Yay or Nay: One Day in December (Novel)

I’m on a book review spree lately! I just had to order this book after Olga suggested it to me, it is so much up my alley it’s insane! And it does not disappoint! This novel takes what would be normally a very unlikely event into one that spans over ten years and a lifetime! And that’s just one of the things that I love so much about it. 

I’ve also been waiting for The Rossetti Letter by Christina Phillips, which I can’t wait to read and then review on here for you all! In the meantime, next week I’ll be finally getting around to Voltage’s kinda newish release Wanted: Romance Renegades as I’ve been playing Mikiya’s route to pass the time until my other books get here!

Although this has a wintry title, I would completely recommend this for a summer read! So, let’s jump right into it! This is my review of One Day in December by Josie Silver!

The Story

As taken from GoodReads: 

Laurie is pretty sure love, at first sight, doesn't exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there's a moment of pure magic... and then her bus drives away.

Certain they're fated to find each other again, Laurie spends a year scanning every bus stop and cafe in London for him. But she doesn't find him, not when it matters anyway. Instead they "reunite" at a Christmas party, when her best friend Sarah giddily introduces her new boyfriend to Laurie. It's Jack, the man from the bus. It would be.

What follows for Laurie, Sarah and Jack is ten years of friendship, heartbreak, missed opportunities, roads not taken, and destinies reconsidered.

Now I love this point, this all starts when Laurie just locks eyes with Jack in a bus lot. From there, it sets their lives on paths of what-ifs, ups and downs, and friendship so special it’s almost a fairytale. 

Although it doesn’t start out that way at all. It’s not just a story about an unlikely, un-fated love story, it’s also about self-discovery and growth. 

My Thoughts

I don’t quite know where to begin, there’s a lot to cover. Just as the story promises, this book is jam-packed. It tells the tales of three lives, from their own perspectives for ten years, as Sarah, Jack, and Laurie start off as roommates and the roommate’s boyfriend, to getting successful careers, and starting their own families. That’s what’s probably so awestruck for me. Josie Silver takes this really singular moment— one that if I wrote it in my creative writing class, the teacher would say is unrealistic (seeing and immediately having this deep bond with a stranger) to a long and interesting story that makes it realistic and satisfying. It’s a unique idea that’s done right, it’s done in a way that makes it unreal to read, and interesting to follow along with, even though you’re following a slow-burning plotline spanning ten years. 

It does not feel one bit like a slow burn either. Although that is both a positive and a negative for the story, as is the myriad of perspectives and plot lines among the entire cast. You have to keep your characters straight or else you lose focus on the story. It’s a bit of information overload and its something that as the reader you’ll need to adjust to. On the same token, because there is so much to comprehend, and this story spans over a decade, it can be a slow burn—places where not much happens and you’ll be wanting it to. At the same time, this gives the story a sense of realism, and credibility to show what one moment in time can spark. Don’t give up on it just because it gets a bit slow in the middle. I promise it picks up—and besides, there’s so much going on you’ll barely notice the slow burn, and that’s one of the pluses of the book. 

In terms of characters, you’ll each get a good feel for them, and I didn’t feel there was one particularly bad or good character. Each has their flaws, each has something they need to overcome. They’re not one way or the other— they’re human, and this is one of the few pieces of writing I’ve come across that does this (and portrays it) really well through the characters. Although I would’ve liked to see a bit more about Sarah— she seemed like such an interesting character that didn’t get enough page-time. The characters really did seem to jump off the page though, and you learn to love them as they go through each stage of their lives. With the amount of time it takes, when you get sucked into this novel, it feels like years have really gone by as you travel with them. 

My Rating 

I will rant no longer! Go buy the book! Yes, buy…or borrow if your library is open! This was an amazing book and surprisingly, an excellent summer book! Go check it out! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 Stars) 

~Meghan