but never had the chance to be. And that why I find so intriguing. There are some of us who are stuck being who we are, but not being able to be who we truly want to be.

"Traveling's not something you're good at. It's something you do. Like breathing."

" We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in one day. Anything can happen in just one day."

And that one day changes her life. The next year is were it is so realistically hurtful. It shows how Allyson can't get past it, how it changed her life, how it changed her. It made her open her eyes to who she truly wants to be.

" That after the one day comes heartbreak. No wonder she won't tell him who she truly is."

This book is more than just romance, but the harsh truth of finding who you are and going after it. Of being courageous when it comes to unknown territory.

"And the people we pretend at, they're already in us. That's why pretend them in the first place."

She finally comes to grasp that she isn't the person who her parents or anyone else wants. And how sometimes what you see or think isn't really what is.

"She believes in saints. I believe in accidents. I think we basically believe in the same thing."

Along the way she gets friendship, mending of connections,and herself.

"Or maybe it's not a miracle. Maybe this is just life. When you open yourself up to it. When you put yourself in the path of it. When you say yes."

This book made me feel what Allyson was feeling, it made me laugh, it made me hope, it made me cry, but most of all it made me think and reflect.

Honestly, I don't know if I can wait until next year. I have an idea of what might have happened. And it hurts me to think of Willem with someone other than Allyson, but I'll just have to wait and see. I hope they do get a good ending. Allyson kind of deserves it.

Even when I was mad at Allyson for being such a downer I knew that what made this novel so good. That the heroin would turn around and smack herself to get on with her life.

What I liked:
The Accidents.
Allyson's and Willem's Paris
Tabala Rasa
Serendipity
Wren
The Stain
The First Kisses
Penisvania
Double Happiness
The Journey

I want the next book NOW!

Through perhaps no fault of anyone's but my own, I had expected Gayle Forman's "Just One Day" to be a much different book than it was. Its plot, kicked off when a shy American girl is swept off her feet in Paris by a handsome European boy, certainly sounds similar to Stephanie Perkins' "Anna and the French Kiss", but Forman's tale is less romantic whirlwind and more contemplative self-discovery. I probably would have enjoyed the read more if I did not go into it with unfounded expectations, however, for a novel that takes its lead character gallivanting around Europe for a bulk of the pages, it wasn't as exciting as it could have been.

Allyson's character is a hard one to pin down, as her problems are nothing new when it comes to teenage female protagonists. She's shy and lives a a strictly regimented life, she has a best friend who's spontaneous and outrageous who she wishes she could be more like, she begins to find herself and grow more confident throughout the course of the book. Her problems are understandable, sure, but it's nothing that we haven't seen before. I did enjoy her suspicions and doubts about Willem, which she frequently indulged in rather than marveling over how perfect he was (though there's a bit of that too), and I liked that her obsession with their "just one day" ultimately rests on how she feels about herself rather than how much she liked him. The sense of mystery surrounding what exactly happened to Willem provided some nice excitement, as does her journey to track him down.

The boy himself is more phantom metaphor than fully realized character here, but that's presumably on purpose, as the sequel/companion "Just One Year" will be all about Willem. I do hope it will be more sequel than companion, as the first book really didn't do anything to engage my curiosity about what exactly Willem was up to in the year that Allyson was going on her journey. The ending leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next rather than a rehash of how they got there. I liked Forman's "If I Stay", but I loved its sequel "Where She Went", so hopefully the same outcome will be the same here.

Full review on Reader's Dialogue: [...]

I love love love love love this book! I actually hadn't read any Gayle Forman before this, but you can bet I'm rushing to check out her other books!

You can actually feel the emotion emanating off every page with every one of Allyson/Lulu's thoughts and emotions. I felt like I myself was going on this rollercoaster of emotions, the giddiness of breaking free and doing something totally out of character, the despair when that plan seems to have backfired, and the subsequent questioning of her own personality and point to life. I love that section when she's totally withdrawn and depressed. It's described so beautifully, so painfully. And of course I love the "day," the way Allyson experiences it all with such wide-eyed wonder and utter glee. Fantastic.

As a story about self-discovery, this book does amazing things with a common theme, delving deeper and further than any book I've read recently into what a teenager could feel as she moves out of adolescence and tries desperately to claim her life as her own.

First, let me say that Gayle Forman's writing is amazing... I learned that when I read If I Stay and Where She Went (highly recommend both, by the way). It continued to be amazing in Just One Day.

A high school graduate, Allyson, visits Europe and meets a Dutch actor, Willem. They end up taking a spur of the moment trip to Paris and its in Paris where we learn just how much can happen in one days time. There are some exciting moments, there are some dull moments and then there are the swoony moments.

Then what we hope is the unthinkable, happens.

After a year has passed, Allyson decides to return to Europe, but for completely different reasons than her first visit; sort of. She's looking at life from a new perspective and has a whole new appreciation for accidents. She discovers herself and some pretty great people along the way.

The ending is one of those that's leaves you asking... ARE YOU FLIPPING SERIOUS!??! Big cliffie with zero closure. I'll have to read Just One Year because yeah, when left with that ending, how can I not?!?

