Reviews
4.5 stars Contrary to If I Stay, which is a so-so read for me, this one here is FREAKING AH.MAY.ZING. The Europe background, adventurous atmosphere, and self-discovery aspect make it hard not to love it. Full review to come.
The first half of the book was a little annoying, to be honest. It all felt like a typical YA book to me. The writing, the conversations, etc. didn't stand out. Perhaps it's because I was expecting a lot more from this book since it was Gayle Forman who wrote this after all. I love If I Stay and Where She Went to bits. I loved how simple the writing was in the two books I have mentioned but in this novel's case it is elaborate. I loved how balanced the writing seemed to be in her first two novels. I'm trying my hardest not to be biased about deliberating this novel but I just keep coming back to that. What happened, Gayle? I mean, I get that not every book the author writes should have the same writing style but I just didn't get why the whole story itself did not enrapture me as much as the synopsis did. But what the story lacked in the first half, it made up for in the second half which was a huge relief. In this part of the book, I felt closure. I felt the character finally coming to terms with herself and how she will find herself and how she will find inner peace. The latter parts of the book were the ones I loved the most. All the pieces clicked together. Everything finally made sense. The latter parts of the book felt like The Fault In Our Stars in some parts to me. Maybe, it's because of the tulips and Amsterdam but nevertheless, those parts gave me a good feeling and I enjoyed breezing through it. It ended right, this book. But I cannot help but wonder what following events could have occurred, what kind of conversations they could have had, if they fought. I really hope that I do find out in the second book. I cannot wait for Just One Year!
★★★ // the problem with this book is that it introduced me to a lot of characters that i wanted to have gotten to know more (like Dee, Babs, etc) but i was left hanging because of that quest that she has to go to. i liked the Shakespeare bits, and the restaurant job. i have this feeling that Allyson's story would work even without Willem. for me, he was not much of a likeable character, and it’s a shame how much energy she’s wasted on the guy.
anddd I've officially reached the end of this series and now my heart is just omg I can't even explain it. Willem & Allyson literally have my heart forever 🙂💕!
I have never read a book written by Gayle Forman, and this was never my own personal choice, it was a gift. First of all, I would have never even thought of getting a story like this, never, but after that first chapter I was completely engaged. Since then, I have never wanted to put the book down, the writing was captivating! It was just the ending that kinda ruined it for me, if it was a tiny bit longer it might have been one of my favs.... Anyways, after finding out that this is a sequel to just one day, I'm thinking of reading that too, which must mean one thing.
Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune! I am not usually a fan of romance books, but this one took me by surprise. It was mainly the fact that Willem’s Dutch that I wanted to read this book (because I’m Dutch myself), and I actaully really loved it. The Characters – I didn’t really like Allyson at the beginning, but she grew on me. I did like Willem right from the start, but I actually started hating him after that, because of what he’d done (until I learned the truth near the end of the book, and I actually liked him a bit more after that). I also almost immediately fell in love with Dee, because he’s just amazing and weird (in a good way) and I loved his friendship with Ally (yeah, I am going to call her that). Other than that, the other characters were good as well, but I didn’t really ‘connect’ with them as I did with Dee and Willem. Also, perhaps a bit of a spoiler, but Willem’s last name is de Ruiter. And that is just the funniest thing ever, because the most famous brand of Hagelslag in the Netherlands is called de Ruiter (or Ruijter, I never really checked actually; but you pronounce it the same). Coincidence? I think not! And the Giant (whose name I have currently forgot, sorry) in France