Just One Day by Gayle Forman review

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.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

From Goodreads

86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, 24 hours. No matter how you define it, just one day can make a world of difference. Allyson "LuLu" Healey knows this all too well. After a whirlwind, although underwhelming, guided tour of some of Europe's most well-known tourist spots she is tired of always following the path of least resistance. She catches the eye of Willem, a dashing Dutch nomad while he is acting in a traveling Shakespeare performance troupe. 

Their chance encounter turns into a one day trip to Paris where everything Allyson has ever thought to be true is challenged. Most of all is her definition and expectations of love.

This was an incredibly moving novel. Gayle Forman's other books have been on my TBR (to be read) list for a long time and having started with this one I think I will always look forward to her work. Part romance and part self-discovery, Just One Day takes as much as it gives to the reader. The first 1/3 of the book takes place in just a few short days encompassing the end of the European tour and the monumental day in Paris. The rest of the novel examines Allyson's emotional recovery from that encounter. By pretending to be LuLu with Willem, what she's really doing is trying on another life. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your outlook, it took her "living" as this other entity to realize just how much she disliked her planned out life. 

I think this book speaks volumes about just how important it is to really examine your life. The main character is barely 18 and just really starting a life that she is already miserable in. Willem isn't too much older, and while not wildly enamored, he does seem to enjoy most of his life either. These two are like a study in contrasts. Willem is content with his life situation but in a way it seems he is really just running from something. Allyson on the other hand is miserable (but doesn't actually realize it) and is running towards an unacknowledged goal.

The writing style is very fluid and rich with references to Shakespeare. I personally love all the characters that you encounter. This is one of those books where you have a few main characters, but you really feel like the supporting characters are the ones who help carry the story. They are just as important as the settings. 

I will say this though, there needed to be a closer eye on editing. There were quite a few obvious errors and extra words that a thorough reading would have caught. I know that's nitpicky, but it was really the only fault I could find with the book. Everything else was just as it should have been.

I hope you decide to pick this book up. My reading habits of late have been colored by my wanderlust and this was just the ticket to help ease that desire. Even better? The companion novel Just One Year from Willem's point of view is due out in October of this year. I can't wait!

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson review

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous-though utterly romantic-results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

From Goodreads

Ginny wasn't sure of anything when it came to her runaway Aunt Peg. Sure she was quirky and most definitely an artist, but cryptic wasn't usually her MO. But here Ginny is, under direct orders of the first of 13 little blue envelopes on the trip of a lifetime. Having secured her parents' permission, Ginny sets off to London, on her own, with no real idea what she's getting herself into.

Denied any outside, electronic communication and extra funding, Ginny finds herself on a strange Englishman's doorstep where her Aunt apparently lived during her final few months. Did I forget to mention that Aunt Peg was no longer with us? Whatever Ginny is supposed to get out of this adventure she must do it on her own, as instructed.

Some of the instructions are strange, some are outlandish, and some are downright dangerous. Out of all the instructions, one thing never mentioned was what to do if the plan goes awry? What if you fall in love or heaven forbid, what if you just don't want to follow the plan? Ginny learns all of this and more.

This was a fun little book. It takes a little bit to build up as we don't start out with all the information. Even as you read, you're still learning the  basics that you normally pick up in the first chapter or two of any other book. I think that is part of this book's charm. The fact that the reader is just as lost and confused, taking a journey with, the main character.

It was entertaining to watch Ginny traipse all over Europe with no clue as to where or why she would be anywhere at any one time. The instructions in the envelopes were sometimes general and sometimes specific so she really had no idea what to expect each time she got to open one. She had unique experiences that no one could create on their own had they not experienced them themselves. Ginny was being guided by Aunt Peg's own life adventure while being told to find her own.

The plot and all the supporting characters really made this an interesting book. Between starving artists, big wigs at large corporate companies, and American tourist families, there was never a lack of diversity among the interactions. That being said, I found it quite unfortunate that there was a sexual assault mixed into all this, especially since it had to happen in Italy. I think that was a bit over the top and unnecessary, if not a bit presumptuous. I may be a bit sensitive about these types of things, but I am certainly more aware of them after reading Maggie Stiefvater's post about the pervasiveness of literary rape (in all genres).

Other than that this was a fine book. Not my favorite and certainly not the worst. It was a happy medium that satiated my wanderlust-filled heart. I understand there is a sequel called The Last Little Blue Envelope. I haven't decided whether I actually want to read it or not. Thoughts?