I first heard of Just One Day on Goodreads. A friend was gushing about how she couldn't wait to get her hands on it, and how she knew she'd love it. I decided to check it out and thought it sounded okay. Nothing amazing, just a book I might eventually get around to reading. As time went on, I started to see more and more amazing reviews about it. When I recently discovered the Book Depository and it's free shipping I decided to give this book a go. And wow am I glad I did!

Just One Day is a very simple book in many aspects. It is simply about a boy and a girl who have just met deciding to spend a day together in Paris. Yet when reading it, it is so much more! It is a touching story of a girl finding the boy she loves and, more importantly, finding herself.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a contemporary read this much. I'm more of a dystopian/apocalyptic/fantasy fan. Yet this book managed to blow me away completely. I finished it the same day I started, which shows how I really and truly could not put this book down.

The book can be split into two parts. The one day they spent together and everything that happens after. I loved both these parts equally, though in different ways. The first part was utterly romantic, making me feel very jealous of these two not just for finding each other, but for doing it in Paris!

Slight spoilers ahead

The second part scared me off for a bit I will admit. I was getting a very New Moon feel from it until I understood the reason for Allyson's moping. It was not because she thought she was abandoned by Willem, though that may have been a small part of it. It was because she had found herself that one day with Willem and didn't know how to get her true self back.

Spoilers over

I loved these characters so much! Allyson was such a true person if that makes sense. Her decisions all made sense, they weren't just something to further the story along. She was so real. She was unbelievably well developed throughout the course of the book. Not only did Paris change her, but she is starting in college and going through the trials and tribulations of that also. Allyson without a doubt had the best character development I've ever read in a book! Willem, compared to everything we got to see about Allyson, was so mysterious, but I always believed the best of him. The other secondary characters were three-dimensional too, not simply filler for Allyson to interact with.

The love in this story was utterly perfect! No insta-love here that's for sure. You get to see every little detail of Willem and Allyson falling in love. I loved every single moment of it. You truly fall in love with Willem right alongside Allyson. I truly don't know whether to consider this romance the main focus of the book or the sub-plot. A little bit of both I guess. While it may seem like it is completely what the book is about, for me, it wasn't really. It was simply a way for Allyson to find her true self.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a romantic read, a mild adventure story, or a story of a young woman finding herself. This book has all!

"We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day." –Gayle Forman in Just One Day

I do believe this book was good, don’t get me wrong. If you read Forman’s previous novels If I Stayand Where She Went, You must have been expecting good things(like me). I think it was my high hopes of the hype around this book gave me the C average rating.

Allyson was a typical narrator. Always thinks smart, the girl who played it safe, and then she meets Willem and he unlocks a side of her that she herself didn’t know existed. Am I the only one who thinks this? But Allyson was enjoyable, sometimes. Now Allyson is on a tour and Paris got cancelled. Why not except a cute stranger’s request to take me for a day? Well I understand Allyson’s need to go to Paris, so I guess I wouldn’t take down a free pass to Paris!

The plot goes on and on. I guess you can call it a little fun? But it was the ending that I knew there was going to be a sequel. But the sequel doesn’t count as a sequel. More like a companion novel!

The whole book wasn’t a total let down. (Not talking about how much Willem isn’t my favorite character at ALL). It makes you hope and dream and fall in love with not just the characters, but with Paris and the kindness of strangers. I’m not continuing this duology, but I’m looking forward to what Gayle Forman has in store in the future.

Well Allyson is a little bit of a rebel, isn’t she? Such a goody two shoes for the entirety of her students abroad tour, and then on a whim she disappears to Paris for just one day with a guy she just met! I liked her! She took a chance, she enjoyed a whirlwind day and then…she’s alone and left questioning her decision to go to Paris in the first place. But she can’t stop thinking about him, her friends try to make her forget, but she knows deep down that he wouldn’t just leave her alone.

I have to admit I cried a lot reading Just One Day, I really believed what Gayle Forman wanted you to believe. Willem was a bad guy, a flirt, after only one thing. But I still needed to hear his side of the story…

