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Just One Day (Just One Day #1)

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 5,502 ratings · 1,396 reviews

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, unt...more

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published January 8th 2013 by Dutton Juvenile

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Jan 21, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-that-linger, beautiful-prose

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Nearly a decade ago, someone once told me that books are like memories; within their pages, they store your emotions and thoughts, a document of sorts of your experience. I still don’t know how true that statement is, but I dearly hope it is – at least when it comes to Just One Day. Nothing better than this book itself can summon up the whirlwind of emotion I felt when I read it. Although I cracked open its spine with trepidation – there are, after all, a plethora of mixed revie...more

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Nyree Wade Great review. I myself just finished reading this one, and loved it! I enjoyed the fact that this book is packed full of fun travel facts, and interes...more
May 06, 2013 02:47pm

Keertana Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard is one of my all-time favorite novels in this in-between age of Young Adult and New Adult. It features a protagonist who...more
May 06, 2013 03:30pm

Feb 03, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-publication, young-adult, realistic-fiction, penguin, mature-ya, 2013-favorites, read-2013

4.5 stars I don't know how this author consistently writes such beautifully crafted stories of personal growth, but the level of emotional maturity in this one just astounds me.

But sheesh, what a place to stop the story! Can't wait for the next book this fall.

41 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Hira is currently reading it

Shelves: high-expectations

MY DAY WAS JUST MADE.

PS: If the book's coming out in 2013, then the world will obviously not end in 2012, pff.

33 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Blythe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favorites, 2013-reads, deserves-the-hype, didn-t-see-that-coming, evil-cliffhanger, exceeded-my-expectations, freaking-brilliant, favorites, gimme-the-next-book, hand-me-some-tissues, highly-anticipating-2013, i-totally-saw-that-coming, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, loved-it, swoooon, read-reviewed

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Quite a few months ago, in my early reviewing days, when I was just a new face in the world of reviewing and book blogging, I read a book called Die for Me. Although it had an interesting and original premise (which, ultimately, was revealed to be poorly executed), a pretty cover, and some mixed to positive reviews from friends of mine, the main reason I really wanted to read Die for Me was because it took place in Paris, and I'd hoped that the author would take advantage...more Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

Quite a few months ago, in my early reviewing days, when I was just a new face in the world of reviewing and book blogging, I read a book called Die for Me. Although it had an interesting and original premise (which, ultimately, was revealed to be poorly executed), a pretty cover, and some mixed to positive reviews from friends of mine, the main reason I really wanted to read Die for Me was because it took place in Paris, and I'd hoped that the author would take advantage of such a wonderful and rich setting. Unfortunately, the most background of Paris the author provided us readers with in Die for Me was the Metro and a few coffee shops. Maybe a lake or two. Some really great details of Paris in that book, you guys.

Since then, I've been wary of books taking place in Paris. Until, however, Just One Day appeared on my feed. Written by an incredibly hyped author and receiving rave early reviews, I figured that Forman could do no wrong with the beautiful Paris.

And I was right.

I'd gone into Just One Day with expectations of heartbreak, high levels of swoon, awe-worthy prose and a strong, overwhelming desire to hop on a plane to Paris immediately. And while all of those expectations were met, and in fact exceeded, I came across quite a few surprises along the way - such as the fact that Just One Day is filled with truly hysterical passages and moments - which I don't say very often about books, especially not about books in the YA genre, considering the fact that I have the sense of humor that will have me inevitably burning in hell, and most YA novels don't cross that particular boundary to meet my sense of humor - and the fact that I'd be so engaged with Allyson and Willem's travels in such a short amount of time.

Allyson was, for the most part, an awesome and incredibly witty character, and in the end, I am definitely able to say that I enjoyed reading in her perspective and seeing her character meet such a large amount of growth throughout the course of the novel. While she did, at times, get on my nerves - most notably how she got jealous whenever a girl looked at Willem, or whenever a girl talked to Willem after knowing him for just one day ~~(oh look, I've used the title of the book in my review! This is almost as exciting as when the title of a movie is spoken in said movie.)~~, she eventually ended up winning me over once again with her wit and snark. Willem was also an amazing character, and while he wasn't met with very much growth at all throughout the course of Just One Day, I thoroughly enjoyed the scenes where he opened up to Allyson - however slightly - about his home life, even after knowing her for such a short period of time.

