Life Lessons from Gayle Forman (Publisher Giveaway!)

I've been a huge fan of Gayle Forman for many years. I first came across her novel, If I Stay back in 2009 and knew immediately after reading it in one sitting that I discovered an inspirational author. Forman not only shares stories about characters that deal with real issues and painful decisions, but she does so in a way that you walk away a little bit more compassionate, a tad wiser, and a ton more emotional because of the journey she takes you on with her advice and perspective.

For my post, I'm going back to the books that connected me with this author, and I'll be sharing a few quotes that moved me in more ways than one… I hope you enjoy…

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

1. “If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.”

This scene in the book was like an emotional punch when reading how much Adam Wilde was willing to sacrifice for the person he loved. It's not always easy to make those painful decisions, but if you truly care and love that person, no sacrifice is too small.

2. “Love, it never dies. It never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it. Love can make you immortal.”

I believe that someone who has lost a person they truly loved can understand this statement completely. When I first read this caption in If I Stay, it reminded me of a painful loss and Forman was right… just because the person is gone, the love you shared will always be there.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

3. "I want to cut through the space that separates us, measured in feet – not miles, not continents, not years - and I want to touch her to make sure it’s really her... but I can’t touch her, it’s a privilege that’s been revoked. Against my will but still."

For those that read this book, this passage is pretty emotional. It represents a promise that Adam Wilde made in book 1 that has caused him incredible pain. He kept his promise and that reminded me that your word is who you are. When you make a promise, keeping it defines who you are as a person.

4. "I needed to hate someone and you’re the one I love the most, so it fell on you."

This statement is so damn true! I hate to admit it, but I'm sure most of us have hurt someone we truly love. It's typically the ones we love the most that we tend to hurt the deepest. It doesn't make it right… it just makes it true...

I also have a couple of music selections that I came across when reading these books several years ago. To this day, they tend to remind me of the emotions experienced when reading these books. 

What life lessons have YOU learned from a Gayle Forman book?

Be sure to add Gayle Forman's books to your bookshelf!

If I Stay

Where She Went

Just One Day

Just One Year

Just One Night

I Was Here

To celebrate the Paperback release of I Was Here by Gayle Forman… another amazing novel that carries a ton of inspiration and emotion… Penguin Young Readers is hosting a giveaway. Be sure to enter for a chance to win. Open to US Resident only.

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Author Event & Signed Book Giveaway: Gayle Forman Author of I Was Here

Gayle Forman Author of I Was Here

Vromans Bookstore Pasadena, CA

February 2015

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to an author event, so when I heard Gayle Forman would be promoting her new release I Was Here at one of my favorite independent bookstores, Vromans, I was excited to meet my long-time partner in book crime Rachel from The ReadersDen for the event. As always, Rachel seems to time her events much more carefully than me, so a huge thanks to her for saving me a spot in the second row where we had prime view of Gayle and her entourage.

Joining Gayle Forman was the incredible narrator of the audio for I Was Here, Jorjeana Marie. She kicked off the night by reading an excerpt of the book and did an amazing job with the narration! It almost brought my reading buddy Rachel to tears!! :) The small portion she read convinced me that the audio book is the way to go. I can’t wait to give it a try. At the end of the event, Rachel and I were fortunate enough to get some time with Ms. Marie and chat a bit more. Amazing lady!

Gayle Forman shared a few tidbits with the crowd, but the most exciting news I took away from the night was that Just One Day and Just One Year will be made into one movie!! I loved this 2.5 book series, and I can’t wait to see this hit the big screen. So stay tuned for more information.

Gayle Forman was also joined by her best friend Deanna Kizis and fellow YA author Margaret Stohl. The ladies did what could be compared to a stand-up comedy show. There was definitely chemistry between these three, and they had many in the audience laughing throughout their lively discussion. I have to say, the funniest moment came at the end of the discussion that was at about the 40 minute mark.  A little boy who had joined his mom raised his hand to ask a question. When his turn was called, he asked the author panel, “When is this going to be over?”  The crowd roared in hysterics, and we quickly moved on to the book signing portion of the event for his sake.

