Just One...: Includes Just One Day, Just One Year, and Just One Night

Just One Day #1-2.5

by Gayle Forman

Gayle Forman's entire swoony JUST ONE trilogy in a single volume--ideal for binge reading!

It all starts when American good girl Allyson--better known as Lulu-- decides to spend just one day in Paris with Dutch hottie Willem. It's a whirlwind adventure filled with heart-racing romance, but the next day Willem is gone without a trace. What follows is one year of searching that ends with a steamy reunion on the one wonderful night when they finally find one another again. Filled with mystery, drama, adventure, and of course romance, this is a swoony and satisfying entry point for new readers of Gayle Forman's bestselling fiction.

Includes: Just One Day, Just One Year, and the novella Just One Night

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Young Adult Romance

768 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2015

About the author

Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for young adults, including the Just One Series, I Was Here, Where She Went and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than 40 languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture.

Gayle published Leave Me, her first novel starring adults in 2016 and her latest novel, I Have Lost My Way, comes out in March of 2018.


Gayle lives with her husband and daughters in Brooklyn.

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed the first book from the library, read it, and I just couldn't take it when it ended at "And she went in..." I actually bought the whole collection and read em'. Only then I was at peace. It was so good to know that sometimes we should do what we want to do, rather than waiting for the right time. It was amazing that both of them, who randomly met at the train station, can fall in love, go missing, and was actually looking for each other for a whole year. One of my favorite stories.

[Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute and fun! I love the stained metaphor for love🥺 so sweet

[Rachel Consoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, lemme break this down book by book since this is a compilation series, but I don’t 100% feel the same about each part.

First though, let me preface by saying this is very clearly a high school/middle grade read, I am def too old and jaded for this kind of starry eyed ridiculousness. I love a love story, but when it’s as far fetched as this with so many problems and insanely unrealistic expectations, I just can’t get behind it. Maybe if it was packed in a Prince Charming esk way, but this tries to read contemporary and just no no no. Anyways, onto each part.

Just One Day:

Basically this started off as a fixed time, 24-hour trope story of a European fling adventure. I can get behind this 100%, it’s basically my dream to go abroad and meet a gorgeous British or other similarly sexily accented man and run off into the sunset, I don’t know what girl doesn’t. Makes sense with the title too, one day sure. HOWEVER! Our protagonist is barely out of a high school and on a school functioned trip n just runs off with some random dude?! I’m sorry...NO! This is legit the prequel to murder stories...how did her teacher not find out?! There is no humanly possible way her friend could “cover for her”. And then when she finds out later her parents could sue!!! This girl is 17!!! Pretty sure this is a damn lawsuit waiting to happen! I went on a school sponsored trip in college and we were given a ton of leeway, but if my professor saw we’d run off to another fucking country I’m pretty sure he would have shat a brick! And we were 20/21! So no.

Also sure, is Willem adventurous and spontaneous and all European and gorgeous? Of course. But I still just got massive stranger danger vibes. Also the fact that he’d basically slept his way thru half of Europe. Like every damn place they went he hooked up with them. Don’t get me wrong, do what you want, but AGAIN 17 year old girl running off with this stranger who’s def older but who knows because he just lives some absurd vagabond lifestyle should not be romanticized! It just felt icky all over.

Remember when I said this was how it started though? YEAH! Half way thru, this girl wakes up after she slept with him to be completely abandoned with no clue where she is and not enough money to get home or even any knowledge of the language to work her way to the train station. I mean...c’mon. Everyone is like, girl...he used you for what he wanted n bolted. And yeah, def seems like that and honestly would’ve had a lot of respect for the book if that was the message. Like, yeah crazy adventures like this are fun but maybe don’t be a reckless moron so you don’t end up killed and floating in a river? Cool. BUT NO! This girl can’t stop thinking about him for an entire YEAR after! Like what?! She’s in college!!! I guarantee she has other shit on her mine. But no, decides she’s gonna work her ass off n save up money to find him and that’s the rest of this damn book.