Charming, often hysterical, with some great characters, equally as great relationship dynamics, and a clever incorporation of Shakespeare, Just One Day is not a novel to be missed for anyone looking for a quick and incredibly fun read that makes you feel like you're roaming the streets of Paris. If you had asked me before reading this novel if two people can fall in love in just one day, I probably would have lectured you about the vast difference between lust and love, but after reading this novel and experiencing the relationship that is Allyson and Willem's firsthand, my opinion may have been swayed.(less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya, romancelandia

As seen on The Readventurer

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 succum...more As seen on The Readventurer

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, college experiences and overall attitude to life. 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?(less)

77 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2013 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-2012, ya-contemporary, young-adult

Rating Clarification: 3.5 Stars

“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.” This is a quote from an uncorrected proof.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman is what I would consider a worthy start to what I truly believe will have an epic continuation. This book delivered in all the ways Forman knows how, which is a great premise, a likable cast and a primer for a promising part two. I think the early reader...more

28 likes · like · see review

Feb 24, 2013 Dija rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-in-series, jan-2013, authors-i-stalk, awww, cotton-candy-fluff, my-reviews, read-in-2013, ya, wow

3.7/5 stars

Being a huge fan of Forman's, I was absolutely ecstatic when I heard she'd be writing another 2-book story centered around a couple and told from both their POVs. I'm happy (and more than a little relieved, considering my track record so far this year) to report that Just One Day lives up to the hype, and while I had a few minor problems with the story, I still ended up immensely enjoying it.

I wasn't too impressed with Allyson at the beginning, and with "Lulu" even less. That didn't d...more

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Jan 10, 2013 Bonnie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya, romance, arcs-read, arc-via-publisher-or-author

~~Want to win a copy of Just One Day? Visit my blog!~~ Contest is over!

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

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

Admittedly, I do believe I started this when I was in the completely wrong sort of mood. I totally killed this story for myself in the beginning and could not get into it. I w...more

27 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Jasprit rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: out-2013, ya-cc-13, favourites, read-in-2013, readalong

Post reading thoughts: Oh gosh this book just took my heart and stomped all over it. I need Just One Year now! Full review to come once I've got all my feelings in check.

Please excuse my meagre attempt at gathering my chaotic thoughts and trying to write a coherent review, but Just One Day just evoked so many different emotions within me. So many books come around that leave just a deep lasting impression and without a doubt Just One Day is one of those books.

Allyson was meant to be on trip of h...more Post reading thoughts: Oh gosh this book just took my heart and stomped all over it. I need Just One Year now! Full review to come once I've got all my feelings in check.

Please excuse my meagre attempt at gathering my chaotic thoughts and trying to write a coherent review, but Just One Day just evoked so many different emotions within me. So many books come around that leave just a deep lasting impression and without a doubt Just One Day is one of those books.

Allyson was meant to be on trip of her life in Europe, but it didn’t have that life changing effect as she was hoping. Her best friend Mel kept encouraging her to enjoy herself and make the most out of it. But Allyson wasn’t like Mel, constantly taking risks; the only big risk Allyson had taken so far was cut her hair to a bob. But on their last night in London on their tour, Allyson and Mel decide not to follow the rules and watch a different production of a play and that’s where she meets Willem, she knows there’s something about him as soon as their eyes meet in the pit of her stomach. The next day when she meets him on the train, she makes a spur of the moment decision to travel to Paris with him for just one day. He’s a complete stranger but Allyson finds herself wanting to take this chance and do something normal Allyson wouldn’t do.