If you asked me at page 250 (a bit more than halfway through) if I was enjoying my read, I probably would have let said read collide with your head. That's how frustrated I was from page 10 to around page 300.
By which I want to say: the last half was good, the ending was horrible from one viewpoint and okay from another one.
To confuse you even more, I won't begin at page 1, but with the end of the book, because that's the part I liked the most.
In this part, Forman let my heart squeal of joy about the idea of travelling Europe. She was responsible for my wanting to go to Paris and Amsterdam and Nice and all those wonderful places she described. I wanted to live Allyson's life and meet the people she met and just let loose and travel for a summer.
This last part was the inspiring one. It was also, in my opinion, the most well-written part.
I could talk to you about the ending and judge it in some kind of way, but I won't. Just that much: it ends on a major cliffhanger that I expected but found completely inappropriate (oops. judgement.)
So, the third half of the book was really nice, everything before that was dreadful and the ending cheesy and uneventful.
Now, you might remember (or, probably not. It was one of my first reviews ever) how I fell in love with Forman's writing in If I Stay. That story was so heartbreaking and beautifully written that it made me cry. It is, to this day, the only book that ever made me cry.
Just One Day only made me very angry.
It had none of that atmosphere, that strong connection with the characters, that nerve racking hoping and wishing that went along with the drama of the book.
I know you're not supposed to compare books like that, but I just don't understand how one book can amaze me so much and the other is just plain boring???
A lot of my criticism probably roots from the main character, Allyson. She was a lot like me in that she had absolutely no idea who she was , she wasn't very risky and let adventures pass her by, because she was too afraid to try something new. I got that she needed to be that way for the story. Some of her other traits, though, just really annoyed me. She was so whiny all the time! She had no confidence at all! She made really stupid decisions and said very mean things.
Apart from Allyson, whom I couldn't really connect with, the story itself lacked reality, in my opinion. I get the message behind it, but I think to make such a statement about real life believable - the plot itself has to be a bit realistic, too.
I found that it really wasn't realistic, everything just seemed to go the way the author wanted it to go. Also, I found the different parts of the book very irritating. I might have gone into it with the wrong expectations, but what I wanted was "Just One Day" in Paris. Not a couple of days in Paris, a year of college, more Paris etc.
It just hopped all over the place and I didn't even know what the story behind everything was.
Finally, what really bothered me was the idea that you can fall in love with someone in one day (Hey there, insta-love!). And THEN (this is the real problem, hence the capital letters) think about nothing but that boy for a whole year!!!! I mean, what is wrong with that girl????

Okay, enough ranting. This just needed to be said.
So, I guess you got the point where I tried to say that I didn't like this book at all and was super disappointed with it, right?

Tell me what you thought about this book in the comments, yeah? And especially if you liked it, what it was that you liked about it! I'd really, honestly like to know :)

Also: if you want to read a positive review of this book, just head over to Goodreads, because everyone else loved it!

This book was very good, but it wasn't amazing. I mean Allyson had some great character development with her parents and figuring out what she wants to do versus what her parents want her to do. I felt like I was tricked our something, because when I thought this was going to be about finding love or in Allyson's case losing it and then finding it again as she reunites with Willem. The first hundred pages or so, I completely loved it, the middle I felt was a slow and I was ready for Allyson to see Willem again. This was a coming of age- finding yourself type of book, not a romance, despite the cover.

Incredible book. The characters are so vivid and the setting felt like I got to travel the world. I also appreciated how time passed in this story, from one day, and then a year. But my favorite part was watching Allyson change into a person she likes being. I wish the book could've gone on forever. It made me so mad I wanted to throw it across the room, but the ending was so worth it. Thanks for a great story.

My only criticism would be that at the beginning of the novel, I felt like Allyson was the exact same personality as the girl from If I Stay.

I want to be more like Allyson.

I really enjoy stories with great character growth and discovery and so much of that happens in Just One Day. The adventure is so much fun, and reading Allyson become who she is meant to be is a joy. It really is the journey, not the destination.

At first, I kind of hated the ending, mainly because it stops right at the very moment I want it to continue the most. Then in thinking about it more, it's a lot like If I Stay where you only get one half of the story before Where She Went. Clearly the smart thing to do would have been to wait for the second half to be released before reading the first, but alas.

It's nice to know at least the story will in fact continue despite the mildly sucky ending which doesn't really suck at all. ;)

My only complaint is that this ends on a massive cliffhanger. Gayle Forman is so good, though, that I can't really be mad at her for it. She has this way of writing novels like poetry. This is another of her books that pull you in quickly, make you fall in love with the characters before you even realize it, and leave you aching for more.

This had a total Before Sunset feel with a little more adventure and a lot less talking. All I could think about while reading about Anna and Willem is how much I wanted them to work it out, find each other and get everything I never got from Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply in Before Sunrise and After Sunset for those who have never seen it). None the less this book had me easily hooked. A Parisian backdrop, a mysterious and sexy guy and a girl learning to live at little and stop being so rigid.

Le Sigh! Gayle Forman has done it again. I’m hooked and I can’t wait for the next book. The style she cultivated in If I Stay/Where She Went is once again a hit. I can only hope that Just One Year and Before Midnight (the next installment for Hawke/Deply) has everything I’m dreaming of 

10*s. I borrowed my copy of this book from my local library in return for an honest review.

This author's writing style always intrigues me and keeps me glue to the end and this story is no different!!! This is a modern day Shakespearean novel, and I love how this author can take a story, which for me would be a boring romance and turn it upside down into a masterpiece worth reading!!! It's very well written and very addictive and I loved following this girl on her incredible journey through life, romance, and Paris!!! I am super thrilled to have had the chance to read this remarkable story and I can't wait to read more from this author!!! Thank you, Gayle Forman for another intriguingly breathtaking series!!

