Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Published:  January 8, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 368
Series: Just One Day #1
Source: Bought
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

When sheltered American good girl Allyson first encounters laid-back Dutch actor Willem at an underground performance of Twelfth Night, there’s an undeniable spark. So when fate brings them together a second time, Allyson takes an uncharacteristic leap, changes course, and follows Willem to Paris. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame...until Allyson wakes up after a whirlwind day shocked to discover that Willem is gone. 

A life upended in one day turns into a year of self-discovery as Allyson embarks on a journey to break free from a lifetime of limits in order to find her true passions, and maybe even a true love.

My Review: I will never get tired of Gayle Forman's books. She has this incredible gift of writing amazing contemporary books. The author makes me want to pick up more contemporary books and that's saying something because I'm more into fantasy and paranormal type books. In fact I tend to shy away from contemporary books unless the book has many glowing reviews. In this case Just One Day had so many glowing reviews and I loved her other two books so I just had to read it.

I was skeptical about Allyson falling in love with Willem in just one day and I thought that it would be too much like the insta love I see in so many books but thankfully it wasn't anything like that. The day Allyson spent with Willem in Paris felt so much longer than it was. Their relationship might have been a little rushed but it worked.

It was very easy to connect to Allyson. I'm sure many people know what it feels like to want to be someone else, even if it's only for a little while. Allyson is a good girl that does everything by the rules and does exactly what her parents tell her to until she figures out that she can change. Her mother has planned out her future without asking if it's okay with Allyson. It's crazy how over bearing her mother is. I was so glad when Allyson finally stood up to her. 

I loved how Shakespeare was incorporated into the book. The themes from a few of the plays that were mentioned in the book were definitely present in this book and I loved how I was able to compare Willem and Allyson's relationship to relationships between the characters in the plays. It makes me want to go read some of those plays.

Each character in the book was there to help Allyson realize what she wanted to do and that people change. It wasn't Willem who changed her but the people that she meet during the year that made the difference. Willem started the change but the credit should go to all the friends she made and people she met. I especially loved that the book took place in Paris and that words from different languages were in. Not all of the words were explained but it's pretty easy to figure out the meaning behind the words.

The transformation that Allyson underwent was very inspiring and I can't wait to see what happens in Just One Year.