This one day ends up being an epitome of what her entire trip in Europe was meant to be about. Willem tries to encapsulate the beautiful experience of Paris for Allyson, but she ends up with leaving more than she bargained for, that would affect her whole outlook on life months later, returning to the US Allyson is a changed person.

The last time I felt so much love for a book was when I read Gayle Forman’s Where She Went in Just One Day. Just One Day had the same achy, raw lingering effect on me but it was that much more profound. It was like I was on my own journey of discovery and growth with Allyson, I was led to believe so much about Willem that I felt the same amount of fury and heartache that Allyson did. When she was lost and hurt afterwards and when she finally started doing things for herself instead of being dictated at her whole entire life. I felt like Andy Murray at Wimbledon getting pumped up by the crowd and continually pumping my fist. (And I never do this) It’s like Gayle had this magical wand when writing this book and just knew how to push your buttons that I found myself so involved with Allyson’s life that I wanted so much for her to get her happy ending.

Allyson’s personal growth over the course of the book was so admirable it was like she was shedding her skin until she finally found the real Allyson underneath. I liked watching her friendships blossom especially with Dee (I wasn’t really a fan of Mel), take the courage to do what she wanted and knew she had to in her heart.

Willem was a complete enigma, at times I was never sure who the real Willem was, I thought I was able to get glances of him, but he was quick to cover up his true feelings. But like Allyson I wasn’t able to resist his charms. I like how there’s so many complicated layers to this guy, so much we haven’t touched upon and I am beyond eager at unravelling all this mystery when we get his pov in Just One Year.

Gayle Forman has once again created such a heartbreaking realistic read that resonated with me. For me she has taken her writing up in a whole another notch from Where She Went, I found myself constantly highlighting my favourite quotes (which was pretty much the entire book) and re-reading favourite passages over and over again.

This journey that I was able to take with Allyson over the course of this beautiful book will be one I won’t forget.
(less)

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Jan 26, 2013 Steph Sinclair rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who enjoy books involving traveling

Shelves: contemporary, 2013-release, young-adult, penguin, realistic-fiction, i-really-enjoyed-it, 2013-favorite, gave-away

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 thi...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Saniya(Will Herondale is mine) marked it as to-read

Only 'Gangnam Style' dance can describe my ultimate happiness.

Yeah, there was a background blast when I first saw this book.

Yeaaah, my killer happy dance moves! *A fail in real life :(*

I want the book this bad.
SO.EXCITED.

16 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2013 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yet-to-be-released, series, simple-ya, cant-wait

I thought it was great. I must admit, I am smitten by Paris and love the French language. The Romance was more subtle than I would have liked. When two people 'fall in love' in a single day it should be epic. I was told it was epic by Lulu. However, I wasn't really shown it was epic. I got the impression Lulu was more intrigued by the mystery of it than Willem himself.
I love how she found herself and gained so much. I could relate to Lulu so much more than I thought I would. I've found myself dr...more

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Dec 08, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

After reading and loving If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, I was thrilled to hear Ms. Forman was working on a new novel, Just One Day. Just One Day was a bittersweet story that entranced me, took hold of my heart, and gave it a great big squeeze! My heart still aches.

Allyson is almost to the end of her graduation present, a three week trip touring Europe. She’s spent the time speed traveling through Europe, and is now in London on the last leg of the trip. On a whim and an accident,...more

37 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Cass - Words on Paper rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-love, 2013-release, bought, read-2013, favourites

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS?!?! Wow, what a discovery. Well, thanks Gayle. Now we all have to wait a whole year (at the least) for your next book.

Sounds a lot more lighthearted than IF I STAY. I'm a bit apprehensive about the movie star bit, but I'm sure you'll pull it off and turn me into a believer. GRRR 2013. 2013... 2.0.1.3

Also, http://www.penguin.com.au/covers/cata... cover look alike?

4.5/5

Anyone else feel like the ending was way too quick? Despite that, I LOVED this book. I got more out of i...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Athena Perle ~♥~ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Gayle Forman

Shelves: contemporary, first-in-series, 2013-faves, top-quotes, ugh-just-stop

3.75 stars

We can change in one day. We can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in one day.

