Book Review: One Day

One Day by David Nicholls. Reviewed by Louise Hilton.

Nick Hornby calls One Day by fellow Brit David Nicholls “absorbing” and “fantastically readable” and I couldn’t agree more.  It is one of those rare novels that is smart, funny, and sexy and at the same time manages to break your heart.  The story follows Dexter and Emma, two students who meet at university, have one romantic night together after graduation, and end up becoming fast friends.  Every chapter takes place on the same day (July 15) each year, hence the title.  We follow the two best friends on their delicious will-they-or-won’t-they journey throughout their twenties and thirties.

Don’t let the picture of the couple embracing on the book’s cover fool you – Nicholls has written a love story that never veers into the maudlin or sappy, but keeps the reader coming back for more.  The novel is much more than a romance, however, touching on the post-graduation ennui experienced by many a twenty-something and the triumphs and failures, both personal and professional, of our two main characters.

This is one of the best novels I’ve come across in years, and I highly recommend it to all readers (not just females)!  It is extremely clever, romantic, and, at times, desperately sad.  Read it.  You won’t regret it.

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