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One Whole and Perfect Day
In this Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Lily wishes she could be like the other girls in her class. But how can she? As the only sensible person in her family, she never has time to hang out with friends. Someone has to stay home to look after her brother. Maybe she should fall in love! What could be less sensible that that?
When her grandmother invites the whole family to a party, Lily cannot imagine how they will make it through the day. Her mother is always bringing home strange people. Lily doesn't even know her father . Her grandfather has disowned her brother. Her brother has a new girlfriend that no one has met. To top it all off, that day when her eye caught Daniel Steadman's just for a moment, she felt all woozy inside. If that was love, she isn't sure she likes the feeling. As the party approaches, all Lily can hope for is one whole and perfect day. Is it too much to ask?
When her grandmother invites the whole family to a party, Lily cannot imagine how they will make it through the day. Her mother is always bringing home strange people. Lily doesn't even know her father . Her grandfather has disowned her brother. Her brother has a new girlfriend that no one has met. To top it all off, that day when her eye caught Daniel Steadman's just for a moment, she felt all woozy inside. If that was love, she isn't sure she likes the feeling. As the party approaches, all Lily can hope for is one whole and perfect day. Is it too much to ask?
250 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2006
20 people are currently reading
2257 people want to read
About the author
Judith Clarke
50 books22 followersJudith Clarke was born in Sydney and educated at the University of New South Wales and the Australian National University in Canberra. She has worked as a teacher and librarian, and in Adult Education in Victoria and New South Wales.
A major force in YA fiction both in Australia and internationally, Judith Clarke's novels include the multi-award-winning Wolf on the Fold, as well as Friend of my Heart, Night Train, Starry Nights, One Whole and Perfect Day, and the very popular and funny Al Capsella series. She is unsurpassed in her ability to convey complex emotional states with acute understanding and compassion.
A major force in YA fiction both in Australia and internationally, Judith Clarke's novels include the multi-award-winning Wolf on the Fold, as well as Friend of my Heart, Night Train, Starry Nights, One Whole and Perfect Day, and the very popular and funny Al Capsella series. She is unsurpassed in her ability to convey complex emotional states with acute understanding and compassion.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
February 6, 2012
I first picked up this book at an 'Op Shop', drawn in by the cover. Mine is slightly different to the hardccover image show here, showing a blue but cloudy sky, and a pink chocolate cake with a bite missing on a pink plate. For some odd reason I felt like I should read this book, so I bought it and put it off for a few weeks until reading it today.
This is the story of family. Not the family, not a family, but of everyone's family. We have members who miss other family members, miss friends, miss times long past. We have members not wanting what they have now, or not understanding it. We have bonds that stretch through lifetimes, inconsequential memories and meetings turning into so much more. Most of all, we have the sense of what it is to be human, to want, to fight, to love.
All of the characters have their own motivations, their own reasons for reacting as they do. Lily sees her Pop as 'racist' and as a 'bigot', but never questions why his views might differ from hers. This is just one example of how the characters start of as being self focused, but as the book progresses they realize that they have to let people into their lives for them to be complete. They have to make it so no one 'slips through the cracks' and gets forgotten. My favorite instance of this was with Pop, not being able to remember what his mother looked like or the color of her eyes. It is only when he thinks of Lonnie, the grandson whom he has 'disowned', that he can remember. It is keeping this little memories close, smells, sights, memories.
So just a really good book, the kind that makes you feel like you should have a family Reunion of your own at the end, or at least appreciate those who ARE in your life a little more.
This is the story of family. Not the family, not a family, but of everyone's family. We have members who miss other family members, miss friends, miss times long past. We have members not wanting what they have now, or not understanding it. We have bonds that stretch through lifetimes, inconsequential memories and meetings turning into so much more. Most of all, we have the sense of what it is to be human, to want, to fight, to love.
All of the characters have their own motivations, their own reasons for reacting as they do. Lily sees her Pop as 'racist' and as a 'bigot', but never questions why his views might differ from hers. This is just one example of how the characters start of as being self focused, but as the book progresses they realize that they have to let people into their lives for them to be complete. They have to make it so no one 'slips through the cracks' and gets forgotten. My favorite instance of this was with Pop, not being able to remember what his mother looked like or the color of her eyes. It is only when he thinks of Lonnie, the grandson whom he has 'disowned', that he can remember. It is keeping this little memories close, smells, sights, memories.
So just a really good book, the kind that makes you feel like you should have a family Reunion of your own at the end, or at least appreciate those who ARE in your life a little more.
January 14, 2008
Whoo Hoo! Today this won a Printz Honor! I mentioned it at a meeting of all of the children's librarians at DCPL last month. Here's what I had to say before today: This book is full of satisfying coincidences and serendipitious occurrences. Plus it's funny and quirky. 4 1/2 stars (almost 5 stars). January 2008: Made YALSA's BBYA list!
March 8, 2019
One whole and perfect book filled with wacky, but realistic and endearing characters, family problems, love, forgiveness and a whole bunch of delightful coincidences - felt like it was written just for me.
I am so glad that I had finally caved in and ordered a copy. The Printz Honor title entered and left my wishlist several times starting in 2008, when the home of my virtual shelves was still at Anobii.com. But somehow my positive gut feelings overpowered the doubts brought on by the bad average rating and the lack of gushing reviews.
And here I am: Grinning and perfectly happy after rushing through the multiple-voiced story of the Samson family, which made me cry twice in one evening.
***
A note on rereading this book half a year later: Judith Clarke's multi-POV (eight, to be correct), very Aussie family story (it's not strictly YA. It's all age at it best) gets even more magical when you are gleefully anticipationg all the wonderful interactions of the realistically flawed, but oh-so-unavoidably-lovely characters and those incredibly gut-warming coincidences. I could eat that book, honestly.
***
Re-read in March 2019
Still love it. To pieces.