I love Gayle Forman, without any hesitation. As much as I know, her books contain tangible, rich emotions. Relatable situations as well as protagonists and profound, life-changing experiences. Last, but not least, a sexy, supporting character.
I haven't read books by Meg Cabot or Stephanie Perkins, until then, she's the queen of the contemporary genre.

I hadn't expected this book to be better than...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Carla rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wild-excitement, forever-love, snotface-tears, 2013-reads

This isn’t a ‘girl meets boy’ story. This is a ‘girl meets boy, decides to go to Paris with him on a whim, boy leaves.’ story. And that is where the beauty lies; in the details and in the little moments of perfect imperfection. Because you know before evening turning the first page that this book is going to be different and what you discover the simple beauty of knowing the difference between a trip and a journey.

Allyson is on her last day of her tour of Europe, a tour that has been carefully s...more This isn’t a ‘girl meets boy’ story. This is a ‘girl meets boy, decides to go to Paris with him on a whim, boy leaves.’ story. And that is where the beauty lies; in the details and in the little moments of perfect imperfection. Because you know before evening turning the first page that this book is going to be different and what you discover the simple beauty of knowing the difference between a trip and a journey.

Allyson is on her last day of her tour of Europe, a tour that has been carefully structured (no doubt full of itineraries and rules), a tour that is dull and uneventful and too meticulously organised to ever be enjoyable. And then she meets Willem. Willem is Dutch, performs in a gorilla Shakespeare troupe, is ridiculously hot and likes canal boats. In act of spontaneity, that is totally our of character for Allyson, her and Willem travel to Paris. For Just One Day.

Forman’s delectable writing shapes this story into something that totally transcended any expectations I had. She creates a whole universe of opportunities and possibilities and manages to keep the story within the reach of us back here on earth; we feel and want and lust and strive to make connections with people just as much as Allyson does. We realise that Willem may not be the shining star that we want him to be and that’s where his character is at his strongest. And yet we still hope. He feels so real you can’t for one second be impervious to his charm or his marvelously developed page presence.

Just One Day will make you melt from happiness. It will make you feel like you've just breathed in a cool breath of fresh air after being stuck inside. It makes you hope and dream and fall in love with not just the characters, but with Paris and the kindness of strangers (the statement ‘a stranger is a friend you just haven’t met yet’ stands strong with this novel). You will feel relief as Allyson breaks the binds that tie her to her feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt.

This isn’t a ‘girl meets boy’ story. This is a ‘girl meets boy and finds something she needs more; herself’. I fell head over heels in love and I can’t wait to go on a journey with them again.(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Monica! rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, reasonably-realistic, but-wait-theres-more, anecdotalicious, buckets-of-snark, goodreads-made-me-do-it, now-youve-read-the-book, paul-is-definitely-gay, ust-ftw, what-is-this-feeling

I want to make it clear, y’all, that when I read Just One Day originally, I really liked it.

But that was a month ago, and I’m waaaaay behind on reviews, and you know… the more I thought about it… the less impressed I became with the book.

Until it got to today, and honestly, I feel like I may sort of tear it apart here.

I AM SORRY JUST ONE DAY! IT IS MY FAULT FOR NOT REVIEWING YOU SOONER, BEFORE I HAD TIME TO REFLECT SO THOROUGHLY ON YOUR PLOT AND CHARACTERS!!

So. Just One Day was sort of divided...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: five-stars

Are you looking for a whimsical romance filled with love songs and fiery kisses? Are you searching for a story with constant adventure, brimming with beauty and overflowing with passion?

If so, stop. Just One Day is not one of those books. It is not shallow. It is not like Anna and the French Kiss. It is beautiful, but in a bittersweet, lyrical, and oftentimes melancholy way. This is a book for people who have ever felt lost, for those who know what it feels like to be unsure of who they are, or...more Are you looking for a whimsical romance filled with love songs and fiery kisses? Are you searching for a story with constant adventure, brimming with beauty and overflowing with passion?

