Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Summary:(from goodreads)  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.Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon. 

Review: I have been a fan of Gayle Forman's writing for a while so I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this one. I thought it definitely lived up to the hype, although it was different than I expected. This book was more focused on the journey of self discovery that takes place over the course of the year. The romance even though it plays a very important role, is definitely not the focus.
Allyson was such an awesome character. I loved the way she had changed by the end of the book. The message in this book about discovering yourself and living life to the fullest was one of the things that made it really special. Willem was alsoe a really great character and I am looking forward to getting to know him better in the nest book, which is told from his perpective. All of the people Allyson meets on her journey play a part in helping her overcome her fears and follow her dreams. I really enjoyed this book and anyone who wants a sweet, exciting and awesome contemporary book should pick this one up.