I cannot condone this insanity. She makes it seem like some hopeless romantic quest when in reality this is so insanely unrealistic and problematic on far too many levels to count. I mean is this the mentality we really want young girls to be reading?! Basically she finds the fucker n thinks he’s moved on with 50 other girls, cuz duh y wouldn’t he? But then says screw it and shows up on his doorstep and that’s how the damn book ends.


So obviously I’m livid because after all that, you serious?! Luckily I had foresight to get this compilation book and here we go.

Just One Year

Imagine my surprise to not only have a book now from Willem’s POV but start all the way back at the beginning of the damn time jump from the other damn book. Surprising and not exciting at all, to say the least. And for as mysterious and alluring and spontaneous as Willem was in the previous entry, I could not stand his POV. None of his motivations make sense and I don’t find anything he did compelling or believable.

The drama from book one is Willem is always on the run because he doesn’t want to go home ever since his father died n nothing is the same. So sure, but that’s dumb. Somehow this dude just has an endless stash of cash from like one acting gig he had and just goes from place to place. But here’s the kicker, he never meant to abandon our protagonist from the last book cuz she’s speccciiaalllll. He got jumped (apparently skinheads followed him enough to jump him when he was alone in broad daylight n not hurt his girl but ok) and ended up in the hospital with a head injury and that was why he “abandoned” Allyson. Uh huh sure. So he spends this entire way pining for this girl. Mmmmmmmmmmm nah no, not buying it.

The bits about his family could have been interesting if they weren’t used as a cheap vessel to validate his stupid infatuation with Allyson, but no. Also every detour and thing he does just feels pointless. Like at one point he runs to Cancun in hopes of running into her since she mentioned they always go there but then just goes off grid for no reason. I just can’t. It also turns into some bizarre finding yourself on the road type story mixed with wanting to pursue the arts (which I thought he already was??) and it just doesn’t gel with any of the things it wants to portray.

But then again it ends with her just coming to his apartment but this time he kisses her. I straight up can’t face palm hard enough. You made me read an entire fucking book to see what happened next and it ends at basically the same spot?!?! I’m so beyond done.

And the thing is, Just One Day at least mildly works because the girl is super naive and young and American (look I am one, I know how stupid they can be), so yeah I get some of her decisions as dumb as they may be. But Willem just doesn’t follow this mold and I just believe nothing he says, so let me wrap it up with the cheese fest that is this little blip of an ending story.

Just One Night

It’s not even a book or a full story. It’s straight up just the author realizing what a blue-balls inducing romance tease she’s been and being like “oh damn, maybe I should tell my audience what actually happened” but not even having the motivation to do it in a real story so just took this like 25 page shit at the end and said “Um, yeah, here ya go”. Like...it’s told in 3rd person and so impersonally and doesn’t fit at all.

Basically it’s just the two love struck morons being like “I couldn’t stop thinking about you [despite not knowing you even a little bit at all]” and coming across all the dumb misunderstandings of their individual stories and how they both wanna be a thing and actually communicate. And of course this asshole now got a job that’s moving to NYC so he can act and be in America near her now and they’re all “that’s just a train ride away!” Awesome...wow...

If your heart is young enough or pure enough and sweet enough to believe this sweet drivel, my heart goes out to you and hold onto that legit as long as you can. The world is a shitty, cruel place and sometimes it’s really wonderful to escape into stuff like this if your able. Me? I am not one of those people anymore and I certainly did not find this charming. I give this two like a year tops before they become funny stories they tell their friends and future love interests later over coffee because let’s get real, this is as summer romance as you can get and they aren’t meant to last.

Like I said, this is clearly not meant for me, but it still makes me concerned at a lot of the shit they’re peddling at teens. I feel like they’re able to sort out reality for the most part, but oof there is just a lot of bad ideas in books like this and it really makes me question author taste level. Not for me, don’t really recommend, but I guess I get if those are able to turn their brain off and just fall into the journey. More power to you.

[Krystle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit I was initially a bit intimidated to start this book. Given how thick it is and the fact that I've not read anything by Forman before this (especially since this is 2 books in one), I was a bit worried that I might not finish it if I found that I didn't like it.