If so, stop. Just One Day is not one of those books. It is not shallow. It is not like Anna and the French Kiss. It is beautiful, but in a bittersweet, lyrical, and oftentimes melancholy way. This is a book for people who have ever felt lost, for those who know what it feels like to be unsure of who they are, or of who they want to be.

After her senior year of high school, good girl Allyson Healey embarks on a journey to Europe. Except it’s not really a journey at all, or even a trip – just a boring tour with her blond best friend Melanie. That is until she sees a magical performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and one of the actors flips her coin. By chance she encounters this actor – Willem – again on a train, but their relationship turns an entirely different direction when she decides to spend a day with him in Paris. There she becomes Lulu, an adventurous soul with no reservations, and she discovers a side of herself with Willem she comes to love in less than 24 hours. But the next day she wakes up and Willem is gone. Allyson spends the next year struggling to find herself, who she thought she was, and who she’s turning out to be.

If New Adult becomes a tangible genre in the realm of fiction, this is what it needs to be like. Just One Day is not a sexual love story. Depending on how you define the concept, it might not even be a love story at all. It encompasses all of the emotions associated with coming of age, going back and forth between growth, angst, hope, and sadness.

Reading Just One Day reminded me why I loved Gayle Forman’s first book, If I Stay. Like I’ve tried to repeat in this review, it’s not your typical love story where the protagonists meet, slowly fall in love, have a falling out, get back together, and live happily ever after. It’s far from that. Allyson thinks she comes close to finding herself after one day with Willem, but breaks apart once he’s gone. Her character screams of vulnerability, insecurity, and nuance, but has that spark of relatability and that whisper of strength that urges you to cheer her on. The other characters in the book: Allyson’s helicopter mom, her well-meaning yet lacking best friend, the shape-shifting black student she meets at college, etc. are all finely developed and feel strikingly real.

Forman’s writing blew me away too. She described France, Holland, and each and every one of Allyson’s experiences richly and completely. Her attention to subtle details within her characters’ dialogue and actions as well as her pacing of the story did more than satisfy me. While this isn’t a dark, dangerous action-adventure novel its progression through Allyson’s bildungsroman backed by its sheer emotional maturity makes it one of the best realistic fiction books I’ve read.

There are numerous themes that come together to form Just One Day. But my favorite has to be that of identity and discovering the truth about oneself. By the end of this book Allyson hasn’t just found herself after that one tragic day. She’s created herself, and I can’t wait to see where Forman takes her and Willem next.

*review cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice.(less)

26 likes · like · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Rachel Harris rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm feeling really impatient for this book. Love Gayle Forman!

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, books-i-own, all-time-favourites, didn-t-see-that-coming, i-cried, i-could-eat-this

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
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 m...more See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
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!(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all people of good taste

Shelves: yabc-reviews, arc, favorites-contemps

Words fail me on a fairly regular basis, refusing to come to the call of my immediate need or to properly describe the feelings I want to convey. Actually, this partially explains my lifelong search for other people's words with which to fill myself up, to borrow and learn from. My life consists of a perpetual search not just for knowledge and meaning, but of the best ways to put those things into the precise diction that will allow me to share these insights with other in powerful ways. My favo...more Words fail me on a fairly regular basis, refusing to come to the call of my immediate need or to properly describe the feelings I want to convey. Actually, this partially explains my lifelong search for other people's words with which to fill myself up, to borrow and learn from. My life consists of a perpetual search not just for knowledge and meaning, but of the best ways to put those things into the precise diction that will allow me to share these insights with other in powerful ways. My favorite authors, Gayle Forman included, excel at conveying big life lessons in simple, natural ways, not so much handing down truths from their lofty, genius heights, but making you feel their truth in your core. Unfortunately, I do not yet posses this talent, so I will probably fail to properly describe the power of Just One Day to you, especially because there is so much of it that I cannot discuss, because I think this novel is best enjoyed completely without conception of where its headed.