So before I tell you about what I walked away with, let me share some book details on I Was Here.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Published January 27, 2015

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Purchase Links: Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

I was fortunate enough to get my hardcopy edition of I Was Here signed my Gayle Forman, and I’ve also brought an additional copy to giveaway here! This giveaway is open to US Residents only. Be sure to fill out the rafflecopter and share with us your experience with Forman’s books. Happy reading.

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Waiting on Wednesday, #56

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week...

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Expected publication: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Gayle Forman. I have read every single book she's written and some even more than once. When I heard this was coming out, well January can't be here soon enough. This book sounds emotional and heart rending, but if I know Forman... I can say with certainty that I'm going to fall in love with her characters and her story. I can't wait to get my hands on this novel that I'm sure I'll absolutely adore!

Sooo, what book are you waiting on???

Review: Just One Night by Gayle Forman

Just One Night (Just One Day #2.5) by Gayle Forman (Goodreads Author)
Published May 29th 2014 by Viking Children’s Books

After spending one life-changing day in Paris with laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter, sheltered American good girl Allyson “Lulu” Healey discovered her new lover had disappeared without a trace. Just One Day followed Allyson’s quest to reunite with Willem; Just One Year chronicled the pair’s year apart from Willem’s perspective. Now, back together at last, this delectable e-novella reveals the couple’s final chapter.

My Thoughts

Just One Night was exactly what I needed to bring closure to Allyson and Willem’s story. I loved their first two stories and I remember feeling after I finished the second book that I wanted just a few more chapters to see how these two would end up. Well…. Gayle Forman delivered in Just One Night.

I didn’t think I could fall in love with Willem anymore that I already did when he shared his perspective in Just One Year, but I did. I loved.loved.loved how these two characters finally realized their second chance and the conclusion was sheer bliss.

Forman’s novella was the perfect ending to the two book series. What a way to close the chapters on Willem and Allyson’s story. Perfect!

5 Snowflakes

Authors are Rockstars tour stop part 2: Gayle Forman!

When we were invited to join the Authors Are Rock Stars blog event, I was elated to see Gayle Forman on the list as possible choices. Grant it, I selected her name as my top pick thinking I’d never get chosen to spotlight her because let’s face it… she’s the epitome of a ROCKSTAR! Well, when we were notified that we were chosen to host a stop AND have the opportunity to suggest a guest post, I was ecstatic!! It was like winning front row seats and back stage passes to your favorite band. I’m fangirling here if you can’t tell, so one moment please while I compose myself. :D

Gayle Forman has been one of my favorite YA contemporary authors for years. I’ve read every book she’s published including Sisters Insanity, If I Stay, Where She Went, Just One Day and even the not yet published book Just One Year. Her writing is powerful and raw, and her characters feel so real that they always seem to leave an impact on me for quite some time. Whenever she comes out with a new book, everything else seems to take a momentary backseat… that’s how serious I am about her stories. Truly!

I couldn’t quite narrow down what I wanted the theme for the guest post to be, but as you can tell I’m a huge fan of Adam and Willem. I hope you enjoy the post and please leave me a comment on your thoughts. Enjoy!

Ms.Gayle Forman
Here is a deleted scene from Where She Went. It's not just a deleted scene, it's deleted direction, showing a version of Adam that was even more self-destructive, more bitter, and more rock-star cliched, too. Also, in an earlier version of the book, he was together with Brook Vega, not Brynn.

This was a flashback scene, and I replaced it with a lighter scene, one that became one of my all-time favorites: the scene where Adam and Mia go camping and whisper their fears to each other in the dark.

Deleted Scene *SQUEEEEE*!!!!

