Just One Day by Gayle Forman explores the story of a young girl, Allyson, who has always been the “typical intelligent girl” but has never had the chance to find her true identity. The summer before she goes off to college, Allyson travels with a Teen Tours group to Europe, where she meets a boy named Willem. Willem becomes her dream for the day, taking her on an adventure in Paris. She only has one day to venture around with him. He swoops in and takes her biggest enemy out of her reach–time. Once the day ends, Allyson, heartbroken and confused,returns back to her normal life preparing for college. A very lost Allyson creates her own adventure and begins to find her true self.
Allyson is a character the audience can easily relate to. Forman deserves praise for how easily the reader is able to develop a connection with the main character. Each reader will have at least one quality in common with Allyson. The author also develops many connections between the book and other works, such as The Twelfth Night by Williams Shakespeare.
One of the main themes of the novel is time.. Allyson has one day to be with Willem and indulge aside of herself that she has never experienced until this point. From the time Willem takes her watch, which is a symbol of him taking time away from her, she is able to enjoy herself and pretend as if the day is never going to end. Forman strongly expresses this theme. This book has an emotional appeal for the audience. Readers travel with Allyson as she learns who she is,allowing them to evaluate themselves and see ways in which they may have similar discoveries.
Forman does a great job with this novel by creating a young girl that any reader can connect with. She carries the reader on a journey where they experience conflicting emotions and may be as confused as Allyson herself throughout the book. Forman took a time of heartbreak and confusion–a time when many of us begin to focus on ourselves most–and creates it into a period of evolution,teaching the audience that they can grow and take control of their lives, whether it is in a time that seems to be the darkest point or even the best.