For some reason, perhaps because I read just a little bit of the blurb, I imagined Just One Day to be a happy sort of contemporary novel, perhaps a slightly darker companion to Meant to Be, which also opens with a trip to London and includes numerous Shakespeare references. I really should have known better, having enjoyed the darkness of Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went. Forman positively shines at making the reader run the whole gamut of emotions right alongside the main character. Just One Day made me smile, laugh, sigh, swoon, and ache in my heart for Allyson. During the hours I had to stop reading and go to work, I could not stop thinking of her plight, and those thoughts came with an almost physical level of discomfort and worry for Allyson. Basically, any novel that can make me care so much rates exceedingly highly with me, particularly because that only happens in novels with marvelous characterization.

For those of you who like to take vacations through literature, this book will be such a great friend. There are so many sights and places to be experienced within its pages. Even better, they're not just the touristy highlights, but also the more basic culture. I had so many flashbacks to my own European travels, like how you really do meet Australians in hostels everywhere, and they're really loud and sociable, and how Europeans really do like to help, offering up extraordinary experiences and waving away offers of payment.

Yesterday, I posted on instalove in YA literature, and how tired I get of the relatively unvaried romantic plot lines in the majority of the fiction. Well, Just One Day was such a fitting read to embark upon after that, because I felt as though Forman targeted a lot of that and wrote something unique and meaningful and unflinchingly honest. What she did with the romance, though I cannot tell you what that was, I approve.

Forman differs quite a bit in her portrayal of family as well. In young adult fiction, parents are notoriously absent, allowing the teens to have adventures parents would never approve. Actually, Allyson's mother and father are not in that much of the novel, as she spends most of it on vacation or at college, but, though not physically with her, they are almost constantly present. An only child, her parents have exceedingly high expectations for her and seem determined to have her fulfill them, pressuring her and preventing her from figuring out who she really is until she has the space of this first year away from home to really come of age.

Of course, I wanted to twirl around with happiness during nigh every reference to Shakespeare, especially during analytical discussions of his works. However, I also felt a strong correlation to another of my favorite classic works, A Room with a View by E.M. Forster, which details the coming of age of Lucy Honeychurch on a trip to Italy. Her experiences there change her in unanticipated ways, which at first frustrate and frighten her, but ultimately teach her a lot about life and the best ways to live it. Perhaps I'm just making this connection up, but there was a quote near the end that really brought that novel the surface to me, one about the Yes of life. Whether that second similarity was intended or entirely in my head, I marveled over the dialog Forman developed between classic works of literature and modern life.

Right now, I want to do nothing so much in the world as travel all around Europe, accompanied by a copy of the sequel/companion novel to Just One Day, which will apparently be from Willem's perspective, which seems an interesting correlation to If I Stay and Where She Went. (less)

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Mar 07, 2013 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourite-books, chick-lit-contemporary, deep-and-meaningful-and-cry-worthy

4.5 stars

Gayle Forman, you've done again. Creat a story that tugs at my heartstrings, make me want to cry and deliver a beautiful romance. I definitely enjoy and adore this book, and I think setting wise, I enjoyed it more than If I Stay and Where She Went, for the simple reason of Paris. I love Paris. There we so many emotions reading this book and it was just. Amazing. The ending is killing me though! I really really really want to know what's going to happen next/what happened in the past. AH...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Oceana Fern {Assorted Insanity} rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-lust, dat-title, favorites, five-stars, new-adult, owned, paper-copy, realistic-fiction-romance, signed-copies, sobbing-alert, young-adult

4.5

Five stars. Five glowing, splendid, glamorous stars.
Or actually, it might be closer to four-point-five stars, but the point is that this book is insane. In a good way.

My first Gayle Forman book was IF I STAY, which interestingly enough, was recommended to me by my sixth grade English teacher. I'm not going to lie: I was disappointed after reading it, but I still loved IF I STAY, and enjoyed the sequel, WHERE SHE WENT.

But JUST ONE DAY completely blew my mind.