made me sob a little bit. HE HELD ONTO HER SUITCASE FOR A YEAR. A YEAR! The Dutch stuff – Of course, with a (main) character being Dutch, there was a lot of Dutch talking; Hagelslag, Gezondheid, Godverdomme. There was one tiny part that bothered (or well ‘bothered’, I was a bit confused about it actually) me a bit; the big departure board thing. In the book, it was said that it was in Amsterdam, but I have been to Amsterdam a lot in my life, and I don’t remember anything like that (sure, there are screens with departure times, but I am guessing that they meant the big blue departure board with the ratteling sounds and the nostalgia; because that’s in Utrecht. Or rather, was (rip beautiful departure board)). But hey, mistakes can (will and may) be made. And my favourite part of the book: Ally: *Sneezes* Willem: “Gezondheid.” Ally: “Hagelslag.” Perfect. And Wren and Ally met up at ‘the white statue that looks a lot like a penis’, that made me laugh out loud because I know exactly which statue they mean; and then I told myself they should have gone to Rotterdam, where there’s a statue of Santa Claus holding a Christmas tree, but it looks more like a dwarf holding a butt plug. The Romance - Like I said, not a fan of romance; and though this book felt a bit like ‘insta-love’ to me, I loved it. The whole romance part was quite short, tbh, and the rest of the book was actually more Ally trying to get over/find Willem, but I liked it. I can’t say I actually ship them, but I would like to read more about them being together and talking about stuff (like hagelslag). The Plot – I must admit, I am not a fan of Shakespeare, but I liked that the story kind of revolved around his plays, and yeah well, I just loved the story. I don’t really know what else I can say about it, I loved reading about Ally’s life after Willem, and the trip’s she’s made, the things she’s done. The Writing – I really like Gayle Forman’s writing. I enjoyed reading If I Stay (and I am ashamed to say I still need to read Where She Went), and that’s also a main reason I bought this book. I am definitely going to read Just One Year, because I want to read more about Ally and Willem; and I have also added Where She Went to my 2014 reading list! One more quote, that actually made me sob with laughter: “Orlando,” said the Hobbit. Mainly because I love the Hobbit, and because of Orlando Bloom; who plays Legolas in the Hobbit. Yeah, I have weird humour. Sorry. Anyway, I loved this book, and if you want to read a nice romance-y book, I suggest you pick up Just One Day!
Read this review, and many more on my blog October Tune! “Have you been gone for so long you’ve forgotten how to drink and drive a bike? How can you even call yourself Dutch anymore?” In Just One Day, we read the story of Allyson, aka ‘Lulu’, who has an amazing day in Paris with the Dutch Willem. But the next morning, she wakes up all alone, Willem is nowhere to be found. Throughout the rest of the book, Allyson tries to both forget and find Willem, and at the end of the book we see that she does. But what has Willem done in that year? The answer to that question will be answered in Just One Year, the same story but from Willem’s point of view. We read of his journey to find his ‘Lulu’ again, of his travels and his acting. Of his friends, his (potential) lovers, and of his parents. If you haven’t read Just One Day, this review might have some minor spoilers. I loved Just One Day, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel. But like so many other sequels, I postponed buying/reading Just One Year for a while. Not as long as normally, sometimes it takes me months or even years to read the following book in a series, but this time it only took me about five/six months. Still, that’s quite a while, but for me it’s short! Like I probably said before, I am not a huge fan of romance books, but JOD and JOY both grabbed me right from the start. Maybe it was the fact that Willem is Dutch, like me, and all the mentions of Dutch things, such as hagelslag, broodjes and a ‘white tower that looks like a giant penis’. But of course, I just liked way the story was written as well! What I liked: I liked all the traveling. Willem loves traveling, and he hates being stuck in one place for too long. But due to certain circumstances he stays