Just One Day is a story of self-discovery sandwiched between the romance-heavy beginning and end, two stories in one if you will. High school graduate Allyson meets an amateur Dutch actor Willem during her post-HS culture tour of Europe and with a spontaneity unnatural to her throws away all her caution and embarks on a day trip to Paris with him. They spend a day (and night) together, and then it's over, abruptly. Allyson goes back home then, starts college and succumbs to ennui. Her already depressed state is made even more severe by hardships in college, intense helicopter parenting and lack of friends. But her experiences during that one day in Paris eventually encourage her to change her life in a major way and go back to Paris...

Melancholy. Sad. Depressing. These are the words that were constantly on my mind while reading Just One Day. I am not sure a tone like this can work for me for an entire romance story. I obviously like some drama, if I enjoyed Forman's very tragic previous novels (If I Stay and Where She Went), but even those books were based on a love story that started out as charming, happy, romantic, swoony. In Just One Day, on the other hand, it's all doom and gloom and sadness, from the beginning till the very end. I am sure I would have liked Just One Day more if the romance were more uplifting, interesting. I found it hard to care for Allyson and Willem. Allyson is a dull, passive narrator. Willem lacks charisma, charm, sexiness, humor even. Their one day in Paris is not romantic or fun in any way. I attribute my negative impression of this day trip to the flashbacks of Taken running through my mind and my concern for Allyson's safety, and to the general grimness of the whole European adventure. (While I do not doubt the accuracy of Forman's depiction of Europe, this depiction is just depressing, to exactly match the novel's overall dark mood. How can one be so miserable in a midst of so much diversity, culture, excitement and freedom? I don't get it.) If I had the experiences in Paris Allyson had in this novel, I would have considered such extended date a complete failure and a waste of time, and nobody would have gotten laid by the end of it. But this one day has a great effect on Allyson, and this part of the novel I never quite accepted or understood.

Because I mostly felt indifferent towards the romance frame of this self-discovery story, the middle portion of the book felt more compelling to me. It is especially compelling if you are looking for books with those notorious "new adult" experiences - exploration of life after high school, learning how to be independent from your parents, choosing an educational path that suits you and not people around you, finding new friends, getting your first job. I liked most of this middle, except maybe the part where Allyson handles her schooling - I don't believe that taking pottery classes instead of pre-med classes while your parents are paying $40K a year for your school is a responsible and mature thing to do, even if it makes you happy. (My philosophy is - don't trifle with other people's money, you can get your pottery classes for $80 at your local community college.) But Allyson's struggles with her parents and her diving into new friendships were the highlights for me.

It is hard to give this book a fair assessment, because so much of my dissatisfaction with this novel rests on my personal taste in YA romance. On a technical level, Just One Day is well written. For me as an opinionated reader, however, this story felt lackluster, with its unjustified main character's ennui, realistic, but grim portrayal of various European countries and unconvincing romance. I would pick Anna and the French Kiss over this novel any day. It's just much, much more fun. There HAS to be some fun in any romance, am I right?

"This review can also be found here: [...]

Allyson starts out unhappy and unsure, with a travel journal that she thought would be crammed full of stories of her European tour but instead had a notebook jotted down only with facts of what she saw and where they went. Her last day with Willem changes that. A magical, impulsive day spent in Paris as Lulu: getting lost, growing into her real self and falling in love. When she wakes up to find him gone, she returns crushed and humiliated.

This is first and foremost a story of self-actualization. Broken, she slowly learns to be brave. Throughout the next year, shy Allyson opens up her life to a whole cast of strangers and new friends that I want to do the cheek-cheek-kiss-kiss thing with: Dee, Kali, Babs, Wren, the Giant and the Oz crew. They make me believe in people.

Forman takes an improbable story and makes it believable. In the smallest of details, she gets it. She takes me back to similar moments and situations. The feeling of panic in a new place, the pride in conquering a ticket machine that doesn't speak your language, the realization that asking for help might actually get you some help, the intricacies and imperfections of relationships as shown in Allyson's ties with her mother and her childhood best friend. I did have to wonder where her dad was in all this.

Honestly? When the love story part ended, I was sorely tempted to skim through the next chapters to find out when Willem would next make an appearance. I'm glad I didn't. I stuck it out. I got to know Allyson better, I fell in love with the other characters, I became disillusioned with the Willem presented by other people's stories and I forgot what made him compelling at the start. And then I went back and read this: "I think you're the sort of person who finds money on the ground and waves it in the air and asks if anyone has lost it. I think you cry in movies that aren't even sad because you have a soft heart, though you don't let it show. I think you do things that scare you, and that makes you braver than those adrenaline junkies who bungee-jump off bridges." Wouldn't it be amazing to have someone know that about you, after just one day?

I loved so many things about this book that I almost didn't know where to start with this review. Gayle Forman, please tell me that you have a million more stories in your head. Four months to go until the sequel!!!

P.S. Please don't over-expect and hate it just because I love it so much. I hate it when the happens."

Allyson Healey is on a graduation trip throughout Europe when she happens to meet Wilhelm, a Dutch actor performing in Twelfth Night at a park in Stratford. The connection between the two is intense, unusual, and undeniable, and before Allyson can think about what's she doing, she's calling herself Lulu and on a train to France to spend just one day with Wilhelm. The trip is surreal...until Wilhelm disappears without ever saying goodbye. Allyson is devastated and confused, but the experience causes her to take a close look at how she's living her life, and forces her to ask some hard questions: What do I want? How do I find the courage to achieve it? Is it too late to take control of my own life?

