Book Review: Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Title: JUST ONE YEAR (JUST ONE DAY #2)
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Children's
Published: October 10th, 2013
Length: 337 pages [Kindle Edition]
ISBN: 0525426434
Rating: 2/5 stars

Just One Day. Just One Year. Just One Read.

Before you find out how their story ends, remember how it began....

When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

The romantic, emotional companion to Just One Day, this is a story of the choices we make and the accidents that happen—and the happiness we can find when the two intersect.

That's pretty sum up everything I need to say about this book.

Well, I read this one because Gayle Forman was leaving me hanging at the end of Just One Day [read the review here]. But now when I've read it, errrr... okay.... I had to put a lot of effort to gain the mood for writing this. Seriously, I am doomed. I am frustrated. I am disappointed. God help me!!!

I was expecting the next story for Allyson and Willem. I am sure most of Just One Day's readers expect the same thing. Yes, they've met at the end of the story. I won't say I'm spoiling it 'cause I believe whoever read this post must have read the first book. But it doesn't meet my expectation AT ALL! You will be brought back to the day when Willem left Allyson in Paris in Willem point of view. Yes, he didn't leave her intentionally. He blacked out. What happen next? That's what you're gonna find out on this book.

While Allyson stuck in a sorrow, Willem is wondering around trying to find out how he ends up in hospital. He doesn't even remember that he just left someone in an abandoned building. Of course, it's pretty much caused by the just one day thingy. It's kind of cliche actually. A memory lost is something that I really hate to be a twist. Was there nothing come to your mind, Forman?

The story goes. Willem is trying to find someone that he feels very important to him but he can not remember. He goes from city to city. Here you will be introduced to a lot of new characters from Willem's life. His mother, his uncle, his best friends, his exes, etc. But no one brings him closer to Lulu. That's why I'm exhausted. Another thing that I dislike the most is India. It becomes the main country on this book. It's personal taste actually. I only have a chaotic country whenever I read about India. I was kind of skimming the pages about Willem and his mother there.

Well, I think Forman's male point of view is not her best work. Please, just stop writing series like this. I still remember how I portrayed Willem in my mind on Just One Day. He was kind of mysterious and dreamy. Though you didn't know much about him, you desperately wanted more. But it didn't work on Just One Year. It wasn't convincing like Adam's on Where She Went. Willem is so boring, thinking and talking about Allyson (a.k.a Lulu) the whole time. It's just unrealistic.