in Amsterdam and/or Utrecht for at least half of the book. The other half, he is traveling to Mexico, to Mumbai, and not entirely without reason. He is trying to find his Lulu, but he doesn’t remember her real name. I personally thought all the Dutch things were very well written, because it happens a lot that when someone wants to show that a person is Dutch and they do it all wrong (by making them sound German mostly). This book actually corrects that (there have been a couple of times where Willem told people that he’s Dutch, not German). A tiny pet peeve of mine, is that they kept calling the Netherlands ‘Holland’. Yes, that might be a bit easier to type than ‘The Netherlands’ the entire time, but Holland really is just two of the provinces (North and South Holland). We meet a lot of new characters in this book, including some of Willem’s friends. Robert-Jan, aka Broodje (sandwhich) was my favourite. He’s Willem’s best friend, and he’s just really awesome. In JOD he is described as a Hobbit, and that is what I pictured the entire time I read JOY; a Dutch hobbit named Broodje. There is also Henk and W, who is dating Lien, and a lot of other Dutch characters. All the Dutch names just made me incredibly happy, and also made me laugh out loud because it made me wonder how non-Dutch people were pronouncing them in their heads. There are also some of Willem’s ex girlfriends (or well, not sure if they were really girlfriends or just ‘flings’) and there was one in particular which just made me cringe. And there are the people that Willem meets on his new journeys, including Kate, which is my favourite. She helped him near the end of the book, for the play in het Vondelpark, where Allyson went to see him near the end of JOD. I have to admit, I am a bit jealous of Willem, because he’s able to just travel anywhere he wants, whenever he wants. I wish I could do that sometimes, just pack a bag with just some clothes, money, a toothbrush, my phone, maybe a notebook and a camera, and just randomly pick a place to go to. Because that is what Willem was doing – or was planning on doing – at the beginning of the book. Though he is a traveler, he spends at least half of the story in the Netherlands, mostly in Amsterdam or Utrecht, but that didn’t bother me a lot, because I just loved reading about my country from the perspective of someone who wasn’t from here (I mean the author, of course). I have to say it again, Gayle Forman did a great job. The writing in JOY was very good, but I hadn’t expected anything else. I loved JOD and If I Stay (still need to read Where She Went though, oops). It was so well written, that it took me less than twelve hours to finish the book, something I haven’t had in a while, I think. What I didn’t like: I have to say, there weren’t really things I disliked about this book, apart from the fact that sometimes Allyson and Willem were so close to seeing each other again, and then they didn’t. It actually made me a bit sad, haha. Also, the ending was quite disappointing, in my opinion (and I think almost everyone who’s read the book agrees with me). Because (spoiler? I think), it ends just the same as Just One Day, with them finding each other again in Amsterdam and that’s it. End of story. But, in answer to that, Gayle Forman has written ‘Just One Night’ a 40 page novella about what happens after this book, and I am reading it right now! Conclusion: I loved Just One Year, absolutely loved it. Together with the first book, I think this series made me want to read more (well written) romance books. Yes, you heard it right, I am starting to like romance more, all thanks to Willem and Allyson (even though their relationship was kind of insta-love, which is still something I despise). If you want to read a nice story about love, one that is not a trilogy, you should definitely read Just One Day and Just One Year!
akhirnya tamat juga, perjalanan yg cukup panjang dan kadang seru, kadang membosankan :"
I just need a little bit of closure. I'm starting on Just One Year now.
A great YA read filled with smart characters, delightful travels to Paris and a mysterious boy (of course).