Like she did with If I Stay, Forman fearlessly tackles the big questions of life with a deft hand. There is magic and serendipity in Just One Day, but it's not overdone or unrealistic, and the charm is found in the clever balance of nerve and chance. The character growth in the novel is beautiful, most prominently for Allyson, but also for her best friend Melanie, and even for Wilhelm in the one day that the readers have to get to know him. Allyson really struggles with letting people tell her what to do and what to think, and her experience with Wilhelm opens up a new world for her. However, it isn't until she is faced with the reality that her life at home isn't what she wants and is able to let go of her parents' expectations and her past that she is able to figure out what she wants. Her motivation and drive are admirable, and her adventures facing her fears and her emotions are ultimately triumphant. Every little detail adds up to something important in Just One Day as Forman demonstrates how experiences shape our lives and the magic that words and places hold.

Cover Comments: I love this cover. I like the use of light and reflection and the slight blurriness, and the model on the cover matches Allyson quite well, from the hair to the watch. It's pretty, but not too generic.

I liked it, I really did. Unfortunately I read Willem's story first. I just like him and his adventure better. Allyson's was just lacking something for me. Although I did like her moments leading up to when Willem disappeared. She went into much greater detail about how they met.

I like/hate the ending as much as I did in his book. They find each BUT then it just ends. This book mentions a read head at the end and the love that Allyson feels between the girl and Willem. For the life of me I can't remember the red head at the end of his book.

Sorry, I just needed more of an ending.

As i was reading this book, I thought to myself, this sounds so familiar. Where have I heard this story before? Then I remembered the movie Love Affair and a lightbulb went off. All this book is the same storyline just packaged as a book. Girl meets boy, boy convinces girl to embrace life, they spend one perfect day together and are supposed to meet the next day. Then (SPOILERS) something happens and girl is stood up, thinking boy never loved her. Then you find out boy was really in accident and was going to meet her! UGH! Such a waste of time!. Author needs to come up with an original idea! And don't even get me started on the ending!

The book "Just one Day" is a book about a girl named Allyson who hasn't really seen the world from her own eyes yet. She is on a trip in Europe that her parents bought for her for a graduation gift with her best friend Melanie. Allyson was a typical girl, she liked to have fun but she hadn't really seen anything for herself yet. He parents babied her all through highschool so this was the first big trip out on her own all by herself. While I was reading this book I felt like I could connect to Allyson in so many ways, she is a teenage girl struggling to find herself and I could really connect to that while I was reading this book. This year I have really become my own person more and more. I have separated myself from negative people and by the end of this book Allyson does the exact same. I would highly recommend this book to any teenage girl either with a strong passion for romance or strong friendships that they don't want broken. This book had a sense of what was going on in my life at the time when I was reading it and I only just picked it up off the shelf at the library because the cover looked cool. This book can pull you in even if you're not really that interested in what could have possibly happened in just a day. If you are trying to find your meaning and point in life or you are just looking for a good read I would recommend picking up "Just one Day" any day! This book can pull you in from the very beginning with a great action start to the very end, you never know what Allyson's choice is going to be about whatever is going on. Gayle Forman wrote this book very well and for a good read, go for it you might enjoy it!
Elise L.

Ever since I read If I Stay, Gayle's breakthrough YA Novel, I've been a huge fan. Therefore, when I heard about Just One Day, I knew I had to read it. It sounded amazing from the summary alone. I mean, romance, exotic settings, and the twist of falling head over heels in love in just one day? What's not to love about that?! Thankfully, Just One Day was an extraordinary YA book, one that provided just what I was looking for---even if I didn't always realize it.

If I was asked to sum up Just One Day in one word, I would probably pick frustrating. Sure, it was beautiful, thrilling, and emotional among many other things, but when it comes down to it this book is FRUSTRATING, like throw your hands in the air frustrating. However, even though I hated, no loathed, the frustrating part, it's what made it such a worthwhile and spectacular read by the end, to tell the truth, and without it, I don't think this book could have packed quite the punch it did by the end. But I'm getting to far ahead of myself, so lets start with the characters.

Allyson....I think all of us have parts of Allyson in us. Allyson is the typical "good" girl. She has the need to always follow the rules, to never stray to far from the path she's been put on, and honestly, she's fine what that. It's comfortable being boring to her. However, one day, she becomes Lulu, and Lulu is everything Allyson is not. She says and does what she wants. However, just as quickly as Lulu appears, she disappears once again, leaving Allyson Allyson. To be honest, I hated Allyson for most of the book, and that's probably because she frustrated me so much. After her day with Willem, she became so mopey and whiney and just all round pathetic. I couldn't take it. I mean, I get why she was upset and sad, but she just screwed so much up. It annoyed me to pieces, and several times, I almost gave up on Just One Day because of it. However, I stuck through, and I'm glad I did, because as the book progressed, I started to see that this book was more than just a romance, it was about discovering yourself, and managing to stand and be brave at your lowest point, no matter how hard it may be, and honestly, seeing Allyson go through this journey was amazing (even if it was frustrating), especially towards the end! Now on to Willem....he was such a mystery to me throughout the book, and in some ways I loved that and in some ways I didn't. For one, I never really could figure out if he was a good guy or a bad guy. However, I did enjoy the mystery as well as development he stirred up for Allyson.