Turns out I didn't have to worry, because it was so easy to fall into the characters' stories. To cut a long story short (in case anyone needs it), in the first book (aka first part of this book), the story is told in Allyson/Lulu's perspective. After all the turmoil and unanswered questions, we go to book/part 2, which tells the story from the climax in Willem's perspective. Then, everything starts to fall in place, and beautifully so.

In the last bit, Just One Night (I wouldn't call it a third 'book', because it's only about a chapter long. It's more an epilogue than anything if you ask me), you can almost feel the tension as Allyson and Willem meet again after a year. Then as both parties explain their sides of the story, the tension dissolves as everything falls in place.

The ending leaves room for speculations, but this time, it doesn't sound quite as bad.

[Iya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely adored the first book because even though what Allyson did was kinda dumb, I enjoyed the self-discovery she went through for that year. I relate to her in so many levels especially in the process of coming to terms with yourself. If you feel like you’ve been living in your own shell, afraid of coming out to discover new places and things, you’ll see yourself while reading this. Maybe that’s why I love the first book. You know the feeling when you see yourself as that person? Where you hate her and rooted for her at the same time? That’s what you’ll feel if you see yourself in her. As she blossomed into that kind of person she wishes to be, it gives you hope that someday, you’ll experience that too. Another thing I adored in this book was the friendships formed along the way as well as mending the broken ones. Favorite character is Dee. Dee, you’re such a queen! I wish I have a friend like you. I love you.

The second book was told in Willem’s point of view. Although it’s refreshing to read about what happened to him after that day, I can’t help but feel that it was forced, uneventful, and boring which is a bummer since I liked him in the first book. There’s still a lot that happened on his side but it still was “meh” for me, hence, the 3 star rating.

Maybe you’ll love this book if you’re a hopeless romantic. Think of Paris and Shakespeare. Ain’t that perfect for one?

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my reviews on the main page of each individual book!

[Alika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's be clear: I loved this book and was so glad they finally put all three stories in one volume, because they really belong together.

That said, the cover and even the tiles are rather misleading. They make it seem like this is a true romance, which is not entirely the case. For one, the couple is barely together throughout the whole of the three books. And yet, the cover pictures on both this and other editions show a couple kissing, holding hands, etc. And the titles imply a kind of "Before Sunrise/Before Sunset" type of situation. Again, not the case.

The first book, Just One Day, actually takes place over the course of a year from Allyson's POV. She and Willem are only together at the beginning before they are unexpectedly separated. The rest of the book is spent with her trying to find him, meanwhile finding herself.

The second, Just One Year, takes place during the same time as the first book, but from Willem's POV. In that respect, it's similar to Gayle Forman's If I Stay/Where She Went books. Some of the suspense is lost doing this since we know they will eventually meet at the end of book #2--which takes until the very ending pages to get there.

The third, Just One Night, is really more of a long short story than novella. It's the icing on the cake that we have been waiting for after these two whole books. It's told in 3rd person from both viewpoints. I kind of wish there was a way to integrate this book with #2 OR give a full novel of their reunion and life together. It would be interesting to see, after all this buildup of finding each other, if the payoff was worth it over the long haul. I can imagine a relationship might struggle under this kind of pressure, given all their friends/family were rooting for them. We're rooting for them too, so it's nice to finally see them together, but there was room for book #3 to explore these complexities if it wanted to.

Takeaway: this series is much more about these characters finding themselves, dealing with familial relationships, travel, and discovering deep truths than it is about seeing romance on the page. Personally, I am fine with that and I enjoyed these stories very much. I guess it's a good example of "don't judge a book by its cover."

PS: Check out my reviews of the individual books if you're interested in more.

[Toddles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just One Day, 4 Stars: it was a sweet story that I was drawn into. An adventure that's every parents worst nightmare, Allyson goes to Paris for just one day with a boy she just met during a school trip. Only for him to disappear on her, and a year later, a quest to find him. With help from friends, and a summer job, she was able to find her way back. The middle did drag. Some of it didn't need to happen. I would have been more invested if it had jumped time and skipped the unnecessary details.