It was the Grammy’s, so the band was down in L.A., all together for the first
time in months. Liz and Sarah had just announced that they were getting married. Mike
was moving in with some graphic designer he’d been dating back in Portland for years.
Brooke was starting to lobby for a kid. The night before the awards, Brooke had set up
a dinner with everyone at this great restaurant right on the beach. It was supposed to be
this wonderful reunion, all of us together, but on Brooke’s and my turf. Looking out at
the band and Brooke, I imagining myself just slipping out, running down the beach and
not looking back. If I disappeared, no one would even notice. I looked at Liz and Sarah
holding hands and laughing at something Fitzy was saying about someone from Portland
as he waved around his empty Margarita glass. Every so often Liz would glance over
at me and half-smile, a little invitation, I guess, but I had nothing to say to these guys. I
didn’t know their stories anymore. Really, I could just disappear.

Except I couldn’t. If I disappeared, all of this, this good fortune for the band, this
wild ride, it would end. We all knew that, and I think we all hated me a little for it.

The next night, the Grammy’s was the usual bullshit, airkissing, outfit-casing
night. At least we weren’t up for anything or playing. Collateral Damage had been
nominated—and lost, but it’s the Grammy’s so WTF—the year before—and we were
getting ready to go into the studio for BloodSuckerSunshine. After, Brooke’s fledgling
record label was hosting a bash at the Chateau Marmont that I’d begged out of by telling
Brooke that I needed to hang with my people. But then I’d just as quickly ditched Liz,
Fitzy and Mike, who were probably happy to be without their cement block of a fourth wheel.

Instead, I followed some groupies and industry people to an after party in a suite
in The Sunset Tower. I was slumped on one of the couches when this couple I knew from
a million years ago in Oregon, Jeff and Nicole, came in. They’d been junkies when I’d
known them back then and from the looks of them, not much had changed. When they
entered the suite, they were antsy, almost like they had jumping beans bouncing between
their skeleton and skin. Their eyes, big and bloodshot, darted back and forth and they
scratched at their skin, which was a ghostly pallor, green and perspiring, even though it
was a cold night outside. After saying their quick hellos, they made a beeline for one of
the bathrooms.

When they emerged, were they not wearing the same clothes, you might have
mistaken them for different people. Their complexions were now flushed and rosy. Their
movements slow and graceful. Their conversation hushed, peaceful. They locked hands
and sat down on the couch, slumping into one another with such utter comfort. “How’s it
going, Wilde Man?” Nicole asked with a beatific smile.

“Apparently not as good as it’s going with you two,” I replied

Jeff attempted to sit up a little straighter. “This is some very nice shit. Very
smooth ride.”

“I can see that.”

“You want some?” Jeff asked, a look of surprise in his eyes. After Brooke cleaned
me up, it somehow became known that people were not supposed to offer me drugs.
Please don’t feed the animals. I was pretty sure Brooke was behind this dictate, and most
of the time, I didn’t mind. Easier to avoid temptation if it avoided you.

But this time I did want some. And when I said that I did, Nicole smiled, a look
of victory in her eyes. “Wilde man finally lives up to his name,” she intoned. “And lucky
you, we even have clean gear.”

I followed Jeff and Nic into the bathroom. Jeff pulled out a little black case
and unzipped it. Inside was a spoon, a lighter, a dropper, a lighter, a vial, and several
hypodermic needles. “This one’s brand new, never used,” he said as he poured out a
black rock and put it in the spoon and it did not even occur to me to confirm that this
was true. Using the lighter he cooked up the rock with a dropper full of water, dropped a
cotton ball from the hotel toiletry kit to sop up the goopy mixture and then sucked it into
the syringe.

“Go easy on him,” Nicole warned.

“I will,” Jeff promised. “I don’t want to be the one to tame the Wilde Man.” He
put the needle in his mouth and motioned for me to roll up my arms.

It was only after I’d done that, after Jeff had tied the tourniquet so tightly across
my bicep that I could see the throb of my heartbeat in the vein that had popped up in the
crook of my elbow that I seemed to wake up.

