Review: One Day by David Nicholls
Hello everyone, and welcome to my first book review! This week I review One Day by David Nicholls
Hello everyone, and welcome to my first book review! Please note that I am an amateur reviewer, and these opinions are simply my own. Of course, others may disagree with my thoughts!
Today, I’m going to discuss One Day by David Nicholls. I’m not going to lie, I read this after the Netflix series was released, after getting caught up in all of the hype surrounding the new hit. However, I did read the book before watching the series (I still have one episode left), as I prefer reading the books before the movies/series. Sometimes, books with so much attention can be extremely disappointing, but I have to say, this book was not one of them. I absolutely loved it! It was definitely one of the better books I have read recently, and it might even be one of my new all-time favourites!
This is partly because I absolutely fell in love with Emma Morley and did so from the very first chapter. I appreciated her sarcastic and witty comments, especially towards Dexter, and I felt that she was a really relatable character. It’s not uncommon for graduates, and those in their early twenties, to feel somewhat lost and without a sense of a clear direction, and the fact that someone as smart as Emma faced similar issues felt really realistic, as I had the same feelings after graduating from university. In fact, she was a great character in general. She was intelligent, funny, and a loyal and caring friend, but she still had her flaws. She could come across as judgemental and self-deprecating, and she definitely suffered from low self-esteem initially, but this is why I loved her so much. She felt like a real person throughout, with real problems, reactions and emotions. This is what made her such a relatable character.
Not only did I love Emma, but I also loved Dexter. Although a slightly more jarring character, Nicholls writes Dexter in such a way that you can’t help but like him. Yes, he’s obnoxious, a little bit arrogant and self-absorbed, but I think Nicholls does a fantastic job of making him just likeable enough, despite all of this, that you want to persevere with him. Of course, Dexter faces some difficulties that explain his behaviour and allows you to sympathise with him, but that doesn’t make some of his actions any less frustrating. Luckily, the perseverance with Dexter pays off, and you get to see him mature and grow as a person and eventually turn into a much more enjoyable character.
Not only are the characters great, but I think the storyline in general is a beautiful one. I love that you watch these two young people grow up together over twenty years. I also think it’s clever to meet the pair on the same day throughout this time, allowing the story's pace to move at a good speed, meaning you’re constantly engaged with the story. I was always reading 'just one more chapter' because I wanted to see where the book was heading. I also enjoyed that each chapter was written using a dual perspective, as this allowed you to delve deeper into them both and to understand their behaviour. I think that’s why you can still like Dexter, even though he definitely acts in a very unlikeable way at times, especially in the first half of the book.
Similarly, Nicholls has written the book in a very realistic way. There’s no romanticising of life in this book, as you are presented with very real-life issues throughout the book, such as illness, grief, breakdowns in relationships (platonic and romantic) and a general sense of unknown that many people face at some point in their lives, whether it be in regards to their careers or their relationships. This is important in establishing a love for both Dexter and Emma, as you can relate to their lives and emotions throughout, making this book as magical as it is.
Ultimately, this is a love story, and it's one without all the frills and tropes that make up most romance novels. I think this is one reason why I loved it so much, as the storylines and each character (even outside of Dexter and Emma) felt so real. I fell deeply in love with them, their story, and their eventual romance because it felt so authentic. (Spoiler Alert!!) Even the ending, which is heartbreaking, felt more like real life. Life is complicated and hard and it doesn’t always go the way you plan it to. This book highlights that with each chapter, both face a new challenge throughout, some smaller than others. One Day really showcases why each moment is so important and should not be taken for granted, and I think it’s a great story to read for those in their twenties. It feels like a real coming-of-age story, with many pearls of wisdom embedded in the pages. I would definitely recommend reading it, as it’s a wonderful story that’s beautifully written and 100% worth the hype.