Just One Year discussion

So I did enjoy this book. I love hearing about Willem's life and struggles and how he felt for Allyson. But the book ended the same way the first one did. With basically a cliffhanger, yeah they kissed in this one, but there was no conversation there was nothing!!! I felt like I went on the same journey with Willem that I went on with Allyson and it brought me no where. All in all I did enjoy the book. I just wish another one was coming out, or there was just a more detailed reunion. idk! what do you all think?!

wth!? i just finished this book it took me 7 hours to get........ NOWHERE!!!

i feel dissapointed. yes hurrah for willem and finding where he belongs and all that jazz... but the cover is about a couple -this is suppose to be love story...and no way we got that just a fractured mirror of its reflection

i need an epilogue. i need SOMETHING MORE.

AGREED!!!!! Just like 20 more pages of them!!!!!

Really disappointed, especially because I really liked Just One Day. I was expecting a whole book about their relationship, but what do I get? Two freaking pages. And the kiss isnt even that sweet.

Do you think she'll do another book?

I was expecting this to be Willem's journey, and I was actually looking forward to it, but I was also expecting there to be at least a chapter about what happened to them. I was expecting it to be similar to the movie "Like Crazy," actually.

I was thinking that she would do the book exactly like Just One Day except opposite. We get his journey first then a day of just them. I don't think she will do another book, she only does "duets"

I really hope Gayle will re-consider the idea of a trilogy. This book was NOT what I expected it to be.

It was so disappointing to see the pages disappearing and know that there wasn't enough time to really resolve anything between Allyson and Willem. I expected that Gayle would dedicate AT LEAST half the book to their reunion.

Maybe it's just me, but all I wanted was for them to speak to each other. We spend 1.5 books with the two of them apart... it would have been lovely to finally have them interact.

I get the allusion to Yael and Bram's story, but did it have to be quite so literal? An epilogue would have tied things up nicely too.

I'm just really disappointed. I feel like I read Just One Year for nothing - they ended up at the exact same place as the ending of Just One Day.

I was dismayed and very disappointed when I finished the book. The readers got nowhere. This was simply the year in Willem's POV, and if it were billed as such, thousands of hearts (including mine) wouldn't have been broken by the ending. I had the same reaction after finishing Where She Went, the sequel of Gayle's book If I Stay. The first books have so much hope, so much soul, but the second books always seem to fall flat. I'd continue to read more of Gayle's books, but I'll proceed with much caution if future books are in similar duo formats like If I Stay & Where She Went and Just One Day & Just One Year.

At least in Where She Went we got closure that they were together and happy and going to find some way to make their relationship work. The only thing we got from Just One Year is that Willem kissed her, maybe she slapped him? maybe he proposed? we know nothing!! and it kills me!!!

Also I've been thinking about it and we already knew everything Willem told us. We knew that Allison wasn't in Mexico, we knew that Allison's letter wouldn't reach him right away. The only new things we found out was Willem's back story which was interesting but could have been said in twenty pages OR COULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO ALLISON WHEN THEY WERE REUNITED. I'm still so upet over this book as you can see :(

I wish I never read this book. I did not like Willem at all in this book and after reading I could not care less about him and Allyson's future. This is how awful this book was. It really saddens me after I completely fell in love with Just One Day.

I was so disappointed with this book. I think the author was trying to take Willem on the same soul searching journey like she did with Alysson, but it didn't make the same impact. Willem still seems immature and lazy. And the ending seriously pissed my off. All we get is the kiss? No epilogue whatsoever? Not cool!

Joshua wrote: "Really disappointed, especially because I really liked Just One Day. I was expecting a whole book about their relationship, but what do I get? Two freaking pages. And the kiss isnt even that sweet."

I so felt the same way. I was so let down. I actually skimmed to the end because I was running out of pages before they could possibly have them get together.

I think Gayle Forman left the book open-ended for a reason.

I'm sure she had a reason but at the same time she made us read a whole book to get to the same exact place. She could have at least extended their reunion by ten or so pages. Or gave us a small epilogue. Why would I want to read two books that end exactly the same? Isn't an ending supposed to be worth the wait?

Inah wrote: "I think Gayle Forman left the book open-ended for a reason."

What do you believe her reason was?