I am so glad that I had finally caved in and ordered a copy. The Printz Honor title entered and left my wishlist several times starting in 2008, when the home of my virtual shelves was still at Anobii.com. But somehow my positive gut feelings overpowered the doubts brought on by the bad average rating and the lack of gushing reviews.
And here I am: Grinning and perfectly happy after rushing through the multiple-voiced story of the Samson family, which made me cry twice in one evening.
***
A note on rereading this book half a year later: Judith Clarke's multi-POV (eight, to be correct), very Aussie family story (it's not strictly YA. It's all age at it best) gets even more magical when you are gleefully anticipationg all the wonderful interactions of the realistically flawed, but oh-so-unavoidably-lovely characters and those incredibly gut-warming coincidences. I could eat that book, honestly.
***
Re-read in March 2019
Still love it. To pieces.
January 11, 2009
Lily Samson is sure her family is the craziest. Her brother lolls around, dropping in and out of school, unable to find a path in life. Her Pop, though she loves him, is a bona fide racist (as far as she's concerned), her Nan has an invisible friend, her mother is fond of bringing home clients from work to stay with them, and Lily, in all her Year Ten glory, is the responsible one in the house. Her friends giggle about boys, she makes shopping lists. Her friends makes up new words, she makes dinner plans. Really, there's most definitely something wrong here.
Lonnie, errant brother, has moved out after a blow-out with Pop, involving an axe. Living in a Boarding House for Gentleman, and once again enrolled in school, he's still trying to find his way. His mother, with no real way to know how he's doing, worries. Endlessly and pointlessly, if you ask Lily. Indeed, Lonnie nearly does repeat his cycle yet again, but a little intervention stays his hand. In fact, meeting Clara has changed the world for Lonnie, and all for the better.
Back at home, Lily has concluded she needs to fall in love. It seemed just the answer to her premature aging. And yet, once decided, she quickly changes her mind and finds the whole process of having a crush to be quite horrid. Unfortunately, she can't go back.
She's sure as anything that Daniel Steadman doesn't even know she exists; across town Daniel is plagued with dreams of a mystery girl with a beautiful voice.
Waking in a frenzy one night, unable to recall the color of his mother's eyes, Pop takes a trip to his old neighborhood at Nan's urging. Most of it is gone, replaced with stores and shops and food all foreign to him. Worse yet, while sitting on a bench recollecting, he calls aloud a most unfortunate phrase and insults the Chinese woman who just happened to be across the way at the time. He runs for it, but determined not to take abuses anymore, she chases him down. They find in one another an unexpected friend.
Nan, feeling certain that the family needs a celebration, decides to hold a party for Pop's eightieth birthday. A grand event, it will be! She's just sure it will help Pop and Lonnie to reconcile. She's been pestering Lily to try to make it happen, and to make sure Lon comes to the event. Though Lily is certain this can only end badly, what with Clara being Chinese, she does as asked.
In fact, Lily decides this party is important. Maybe the most important thing in their lives. She needs it to be a success. And because he hears this quiet desperation in his sister's voice, Lonnie agrees. To make up, and to attend. Lily can only hope it will be the one, perfect day she feels she, and they all, deserve.
Lonnie, errant brother, has moved out after a blow-out with Pop, involving an axe. Living in a Boarding House for Gentleman, and once again enrolled in school, he's still trying to find his way. His mother, with no real way to know how he's doing, worries. Endlessly and pointlessly, if you ask Lily. Indeed, Lonnie nearly does repeat his cycle yet again, but a little intervention stays his hand. In fact, meeting Clara has changed the world for Lonnie, and all for the better.
Back at home, Lily has concluded she needs to fall in love. It seemed just the answer to her premature aging. And yet, once decided, she quickly changes her mind and finds the whole process of having a crush to be quite horrid. Unfortunately, she can't go back.
She's sure as anything that Daniel Steadman doesn't even know she exists; across town Daniel is plagued with dreams of a mystery girl with a beautiful voice.
Waking in a frenzy one night, unable to recall the color of his mother's eyes, Pop takes a trip to his old neighborhood at Nan's urging. Most of it is gone, replaced with stores and shops and food all foreign to him. Worse yet, while sitting on a bench recollecting, he calls aloud a most unfortunate phrase and insults the Chinese woman who just happened to be across the way at the time. He runs for it, but determined not to take abuses anymore, she chases him down. They find in one another an unexpected friend.
Nan, feeling certain that the family needs a celebration, decides to hold a party for Pop's eightieth birthday. A grand event, it will be! She's just sure it will help Pop and Lonnie to reconcile. She's been pestering Lily to try to make it happen, and to make sure Lon comes to the event. Though Lily is certain this can only end badly, what with Clara being Chinese, she does as asked.
In fact, Lily decides this party is important. Maybe the most important thing in their lives. She needs it to be a success. And because he hears this quiet desperation in his sister's voice, Lonnie agrees. To make up, and to attend. Lily can only hope it will be the one, perfect day she feels she, and they all, deserve.
October 8, 2009
This was definitely an enjoyable read. It doesn’t have an intense plot, or any gasp-worthy twists and turns. The title is perfect, because that’s what the main extent of the plot is- family and friends trying struggling to be whole, and one girl who pushes for it so she can have her “perfect day.”
What I really liked about it was the changing characters. Though it’s written in 3rd person, each character has a story and purpose (except for one character- Jessaline. I didn’t really understand how she fit) so there isn’t really one main character. I also liked the age variations. With most young adult books, you only get a glimpse into the head of the teenage narrator, but these characters spanned from early teens to early eighties.
Everybody connects in a way. When I got into it, I was incredibly confused at why so many characters were being written such large parts, but it all fits. Everybody fits together, hence why the word whole is so perfect for the title. (Almost funny? Probably not. I’m lame, I know) Everybody’s issues, which every character has some, intertwine so wonderfully that I appreciated their flaws so much more at the end.
