Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day
By Gayle Forman

book rate: ★★★★★ (5/5)

From Goodreads:

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.

Review: 

Eighteen year old Allyson Healey has always been a straight A student. So, as a reward for her accomplishments in high school, her parents offer her a three week European tour as a graduation gift. What she was not expecting was to meet Willem and having her life turned upside down. When he asks Allyson to change her plans and spend a day with him in Paris, she finds herself saying yes against all odds.  

Allyson had never been a rebellious child, she was exactly the opposite, the perfect daughter, the perfect student and the perfect best friend, was always ready to help whoever needed her, even if that meant not helping herself.  Allyson was the type of girl who would never, not in a million years, go to a foreign country with a completely stranger. Willem, on the other hand, is a confident, gorgeous free-spirited actor. He’s everything Allyson is not, but, somehow, Allyson discovers a part of her she never thought existed while travelling with Willem.

You may think Just One Day is just one more love story. But one the contrary, this novel is about self-discovery, finding a part of yourself you never knew existed and fighting to keep it within you. This is a book to every boy and girl who has ever felt lost, disconnected from the world and those living on it. The strong characters combined with a beautiful writing style, Gayle Forman, was able to, not only, inspire young readers but also make them reflect about life, what you expect from it and what is expected of you. 

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay #2)

By Gayle Forman

book rate: ★★★★★ (5/5)

series rate: ★★★★★ (5/5)

If you haven’t read the first book in the series, be aware, this review contains spoilers of book one, If I Stay.

From Goodreads:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review:

I don't know how to start to express my love for this book. I've been waiting to read it for a long time, and when I finally got my hands on it I sat down and I start reading it, a few hours later I had already finished it. This book was everything I was hopping for and more.

This book is written from Adam's point of view. It has been 3 years since the accident, 3 years since Mia left Adam and never said a word. He's devastated, lonely and lost. He has the life most people want, he is a rock star, but he isn't happy. Adam was a great character, the way he described what he was feeling was so realistic I could almost feel it myself. Mia is a rising star herself, she is living her life and even after everything she went through she stayed true to herself. 

The plot was simply amazing. As the night went on we get to see Adam and Mia's relationship and I was dumbstruck how well they knew each other, how he knew exactly what she wanted and needed. 

Throughout the book, Adam has flash backs of what that happened in the past, ever since Mia got out of the hospital to how he got to where he was. When he describes some moments he used to have with Mia before the accident it was undeniable how much they loved which other. When Mia finally stepped into the picture, his feelings where so strong and overwhelming, it was obvious he was still hurting over her. It was heartbreaking, I wanted to cry for Adam, he didn't what happened to him.

Once more, Gayle Forman wrote an amazing heartbreaking story. It will keep you on the edge of tears, frustrated and most likely overwhelmed. The feelings an ever lasting presence, just like you would expect from Gayle Forman. If you liked If I Stay you don't want to miss Where She Went.