hmm well what can i say? i liked this book because it had different backgrounds and scenes! i liked everything about it except that Allyson was a little obsessed with willem considering that she was just with him one whole single day. apart from that i liked how it wa good written./.^ I felt like i was at paris even tho i was not!( lol ) Gayle Forman knows how to make a reader feel all those emotions that allyson was feeling throught a book ^.=
OMG A well-deserved 5 Stars!! "Don’t worry, I plan on living a long time.” “Why are you making a bucket list, then?” “Because if you wait until you’re really dying, it’s too late. I've read this way back in 2014 in one-sitting. And it's been 2 years but I'm still thinking about this book from time to time, so I guess it deserves a 5-Stars rating from me. (Please don't mind that terrible-looking cover even one bit.) As a 20-something I always dream of getting away, you know, taking a solo trip to Europe and figure out who I am, sort the shit out of myself, and run into The One (as a bonus) and all. Thanks to this book that dream of mine has come true through the pages. And it was one of the best YA romance I've read up to this day. “That’s because I’m an expert faker.” I swipe a tear with my hand. “I’m so good at faking I don’t even know when I'm doing it" Just One Day told a coming-of-age story of Allyson who was as confused and sheltered as any privileged teen YA protagonist could have been. She didn't know what she wanted and all her life she just lived her life according to what she thought would please others. But then she met Willem, an enigmatic Dutch actor who was (as cliche as it sounds) everything that she wasn't. It was her last days in Europe, and Willem showed up with an offer of the life time. As she took the leap of faith to spend one day with him in Paris, Allyson would get to finally learn about the deal called life, love, friendship and everything in between. "If you went to kindergarten, you learned how to make friends. It’s like the first thing they teach you.” She stares at me. “To make a friend . . .” she begins. “You have to be a friend,” I finish, remembering the saying I was taught in Mrs. Finn’s class. Ormaybe it was from Barney. I love this book because it was so much more than a teen romance set in Paris. I mean, that's the idea of the book but in the end it's not only love that she found in this journey... Just One Day is about getting lost and be found again by the help of friends and those around you. It's about being hopeful and brave and let me tell you that friendship game is highly on point in this one. Allyson was that brooding teen who was so full of herself, but then by the end of the book you'll see how much she'd grown; how gradually she let people into her life and make something great out of it. To be honest, I don't care one bit about her business with Willem, because Allyson's relationship with the rest of the characters was so so much better! It happens when I stumble into the arrivals hall of Charles de Gaulle airport. All around me, other passengers are being greeted by hugging relatives or drivers with signs. I’m not being met by anyone. No one is expecting me. No one is watching out for me. I know I have people out there in the world who love me, but right now, I’ve never felt so alone. I feel that flashing sign click on over my head, the one that used to read TOURIST. Only now it also reads WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? The writing was great, like the description of Paris and all that, though I'd say the ending did left a void in my heart quite a bit. But don't panic, it's a good ending, really. Just that the style wasn't quite my cup of tea I guess. The characters are amazing. I love all of Allyson's friends even though they were just one-dimensional and manic-pixie-dream kind of people. This is a lovely, thought-provoking book about love, heartbreak, friendship, and most important of all, traveling. It will definitely put a smile on your face, a butterfly in your stomach, and, consider yourself warned, a great amount of tears in your eyes. Find out more at: https://thebleedingeyes.wordpress.com/