I finished it fairly quickly considering it’s not very long. It’s not the kind of book that you’ll get swept away in, but it’s something that definitely will lift your spirits. I laughed a lot, and probably smiled throughout the entire thing. I recommend picking it up, and saving it for a rainy day when you’re not feeling so awesome- it’ll make you feel a lot better, I promise!
What I really liked about it was the changing characters. Though it’s written in 3rd person, each character has a story and purpose (except for one character- Jessaline. I didn’t really understand how she fit) so there isn’t really one main character. I also liked the age variations. With most young adult books, you only get a glimpse into the head of the teenage narrator, but these characters spanned from early teens to early eighties.
Everybody connects in a way. When I got into it, I was incredibly confused at why so many characters were being written such large parts, but it all fits. Everybody fits together, hence why the word whole is so perfect for the title. (Almost funny? Probably not. I’m lame, I know) Everybody’s issues, which every character has some, intertwine so wonderfully that I appreciated their flaws so much more at the end.
I finished it fairly quickly considering it’s not very long. It’s not the kind of book that you’ll get swept away in, but it’s something that definitely will lift your spirits. I laughed a lot, and probably smiled throughout the entire thing. I recommend picking it up, and saving it for a rainy day when you’re not feeling so awesome- it’ll make you feel a lot better, I promise!
July 12, 2021
Freakish, thought Lily. That was the word for her family
What!!! Did you just end like that? That was an horrible ending...
A cute story about family, dreaming about your crush and an axe! (If you have read this book you will understand why I'm speaking about an axe)
2/5 stars
A story about a dysfunctional family
What!!! Did you just end like that? That was an horrible ending...
A cute story about family, dreaming about your crush and an axe! (If you have read this book you will understand why I'm speaking about an axe)
2/5 stars
A story about a dysfunctional family
September 22, 2011
**Audible Review**
Aussie Reading Challenge #8
One Whole and Perfect Day was a pleasant and enjoyable read. The reader for the audible, Gretal Montgomery, was a delight to listen to. Her voice was sweet and joyful and kept me quite entertained. Her Australian accent was delightful to hear especially when she said "Pop", "Lonnie", "Clara". I could still hear her sweet and cute voice in my head and picture the characters in my head as clear as day.
One Whole and Perfect Day is about the life of a sensible 16-year old girl named Lily and her eccentric and dysfunctional family. Though she is the main character of the book, there are several points of views in the book, both long and short, told in the 3rd person. For this reason, the beginning of the book was a little confusing because of the constant changes in voices as each character is introduced, especially when listening to its audible version. Lily complains about her boring life and how she takes care of her disorganized and kind psychologist mother, Marigold, and her older and irresponsible brother, Lonnie. Secondary characters consists of her grandpa Stan and grandma May, Clara who is Lonnie's friend and Clara's mother, Rose. It's quite funny and interesting how these two families come in contact and connect in such serendipitous ways. The book is like a giant ball of yarn with the strands of each of these characters' lives smoothly and haphazardly intertwined into a one big ball of life.
I thought Judith Clarke did such a fine job crafting these larger than life characters. I personally enjoyed Stan's character because despite his gruff, he was all heart underneath. I personally connected with Clara and her family dynamics. I too grew up with a father who was highly critical and condescending of my mother and caused me to lose respect for my father. I too experienced being discriminated upon just like Clara's mother because I am of Asian descent and had to go through my high school senior year being labeled as a dog eater. However in Rose's (Clara's mother) case, she grew up being teased as a cat eater. The funny thing was, growing up in the Philippines, I recall my brother warning me to refrain from buying steamed meat buns from the Chinese fast food places for fear of it being made of cat meat. And since I was young and stupid then, I believed him. It's just interesting how ridiculous stories such as these travel far and wide.
Anyway, I digress. I thought Lonnie was cute and kind despite him being a little clueless and dreamy at times. I thought their Grandma May was sweet and adorable especially with regards to her invisible and childhood friend Seth. I had a friend like that too when I was little and I still call upon him when I'm feeling a little bit down and alone. He's one friend who's always there to listen. And I think May's relationship with Seth is very much the same.
And then there's Lily. Sensible Lily who was forced to grow up early and take care of the household because no one else would. Oh don't I know the feeling. But, I was never embarrassed of it like she was. I was quite proud of being sensible and independent! But Lily definitely entertained me with her curious ways and her experimentation of how to get the opposite sex to notice you. It made me reminisce of all the stupid things I would wear and do just to get a guy to notice me in high school. Oh the stupid things we did when we were young!
I thought Judith Clarke was an amazing writer with her ability to conjure such intricate lives and weave them effortlessly into eventful coincidences culminating into a one whole and perfect day of reunion, self-discovery, a promise of a better tomorrow, and a greater appreciation for family and friends for Lily, Clara, an their families. Unfortunately, because the ending is so perfect and could only exist in fairy tales, I was left not feeling completely convinced and impressed. However, if you are the type who enjoy happily ever afters multiplied by 10, then this book is definitely for you!
Nevertheless, after reading One and Whole Perfect Day, I am still in awe of Australian authors and writers!
Aussie Reading Challenge #8
One Whole and Perfect Day was a pleasant and enjoyable read. The reader for the audible, Gretal Montgomery, was a delight to listen to. Her voice was sweet and joyful and kept me quite entertained. Her Australian accent was delightful to hear especially when she said "Pop", "Lonnie", "Clara". I could still hear her sweet and cute voice in my head and picture the characters in my head as clear as day.
One Whole and Perfect Day is about the life of a sensible 16-year old girl named Lily and her eccentric and dysfunctional family. Though she is the main character of the book, there are several points of views in the book, both long and short, told in the 3rd person. For this reason, the beginning of the book was a little confusing because of the constant changes in voices as each character is introduced, especially when listening to its audible version. Lily complains about her boring life and how she takes care of her disorganized and kind psychologist mother, Marigold, and her older and irresponsible brother, Lonnie. Secondary characters consists of her grandpa Stan and grandma May, Clara who is Lonnie's friend and Clara's mother, Rose. It's quite funny and interesting how these two families come in contact and connect in such serendipitous ways. The book is like a giant ball of yarn with the strands of each of these characters' lives smoothly and haphazardly intertwined into a one big ball of life.
