*** SPOILERS ***
*** SPOILERS ***
Just One Day by Gayle FormanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
One great author said, “Good books don’t give up all their secrets at once.” That is probably why I consider this a good book. It’s the ending that finally convinced me to rate this 4 instead of 3 stars.
For the past couple of weeks, I have read a couple of Gayle Forman books (both from the “If I Stay” series). I was touched by the family, love, death and life themes in those books that it conditioned my mind to expect the same. “Just One Day” is more of a coming-of-age, love story. I was not that impressed at first.
This is told from the point of view of Allyson, who went to Europe for a vacation. It was a high school graduation gift from her parents. There she met Willem, a Shakespearean actor. She decided to spend a day with him in Paris. Yes, it had to be Paris. She felt like a totally different person (Willem called her Lulu)—more daring, more adventurous, more honest during that day. Circumstances brought her back to her reality. She went to college and was depressed. She met a few interesting people, made new friends and eventually decided to go back to Paris. Like most girls, this is where our need for “closure” comes in. That, or she probably missed her "Lulu" side. After a year, she’s back to retrace her steps. What she found out changes her.
The author’s typical writing style is still there. The flow is simple yet smooth like I’m watching a movie using my imagination. Instead of the usual flat line than peak in the end, the story is peak, then flat line then peak and then abrupt ending. The applaud the idea of this book because it makes readers like me want to grab the next one. This is the first part of a two-part series. The next book, “Just One Year”, is narrated from the point of view of Willem recounting what happened after that one magical day in the city of love. Since I need my closure, I'm off to read the next one.
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