That gif is disturbing, guys.

JUST...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Mrs.Heise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: conf-ncte-alan-2012, all-time-favorites

Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends

I have been waiting for a new Gayle Forman book since I 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 mo...more Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends

I have been waiting for a new Gayle Forman book since I 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! This is definitely a book to get in January.(less)

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Jan 18, 2013 Montana G. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-contemporary-challenge

Just One Day was one of the most beautiful stories I’ve read in a while. The writing was so phenomenal and I loved the story of self-growth.

Just One Day follows a girl, Allyson, after she makes a split second decision to go to Paris, with a cute Dutch guy. What she doesn’t realize that her entire year after that will be so affected by those actions she takes.

Allyson was such an amazing character. She had just graduated high school and struggled with meeting her mom’s expectations and holding on...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Jen Ryland added it

Shelves: atw-tour, completely-comtemp-2012

I borrowed this ARC as part of a tour (hosted by Around the World ARC Tours) in exchange for a possible review.

Allyson follows the rules on her student trip to Europe. That's just the kind of girl she is: rule-follower, perfect only child, academic overachiever. Until she makes a rash, impulsive, completely un-Allyson decision. She meets Willem, an actor who's part of a cast of a very unconventional Shakespeare play, in London. She agrees to go to Paris with him. This one decision will have last...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Lexxie (un)Conventional Bookviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-releases, fave-author, i-own, kindle, contemporary, 1st-person, read-in-2013, life-lessons, travel, ya, romance

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

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

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

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Apr 24, 2013 Riley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, young-adult

Lots of great ideas in this book, but the execution didn't quite live up for me. Granted, after reading IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT, I did have really high expectations for Gayle Forman, and it's possible that if another author had written this, I might have enjoyed it more because my expectations would have been different. Obviously I'm in the minority, though, since other people loved it.

To be clear, I liked JUST ONE DAY. I was just frustrated by it too.

I'll start with the cons:

- I did not un...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Ari rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, ebooks

My reaction upon finishing this book: Son of a...

The book started off great at first, it was easy to get into. And then I got bored and wanted to "solve the mystery" of what went wrong, plus I was tired of the main character being so annoyingly mopey... so I started speed reading. And then skimming. And then finally I had jumped to the end... And it was over. No real answers to any of the questions. Just a blatant, "buy the sequel to have any sort of resolution to this book". Which I think is pr...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Kaina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars

You can find more reviews atThese Flying Pages

Just One Day by Gayle Forman was, in three words, a let down. Now, that isn't to say that is wasn't a good book, it was. But, I assume I felt much more disappointed than I would have if I hadn't gone into the novel with such high expectations. Because lets face it, its Gayle Forman for crying out loud! We are talking about the women who made me laugh, experience her characters emotions as if they were my own, feel undeniable pain, and burst into tear...more You can find more reviews atThese Flying Pages

Just One Day by Gayle Forman was, in three words, a let down. Now, that isn't to say that is wasn't a good book, it was. But, I assume I felt much more disappointed than I would have if I hadn't gone into the novel with such high expectations. Because lets face it, its Gayle Forman for crying out loud! We are talking about the women who made me laugh, experience her characters emotions as if they were my own, feel undeniable pain, and burst into tears like a baby. She left me feeling amazed at the power her writing carried.

And that's where the problem comes in.

I compared Just One Day to If I Stay much too often. I could literally feel the missing presence of the elements that made me love Gayle Forman's work so much. I read about the heartbreak, but not to the point where I felt it myself. I read about the devastating disappointment and anger, yet I didn't feel the emotions stir inside of me. I read the heroines crushing anguish and I still could not muster the feeling to relate or feel empathy towards her situation. There were moments in the novel when I got the impression that they where supposed to be the start-bawling-like-a-baby moments, yet I didn't shed one single tear.