I thought Judith Clarke did such a fine job crafting these larger than life characters. I personally enjoyed Stan's character because despite his gruff, he was all heart underneath. I personally connected with Clara and her family dynamics. I too grew up with a father who was highly critical and condescending of my mother and caused me to lose respect for my father. I too experienced being discriminated upon just like Clara's mother because I am of Asian descent and had to go through my high school senior year being labeled as a dog eater. However in Rose's (Clara's mother) case, she grew up being teased as a cat eater. The funny thing was, growing up in the Philippines, I recall my brother warning me to refrain from buying steamed meat buns from the Chinese fast food places for fear of it being made of cat meat. And since I was young and stupid then, I believed him. It's just interesting how ridiculous stories such as these travel far and wide.
Anyway, I digress. I thought Lonnie was cute and kind despite him being a little clueless and dreamy at times. I thought their Grandma May was sweet and adorable especially with regards to her invisible and childhood friend Seth. I had a friend like that too when I was little and I still call upon him when I'm feeling a little bit down and alone. He's one friend who's always there to listen. And I think May's relationship with Seth is very much the same.
And then there's Lily. Sensible Lily who was forced to grow up early and take care of the household because no one else would. Oh don't I know the feeling. But, I was never embarrassed of it like she was. I was quite proud of being sensible and independent! But Lily definitely entertained me with her curious ways and her experimentation of how to get the opposite sex to notice you. It made me reminisce of all the stupid things I would wear and do just to get a guy to notice me in high school. Oh the stupid things we did when we were young!
I thought Judith Clarke was an amazing writer with her ability to conjure such intricate lives and weave them effortlessly into eventful coincidences culminating into a one whole and perfect day of reunion, self-discovery, a promise of a better tomorrow, and a greater appreciation for family and friends for Lily, Clara, an their families. Unfortunately, because the ending is so perfect and could only exist in fairy tales, I was left not feeling completely convinced and impressed. However, if you are the type who enjoy happily ever afters multiplied by 10, then this book is definitely for you!
Nevertheless, after reading One and Whole Perfect Day, I am still in awe of Australian authors and writers!
September 8, 2010
This is completely a character-driven book. It took me a while (after some confusion) to realize this book wasn't what I had expected. There is not much of a story, which I had to train myself to get used to. Once you realize it is all about the characters, it becomes interesting. It felt like I was an observer of one chunk of life that begged me for character analysis, especially as it relates to my own life, knowledge, and experiences.
The book was much lighter than I expected--especially as its a Printz Honor book. (I've come to associate different books than this with that award.) Yet the book had depth if one chose to look more deeply into the characters. (Maybe why it was a Print Honor.) I liked that it wasn't a dysfunctional family in the way that term seems to have become, but just a family that is different from others. (Whose isn't?) The book was actually more refreshing than I expected, which may be one reason why it WAS refreshing. And I can't help enjoying the very Dickens-ian way it all came together in the end. (Once I suspected this was happening, I began to enjoy the book more.)
The audio was a lot of fun, as I enjoyed hearing the Australian accent. I don't hear that one as often. And some dialectal words were just too fun to listen to! Plus, the narrator did a good job in not influencing your mind on how to think of each character.
The book was much lighter than I expected--especially as its a Printz Honor book. (I've come to associate different books than this with that award.) Yet the book had depth if one chose to look more deeply into the characters. (Maybe why it was a Print Honor.) I liked that it wasn't a dysfunctional family in the way that term seems to have become, but just a family that is different from others. (Whose isn't?) The book was actually more refreshing than I expected, which may be one reason why it WAS refreshing. And I can't help enjoying the very Dickens-ian way it all came together in the end. (Once I suspected this was happening, I began to enjoy the book more.)
The audio was a lot of fun, as I enjoyed hearing the Australian accent. I don't hear that one as often. And some dialectal words were just too fun to listen to! Plus, the narrator did a good job in not influencing your mind on how to think of each character.
July 28, 2012
What if you could have one, whole perfect day - a day as perfect as your gran's spongecake, as a pure blue sky, as a shiny coin or as perfect as a cool breeze winding its way through a hot town in summer? How much effort would you put in? Who would you include? And what changes would you make in your life, and to yourself, to try and make it last?
A heartwarming, raw and simply put tale of a family whose idiosyncrasies, imaginary friends, red faces, dishcloths, Bestie magazines and Bronte books make them who they are...and maybe that is better than being perfect.
A heartwarming, raw and simply put tale of a family whose idiosyncrasies, imaginary friends, red faces, dishcloths, Bestie magazines and Bronte books make them who they are...and maybe that is better than being perfect.
November 19, 2014
4 1/2 stars -
This is really a lovely, beautiful little book about an average family in Australia. I particularly enjoyed the story being told from all the various points of view, even those characters who would normally be throw-aways in other novels. I also loved how all those various threads came together in the end to create Lily's whole and perfect day. Highly Recommended!
This is really a lovely, beautiful little book about an average family in Australia. I particularly enjoyed the story being told from all the various points of view, even those characters who would normally be throw-aways in other novels. I also loved how all those various threads came together in the end to create Lily's whole and perfect day. Highly Recommended!
April 29, 2010
This book droned on an on for much longer than a day. I just couldn't attach to any of the characters and I wonder if any teen readers would...
April 9, 2010
This book was much too predictable and it was excruciatingly slow.
The fact that it had so many POVs could have been interesting but it ended up confusing and clumsy
The fact that it had so many POVs could have been interesting but it ended up confusing and clumsy
June 7, 2020
Like us all, many people in Lilys life affect how she views and enjoys the world around her.