JUST ONE YEAR, 1 Star: this was so boring and disappointing. Will's year apart from Allison was dull. The acting storyline was ok-ish but nothing exciting happened. I expected more of an exciting adventure in trying to find her from him and less moessy depressed living. Yes, he did travel the World in his search but dude... It was truly a white noise book and very forgettable.

JUST ONE NIGHT, 5 stars:

Now that's what I call an ending. Both books collide, both story plots with characters. Like if 2 jigsaw puzzles magically could combine.

I feel like this story would have been better if she intertwined them into one large novel. I would have been more invested in both of the story plots equally. Clearly, based on my opinion above, I like Allyson's journey more. But that ending was bomb! Love a good and epic happy ending.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

AHHHHHH.

Okay, that's it.

...

For now.

Anyway. I had read Just One Day and Just One Year before, but;
1) I'd been craving a reread.
2) I had yet to read Just One Night and was desperate to.
3) I saw this steal in Barnes and Noble when I was on holiday in LA for $14.
4) I needed reading material for the 17-hour flight home.

Did I read any of it on the plane? Hell no, I watched tonnes of movies and slept like the dead (somehow). But that's beside the point! I'm going to bypass the two main books because I'm pretty sure I've ranted about how much I adore them either on my Goodreads or my YouTube but either way I think it's safe to say I love them.

But Just One Night?? Holy Mother of all things holy, I have found the love of my life. This book was an absolutely perfect conclusion to a whirlwind duology of emotional wreckage, love, and heartbreak and it put me back together nicely.

When I realised how short it was, I was slightly worried because I wanted more closure considering how long I'd put off reading this novella, but boy was I wrong. It held the perfect amount of romance, explanations, and plot to make it a lovely piece of work that flew by and left me absolutely content.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be #1 on my list of absolute favorite books! The whole entire series was so captivating. I honestly never ever cried while reading a book but these books brought me to major tears. I truly believe in love because of these books. I have read them over four times or more since I bought them. It's a story I truly fell in love with myself. I just wish Gayle could have continued the series. I really would have liked to know the continuation.

[Alicia]

Read the first book on Kindle but have the 3 books in one as a paperback.

Book 2 - Just One Year…. not a fan of this quote page 19

“Oh. A girl. I’m on my way to see my girl.” He pulls out his phone and texts something. “But she can wait; they always do!” He grins at me, showing off a set of defiantly crooked teeth.

He’s right. They do. Even when I didn’t know they would, even when I’d been gone a long time, the girls, they waited. I never cared one way or another.

Book 3 - Just One Night

“ you win some you lose some. And sometimes you win and lose at the same time. Life’s a bloody cockup,” Max says.
“Is that Shakespeare?” Willem asks.
“Nah. Just me.”

[KA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this quite a lot; since I love traveling, their unplanned adventures were very fascinating to me. It didn't fail to make me giggle too. This was a cute, light, and fast-paced read. I've been deep into fantasy novels and I needed this one.

[Tineka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay. Just didn't hit it for me all the other languages and Shakespeare references I didn't understand. Got better at the end when they finally met again but I can see why others would love it. Just not for me.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love! Love teen romance and this does not disappoint!

[SteveAnd Poulin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down. Captivating.... taking just one year out of library tomorrow!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25

Just One Day : 3.5
Just One Day : 4
Just One Day : 5

[lujain al monawer · Rating 3 out of 5]

at first i didn’t like it but when i was coming to the end i loved it but gayle has stronger books

[Mathilde Wiberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series! I loved the adventure of it all! I loved getting both versions! I was on a book slump and this series brought me back!! 🖤

[Nicole | nikiashreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a trilogy that I’ve had sitting on my shelf for too many years now. Michaela (Bookish Reviews) recommended this contemporary to me and I immediately picked it up from the bookstore. (What can I say? I love a bind-up!) And then it sat on my TBR pile for arguably too long. But, now that I’ve read these books, all I want to do is dive back in for another re-read!

