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kimching232's review against another edition
3.0
I seriously couldn't connect with Allyson for the most part. By the time she stopped being a whiny teenager, I was already 65% through the book, and too late to convince me to like the book. Sorry to all the fans out there!
SERIES REVIEW:
Allyson and Willem's story started in the first book, Just One Day. A series of fortunate circumstances - serendipity, you might say - brought them together to spend an amazing day in Paris, and within twenty four hours, find love in one another.
To be honest, I was really hesitant to pick this up at first. I didn't really like the sound of Shakespeare in the synopsis. I only picked it up because of the endless gushing of bloggers and readers alike. I still can't say whether it was worth it or not.
On the first book, we got to see Allyson's side of the story. We got to see how she and Willem met, talked, and eventually went on a trip to Paris together. Before meeting Willem, Allyson was the shy goody-two-shoes, but then after just one day, everything changed and she became this whiny teenager that I really hated! It was like she wanted to inflict more pain to herself by thinking about crazy things. Because of this, I wasn't able to enjoy the first book so much. But then about the middle or so of the book, Allyson goes to college and meets Dee, which is the redeeming point. Of course, at first she was still a bitch, but then with the help of Dee, she finally puts herself together and stopped being the whiny teenager that I've come to hate so much. So thank you, Dee, for being that thing that salvaged the book for me, and for being one of the reasons why I continued on to the next book. I seriously couldn't connect with Allyson for the most part. By the time she stopped being a whiny teenager, I was already 65% through, and too late to convince me to like the book.
As I said, Dee was only one of the reasons. The second is that, I thought: Well, I got this far already! I couldn't just go on with another book without knowing Willem's side of the story! I felt a need to understand what really happened, so I dared to read the second book, and hoped that it would at least be a bit better than the first book.
Reading Willem's point of view is definitely a great change because I didn't have to deal with a whiny teenage girl anymore. It was refreshing, and it actually made me thankful for continuing on to the second book, despite not getting what the fuss was about the first book. Willem's POV definitely made things better, and I began to like the story. In Just One Year, we get to see what really happened that night in Paris. Why had he left Lulu, and had he tried to look for her? All things were answered in the second book and more. Willem's book is definitely the better of the two, and I even picked up a few wise words from him here and there. I really like the second book, which make me almost thankful for picking up the first one. Almost.
Overall, I don't get what all the fuss was about the first book, but I finally understood after reading the story in Willem's point of view. I guess it was just the whiny part that I didn't like about the first book, but you've got to admit, it's pretty much a big part of the book. I give the first book 3 stars, and the second book 4.5 stars.
SERIES REVIEW:
Allyson and Willem's story started in the first book, Just One Day. A series of fortunate circumstances - serendipity, you might say - brought them together to spend an amazing day in Paris, and within twenty four hours, find love in one another.
To be honest, I was really hesitant to pick this up at first. I didn't really like the sound of Shakespeare in the synopsis. I only picked it up because of the endless gushing of bloggers and readers alike. I still can't say whether it was worth it or not.
On the first book, we got to see Allyson's side of the story. We got to see how she and Willem met, talked, and eventually went on a trip to Paris together. Before meeting Willem, Allyson was the shy goody-two-shoes, but then after just one day, everything changed and she became this whiny teenager that I really hated! It was like she wanted to inflict more pain to herself by thinking about crazy things. Because of this, I wasn't able to enjoy the first book so much. But then about the middle or so of the book, Allyson goes to college and meets Dee, which is the redeeming point. Of course, at first she was still a bitch, but then with the help of Dee, she finally puts herself together and stopped being the whiny teenager that I've come to hate so much. So thank you, Dee, for being that thing that salvaged the book for me, and for being one of the reasons why I continued on to the next book. I seriously couldn't connect with Allyson for the most part. By the time she stopped being a whiny teenager, I was already 65% through, and too late to convince me to like the book.
As I said, Dee was only one of the reasons. The second is that, I thought: Well, I got this far already! I couldn't just go on with another book without knowing Willem's side of the story! I felt a need to understand what really happened, so I dared to read the second book, and hoped that it would at least be a bit better than the first book.