What the fuck are you doing? I asked myself. Is this who you want to become? Is
this the man you want to be? For the briefest of moments, I saw myself, crouched on a
bathroom floor with the pathetic likes of Jeff and Nicole, through her eyes. Not Brooke’s,
though Brooke would probably be disgusted enough with this scene to dump me, or at
the very least, to drop her baby-talk. I saw myself through Mia’s eyes, and though by all
rights I should’ve been ashamed—Mia would’ve had no patience for this kind of self-destructive self indulgent bullshit—what I felt was something altogether different. I felt
compassion. I felt my pain and I felt Mia’s understanding and a whisper that things could
be okay, but not this way.

I ripped off the tourniquet and threw a hundred dollar bill on the floor—“for your
trouble,” I told Jeff—and bolted the fuck out of that hotel room, disgusted, ashamed, but
mostly, and hugely, relieved.

WOW!  Just WOW!  I knew Adam was in a dark place but I had no idea he was this far gone.  
Thank you so much Ms.Forman for stopping by and giving us this look into Adam!  
 You seriously ROCK!!

Find Gayle Forman:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Add Ms.Formans  books to your Goodreads shelf


Just click on the cover and it will send you to Goodreads.
You can also click on the banner at the top of the post to see all the other amazing Author Rockstar tour stops!

Upcoming Release: Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) by Gayle Forman
Expected Publication: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Dutton Children's

After spending an amazing day and night together in Paris, Just One Yearis Willem's story, picking up where Just One Day ended. His story of their year of quiet longing and near misses is a perfect counterpoint to Allyson's own as Willem undergoes a transformative journey, questioning his path, finding love, and ultimately, redefining himself.

My Thoughts
"I’m not sure it’s possible to simultaneously love something and keep it safe. Loving someone is such an inherently dangerous act. And yet, love, that’s where safety lives."

Wow! What an absolute treat! I've been looking forward to Just One Year since the moment I finished the first book in this series. Just One Day left me with a craving and curiosity to dive even deeper into the lives of Forman's newest cast of characters, where Allyson and Willem enjoy a chance meeting that unfortunately ends after just one day.

First off I must say Just One Year did not disappoint one bit. It surprised me in more ways than one, but it also lived up to my expectations of the magic Forman is able to create when she blends her characters, setting and narrative to deliver an experience that marks writing at its best. Where I've often commended Australian authors for the authenticity and realism they are able to create, Forman’s powerful yet subtle approach to bringing her characters to life brands her as a writer worthy of applause.

What I loved most about this book was that I remember wanting to know so much more about Willem than what we got in Just one Day. He came across as such a mystery that I couldn't wait to uncover. Well, in his story we truly get to peel back the layers of this intricate character as we travel with him through the cities and streets of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Mexico, and Mumbai in a quest to find a girl he met one day in Paris. After months of traveling, retracing steps, wondering what he’s possibly missed that might help him find her, he realizes that before he can accomplish that, he must first find himself.

There was so much depth to his life that the first book only touched the surface of, and when he takes the stage in this newest installment, we discover an entirely different Willem that I ever thought possible in book one. To learn about what he’d recently lost that molded the person he was when he met Allyson, struck an emotional chord that drove the intensity of his journey throughout this novel.

"I miss my father… I miss my grandfather. I miss my home. And I miss my mother. But the thing is, for almost three years, I managed not to miss any of them. And then I spent that one day with that one girl. One day. One day of watching the rise and fall of her sleep under the rolling clouds in that park and feeling so peaceful that I fell asleep myself. One day of being under her protection…her grip so strong that it felt like we were one person, not two. One day of being the beneficiary of her strange generosity – the barge ride, the watch, that honesty, her willingness to show fear, her willingness to show courage. It was like she gave me her whole self, and some how as a result, I gave her more of myself than I even realized there was to give. But then she was gone. And only after I’ve been filled up by her, by that day, did I understand how empty I really was."

~deep sigh~
It's moments like this throughout the novel that add that emotional element driving the narrative to an exceptional level. Forman truly has a way with words that offer insight and revelation in one powerful surge.

