WHOLLY BOOKS!: Review: Just One Day

Review: Just One Day

8:00 AM | Posted by Ashley G. |

Title: Just One Day

Author: Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Pages: 368

Release Date: January 8, 2013

Rating: 5 Cows

Goodreads Description:

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, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

My Thoughts:

Dear Gayle Forman,

First, I would like to thank you for writing such a wonderful and addicting story. It truly is a work of art.

Thank you for writing a contemporary YA book that is NOT just another love story. Just One Day is so much more than that! It’s a story about growing up and finding out who you are. It’s about learning that you can’t always please others. It’s about learning that to really and truly be happy you have to learn to make yourself happy. AND that is why, Gayle, I LOVE you for writing this book.

Allyson is this unbelievably real character that suffers the kind of heartache only a first love can bring. However, it’s through that heartbreak that she realizes that there is so much more to life than pleasing your parents. As time passes by, she realizes that her life is passing her by and the only way to stop it is to take control. She has to quit listening to what everyone wants her to do or what she thinks she should be doing. To find happiness, she has to stop playing it safe. So Allyson takes this incredible dive into adventure, knowing that what she finds out may only break her heart more. Still, she does it because she knows that the risk is worth the reward. That knowing is better than wondering.

There are so many times in my life that I feel like I am trying to do what I am SUPPOSED to do, what I believe others EXPECT me to do, instead of what I actually WANT to do. There are so many times that I feel GUILTY for these things. I feel selfish for having dreams and for wanting more out of life. I feel as if I’m letting someone down for not being the perfect mom, girlfriend, daughter, ect. when in fact, the only person I’m letting down is me. I’m letting myself down for holding myself to this impossible standard. No one is perfect. No one can be and by not allowing myself to reach for my dreams, I’m only allowing myself to be a small portion of what I could be. You taught me that, Gayle!

You see, Gayle, I am Allyson, it’s just that everyone knows me as Ashley, but all I want really want is to be LuLu.

So for today I’ll be Ashley but starting tomorrow I’m going to be LuLu because change has to start somewhere and I think tomorrow’s a perfect day for a new adventure.

Sincerely,

Ashley

5 comments:

Megan KnowlesFebruary 4, 2013 at 1:51 PM
I have been dying to read this book since it came out. This is the best review I think you have ever written. After reading what you wrote I knew I had to buy it now, and just did in target. Love you!
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whoRuBlogFebruary 4, 2013 at 3:24 PM
Deeply touched by what your wrote. I loved this book too. Liza (WhoRuBlog)
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Ashley G.February 4, 2013 at 8:09 PM
Thanks to both of you! So glad you enjoyed it!
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Stacey Joy NetzelFebruary 5, 2013 at 1:24 PM
Ashley, great review. Seriously. I have one request...I don't know if you have a specific reason for not adding buy links to the books your review, but if you don't, I would LOVE for you to start adding them. A couple times I'd have probably clicked through after reading your review, but w/o the link, I got distracted and then forgot to go look up the book later.

If you have a reason for not including the links, just ignore me.

By the way, I hope LuLu's been having a good day! :)
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