An interesting look at all the 'sub plots' in her life that come together to give her a whole and perfect day.
I was just talking to a fellow avid reader who reminded me that not all fiction needs to have major climax, this is a good example of how to pull that off.
An interesting look at all the 'sub plots' in her life that come together to give her a whole and perfect day.
I was just talking to a fellow avid reader who reminded me that not all fiction needs to have major climax, this is a good example of how to pull that off.
April 28, 2022
Contemporary Australian YA novel about a dysfunctional but loveable family. Great characters!
July 12, 2012
I am now officially addicted to Aussie YA books, especially the ones which have been short-listed or have some award-stamp on the cover. What can I say, I have high standards hahaha.
When I first began reading this novel, say when I was about two chapters in, the first thing I took note of was Judith Clarke's writing style. How she took the classic approach, introducing the family first and then going into the story. I loved it, because most of the books I've been reading lately have just gone straight into the plot. Don't get me wrong, I love those kinds of books too (some of my favourites fall under that category), but it was nice to see a change.
After reading the first three chapters it was safe to say that I was completely and utterly engaged in this novel. I loved how Judith Clarke wrote in third person and in different points of view, and how all the characters were tied together in some way, whether they knew it or not. I found myself sympathising with all the different characters, whether they were teenagers or old grandfathers. It was amazing how much I loved this book! The ending was so freaking sweet and I loved it so much. I will now be eagerly looking out for Judith Clarke's other novels! She's sure written a lot :o Good thing too, seeing as she is very promising :)
Rating: 5/5, no question about it.
When I first began reading this novel, say when I was about two chapters in, the first thing I took note of was Judith Clarke's writing style. How she took the classic approach, introducing the family first and then going into the story. I loved it, because most of the books I've been reading lately have just gone straight into the plot. Don't get me wrong, I love those kinds of books too (some of my favourites fall under that category), but it was nice to see a change.
After reading the first three chapters it was safe to say that I was completely and utterly engaged in this novel. I loved how Judith Clarke wrote in third person and in different points of view, and how all the characters were tied together in some way, whether they knew it or not. I found myself sympathising with all the different characters, whether they were teenagers or old grandfathers. It was amazing how much I loved this book! The ending was so freaking sweet and I loved it so much. I will now be eagerly looking out for Judith Clarke's other novels! She's sure written a lot :o Good thing too, seeing as she is very promising :)
Rating: 5/5, no question about it.
March 17, 2008
The characters spend a fair amount of time sleeping and dreaming, and the book ends up with an appropriately dreamy quality to it. It's got its details, though, and a delightfully large cast of characters, and the loveliest little descriptions of things. And while there is a great deal of coincidence, particularly at the end, the characters admit that so much coincidence is bizarre, and that things like this never happen to their family, and probably never will again: it is, of course, their one whole and perfect day. The characters cover a nice age range, too - our main character, Lily, is in high school, but we spend a fair amount of time with the parents and grandparents, with her older brother and other students at his college, all of which I enjoyed. I have to admit a particular fondness for Jessaline, the astigmatic linguistics student turned cooking student, who stays up late baking and passes around her cookies and cakes. I may have been a trifle biased in her favor.
July 19, 2012
Definitely not a quick read, I had to read in small doses, but it felt like the story really sank into my brain. Not clear how it got marketed to teens, as it felt markedly grown-up, but definitely see how it won honors. I just wish the cover made it more clearly Australian, and did not make me think of Chinese New Year. It was hard to keep reminding myself of the setting, and was actually one reason I passed on it for a few weeks.
February 14, 2008
This present day, small-world fable about warmly imperfect families overflows with multi-viewpoint introspection and a boatload of coincidences. Some indie director will make a small, sweet, charming film with Alan Arkin as the gruff grandfather and Vanessa Regrave as Sef, along with the fresh young faces of the moment. Beautifully written, if a bit too perfect.
January 30, 2012
I enjoyed this one well enough. The characters were defined nicely and their interwoven stories worked well with one another, but it's not the most interesting of a book: not much happens, and you don't always care about everyone involved.
Again, it's well-written and works as is, but there are plenty of other books out their with similar messages and styles that are much better.
Again, it's well-written and works as is, but there are plenty of other books out their with similar messages and styles that are much better.
July 5, 2008
This was a quiet, sweet story where I cared about the characters, and I liked how the stories were interwoven.
May 1, 2010
I had a hard time getting into this one. It jumped around a lot and I never really connected with anyone in the story.
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August 5, 2011I so loved this book.
November 1, 2019
Parents are so unreliable. Lily is living a “hard knock life” with brothers who never help, a father who is never there for her, and a flaky mother. The book, “One Whole and Perfect Day,” is what Lily always wanted. Lily always believed that her family was “freaks and weird,” she was the sensible one. Her father was never in the picture so her mother worked too much and always flaked on her, her brother who didn’t help around the house, then Lily who did most of the work in the house. Lily always wishes her life was different.
Having parents who are never there for you, has to be hard. Lily experiences this on a daily basis. Lily does chores like keeping track of when the car needs to be fixed, cooks dinner, goes shopping, pays the bills, etc. Which in my opinion, is way too much for a child to be doing and her mother should be doing those actions. Lily’s mom’s job is to go to adult daycares and take care of the people in there. Lily feels her mother has a stronger relationship with the elderly people she works with than her own children. Lonnie, lily’s stepbrother who’s is in college, he is very lazy and has dropped out of every major that he’s done. I think he gets this behavior from his father that he never knew because he has no work ethic, which he learned from his father who left him and his family behind. Lonnie got a C on one of his papers and immediately freaks out, which is odd to me because he doesn’t seem to have a huge work ethic due to the fact that he has dropped out of most of his majors when they get hard. I think he expects good grades to come to him even if he doesn’t do all the work for them. Lily has been obsessing over Daniel Stedman and watches a movie about him with Marigold. She is leaving to go to a house with her Nan and doesn’t want to wait around for Lonnie so she ends up leaving a note in his very dirty room. She leaves the note and finds a note from Lonnie’s girlfriend and then wishes that she can have a relationship with David Steadman like Lonnie and his girlfriend have. This is normal for any teenage girl going through this but the obsession is kind of bad and I think she wants a relationship like that since she doesn’t have many strong relationships with people, even her own family. Lily is at her family’s part, everything is going good, and she’s happy at this moment. The book ends with a call and Lily answers knowing it is her father. This can be a very happy moment or very sad for Lily depending on how she is. I think she would be happy about it because she has always wanted to know her father, and that he is calling on a happy day for her.