Inah wrote: "I think Gayle Forman left the book open-ended for a reason."

Do you believe she will write a third instalment? Gayle Forman does not tend to do this in fact she usually only does two books. She has also posted what she is working on now and it's a new story all together which will be released early 2015.

I really liked Just One Year and I really wanted to know what happens but now I am reading this discussion and if I only get a quick kiss as a resolution then I don't really want to read the next book. Cause to be honest I don't really care about Willems journey, I just want to know how things fare for Allyson.

Agreed! I really liked Willem's journey, but I think that this book could easily have another 30 pages or so, exploring their relationship after they were reunited. I read a review about these books - just one day and just one year - that said the main focus of the author is not the love story, but the journey both characters go through and I kind of agree with that and appreciate these books for it. But that doesn't mean I wasn't a little disappointed with the ending, I would've loved to read about the kind of relationship they would build after all of this.

This wasn't a romance. I thought that the first book kind of made that clear. Allyson's one day with Willem prompted her to rediscover herself and define her own priorities in life. She only went to find him later for a sense of closure. The book wasn't a romance; it was a coming-of-age story with the romance as a secondary plot point. The second book followed a similar story line. Willem had been running away from his life and his family. His short experience will Allyson--and the events that followed--helped him realize that he needed people and stability in his life again. Willem's story felt like even less of a romance than Allyson's.

Of course, now that they have finally got their own separate lives straightened out, Allyson and Willem may have a chance of creating a life together--if they choose. The point is that they're both strong enough to stop relying on fate and others to make decisions for them. They're in control of their lives now. I thought it was the perfect ending.

i felt a little cheated we didnt get to see a little bit more of their reunion with at least a chapter or two of them talking about how they both spent the past year thinking about each other/ searching/ growing up/ making realizations about themselves/ etc. and realize how mutual their feelings are for each other. ive read that she isnt planning on making another book, but a short novella that tells what happened after they were reunited instead of it just ending with them just finally finding each other again and lets us know what happened so we dont just assume they end up together would be nice and give us readers some closure.

CAN I JUST ASK SOMETHING.

In the scene where Williem was cleaning his uncle's place from last night's party, it was said that he popped the CD of this singer-songwriter Adam Wilde... IS THIS THE SAME ADAM WILDE FROM IF I STAY?

*spoiler*

So you mean Adam Wilde went solo after breaking up with Shooting Star? What.

I don't know. Maybe I'm just overthinking this.

Loony wrote: "CAN I JUST ASK SOMETHING.

In the scene where Williem was cleaning his uncle's place from last night's party, it was said that he popped the CD of this singer-songwriter Adam Wilde... IS THIS THE S..."

I think so yes, in reference to Gayle's first 2 books. And yeah, maybe he broke up with his band

Amy wrote: "Inah wrote: "I think Gayle Forman left the book open-ended for a reason."

What do you believe her reason was?"

I guess she's leaving it to the readers minds to continue or to think about what might happen to Allyson and Willem's story. Just like what John Green always says, "Books belong to their readers."

It's up to us to imagine what might've happened to the characters and the story after we read the book.

Plus, I think leaving cliffhangers is a part of Gayle's style of writing. Although, I gotta agree that we've got a solid closure in Where She Went compared to this book.

Jools wrote: "Inah wrote: "I think Gayle Forman left the book open-ended for a reason."

Do you believe she will write a third instalment? Gayle Forman does not tend to do this in fact she usually only does two ..."

When I went to her book signing event last January, Gayle didn't mention writing a third installment when she was asked for her future plans. She mentioned another book though, which will be released next year but I forgot which month exactly.

I don't think she will be releasing another book in this series because just like what you said, she only does two books per series.

Plus, I guess all of us were just pretty much excited for the If I Stay movie. Haha

SHE IS RELEASING A NOVELLA CALLED JUST ONE NIGHT!!! TO FINISH OFF THE SERIES. MY EXCITEMENT IS HARD TO CONTAIN. IT COMES OUT MAY 29th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brooke wrote: "SHE IS RELEASING A NOVELLA CALLED JUST ONE NIGHT!!! TO FINISH OFF THE SERIES. MY EXCITEMENT IS HARD TO CONTAIN. IT COMES OUT MAY 29th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

OMG OMG OMG