In addition, we got a chance to meet a carefully crafted secondary cast that pushes and pulls the novel in various directions steering the flow of the story in perfect cadence with Willem’s journey. To meet Willem’s family, friends and acquaintances was quite the experience. I loved his band of friends that helped him on his quest to find “Lulu” and I enjoyed reading about his family that molded Willem in unique ways. I believe this book marks one of Forman’s more character driven novels as she skillfully uses the cast to build on the drama and intensity at perfect moments throughout.

On a final note, I have to share the power of the flashback moments in Paris. To see how that day branded him in ways the events of the last twenty-one years haven’t quite managed to do was quite emotional. My only regret was not reading both books back to back because there were moments that I wondered how close these two characters came to finding each other throughout the book. However, I guess the beauty in these missed opportunities lies in the fact that they weren’t quite ready to collide until they both discovered themselves first.

As with most authors that move me with their stories, I can never quite get enough. Having enjoyed Allyson and Willem’s stories in their separate stages, I wonder will they one day get a novel that brings them together from beginning to end? As much as I have to admit their story is complete and my imagination can take it from here, this is one of the few times when I wish Forman would keep telling us more. :) Love this book to pieces!

"Bravery was doing something dangerous without thinking. Courage was walking into danger, knowing full well the risks."

*Quotes were taken from an ARC edition of the book.

5 Snowflakes

P.S. Thank you to the lovely people at Penguin for sending me this coveted book on my wish list. To receive an ARC of Just One Year, I can only describe it as Christmas in July. So, again thank you so much Penguin for making my summer! Shear bliss!

Waiting on Wednesday, #38

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week...

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) by Gayle Forman
Expected Publication: October 15, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Children's

"Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In JUST ONE DAY and its companion novel JUST ONE YEAR, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself

There are certain authors that I tend to need a fix from every year or so and I put Forman in the same category as Marchetta, Caine, Dessen, Echols, Perkins and Elkeles. After a while of trying out new authors, different genres, and slight variations of the same, I can always count on my trusted faves to deliver something I'm going to love. I read Just One Day last year and it left me craving for the second part. It wasn't a painful cliffhanger or anything, just more of a promise that Part II will be great. I'm looking forward to Forman's second installment in this series and knowing she plans to position it from Willem's POV has me chomping at the bit even more. I . CAN'T . WAIT!!

Sooo, what book are you waiting on???

Titanic Giveaway Hop & Review: If I Stay by Gale Forman

WinterHaven Books is joining I Am a Reader Not a Writer and My Devotional Thoughts for the Titanic Giveaway Hop. 

When I heard we would be sharing a book giveaway that included a tragic disaster and epic love story, If I Stay by Gale Forman immediately came to mind. So today, I'll be sharing my review and giveaway for this beautiful book. Enjoy!

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Published: April 6, 2010

Publisher: Speak

My Thoughts:
What a great story! I read this book in one sitting as I had to get to the final point of Mia’s journey. It definitely falls in the category of tear-jerker. The story is compelling, the characters are realistic, sweet and extremely likeable, and the narrative perspective is gripping.

Mia’s life takes a sudden, drastic turn one fateful morning when she and her family are in a fatal car accident. Standing outside of her own body, she witnesses the aftermath of the accident where she loses her father, mother and seven year old brother. In the next twenty-four hours, her body is in a coma, and she reflects on her past and tries to decide if she stays can she survive the loss of the ones she loves and the only life she knows.

This story really tugged at my heart, and I was on the verge of tears the entire time. It will have you turning the pages till you realize you’ve stumbled across Mia’s decision of whether she stays or goes, and Adam's compelling pleas to keep her with him. Love.love.love!!

