March 05, 2018

Review: Just One Night by Gayle Forman

Just One Night (Just One Day #2.5)
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Viking Children's
Publication Date: May 29, 2014
Pages: 55
Format: Kindle Book

After spending one life-changing day in Paris with laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter, sheltered American good girl Allyson “Lulu” Healey discovered her new lover had disappeared without a trace. Just One Day followed Allyson’s quest to reunite with Willem; Just One Year chronicled the pair’s year apart from Willem’s perspective. Now, back together at last, this delectable e-novella reveals the couple’s final chapter.

Review: I really enjoyed reading about Allyson & Willem's reunion! It was so sweet seeing them reconnect. Especially as they got to talking about what happened to each other over the previous year. Neither really realized the other was like seriously hardcore searching for the other. Willem knew about the letter Allyson sent eventually, but that was about it. They never really realized the other was genuinely searching. Its even more sad that they found out they had been at the same New Year's party in Mexico but never found each other there. It's like you really wish they had so we could have got more to their story besides a short novella. 

I loved how it seemed like they had never been apart in the first place. You can see the genuine love these two share for each other once they are back together. I love how they filled in the missing pieces of each others stories. I love how they had to get all their friends together with them once they reunited since so many people had played a part in helping them find their way back to each other. The only thing I really wish was that this was longer. At the end Allyson agrees to stay in Amsterdam with Willem longer than she was planning since she still had time before she had to fly back to the US for her next semester of college starting. Why couldn't we get more of what happens during those weeks!?!?!?! Gahhh!!!

There is one thing though, and its one thing I agree with so many others about with this book. Willem's sudden foot fetish. Honestly, it was a bit weird. Like this fetish was never even remotely mentioned in the other books. I just found it so distracting reading this. Like everything sounded normal then suddenly there's an inserted foot fetish sentence. I'm sorry, the foot thing is weird!!! But other than that, I found the rest of the book fine. 

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March 04, 2018

Review: Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Just One Year (Just One Day #2)
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton BYR
Publication Date: October 10, 2013
Pages: 323
Format: Hardcover/Own

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

Review: I really liked this book, however, I still like Just One Day slightly more. I really did like seeing Willem's side of the story though. We really see him change and grow throughout his story. We also see some amazing things happen in his life. 

After the events in Paris, Willem seems lost. He doesn't realize exactly why he feels so down and lost for a while. He just tries going on with his life like he used to. Finding and sleeping with other girls. Going on his adventures and trying to lose himself in them. But he really struggles through this. No matter what he does, he just feels like its not what he wants, like there's something missing from his life. Eventually, he decides to make some of his adventures going looking for Allyson. While this doesn't prove fruitful, he does meet another woman, who ends up becoming a good friend for him and eventually opens up a huge opportunity for him in the end with his acting. Had he never went to Mexico to look for Allyson, and then went adventuring, he never would have met the person who would open up acting opportunities in the US for him. 

I think this lost feeling was also good for him regarding his family. We know his dad died and his mom just disappeared to India and he didn't really talk much to anyone else. After getting lost and sick in Mexico however, he finally goes to India to see his mother. And while it starts off pretty rocky and bad, eventually they come to have a heart to heart. He opens up to his mom about Allyson and Paris and his mom completely lets her guard down. She cries because the story reminds her of her and his dad. She completely understands her son and this heart to heart finally changes the dynamic of their relationship. Eventually Willem goes home and lives with his uncle, who he finds out is having a baby. His family is expanding. This too makes Willem really think about his family and how he wants things to be going forward. 

Near the end of the book he ends up in a play. He started out as the potential replacement to actually having to replace the main actor and take on the lead of the show. This is actually what leads him to get into contact with Kate, the woman he met in Mexico and seriously considering joining her acting troupe in the US, which is another life changing idea. 

The ending, this was the only thing that really bugged me. It ended in the same exact way Just One Day ended, but from Willem's perspective. Instead of us seeing Allyson find his flat and knock on the door to find him, we see it from Willem opening the door of the flat to seeing Allyson standing there. It was the exact same ending but from the other perspective. I was really hoping we would have got more than that. I felt a bit let down by the ending even though of course it was still a happy ending. I feel like this really is what is keeping me from giving this book 5 stars. 

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February 20, 2013

Waiting On Wednesday [#76]

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) 
Author: Gayle Forman
Expected Publication: October 2013

Companion to JUST ONE DAY. It will be in Willem's POV.

"Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In JUST ONE DAY and its companion novel JUST ONE YEAR, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself."

So thats all there is about it on Goodreads so far, but man... I AM SO FREAKING UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED FOR THIS!!!!!!!!! I read Just One Day last week and absolutely loved it!!! And guess what!!! This cover was just revealed today!!!! (Good thing I waited a little longer to post my WoW today). I like the cover! Can this hurry up and come out???? I need it like now!!!! 

What are you waiting on this week???

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