The synopsis for this trilogy truly waters down the content found inside. While this story does surround a whirlwind, once-in-a-lifetime love, it also is a story that explores the nuances of finding your identity and fighting for what you want. In this case, both Allyson and Willem are separated after an intense day of falling in love and seeing another person for who they are. I found myself laughing, crying, gasping, and longing for a love I’d never experienced before. Truly, that speaks to Gayle Forman’s ability as an author and a storyteller.

Just One Day (5/5 Stars) follows Allyson’s year-long journey after her flight from Paris. I wasn’t expecting Forman to take so much time to delve into Allyson’s mental state as she struggled with depression, but also struggled to discover herself outside of her family’s desires for her future. This novel was more than a young adult, contemporary romance. It was an exploration of a late-teenager finding her identity, standing up for what she believes in, and chasing after what she wanted. Did that chase just happen to involve finding a boy she loved? Yes. But, it was also more than that.

Just One Year (4/5 Stars) follows Willem and his journey after that day in Paris. Similar to Allyson’s story, Willem was exploring his identity and the truths about his past. My favorite storyline from him had nothing to do with his love for Allyson, but his complicated relationship with his mother, Yael. That storyline explored the challenges and miscommunications that can result between a mother and a son. But, I felt that this plot made Willem better as a person and better able to grow as a person once reunited with Allyson at the end of the novel.

Just One Night (5/5 Stars) was the tantalizing epilogue to both novels. I loved that Forman played around with the writing style of this novella. While I was expecting it to also be written in the first-person perspective that carried throughout the novels, this was told in third person omnesicent. This allowed her to fluidly jump from various characters heads–including those of our lovable side characters!–and get a greater, final picture of what the relationship between Allyson and Willem truly is. And, boy, is it magical. I wish I could experience a love as intense and true as theirs.

These books also enchanted me over Shakespeare’s works. I’ve only been exposed to the standard titles found in the American education system–Othello, Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, MacBeth–and these books make me want to expand out and dip my toes into more of his legendary works. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what I’m able to find!

Otherwise, I absolutely adored these novels and no review I ever write can do them justice. Forman is a phenomenal storyteller and I definitely need to pick up her more recent stories that I haven’t yet read!

*****
For more book reviews and bookish content, check out my blog The Write Things!

[Katie's Book Haven · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a person who really doesn't like any of Shakespeare's work, and plays in general, this book was still pretty exciting. It was a great carefree read, that left me believing in love (almost at first sight) and destiny.

[Amber R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved first two books. But I feel that there shouldn’t be any 2.5th book. It killed the whole fantasising gist of the whole series.
But I highly recommend the first two books. You will fall in love with the characters and would connect with them instantaneously. You will know their longing and find yourself praying for them to meet again. 🤪
I’m definitely giving it a 5 (minus the third book).

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually read this kind of book or series, but I started because a good friend of mine loves this book. I had to keep reading to fully understand what happened in the first book. For anyone who does not know, the first book tells a story from one individual's point of view and the second book tells the same story from the other person's point of view. A novella at the end then tells what happened after each of the endings.

This was really one of those reads where you just wanted to know what will happen. It has been a long time since I've read a book and needed to read the next one in the series. I most appreciated the mystery in the book as well, as while I am reading it I am also thinking of ways to solve the predicament the main character finds herself in. I recommend this to everyone who enjoys a good mystery with some innocent romance.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this series and just noticed the "Adam Wilde" reference in Just one Year.... very clever and made me very happy. A reward for avid Gayle Forman fans!

I loved this series even more the second time around and is definitely my favourite work by Gayle Forman. Such a heartbreakingly beautiful book.

[Resky Ariansyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story, captivating, strong character. And you need to read this guys !

My Review :

1. Just One Day https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2. Just One Year https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished book one and I had to look for a copy of book two the same day. I couldn't stop reading it. I loved it.

[Yosraa. · Rating 4 out of 5]

F A B U L E U X!!

[Sammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

They should make this into a movie and it has a very interesting plot.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5
I bought this book because it was a large romance book. While at the time, it was an amazing book, but my taste has changed. I'm not a fan of insta-love, so it isn't my taste now