5 Snowflakes

As part of the Titanic Giveaway Hop, I am offering one lucky winner a choice between a paperback copy of If I Stay by Gayle Forman from The Book Depository or an eBook version of the book from US Amazon or US Barnes & Noble. Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

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ARC Review & Giveaway: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publication Date: January 8, 2013
Pre-Order: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble

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 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 Thoughts
“We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day.”  This is a quote from an uncorrected proof.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman is what I would consider a worthy start to what I truly believe will have an epic continuation. This book delivered in all the ways Forman knows how, which is a great premise, a likable cast and a primer for a promising part two. I think the early readers of If I Stay will agree with me when I say we never considered the possibility that Forman would deliver a second installment to her beloved novel. I, for one, was ecstatic to hear she would continue Mia’s story, and when I stumbled upon the final pages of Where She Went, I was left with a feeling of pure bliss and cemented fandom for this author’s stories.

To hear she was coming out with a new novel, Just One Day, had me pulling out my dancing shoes and running in circles in pure excitement. When an author earns your attention and continues to deliver greatness, there seems to be an assumed allegiance that earns them a guaranteed audience. I can comfortably declare that with a handful of authors such as Marchetta, Dessen, Green to name a few, Forman has me at “Hello.”

Just One Day tells us the story of Allyson Healey who is suppose to be enjoying a life changing experience as she travels Europe with her best friend Melanie the summer before they both start college. As the trip progresses, Allyson struggles to find enjoyment in the trip until she comes across a Shakespearian Dutch actor, Willem, who sweeps her off her feet and delivers one of the most memorable days she could wish for. That changing event comes to a devastating halt when she wakes up the following morning to find he’s gone and left no means of contacting him. She returns home and goes on to start college, but she can’t seem to move past the shock of having come so close to happiness to only see it slip through her fingers.

I have to admit I struggled to like Allyson and Willem for a portion of the novel. However, I think that was a bit purposeful on Forman’s part because if she shows all of her cards early on, the possibilities of where the story can go is cut short. I remember feeling the same way about Mia in the second installment of Where She Went, but I have to commend Forman for challenging her readers to keep an open mind, don’t jump to conclusions and consider the possibilities. I recommend that to those who read this novel. Despite what you deduce of these two characters, don’t sell them short because as you peel away the layers of this intricate story, you’ll find a whole new element to the story ready to reveal itself.

In addition, the story somewhat left me craving for more secondary character time. There were a couple of hidden gems I wanted to learn more about including Dee and Wren. I felt like I was just getting to know Dee and his story when he was suddenly placed on the sidelines. The same felt true for Wren, so I’m looking forward to revisiting these two sometime soon.

I appreciated the themes Forman weaved into her novel around self awareness, growth and the pain of losing the possibility of what could have been. Those are topics that seem to always resonate with me, and Forman is great at delivering valuable considerations that shouldn’t be ignored.

Overall, as much as I liked this book to a certain degree, I’m more excited to see where it will lead with the next installment when Willam takes the stage in Just One Year. Good book that her fans are sure to enjoy!

3.5 Snowflakes

WinterHaven Books is happy to host a giveaway for this ARC. We are opening this giveaway Internationally for followers of WinterHaven. Simply fill out the rafflecopter and share a thoughtful comment related to this book, the author or her other novels. Good luck!
 

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Waiting on Wednesday, #17

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week...

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Expected publication: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Preorder: Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

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 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.

Would it be too cliche if I rave about the gorgeous cover again this week? Well I won't... but I'm thinking it... so there you go. :) But besides that, can you believe we're FINALLY getting another book by Gayle Forman? It feels like forever ago when Adam sent me on an emotional roll-a-coaster reminding me why I love Forman's writing so much. Well this book sounds fantastic and I can't wait!!  Gayle Forman is one of the main reasons why I keep coming back to Contemporary YA when I want to find that perfect "let-me-hug-you-and-make-it-all-better" character. I love her writing, I love her cast, and I love her emotional punches as crazy as that sounds. =}

Are you as excited about Just One Day as I am? Well if you are, pull out your sharpies and mark your calendar for January 8th! Or, you can just add it to your TBR on Goodreads... that works too. :P

Soooo, what book are you waiting on???