In my opinion, this book was a little boring. The book mainly discussed the same issues throughout the book like how her parents were absent for everything, her brothers who didn’t help out around the house, and the fact she did all the work in the house. There were some interesting parts in the book but the book was mainly had a sad tone to it. I did like the ending because I enjoyed how they had her father call her on that specific day because it was a good family day for her. I don’t think I would really recommend this book to many people but I do think people with family issues may relate to this book and enjoy it more than I would. Overall, I would rate this book 2 ½ stars out of 5 stars.
Having parents who are never there for you, has to be hard. Lily experiences this on a daily basis. Lily does chores like keeping track of when the car needs to be fixed, cooks dinner, goes shopping, pays the bills, etc. Which in my opinion, is way too much for a child to be doing and her mother should be doing those actions. Lily’s mom’s job is to go to adult daycares and take care of the people in there. Lily feels her mother has a stronger relationship with the elderly people she works with than her own children. Lonnie, lily’s stepbrother who’s is in college, he is very lazy and has dropped out of every major that he’s done. I think he gets this behavior from his father that he never knew because he has no work ethic, which he learned from his father who left him and his family behind. Lonnie got a C on one of his papers and immediately freaks out, which is odd to me because he doesn’t seem to have a huge work ethic due to the fact that he has dropped out of most of his majors when they get hard. I think he expects good grades to come to him even if he doesn’t do all the work for them. Lily has been obsessing over Daniel Stedman and watches a movie about him with Marigold. She is leaving to go to a house with her Nan and doesn’t want to wait around for Lonnie so she ends up leaving a note in his very dirty room. She leaves the note and finds a note from Lonnie’s girlfriend and then wishes that she can have a relationship with David Steadman like Lonnie and his girlfriend have. This is normal for any teenage girl going through this but the obsession is kind of bad and I think she wants a relationship like that since she doesn’t have many strong relationships with people, even her own family. Lily is at her family’s part, everything is going good, and she’s happy at this moment. The book ends with a call and Lily answers knowing it is her father. This can be a very happy moment or very sad for Lily depending on how she is. I think she would be happy about it because she has always wanted to know her father, and that he is calling on a happy day for her.
In my opinion, this book was a little boring. The book mainly discussed the same issues throughout the book like how her parents were absent for everything, her brothers who didn’t help out around the house, and the fact she did all the work in the house. There were some interesting parts in the book but the book was mainly had a sad tone to it. I did like the ending because I enjoyed how they had her father call her on that specific day because it was a good family day for her. I don’t think I would really recommend this book to many people but I do think people with family issues may relate to this book and enjoy it more than I would. Overall, I would rate this book 2 ½ stars out of 5 stars.
February 23, 2016
I don’t know if I have simply become too old and disenchanted for the young adult genre, or if my standards have become too high, but it’s a shame because I have always loved and been passionate about Australian young adult fiction. Unfortunately, I really couldn’t bring myself to love or be passionate about Judith Clarke’s “One Whole and Perfect Day”.
Firstly, it felt really dated. Even though it was published in 2006, somehow it felt incredibly outdated. I can’t quite pinpoint why, maybe the colloquialisms or slang or the speech, the society and culture presented didn’t seem set in the period that I lived and grew up in.
Secondly, it was really, really juvenile. While I understand I’m no longer in the targeted age-group of this book, I couldn’t help but feel slightly offended for the youth reading this book, who I believe are much more intelligent and mature than this book gives them credit for.
The character Lily and her friends, who are repeatedly emphasised to be tenth-graders, think and behave more like seventh graders. It feels assumed that these high school girls really do nothing but read trashy magazines about clothes and make-up and pine over boys and daydream over crushes. Lily is somehow different because she is the sensible one carrying a lot of responsibility over housework and maintaining her family, yet this is the only character trait she seems to have been given. Her decision to fall in love- and her subsequent “experience” of it feels off-putting, a hastily thrown in storyline. The part when she finally reaches the end of her tether and the burden of being “sensible” becomes too much, and she bursts into tears over a trivial thing was the most promising part of her character development. At that point, I was excited to see how it would be handled, especially when Marigold came in, but nothing happened! Here was a prime and perfectly executed opportunity to push a little further in characterization and depth, to be able to examine the interesting relationship between this mother and daughter, and nothing. I was sorely disappointed and had to accept that that this book would never push past its shallow and airy manner.
The book follows a cast of characters, each with their own storyline, and while I usually love ensemble stories, this one really didn’t succeed in this aspect. Every character is very one-dimensional; they only seem to have one element to them- their respective “stories”. Jessaline is a university student unhappy in her chosen degree. Clara has some feud with her dad. Lonnie has some feud with his grandpa. Screen time is not balanced, but even the ones given the most attention are not properly fleshed out and their plotlines are badly concluded. The characterisation of the university students left me most frustrated, maybe because I myself am a uni student and I am the same age as Lonnie and I find his portrayal weak and unsatisfying. Jessaline’s entire storyline is that she’s too scared to change degrees against her parents’ wishes. She secretly wants to do hospitality and own a restaurant. She was portrayed as so naïve and childish, it just didn’t hold water for me. Similarly, Clara’s little tantrum about independence from her parents was very shallow and immature. It didn’t fit a fourth-year university student’s mindset. I feel like the portrayal of these three older characters and their problems was so blatantly simplified for small children to read, when I believe that the audience is capable of understanding so much more.