Reading Willem's point of view is definitely a great change because I didn't have to deal with a whiny teenage girl anymore. It was refreshing, and it actually made me thankful for continuing on to the second book, despite not getting what the fuss was about the first book. Willem's POV definitely made things better, and I began to like the story. In Just One Year, we get to see what really happened that night in Paris. Why had he left Lulu, and had he tried to look for her? All things were answered in the second book and more. Willem's book is definitely the better of the two, and I even picked up a few wise words from him here and there. I really like the second book, which make me almost thankful for picking up the first one. Almost.
Overall, I don't get what all the fuss was about the first book, but I finally understood after reading the story in Willem's point of view. I guess it was just the whiny part that I didn't like about the first book, but you've got to admit, it's pretty much a big part of the book. I give the first book 3 stars, and the second book 4.5 stars.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely 1000% adore Gayle Forman and her books. I raved about the print version here.
But I cannot give the same five-star review to the audiobook simply because of the narration of Willem's voice: IT ANNOYED ME TO DEATH! Rather than having the narrator deepen her pitch or even hiring a second reader to read Willem's parts (which are so few in this book!), readers are "treated" to a computerized version that is jarring and distracting. Rather than the dread and sadness I felt in the print version when Allison/Lulu returned to the United States, with the audio, I instead heaved a sigh of relief.
I pray that the narration of Just One Year is less off-putting.
But I cannot give the same five-star review to the audiobook simply because of the narration of Willem's voice: IT ANNOYED ME TO DEATH! Rather than having the narrator deepen her pitch or even hiring a second reader to read Willem's parts (which are so few in this book!), readers are "treated" to a computerized version that is jarring and distracting. Rather than the dread and sadness I felt in the print version when Allison/Lulu returned to the United States, with the audio, I instead heaved a sigh of relief
Spoiler
knowing I wasn't going to have to hear that darn computerized voice again until the last pagesI pray that the narration of Just One Year is less off-putting.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
5.0
Admittedly, I will read anything that Gayle Forman writes. I devoured her last two novels, If I Stay and Where She Went . So it is no surprise that I simply adored Just One Day—and read it in just one day!
For as long as she can remember, every minute of every day of Allyson's life has been planned and organized. Even her whirlwind tour of Europe consisted of a structured group moving in mass from museum to monument to meals. On the last day of the tour, the tour is in Stratford scheduled to attend a Royal Shakespeare Theater performance of Hamlet. While the group waits to enter the theater, a ragtag troupe of actors walks down the line handing out flyers: “Guerilla Will. Shakespeare Without Borders. Shakespeare Unleashed. Shakespeare for Free. Shakespeare for All.” On an impulse, Allyson drags her friend Melanie off to see this rogue production of Twelfth Night. At the performance's end, the actor playing Sebastian, Willem, tosses her a coin and, later, an invitation to spend one miraculous day and night in Paris. But, at the end of the amazing night...Willem is gone!
Allyson spends the next year searching for herself and maybe even true love.
The story is told in such a relaxing, lyrical voice that the reader will feel like they are sitting in a coffee house chatting with Allyson about her journey. The descriptions of Allyson's travels through Paris will take you to those places—a bonus armchair travelogue. The multiple allusions to various William Shakespeare plays was an added bonus for any lover of Shakespeare—and made me think of what a wonderful tool this book would be to help students with a basic understanding of his plays' themes as well as draw others into Shakespeare's magnificent worlds.
Just One Day is an amazing voyage of self-discovery both metaphorically and physically. I eagerly await the release of Just One Year, told from Willem's viewpoint, which is slated for release October 2013. If this companion novel is anything like the format of Where She Went, the reader will get Willem's view of the events that occur in Just One Day while also revealing more about Willem and taking the reader on new adventures.
* Review also published in Livermore Public Library March 2013 Staff Picks *
For as long as she can remember, every minute of every day of Allyson's life has been planned and organized. Even her whirlwind tour of Europe consisted of a structured group moving in mass from museum to monument to meals. On the last day of the tour, the tour is in Stratford scheduled to attend a Royal Shakespeare Theater performance of Hamlet. While the group waits to enter the theater, a ragtag troupe of actors walks down the line handing out flyers: “Guerilla Will. Shakespeare Without Borders. Shakespeare Unleashed. Shakespeare for Free. Shakespeare for All.” On an impulse, Allyson drags her friend Melanie off to see this rogue production of Twelfth Night. At the performance's end, the actor playing Sebastian, Willem, tosses her a coin and, later, an invitation to spend one miraculous day and night in Paris. But, at the end of the amazing night...Willem is gone!