The plot in this was really something new I thought. As mentioned above, I loved the whole "one day" aspect, and Forman really managed to execute the idea quite well. I enjoyed how she managed to really work the fun and exotic settings into it, especially when she tied in little tidbits of history. As mentioned before, this book is more of about finding yourself than a romance, and Forman did an amazing job with that, just like she has with the rest of her books. She really managed to make me feel Allyson's emotions throughout the book, and while at times I wanted nothing more than to tell Allyson off, it really allowed for this book as well as its character to find a special place in my heart. I can't really describe, but if you give this one a try and stick it out, you'll see what I'm talking about. Truly, Forman is an incredible writer.

In all, Just One Day is frustrating but by the end, I was truly taken away by the beautiful and emotionally charged story Forman presents. I CAN'T wait to read Just One Year and to be transported to the world of Willem and Allyson for their final act.

Grade: A+

Just One Day is a surprising book, it's warm and charming, but also unexpectedly powerful. From the title, I thought I knew what the entire book would be about: a girl falls in love in a day, and the couple triumphs amongst naysayers who claim you can't love someone without "knowing" them. But Gayle Forman's Just One Day is so much more than that. Just One Day isn't about romance (don't worry, there's a bunch of that too) so much as about a reserved girl learning who she is, and who she wants to be. And the growth you see in Allyson, aka Lulu is what makes Just One Day shine brightly.

Admittedly, I tend to put off YA contemporary novels in favor of sci-fi, dystopian, or apocalyptic fiction. But with all the love this book has been getting from so many readers, I had to check it out (that and because summer sounds like the season for light-hearted contemporary novels.) What draws me away from YA contemporary novels is its tendency to focus on romance and overdramatic angst. Too much of it makes me weary and sucks the interest out of me like a giant octopus. Thankfully, Just One Day didn't do that. I was eager to follow Allyson's travels, but Forman didn't need landmarks to reel me into Allyson's personal journey to self-discovery.

Story, Pacing, Romance:
What made Just One Day so special was that it was beyond my expectations. When I saw the title, I thought to myself, "I know EXACTLY how this is going to go down. It's going to be four hundred pages about one day in a foreign country. And at the end, the guy probably disappears like Cinderella for the sake of having a cliffhanger." Eighty pages in, I thought, "Wait! The eponymous one day is ending! What's the next three-hundred and something pages going to be about now?" It is those three-hundred something pages that made me fall in love with the story despite being nothing about love. I was invested in the story because I wanted to see Allyson grow and find herself. Make new friends, discover new hobbies, AND MOVE ON.

Allyson Who Not Do Well On Chatroulette:
Allyson was a frustrating character for me throughout the novel, especially in the beginning. I figure it's because while my personality is like Allyson ("safe" and reserved,) my outlook on life is a lot closer to Willem, where I see joy in accidents. Which would also explain my relationship with Chatroulette and Omegle, websites that allow me to chat with random strangers. There's this romantic idea of sharing a transient conversation with a complete stranger, to "meet" people you'd never otherwise meet. And when the conversation is finished, we walk our separate ways (though I rarely do give out my email.) There's also a comfort in being able to "disconnect" people. I also believe if something is meant to be, it will happen--and to move on and look for the next door if it isn't.

Allyson clearly doesn't share this sentiment. If she was on Omegle, I can just imagine her feelings being hurt every five seconds when somebody disconnects. It is frustrating for me to see Allyson mope around and put her life on a standstill because she of a guy she met for ONE DAY. And that one day didn't even end well (but seriously, you're EIGHTEEN, not five. You shouldn't be having a breakdown because you are lost.) You met a wonderful, charming guy. Had the time of your life (at least to you.) Wonderful! Now treasure those memories, and MOVE ON. YOUR LIFE SHOULDN'T REVOLVE AROUND ONE GUY. You can't get greedy and expect every day to be just as magical. And how are you supposed to find the next great guy if you are moping around all depressed and emo? How are you supposed to meet the next person to change your life if nobody even wants to be within 5 feet of you?

Allyson's negativity in two thirds of the novel made me wince. Thankfully, when Allyson sets out on her mission back to Paris that I started regaining excitement for the book. Allyson shows that when she puts her mind to a task--she can do it. I can relate to Allyson as she struggles to become an adult: forced to figure out what she wants to do with her life, or how to find a your first job with no working experience and in a bad economy, all without the support of family.

Setting (Are We Really in France?)
For a book that's centered around traveling, I expected more in the milieu department. Maybe I just don't associate being chased by gangsters and making out in an abandoned art studio to France. Eh. I felt Forman's use of "trivial" moments to introduce France was a very different perspective. The boat rides, and the free bikes--it makes me jealous (though I would get severely sea sick on a boat and it would not be pretty.)