However, something that is present is the self-discovery factor that Forman does so well. At the beginning which was a bit slow, I didn't like Allyson all that much. I felt that she had so many faces, so many different identities, which we find out later becomes one of the driving sources behind this book. As Just One Day progresses the reader gets to see major character development in our protagonist. This contributed towards the ending when you know that Allyson is no longer living her life for others but for herself.

Furthermore, I adored the concept of self-discovery through travel. There just seems something so engrossing of the silent promises of adventure and the possible finding of ones true identity through culture and travel. The way Forman combines this with the idea of accidents makes for an interesting plot.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman is an enjoyable read with an interesting plot, however I feel as if this piece of work isn't up to par with the authors past novels. There was just something missing that I couldn't put my finger on. Although, with the major cliffhanger that left so many questions unanswered I'm itching to get my hands on the sequel.(less)

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!The Young Adult ...: Just One Day by Gayle Forman → April 2013	11	17	Apr 29, 2013 08:12am
YA Golden Book Hunt: April 2013 → Just One Day	2	6	Apr 26, 2013 03:25pm
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WHAT HAPPENED TO WILLEM?	13	122	Apr 25, 2013 11:40pm
Just One Year	9	92	Apr 25, 2013 11:39pm
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About Gayle Forman

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything fr...more Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, I was a journalist who specialized in reporting on young people and social-justice issues. Which is a fancy way of saying I reported on all the ways that young people get treated like crap—and overcome! I started out working for Seventeen magazine, writing the kinds of articles that people (i.e. adults) never believe that Seventeen ran (on everything from child soldiers in Sierra Leone to migrant teen farm workers in the U.S.). Later on, I became a freelance journalist, writing for magazines like Details, Jane, Glamour, The Nation, Elle, Budget Travel, and Cosmopolitan.

In 2002, I went traveling for a year around the world with my husband, Nick. I spent time hanging out with some pretty interesting people, a third sex (we’d probably call them transvestites here) in Tonga, Tolkien-obsessed, role-playing punks in Kazakhstan (bonus points to those of you who can find Kazakhstan on a map), working class hip-hop stars in Tanzania. The result of that year was my first book, a travel memoir called You Can’t Get There From Here: A Year On the Fringes of a Shrinking World. You can read about my trip and see pictures of it here.

What do you do when you get back home after traveling the globe for a whole year? First, you get disproportionately excited by the little comforts in life: Not having to look at a map to get everywhere? Yay! Being able to drink coffee without getting dressed and schlepping to a café first? Bliss! Then, if you’re 32 years old and have been with your husband for evah, you have a kid. Which we did. Presto, Willa!

So, there I was. With a baby. And all of a sudden I couldn’t do the kind of gallivanty reporting I’d done before. Well, you know how they say in life when one door closes another opens? In my case, the door came clear off the frame. Because I discovered that I could take the most amazing journeys of my life without ever having to leave my desk. It was all in my head. In stories I could make up. And the people I wanted to take these fantastical journeys with, they all happened to be between the ages of 12 and 20. I don’t know why. These are just the people who beckon me. And I go where I’m told.

My first young-adult novel, Sisters in Sanity, was based on another one of those social justice articles I wrote when for Seventeen and you can click here to read the article. Sisters was published in 2007. My next book, If I Stay, was published in April of 2009 by Dutton. It is also being published in 30 countries around the world, which is surreal. The sequel/companion book to If I Stay, Where She Went, comes out in April 2011. I am currently working on a new YA novel, that is, when my kids (plural, after Willa we adopted Denbele from Ethiopia) allow me to. And after that book is finished, I’ll write another, and another….

Wow. This is crazy long. I suppose the short version of this bio could simply read: My name is Gayle Forman and I love to write young-adult novels. Because I do. So thank you for reading them. Because without you, it’d just be me. And the voices in my head.

Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in such publications as Jane, Seventeen, Glamour, Elle, and The New York Times Magazine, to name just a few. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter. (less)

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Quotes from Just One Day

“Part of me knows one more day won't do anything except postpone the heartbreak. But another part of me believes differently. 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.” — 184 people liked it

“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.” — 128 people liked it

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