Inhalt: Allysons Leben ist genau wie ihr Koffer – überlegt, geplant und ordentlich gepackt. Doch am letzten Tag ihrer dreiwöchigen Europatour lernt sie Willem kennen. Sofort knistert es zwischen den beiden. Als freier, ungebundener Schauspieler ist Willem all das, was die 18jährige Allyson nicht ist, und als er sie einlädt, mit ihr nach Paris zu kommen, trifft sie spontan eine für sie untypische Entscheidung. Sie ändert ihren Plan und geht mit ihm. Nach nur einem gemeinsamen Tag wird aus dem Knistern ein Brennen … bis Allyson am nächsten Morgen aufwacht und feststellen muss, dass Willem nicht mehr da ist. (Quelle: Klappentext) Meine Meinung: Nur ein Tag und ein ganzes Jahr. Mit diesem Titel und dem wundervollen Konzept dahinter hat mich der Fischer Verlag gelockt und ich konnte nicht widerstehen. So sind zwei Gayle Forman Bücher bei mir eingezogen und mit ihnen habe ich auch meine ersten Bücher der Autorin gelesen. Der erste Band des Romanduos wird von Allyson erzählt. Zusammen mit ihrer Freundin macht sie eine Rundreise durch Europa und lernt dabei am letzten Tag Willem kennen. Er ist Schauspieler in London und als sie ihm erzählt, dass sie auf ihrer Reise nicht nach Paris konnten, lädt er sie spontan dazu ein, ihn für einen Tag dorthin zu begleiten. Allyson ist ruhig, geordnet und bricht selten aus der Rolle der perfekten Tochter aus. Trotzdem tut sie etwas, was sie selbst nie gedacht hätte. Sie sagt ja und nach diesem Tag in Paris verliebt sie sich nicht nur in Willem, er lässt sie auch mit einem gebrochenen Herzen dort zurück. Zu meiner Schande muss ich gestehen, dass ich sowohl für Allyson als auch für Willem nicht viel übrig hatte. Ich habe immer ein Problem mit zu lieben und braven Protagonistinnen und das ist Allyson zu Beginn leider. Nachdem Willem sie in Paris verlassen hat, kehrt Allyson nach Hause zurück und ist für den Großteil des Buches depressiv und zu nichts zu gebrauchen. Ich habe mich sehr unwohl dabei gefühlt, von ihr zu lesen und doch hat sich das gegen Ende des Buches sehr gebessert. Allyson fängt an ihr Leben in die Hand zu nehmen und ihr Glück zu suchen und diese Veränderung empfand ich als sehr positiv. Ich hoffe, dass sich dies auch noch durch das zweite Buch zieht, denn die alte Allyson mochte ich gar nicht. Auch gegen Will habe ich eine Abneigung. Im Buch ist man zwar ständig hin und her gerissen zwischen „er hat sie verlassen“ und „ihm ist vielleicht etwas passiert“ aber gerade zum Ende des Buches überwog doch letzteres. Den zweiten Band werden wir ja aus Willems Persepektove lesen und ich bin gespannt, ob ich dann mehr mit ihm sympathisieren kann. Abgesehen von Allysons Depressionsphase und dem Tag in Paris, den ich ehrlich gesagt nicht besonders spektakulär fand, mochte ich die Handlung des Buches allerdings sehr. Es ist sehr spannend zu lesen, wie Allyson nach ihrer Zeit in Europa wächst und sich entwickelt. So wird Nur ein Tag ein richtiger Coming Of Age-Roman, den ich sehr genossen habe. Außerdem liebte ich den Reiseaspekt sehr. Nicht nur während Allysons Europareise sondern auch danach bleibt die Geschichte nicht an einem Ort. Allyson reist weiterhin sehr viel und mit ihr tun es auch die Leser. Das hat in mir ein großes Fernweh und richtige Reiselust geweckt und ist so für jeden, der die Ferne liebt perfekt. Mein Top-Reiseziel auf Allysons Liste war natürlich meine absolute Lieblingsstadt Amsterdam. Von dieser Stadt haben wir allerdings noch nicht alles gelesen und auch hier bin ich sehr gespannt, was Band 2 für und bereit hält. Neben Gayle Formans Schreibstil, der wunderbar Allysons Gefühle transportieren konnte, hat mir sehr gut gefallen, dass sie sehr viel Shakespeare in ihre Werke eingebaut hat. Man spürt ihre Liebe zu ihrem Schriftsteller und ist ganz verzaubert über die Begeisterung, die sie in dem Leser schlussendlich auch weckt. Somit wird Nur ein Tag auch deshalb schon die perfekte Lektüre für das Shakespeare Jahr 2016. Ganz am Ende wird es auch noch einmal sehr spannend und das Buch endet mit einem kleinen Cliffhanger, weshalb ihr unbedingt schon Und ein ganzes Jahr zu Hause haben sollet, wenn ihr dieses Buch lest. Bewertung: Mit Allyson und Willem kam ich überhaupt nicht zurecht. Dafür konnte mich aber der Rest des Buches umso mehr überzeugen. Eine tolle Coming of Age-Geschichte wurde von Gayle Forman durch die Themen Reisen und Shakespeare aufgewertet und so ist das Buch absolut lesenswert. Außerdem bin ich ein kleiner Gayle Forman Fan geworden und absolut überzeugt davon, wie sie durch ihre Worte Gefühle vermittelt. Vielen herzlichen Dank an den Fischer Verlag für das schöne *Rezensionsexemplar.
