Just One Day

Written by Gayle Forman

Goodreads Synopsis: 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 course of 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.

My Confession: I posted a few weeks ago about the 24-Hour Read-a-Thon sponsored by Penguin Teen in honor of this book. Did any of you read Just One Day in just one day? Gotta love that. Well, I did - and I must say, this book was worth every ounce of hype it generated. It's that good. I can sum up my love for this book in three parts: The Boy, The Best Friend, and The Trip.

The Boy. Willem, oh Willem. Forman has a unique way of writing male characters that are utterly refreshing, relatable, and enigmatic (much like If I Stay's Adam). We only meet Willem for a brief moment in the grand scheme of this story, but just like Allyson, we're left reeling from our encounter with this simultaneously carefree and dark Dutch boy. The way he and Allyson interact - like they're two halves of the same whole, from their conversations to the quiet, contemplative looks they exchange - is pure magic. It's the real-life romance that everyone craves, with just enough grit to remind you that this isn't a fairytale. In just one day, we're equally convinced that Willem belongs with Allyson, and she with him. His disappearance is throtteling, and I felt my heart break with Allyson's. But the question of what happened lingers, and you know in your gut that something must have gone very wrong. And you're left wondering just what that could have been.

The Best Friend. Having Willem disappear from Allyson's life and from the second half of the novel would have been an epic disaster if it weren't for Dee, a flambouyant and fabulous college coed who Allyson befriends in a Shakespeare class during her freshman year. Dee is the kind of supporting character who deserves a spin-off, his own chance to tell his story. Sweet, shy, cookie-cutter people-pleaser Allyson gets thrown out of her shell by Dee, who forces her to confront the issues she's suppressed for years. He opens her eyes to everything she could be. She pushes him away - he pushes back. Their friendship runs deep and begins to heal the fractured mess of emotions that Willem's disappearance created. And Dee is hilarious. He's wise. He's the wake-up slap Allyson so desperately needed. He's a character to remember.



One of my favorite Dee and Allyson moments.


The Trip. Europe. France. Paris. If you can get through this story without wanting to jump on an airplane and book it across the Atlantic - congratulations. Your wallet is probably a lot thicker than mine. The setting, the scenery, the little detailed descriptions of cobbled side streets and grand architecture, turns Paris into the third main character. Every lovely word used to bring this romantic city to life felt like it was chosen with the most careful precision. It's the kind of place that could make even the harshest cynic believe in miracles. And, at the end of the day, Forman's gorgeous writing accomplishes what every great story tries to instill in its readers: hope.

My Recommendation: For heaven's sake, read this book. There was a very deep, unsettled part of me that could relate to Allyson and her Type-A mannerisms, her aching need to please everyone but herself, and her dubious but profound love for someone who finally took a chance on her. But this isn't a story about true love and Willem - it's a story about realizing what you want for yourself and allowing the happiness you know can exist when you let yourself be. That's why it's so powerful, and that's why everyone will be scrambling for Just One Year, Willem's take on his year without Allyson, when it releases in the fall. At the deepest root of human nature, we want to be able to believe in ourselves, so much more than needing someone else to provide that validation. And Just One Day taps into the Allyson within all of us - bringing us to the ledge of despair and then showing just what we're all capable of when we least expect it.

Rating: 5/5

368 pages, published by Dutton Juvenile (Jan. 8, 2013)

Juliet

Written by Anne Fortier

Goodreads Synopsis: When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told that it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundation of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families immortalized in Shakespeare's unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse--"A plague on both your houses!"--is still at work, and she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo--but Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?


My Confession: I'll admit right off the bat that I'm not Shakespeare's biggest fan. Forced to take a course in his writings my senior year in college, a common refrain that often exited my mouth went a little something like this:

Shakespeare is so overrated.

I mean, who knows if he actually wrote all the plays he's famous for? And Romeo and Juliet ? Don't even get me started. Once I had the image of Leo DiCaprio in my head as the tragic hero, I was done. I hate unhappy endings. Really, really hate them. But I'm a big fan of books that are puzzles, not unlike The DaVinci Code (which one of the critics on the back of this book actually likens Juliet  to). This story screamed mystery and intrigue, and I like when modern-day authors revisit classic stories. I was willing to give this a shot.

Standing Corrected: And, I must admit, I'm so glad I did. This book was so good. I don't know how else to describe it. The twists and turns, the depth of the plot and the characters--this has to be one of the most well-thought-out books I've read in a long time. Not only does Fortier imagine a present-day reincarnation of Romeo and Juliet, but she totally restructures their original romance as well. While paying Shakespeare some heed, she goes her own way with the two lovers' history, telling it from a new perspective and setting everything in the very first place Romeo and Juliet was ever written to have occurred--Siena, not Verona. Her new adaptation is positively mesmerizing, and not just because she hints at it; half the story takes place in the year 1340, telling this new story of Romeo and Juliet (called Giulietta) as if we're right there, in the moment. Then--poof!--back to present-day and a struggling Julie who tries to uncover a dark family secret that seems to still be plaguing the houses of three (not two!) feuding families.

Recommendation: I'm not going to go as far as saying that this story completely changed my mind about Shakespeare. I still don't love the man, but I have a new found appreciation for the longevity of his stories. These characters are absolutely timeless--they've transcended generations and centuries of other romances, and yet, Romeo and Juliet are still iconic. Theirs is still the most famous love story of all time. And it doesn't even end well. I got wrapped up in the magic of this tale once again, thanks to Fortier and her impressive imagination. And, just in case you're wondering whether present-day Julie meets the same fate as her ancestor Giulietta--I'm not going to tell you. Read it and find out. I promise you'll find a perfectly dreamy, thirty-something Romeo who proves a bit wiser than his ancestor.

Oh, and the seven-hundred-plus years of violence, mystery, murder, and secrecy adds a little something extra, too.

Rating: 4.8/5

480 pages, published by Ballantine Books (Aug. 24, 2010)