Overall, I highly, highly recommend Just One Day. Despite being released in start of a new year, I can foresee this book somewhere on my best books of the year list. It's one of those books that don't look like much from the cover, but under the cover lies a great story about a girl who has to figure out who she is. Also, this novel made me want to eat macarons. (WHY ARE THEY SO EXPENSIVE?!?)

This was my third book by Gayle Forman; and I wasn't disappointed. I absolutely loved the characters, how they interacted, the places they went.. I loved all of it. It wasn't just about a missed connection, or love or any one thing. It was about all of it. It was one girl, taking a chance and learning that beautiful things can happen if you leap. I'll stop gushing but I cannot wait to read the next one.

WOW!

I don't really know what to say about this book because it's a lot to take in. I just want my review to somehow give justice how wonderfully crafted this book had been.

The book seems to communicate to me on a more personal level - it means so much to me. Allyson is so me. I don't know if she's afraid of being herself or she's just plainly confused. All her life, she was just boring, reliable, predictable Allyson - there's so much expectation from her that she felt obliged to live up to it. In order to make other people happy, she ends up being miserable. It's always what they expect from her, it was never what she wants. Simply because, she was never bold enough to stand for what she wanted or she never really know what it is so she let other people decide for her.

It has been a truly amazing journey of finding herself in the midst of Europe no less.

The plot was perfectly executed - how one event led to another, and how everything turned out in the end. I can't help but admire the author's genius.

This book made me want to live life the best way possible, take more risks, open myself to more opportunities, anything and everything.

ACCIDENTS. MIRACLES AND LIFE ITSELF. I NEED "JUST FOR ONE YEAR" NOW! haha

This book was not really what I expected it to be. I ordered this book months ago, along with "Just One Year" and "Just One Night", and when I got them, I started reading this one and I just wasn't feeling it. A girl, meets a guy and so quickly develops feelings for him? I was quite skeptical, to be honest. I didn't know what to think about this book, but I was trying so hard to like it because, well, it's a Gayle Forman's book and I'm a fan of her. But I couldn't so I just left it on my shelf for two months, I believe. On Thursday, I decided to pick it up. I read it, believing that it was going to be so predictable, but man... I was wrong. I realized I could relate to Allysson and that in some aspects, we are alike. I honestly enjoyed this book. And I read it when I most needed to, so I guess that makes a believer of accidents, too. I totally recommend this book. ?

She really is a masterful writer! I was hooked from the beginning. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see how it turned out. I so felt Allyson's yearning to find closure. As the book came to an end I was totally dreading the real possibility that she would not contact Willem and just let go. I absolutely cannot wait until October when we get to hear it from Willem's perspective. I can only hope that he was as taken with Allyson as she was with him and that their separation in Paris was all a terrible mistake. My one piece of constructive criticism is that there were way too many coincidences in Amsterdam.

Overwrought maudlin junk. I'm sorry, the idea that one - just one day spent in the company of a guy who then disappears out of a girl's life causes her to be in a funk a year later is just too implausible for me. Even more implausible? The reason why Willem never returned to the loft! Dumb plot made worse by a bland main female character. The only saving graces of this story were: 1) no grammatical mistakes; and 2) Willem was a somewhat interesting character who I wish had been the main focus of the story.
I understand there is a sequel but given how I feel about this one, I plan to skip the follow-up. Once was more than enough.

I don't understand how this idea is good for teens though it would make a great plot for a Taken movie. Girl meets boy and runs off to Paris though she doesn't know him and spends the day together and finishes the day sleeping with the guy. Is that really what you want your teen to be reading? She goes home becomes miserable then decides to go back to Paris to find him to see if it meant anything to him. The character is immature and its not the best of Gayle Formans novel.

My Thoughts: When I found out that Gayle Forman had a new book out, without even reading what it was about I knew I had to get my hands on this book. I remember reading If I Stay and it's sequel both in one day and being completely mesmerized by the beautiful story that she had created and never did I recall shedding so many tears during a book. (and yes I cried more than when Dumbledore died and I didn't think that would ever be possible). And here we go again, with me finishing another one of Forman's books in one sitting. I woke up this morning at 7am and picked it up and found myself finishing the book a few hours later with a sigh and running to goodreads to see when the sequel comes out. Luckily it's later this year in October.

What I liked: The main character in this book is Allyson a recent high school graduate who is on a three week European vacation right before she starts her first year in College. It is a story about a girl who had every decision in her life made for her by her overbearing mother. She is in London as her trip is comming to an end watching her best friend have the time of her life and all she can think about is going home. In this process she meets Willem who changes her mood and well frankly her life forever. With one day left in her trip she makes a sudden decision to follow this guy she just met to Paris for the day and things go not according to her well-laid plans. Yes this book is love story, but not in the way you think it would be. Allyson is searching for love, but she searching for love of herself. This is a comming of age story, which combines love for literature, the love of travel, the love of meeting new people and exploring new cultures and for the most part being true to yourself. I was blown away with this girls struggle and loved exploring London, Paris and all the different locations through her eyes. Yes there is a great guys in this book as well and I am looking forward to the next book which will be told in his perspective. Finishing this book makes me want to go dust off my passport, grab a world map, close my eyes and pick a destination and fly off. But alas I have 8 months off nursing school left. Who knows maybe I will give myself a graduation present :)

What I didn't Like: Haven't to wait until October to find out more about Willem! I am really looking forward to seeing what his story is all about!