Inhalt: Wenn du einem Menschen begegnet bist, der dein Herz geöffnet hat, wirst du alles dafür tun, ihn wiederzufinden. Aber was, wenn du nicht einmal weißt, wie sie wirklich heißt … Als Willem die Augen öffnet, weiß er nicht, wo er gerade ist – Prag, Dubrovnik oder zurück in Amsterdam. Alles, was er weiß, ist, dass er wieder alleine ist und dass er ein Mädchen finden muss, das sich Lulu nennt. Der Tag, den er mit ihr in Paris verbracht hat, hat sein Leben verändert. Er ist sich sicher, dass sie zusammengehören. Willem bereist die ganze Welt, von Mexico bis nach Indien, in der Hoffnung, sie wieder zu treffen. Aber als die Monate vergehen, beginnt er doch an der Macht des Schicksals zu zweifeln … (Quelle: Verlag) Meine Meinung: Und ein ganzes Jahr ist der ersehnte zweite Teil des Romanduos von Gayle Forman und nachdem ich einige kleine Kritikpunkte hatte, die Nur ein Tag nicht ganz so perfekt gemacht haben, konnte mich Und ein ganzes Jahr dafür umso mehr überzeugen. Was mir genau nicht gefallen hat werde ich hier nicht noch einmal explizit wiederholen, nachlesen könnt ihr es in meiner Rezension zum Buch. Nachdem wir in Nur ein Tag den Tag in Paris und das gesamte Jahr danach aus Allysons Sicht erfahren, dreht sich Und ein ganzes Jahr um Willems Erlebnisse in genau dem gleichen Zeitraum. Das war auch mehr als notwendig, denn zum Ende des ersten Bandes blieben viele Fragen ungelöst. Willem war mir in Nur ein Tag nicht unbedingt sympathisch. Das lag vor allen Dingen daran, dass wir das Buch nur aus Allysons Perspektive gelesen haben und die ist eben sehr subjektiv. So fragte ich mich natürlich, wie Willem im zweiten Teil der Reihe auf mich wirken wird und ich war positiv überrascht. Nicht nur bekommen wir ein besseres Bild von ihm, wir dringen auch tiefer in seine Gedankenwelt ein und erfahren, was wirklich alles beim ihm los ist und ihn in seinem Leben beschäftigt. Noch berührender ist es, direkt zu erfahren, wieso Willem nicht mehr bei Allyson war und was er alles getan hat, um sie ausfindig zu machen. Das setzt viele Veränderungen in ihm frei und so sucht er im Roman nicht nur Allyson sondern findet sich auch Stück für Stück, was für mich eine wundervolle Art war, das Buch zu gestalten. Die Liebesgeschichte hat zwar existiert, ist aber kurzzeitig auch mal in den Hintergrund gerückt und hat viel Platz für anderes gelassen. Auch der Reiseaspekt steht in diesem Buch wieder im Fokus. Meines Erachtens sogar mehr, als es im ersten Teil der Dilogie der Fall war. Neben Mexico geht es für Willem auch nach Indien und darüber hinaus bekommen wir viel von seiner Heimatstadt Amsterdam mit, die meine absolute Lieblingsstadt ist und genau dieser Aspekt war ein ganz besonders toller im Buch. Überhaupt schreibt Gayle Forman so weltoffen und tolerant und es war wundervoll ihre Worte zu lesen auch, wenn dieses Mal der Shakespeare Aspekt in den Hintergrund gerückt ist. Das Buch endet ganz genau da wo Nur ein Tag auch endet. Im ersten Band war das Ende ein Cliffhanger und man wollte unbedingt weiterlesen doch jetzt, wo man beide Bücher kennt kann man zu 99,9% sagen, wie das Buch ausgeht und mit diesem Ende war ich mehr als zufrieden. Und dennoch gibt es noch etwas kleines Süßes für alle, die mit offenen Enden nicht so gut können oder – wie ich – unglaublich neugierig sind, wie das Ganze mit Allyson und Willem weitergeht und endet. Am Ende des Buches findet ihr einen Link und einen QR-Code mit denen ihr euch das eShort Und noch eine Nacht herunterladen könnt. Auf dieses solltet ihr meiner Meinung nach nicht verzichten, denn es ist ganz putzig gemacht und beantwortet auch noch viele Fragen, die noch geklärt werden könnten. Vor allen Dingen aber sorgt es für ein rundes und abgeschlossenes Ende und so ist das eShort für mich ein fester Bestandteil der Reihe. Bewertung: Nachdem ich den ersten Band doch ein bisschen kritisieren musste, hat mir der zweite umso besser gefallen. Willem hat sich zu einem tollen Protagonisten entwickelt und dass nicht nur die Liebesgeschichte, sondern auch die Themen Erwachsen werden, Selbstfindung und Reisen behandelt wurden, macht das Buch lesenswert. Zusammen mit dem eShort Und noch eine Nacht rundet das Ende die Reihe perfekt ab und ich kann euch auf jeden Fall eine klare Leseempfehlung aussprechen. Vielen herzlichen Dank an den Fischer Verlag für das schöne *Rezensionsexemplar.
