I am long overdue for a book review. Because of all the hype about the critically acclaimed book (and movie adaptation) of
If I Stay, I have decided to review another of Gayle Forman's books:
Just One Day.
There is a reason I picked up this book. The page before the story begins, there is a Shakespearean quotation from As You Like It, one of my favorite plays. It is famous: "All the world's a stage / And all the men and women merely players: / They have their exits and their entrances; / And one man in his time plays many parts." I don't know if you're like me, fellow literature enthusiasts, but an author who quotes the greats from the beginning has my attention immediately.
I suspected right away that I would enjoy this book. I was right. It is written with poise and grace. The story focuses on the life of Allyson Healey and her post-graduation trip to Europe. While there with her tour group, she meets Willem, a traveling actor who performs Shakespeare in the park. She is entranced by his performance of Sebastian, a character in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. In a whirlwind of activity, Allyson and Willem take a "just one day" trip to Paris.