Allyson spends the next year searching for herself and maybe even true love.
The story is told in such a relaxing, lyrical voice that the reader will feel like they are sitting in a coffee house chatting with Allyson about her journey. The descriptions of Allyson's travels through Paris will take you to those places—a bonus armchair travelogue. The multiple allusions to various William Shakespeare plays was an added bonus for any lover of Shakespeare—and made me think of what a wonderful tool this book would be to help students with a basic understanding of his plays' themes as well as draw others into Shakespeare's magnificent worlds.
Just One Day is an amazing voyage of self-discovery both metaphorically and physically. I eagerly await the release of Just One Year, told from Willem's viewpoint, which is slated for release October 2013. If this companion novel is anything like the format of Where She Went, the reader will get Willem's view of the events that occur in Just One Day while also revealing more about Willem and taking the reader on new adventures.
* Review also published in Livermore Public Library March 2013 Staff Picks *
emilygrafton8's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! I have wanted to read it for such a long time and I'm very happy I decided to pick it up. It was a fun, light read that had so many inspirational and real moments. I felt the characters were very easy to relate too. They were very real, and I enjoyed that. My favorite part had to be the middle/the one year section. I loved seeing Allyson's life without being in Paris and how that day really affected her. I wasn't the biggest fan of the end, I thought it was a bit confusing and almost kind of rushed. Nevertheless I still enjoyed the last couple pages and was so shocked at the cliffhanger. I'm very exited to read Just One Year and hear from Willem's pint of view! Overall I really liked this book and very happy that I picked it up!
sarahonthecoast's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this, but the extreme case of insta-love and her increasingly bratty behavior towards her mother really sullied things for me.
jamiebooks15's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this book. A lot. I read it really fast and it took me back to study abroad days and happy travel memories and college... it wasn't angsty YA , though it wasn't all sunshine and roses either. Allyson was an interesting and relatable character, but not so much as to make her boring. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and anxiously await the next book in the series. (I mean, what kind of ending was that!?)
rebeccalm's review against another edition
I got halfway through this book and just couldn't stand the main character anymore.
The story is written from the point of view of Allyson, a recent highschool graduate, whose parents have bought her a European summer vacation as a graduation present. Along the way, Allyson ditches her best friend and tour group for a guy she just met, and does something completely crazy and impulsive - she goes to Paris with him for the day.
Allyson is insecure and immature throughout the story. Her character is written inconsistently, she's whiny and impulsive (which is counter to her true nature, according to other parts of the book). Her intense bouts of jealousy around her new friend is completely off-putting and juvenile. And all of this is merely the first part of the book.
The second part picks up with Allyson in college where she's suffering from depression, after her summer sojourn in Paris went completely wrong. It's at this point that I decided to stop reading - if I couldn't handle Allyson when everything was going right for her, I certainly couldn't handle her during her depressive period. Perhaps things get better towards the end, but I'm not invested enough to find out.
The story is written from the point of view of Allyson, a recent highschool graduate, whose parents have bought her a European summer vacation as a graduation present. Along the way, Allyson ditches her best friend and tour group for a guy she just met, and does something completely crazy and impulsive - she goes to Paris with him for the day.
Allyson is insecure and immature throughout the story. Her character is written inconsistently, she's whiny and impulsive (which is counter to her true nature, according to other parts of the book). Her intense bouts of jealousy around her new friend is completely off-putting and juvenile. And all of this is merely the first part of the book.
The second part picks up with Allyson in college where she's suffering from depression, after her summer sojourn in Paris went completely wrong. It's at this point that I decided to stop reading - if I couldn't handle Allyson when everything was going right for her, I certainly couldn't handle her during her depressive period. Perhaps things get better towards the end, but I'm not invested enough to find out.
readcover2cover's review against another edition
3.0
This was decent, but not fantastic. I didn't really like it at all until about halfway through, but it did get better in the second half. I was annoyed that she was so fixated on someone she'd only known a day, although I get that it is supposed to be more about her personal growth. I enjoyed seeing her development and her friendships. The ending, definitely left me wanting more, but in more of a "let me google what happens" way rather than a "I have to read the next one" way. I'm glad I finally read a Gayle Forman book because now I can talk to my students about it, but I'm not sure that I'll read more by her.
apasc's review against another edition
5.0
I loved taking this journey with the main character. I can't wait to read the second one.