Allyson Healey is a straight-A, AP-crazy, very driven high school student. But now that she’s graduated and on to college, she’s not so sure if that’s the life she wants to have. Her parents gave her a graduation present any teenager would jump at – a three-week tour of Europe. Except the tour is just about over, and Allyson hasn’t had any fun Three days left in London, then it’s back home to college and parental pressure.
So when a Dutch boy she just met invites her to Paris for just one day, Allyson decides to do something crazy: She goes with him. For one day, she lives in the moment and does things she never would have done before. When she returns to her normal life, she realizes that she’s just not satisfied with the person she has been.
I love traveling in Europe, so any book that includes a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris is on my reading list. I enjoyed watching Allyson grow and figure out who she wanted to be. I did not really enjoy the relationship between her and Willem. Maybe it’s just because I’m not a big believer in love at first sight (or one day acquaintance). Maybe it’s because Allyson persisted in being in love with him, even though she saw that he was not a one-girl kind of guy. I know a romantic plot line is a big draw for a lot of readers; I enjoy a good romance myself. To me, though, Just One Day could have been just as good – or even better – without the romantic entanglement. A guy doesn’t have to be the catalyst to discover who you want to be.
I can’t come down on this book too hard, though. I did enjoy it, staying up a little past my bedtime to finish it. It certainly does end on a cliffhanger, so be prepared to start counting down the days until the sequel comes out, which looks like it will be told from Willem’s point of view. In the meantime, brush up on your Shakespeare references. If Just One Day is any indication, you’re going to need it!
So when a Dutch boy she just met invites her to Paris for just one day, Allyson decides to do something crazy: She goes with him. For one day, she lives in the moment and does things she never would have done before. When she returns to her normal life, she realizes that she’s just not satisfied with the person she has been.
I love traveling in Europe, so any book that includes a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris is on my reading list. I enjoyed watching Allyson grow and figure out who she wanted to be. I did not really enjoy the relationship between her and Willem. Maybe it’s just because I’m not a big believer in love at first sight (or one day acquaintance). Maybe it’s because Allyson persisted in being in love with him, even though she saw that he was not a one-girl kind of guy. I know a romantic plot line is a big draw for a lot of readers; I enjoy a good romance myself. To me, though, Just One Day could have been just as good – or even better – without the romantic entanglement. A guy doesn’t have to be the catalyst to discover who you want to be.
I can’t come down on this book too hard, though. I did enjoy it, staying up a little past my bedtime to finish it. It certainly does end on a cliffhanger, so be prepared to start counting down the days until the sequel comes out, which looks like it will be told from Willem’s point of view. In the meantime, brush up on your Shakespeare references. If Just One Day is any indication, you’re going to need it!
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