I'M SO EMOTIONAL RIGHT NOW.
4.5 I didn't quite reach the absorbed feeling that initally had when I first read Just One Day, although did I enjoyed listening to the narrator.
The perfect conclusion of Just One Day and Just One Year. Almost everything that I wanted... (I want more books about Alyson and Willem, but that's just too much to ask for)
The dimensions of Willem that was revealed in Just One Year gives me understanding for him and his circumstances, and it changed my opinion of him that I had after reading Just One Day. This is as its predecessor, more than I was expecting; set in different places around the world, spicing everything up with it's exotic settings and atmosphere. Just One Year was just as an impactful read and resonating read for me, as Just One Day.
It was more than what I was expecting, and I got a lot out from it. It so beautiful, and being set several places in the world gives it a beautiful setting and atmosphere. Such an impactful read and so resonating for me.
Loved. Gayle Forman keeps up her winning streak of devastating the entirety of my life with her books. Most of all, reading Willem's story really just made me want to finally get a passport and get the hell out of here. Loved. Side note: It's a good idea to reread Just One Day before starting this if you haven't read it recently. I did a reread and it really enhanced my reading experience.
Absolutely loved it. I came to this book expecting a love story and it's so much more.
"Another day. That's all I'm asking. Just one more day. I can't think beyond that... 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." Allyson Healey and her best friend Melanie, are on a European Tour before they started going to university. That day, they were supposed to be watching Shakespeare's Hamlet - but then they both come across a group of actors who are also doing Shakespeare, in a different way. Allyson, who's an all-time good girl, wanted to try something interesting - which she didn't find the whole tour. So she and Melanie decided to go watch it, not only because the idea of escaping sounds fun, but also because of the guy who offered them to come, Willem. Read the full review here: http://www.thebookielooker.com/2013/0...
So this is going to be a really short and brief review, because it's only a novella - but I really want to write down what I thought about it. First of all, I am so thankful that Gayle Forman decided to write this. Just One Year was such a disappointment for me, because I didn't get what I've been looking forward to since I finished the first book, Just One Day. I was so thrilled when I found out about this novella, and was even more excited when it's finally out! Thankfully, this companion eased my disappointment with Just One Year - because I am extremely satisfied with it. "He would like to kick himself. This girl he has not seen in a year, this girl he's thought about, dreamed about, looked for, for a year, this girl he just kissed (he's still a bit dazed from that kiss)... and his first words to her are those of a waiter." The story continues right after the ending of Just One Year, when they finally meet again after a long year of rediscovering themselves and trying hard to track each other down. Right at the very first page, Willem and Allyson is bursting with chemistry. I was squealing inside, and most definitely cannot contain the feels - because THIS is what I've been waiting for! Oh my God YES. And the story continues with the two of them gathering with their friends. Willem's friends are in absolute awe of the 'accidents' that has happened to Willem and Allyson - and how they could find each other again.... Read the full review here: http://www.thebookielooker.com/2014/0...
"I'm beginning to think that I've talked myself into a lie of my own telling. Because the truth is I don't know here. All I know is that she's a girl who bears a passing resemblance to Louise Brooks. But what is that? The contours of a person, but really no more real that a fantasy projected onto a screen." The story starts as Willem de Ruiter wakes up in a hospital, not knowing where he is or remembering what has happened to him. Then memories started to come back to him, little by little. He remembered about a black-haired girl who was waiting for him, a girl called Lulu. Unfortunately Lulu is not her real name, it's a name Willem gave her because she looks like Louise Brooks. With the little memory he has of Lulu, Willem started tracking back all the clues he had: starting from the double happiness sign that Lulu told him about. Though it seems the probability of finding Lulu again in Paris is close to none. "But Wrong Lulu is right. Accident - how I found her. Accident - how I lost here. You have to give the universe credit, the way it even things out like that." "See how funny life is," Bram used to say as the epilogue to their epic love story. "If the car hadn't broken down just there, or if she'd run out of money in Copenhagen, or if Daniel were the taller one, none of this might ever have happened." But I knew what he was really saying was: Accidents. It's all about the accidents.... Read the full review here: http://www.thebookielooker.com/2014/0...