It was nice that there were elderly and adult characters in the book and that perspectives of characters of all ages were given, which is rare and welcome. However, once again the characters are very much reduced to simplified cut-outs, identified only by their respective “storylines/issues”. Stan, Lily’s grandfather, was probably given the most time and development, but ultimately he seemed inconsistent in his actions. There seemed to be no connection as to why he became so invested in the homeless girl on the train. If it was meant to symbolize some sort of redemption process, it really didn’t appear that way.
Also, the amount of different characters’ perspectives is overkill. Jessaline is introduced very early in the book when she is an incredibly minor character that plays an insignificant role in the whole story. She doesn’t fit well into the rest of the characters, who are more clearly linked by familial ties. The introduction of some new characters’ perspectives are very late in the book, such as Daniel and Charlie, and even Rose. Their perspectives feel thrown in as an afterthought, just for the gimmick of having an ensemble cast. While I love and appreciate the idea of characters being tied to each other in interesting ways, I feel that only the perspectives that need to be seen should be shown. Jessaline, Rose, Daniel and Charlie’s were unnecessary. Cutting out the unnecessary time given to these very minor characters could have given much needed development to central characters like Lonnie and Lily, and side characters such as May and Marigold could be given more personality and depth rather than neglected like they were.
Finally, the whole thing is ridiculously idealistic. The bigger story arc, of how the characters all gather together is a bit of a joke. I could forgive the appearance of Mrs Nightingale even though it was predictable, and I actually liked Lily and Daniel’s long awaited first meeting. I thought it was a bit cute that it was foretold in Lily’s dream, with the pyjamas and the newspaper. The coincidental meeting between Rose and Stan? It was unrealistic and unbelievable, but given the obvious direction of the story and the young audience, I could understand the need for this event. But the treatment and the conclusion of the very random subplot regarding the homeless girl on the train? That was unforgivable; it was just too much.
Basically, “One Whole and Perfect Day” reads like a very juvenile and idealistic children’s book. The writing and characters are basic, and although it offers a wide range of characters and perspectives across a variety of ages and touches on rich contemporary themes such as dysfunctional families and racism, it retains a very shallow approach and never quite delivers on what is otherwise a very promising premise.
Firstly, it felt really dated. Even though it was published in 2006, somehow it felt incredibly outdated. I can’t quite pinpoint why, maybe the colloquialisms or slang or the speech, the society and culture presented didn’t seem set in the period that I lived and grew up in.
Secondly, it was really, really juvenile. While I understand I’m no longer in the targeted age-group of this book, I couldn’t help but feel slightly offended for the youth reading this book, who I believe are much more intelligent and mature than this book gives them credit for.
The character Lily and her friends, who are repeatedly emphasised to be tenth-graders, think and behave more like seventh graders. It feels assumed that these high school girls really do nothing but read trashy magazines about clothes and make-up and pine over boys and daydream over crushes. Lily is somehow different because she is the sensible one carrying a lot of responsibility over housework and maintaining her family, yet this is the only character trait she seems to have been given. Her decision to fall in love- and her subsequent “experience” of it feels off-putting, a hastily thrown in storyline. The part when she finally reaches the end of her tether and the burden of being “sensible” becomes too much, and she bursts into tears over a trivial thing was the most promising part of her character development. At that point, I was excited to see how it would be handled, especially when Marigold came in, but nothing happened! Here was a prime and perfectly executed opportunity to push a little further in characterization and depth, to be able to examine the interesting relationship between this mother and daughter, and nothing. I was sorely disappointed and had to accept that that this book would never push past its shallow and airy manner.
The book follows a cast of characters, each with their own storyline, and while I usually love ensemble stories, this one really didn’t succeed in this aspect. Every character is very one-dimensional; they only seem to have one element to them- their respective “stories”. Jessaline is a university student unhappy in her chosen degree. Clara has some feud with her dad. Lonnie has some feud with his grandpa. Screen time is not balanced, but even the ones given the most attention are not properly fleshed out and their plotlines are badly concluded. The characterisation of the university students left me most frustrated, maybe because I myself am a uni student and I am the same age as Lonnie and I find his portrayal weak and unsatisfying. Jessaline’s entire storyline is that she’s too scared to change degrees against her parents’ wishes. She secretly wants to do hospitality and own a restaurant. She was portrayed as so naïve and childish, it just didn’t hold water for me. Similarly, Clara’s little tantrum about independence from her parents was very shallow and immature. It didn’t fit a fourth-year university student’s mindset. I feel like the portrayal of these three older characters and their problems was so blatantly simplified for small children to read, when I believe that the audience is capable of understanding so much more.
It was nice that there were elderly and adult characters in the book and that perspectives of characters of all ages were given, which is rare and welcome. However, once again the characters are very much reduced to simplified cut-outs, identified only by their respective “storylines/issues”. Stan, Lily’s grandfather, was probably given the most time and development, but ultimately he seemed inconsistent in his actions. There seemed to be no connection as to why he became so invested in the homeless girl on the train. If it was meant to symbolize some sort of redemption process, it really didn’t appear that way.
Also, the amount of different characters’ perspectives is overkill. Jessaline is introduced very early in the book when she is an incredibly minor character that plays an insignificant role in the whole story. She doesn’t fit well into the rest of the characters, who are more clearly linked by familial ties. The introduction of some new characters’ perspectives are very late in the book, such as Daniel and Charlie, and even Rose. Their perspectives feel thrown in as an afterthought, just for the gimmick of having an ensemble cast. While I love and appreciate the idea of characters being tied to each other in interesting ways, I feel that only the perspectives that need to be seen should be shown. Jessaline, Rose, Daniel and Charlie’s were unnecessary. Cutting out the unnecessary time given to these very minor characters could have given much needed development to central characters like Lonnie and Lily, and side characters such as May and Marigold could be given more personality and depth rather than neglected like they were.