I read this book for my book club and was surprised to find that so many people liked it. I was surprised again to see so many positive reviews on the store. My conclusion is that I disliked this book for the same reason that so many people liked it. They found the characters and storyline very relatable, and it's true - going to Europe and falling in love are transformative experiences in many peoples lives (not necessarily at the same time). But when I read a book I don't want to read about something that I've experienced - been there, done that, etc. etc.

The characters and storyline all felt too generic: Insert heartbroken, depressed teen here. Insert sassy transsexual here.

I would have appreciated more developed and original characters so much more than what I received from this book.

Stalker vibes. Its called get over the douche bag. It isnt love. Its lust. Thats all this was. But yet she spends her whole first year of college being depressed about a one night stand. This whole book pissed me off.

As Reviewed on The Lost Book Reports

Man oh man! What a great plot. What great writing! The story is told in two parts, which I didn't expect but TOTALLY makes the plot that much better! This is just some fantasized hook-up on a summer trip to Europe. It explores raw human emotions we all have and I love it, especially because it is done in a way only Gayle Forman can do.

Review Cont. on The Lost Book Reports

CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!

OH. MY. GOSH!!! I absolutely loved this book. I just can't explain how much I loved this book. It just filled me with so much joy, I can't even explain it. When I found out that Willem left that note for her, and he was at the hospital and he said he would lose some one important, I could not stop smiling. I just absolutely loved this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

Just One Day, is about a girl named Allyson who is with a group of students traveling around Europe. On the last day of her trip she meets this Dutch actor, Willem. While being in Europe the students never had a chance to see Paris. On the train Allyson and Willem talk about going to Paris and how she should see it. Willem convinces her to go to Paris with him for just one day. While they are in Paris Allyson starts to fall for him. If you want to find out how it ends I suggest reading it. Allyson would have to be the main character in the book. You get to know a lot about her right off the bat, but throughout the book you learn other interesting things about her. Willem is another main character, but you never really find out a whole lot about him. At the beginning of this book it was hard for me to put the book down, but once I got further into the book I lost interest. If you are into romantic novels, then I suggest reading this one.

I fell in love with this book instantly. The way it is written makes you truly feel as if you are there. I love the travel of it, how it make you feel as if you went on this trip yourself. It is a book that tore me apart inside, having to read the whole thing in two days just because I could not wait for the outcome of events. The only downfall of this book is it is not a book for someone like me who wants the whole ending. I left wanting so much more than it offered to me. I hope that she will be writing a third book to this, but I believe that I will just be left with coming up with what happened on my own which I can not stand. This is a must read though. The first of her books that I read and it has amazed me in so many ways.

Beautiful story! I fell in love with the settings, the characters, the story itself. I am not a big Shakespeare fan but the way the author wove Shakespeare & his plays into the storyline was seamless. The last two chapters had me holding my breath. Unfortunately there is a cliffhanger but I am still so happy I read this. The price is ridiculous for an e-book but it is worth it.

Great story, but the end left you wanting more. Poor Allyson, She found herself but we all know she was wanting and yearning for so much more... I can't wait till October to hear Willem's side of the story. I truly hope that Alyson and Willem will have something together in "Just One Year". I hope that Ms. Forman goes beyond this book to give Us the end that it deserves. That "Stain" wasn't put there by accident, and I feel that it affected both very deeply :)

Absolutely pulls you in and holds you throughout. The development and evolution of the heroine is something we all wish for ourselves. To be changed by one day...wonderful read. Can't wait to start the next book in series

The beginning of this book is like so many others. Or so I thought. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I was mistaken. Unwrapping this story was a pleasure. There are layers of literary goodness. I look forward to reading the next installment.

A lot can happen in a day!! Eager for the continuation of this story. I will say the beginning of the book grabbed me from the getgo and then it slowed a bit but is still up there with my 5-star reads. Love how the young adult genre has become so much more than it ever was before -- mesmerizing story with characters whose depth exceeds the pages.

I so remember beginning college and wondering about my life and the struggles to please your parents but wanting to live your own life and wondering if that guy who you thought was special thought you were. I can't wait to find out if Willem is everything Allyson believes him to be. I hope so, but it is rare.

This story captivated me from beginning to end. I followed effortlessly in the whimsical tale of Allyson's journey. I think deep down most people would love to do the "close your eyes, point on a map and go" adventure so this story was very fun to live vicariously through. It speaks volumes about the importance of experiences rather than accomplishments. About how in western civilization we tend to own things rather than memories. I would recommend this book to anyone with a free spirit and a love of culture.