Original Read - December 2012: Given that it's Gayle Forman, I don't think it would have been possible for me to give it any less than five stars regardless. But Just One Day truly deserves it and earned a special place in my heart, as all Gayle's books do. It was definitely an emotional roller coaster and even though nothing close to the events that play out in the book have happened to me, then sentiment is just the same: falling in love, doubting how fast those feelings come on, fear of rejection, being rejected, and the quest to find the answers WHY. I can honestly say I've been through those exact situations and felt those feelings far too many times in my own teen/college years and I was right there with Allyson as she fell in love and then felt her heart break over and over again.
I don't know what more to say about the book except that I hope whoever reads this feels the same way I did - Totally invested, totally connected with the characters. I think if you've ever felt that way in a relationship (or non-relationship in some cases) that I think you'll easily fall right into step with the characters that Gayle Forman creates.
It's also further proof that I can actually read books set in foreign countries. Clearly before the select contemporary romances that I had read this year, I was not reading the right books. I've never been to Europe, but through the beautiful writing of Gayle Forman and several other contemporary writers, I've never felt more at home in Paris, London, Amsterdam, and various other sections of Europe. To me, that really says a lot, and I think the reason why is that I wasn't just getting descriptions of events that happened here and there - It was an emotional connection to that canal, that house, that park that made it feel like a place I could see myself. I have a tendency to tie places back to feelings and that was something that was expertly written in Just One Day.
Of course I recommend it to anyone and everyone. I'll recommend Gayle's books to people until the end of time and there's something so timeless about not only her writing but the way she writes her characters. I feel like even in 10 years when new generations pick up her books, they won't feel dated. I'm sure some minute details like the technology of whatever cell phones turn into in 10 years may be outdated, but only slightly so because the focus is almost entirely on the feelings that Allyson experiences and the universal message that she not only learns for herself, but that the readers can pick up about their own lives as well.
And the end - AH! I feel like I'll definitely read this book a few times before I can get my hands on Willem's side of the story. I know it may feel like a long way from now, but maybe like the characters, I can wait Just One Year.
Re-read completed 10/2/13, review posted 10/14/13: Pretty much ever since I finished JUST ONE DAY, I had been dying for a re-read. Between this book and IF I STAY/WHERE SHE WENT, it was really the reason I started the Gayle Forman Read Along -- I needed a good, solid reason to re-read when I was drowning in books I still haven't read. Ever since I first finished JUST ONE DAY back in December of last year, I felt like I NEEDED to read it again. I had connected with it so much the first time around but I needed to reach out and make that connection again. I needed to fall in love and get heartbroken all over again. I needed to remember what was so special about this book for me.
I think one of the most interesting things about re-reading this book was that it was RIGHT after I had met Gayle Forman. (I died. I was SO nervous.) I was actually a bit thrown off by her speech at the Anderson's YA Lit conference because she talked about JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR more as Allyson and Willem's journeys of finding and discovering themselves more than any part of this romance and I was like, "WHAT!? Gayle, you're crazy! These are hands down love stories." (Okay, I didn't actually say that.) Obviously they're still love stories and hi, I swoon. I melt. But hearing that from Gayle and then re-reading JUST ONE DAY (which I had actually just started before that conference) had totally changed how I viewed this book -- in a good way.
I'm just going to come out and say it: I'm a review buffer. I knew I loved Gayle Forman and I knew I did love reading JUST ONE DAY... But... I don't think I knew exactly WHY I was giving it five stars my first read around except for the fact that I wanted to. I knew I felt a connection, but I didn't exactly know specifically why other than the fact that I knew I was going to love it. The magic of re-reading JUST ONE DAY opened my eyes to everything that I wasn't sure of the first time around. I knew that JOD was not only about Allyson & Willem but also about Allyson's self-discovery and that was just SO much more apparent to me this time around. Allyson didn't just fall into a depression after her Europe trip because of Willem -- she missed that part of herself that was free and independent and fulfilling. I think I passed up a lot of those moments when I first read this book because I was looking for a heart-breaking romance and I missed one of the main points of the book.
I also really got to appreciate all of the Shakespeare references and allusions so much more. Not like I've brushed up on my Shakespeare since my last read, but I think that re-reading, I was less anxious to get to the end and see what happens (since I already knew), so I got to really take my time and drink up every single word on the page. I read into the Shakespeare ties and saw exactly how much these plays paralleled what was going on in Allyson's life as well. There were so many underlying themes that I appreciated so much more the second time around and I was kind of fascinated how closely the book followed these themes in the selected Shakespeare plays!
JUST ONE DAY was exactly what I needed before I started the much-anticipated JUST ONE YEAR. It also rekindled my thirst to write for which I cannot thank Gayle enough. Her writing is truly an inspiration to me and on a personal note, it's made my WIP feel like a real book for the first time when before it was just random paragraphs that had little cohesiveness. It was such a pleasure to read this book again and create an even deeper connection than I had before!
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About the author
Love! J’adore
I don’t remember when I ordered this book it’s been years for sure. It is one book my mind constantly wonders back to.. and there I go re-reading it😂🫶🏼. I love everything about it..I wouldn’t say it’s just for teens I’m in my 20s and still think this is a great book about moving forward and acceptance Better late than never to review it.🫶🏼💖
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2015
Top reviews from other countries
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JuliaReviewed in Germany on August 28, 2013
Mal eben in "just one day" gelesen und geliebt!
- Jess Hearts BooksReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2013
She went looking for him and along the way she found herself
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- Moutusi DasReviewed in India on September 11, 2020
Love, loss and learning to live again
"You have to fall in love to be in love, but falling in love isn't the same as being in love". A beautiful story about love, loss and learning to live again. I really feel the pain of the story and fell in love with the character. Highly recommended.♥️Moutusi DasLove, loss and learning to live again
Reviewed in India on September 11, 2020
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