Finally, the whole thing is ridiculously idealistic. The bigger story arc, of how the characters all gather together is a bit of a joke. I could forgive the appearance of Mrs Nightingale even though it was predictable, and I actually liked Lily and Daniel’s long awaited first meeting. I thought it was a bit cute that it was foretold in Lily’s dream, with the pyjamas and the newspaper. The coincidental meeting between Rose and Stan? It was unrealistic and unbelievable, but given the obvious direction of the story and the young audience, I could understand the need for this event. But the treatment and the conclusion of the very random subplot regarding the homeless girl on the train? That was unforgivable; it was just too much.
Basically, “One Whole and Perfect Day” reads like a very juvenile and idealistic children’s book. The writing and characters are basic, and although it offers a wide range of characters and perspectives across a variety of ages and touches on rich contemporary themes such as dysfunctional families and racism, it retains a very shallow approach and never quite delivers on what is otherwise a very promising premise.
August 1, 2018
The book was very interesting. I felt like it kind of explained certain insecurities that girls and boys struggle with.
I enjoyed going through Lily's journey to find out her family isn't so messed up after all. The conflict between Lonnie and Pop is eye opening in the way of pointing out the importance of talking to someone and understanding why they are doing what they are doing. What they are going through. Lonnie just wasn't sure about what he wanted to do, so he kept dropping out, but everyone assumed he was too lazy to complete his courses.
Pop had been thought of as racist when really he didn't understand the ways of other cultures. He was too shy to show his unclean teeth to a Chinese dentist because he believed them to be clean and tidy. His teeth didn't show that.
I enjoyed how Lily would struggle with understanding how to deal with boys. She began to turn to magazines that would supposedly show her how to get a boy to notice her, how to look prettier, etc..
Overall I really enjoyed the story and the big build up to Pop's eightieth birthday party.
I enjoyed going through Lily's journey to find out her family isn't so messed up after all. The conflict between Lonnie and Pop is eye opening in the way of pointing out the importance of talking to someone and understanding why they are doing what they are doing. What they are going through. Lonnie just wasn't sure about what he wanted to do, so he kept dropping out, but everyone assumed he was too lazy to complete his courses.
Pop had been thought of as racist when really he didn't understand the ways of other cultures. He was too shy to show his unclean teeth to a Chinese dentist because he believed them to be clean and tidy. His teeth didn't show that.
I enjoyed how Lily would struggle with understanding how to deal with boys. She began to turn to magazines that would supposedly show her how to get a boy to notice her, how to look prettier, etc..
Overall I really enjoyed the story and the big build up to Pop's eightieth birthday party.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2025
Judith Clarkes “One Whole and Perfect day” is the perfect casual read. The way she combines stories and plot points to make one exciting adventure is amazing and never fails to impress me. I do wish the book took itself a little more seriously and allowed for some sort of disaster and edged off of being so predictable. Lily ( our main character ) is a lovely protagonist and serves as a great example of how to build relatable characters with complicated relationship dynamics. In fact every character in this book has a renowned quality that makes them stand out in their own unique way. Once again this book is quite a short read and does not require too much brain power to enjoy. It’s great if you just want to take your mind off life and embrace the all encompassing simplicity of Judith Clarke’s curated world.
October 13, 2017
Lily Samson's family life is a little less than traditional. A absent father who took off before she was born, a mom who is constantly working and unable to keep up the housework (lily does that), a grandpa and grandma who is old and batty, her brother at university has been disowned by his grandfather. which leaves lily with a life she wishes was different. for once, she wishes she wasn't so responsible and dependable.
This book was really good. I was so shocked at first because the first 20 pages were a little rough... but what i loved is that the book provided ample insight to each of the characters lives. it didn't focus too much on just one character so we got to see well into the mind of each character. i would recommend this book to anyone, its a really good read.
This book was really good. I was so shocked at first because the first 20 pages were a little rough... but what i loved is that the book provided ample insight to each of the characters lives. it didn't focus too much on just one character so we got to see well into the mind of each character. i would recommend this book to anyone, its a really good read.
May 30, 2024
I think one whole and perfect day is a great book, even though the book dealt with real life themes it was never too dark, which is great if that's what you're into. my favorite character was Lonnie, he is a bit aloof, but I am fond of how he develops in the story. lilly on the other hand also really discovers herself, however I wasn't quite fond of her. I don't have a particular reason for feeling that way, I think it's just because her character didn't click with me. my favorite quote from was "as if some fundamental law of physics had been broached" which was ironically by lilly. the book was a bit slow paced, and I think the reason why I didn't fully enjoy it was because I like fantasy with action and a fast moving pace.
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September 28, 2021This is a story about a girl who just wants to live a normal life. She feels daily embarrassment from her family and is angry she can't change it. She lives in Australia with her overworked mother and and very carefree brother. Lilly feels that she is the only logical one in the family. She doesn't want to feel like the responsible one anymore and wants to her life as a kid, like she feels she deserves. She felt if she were to "fall in love" her life could be changed and she'd be like other girls. During this,
Lily's grandmother plans a birthday party for her grandfather.At this party, odd ends meet and Lily comes to realize something important about her family.
Lily's grandmother plans a birthday party for her grandfather.At this party, odd ends meet and Lily comes to realize something important about her family.
March 2, 2023
A very easy read, pretty basic YA novel. I did really enjoy it! I like how there were a lot of viewpoints from each of the characters too! It made it interesting to read so many character’s thoughts and learn about their backgrounds. Super cute romance in the background of the story as well. The characters definitely all had flaws and issues, and diving into those was really interesting. and then despite their issues and quarrels, they can come together to have one day- one whole and perfect day.
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