Maybe One Day: Escape with the most uplifting, romantic and heartwarming must-read book of the year!

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First, I really love this cover. It's pretty simple at first glance but(maybe I'm reading too much into things because I tend to do that) I like how it seems calm, no wind-blown hair or waves, but the clouds are dark so there's a sign of something bad coming. This is a work of fiction. Whenever possible, I tried to include accurate medical information, but when the narrative required it, I chose the story over the realities of cancer treatment. The other aspect of the novel that is unique in young adult books is the inclusion of both families. Zoe sees so clearly how Olivia’s illness affects her parents. Zoe’s own parents support her and try to give her advice as she struggles with what is happening. It is refreshing to see family units so well developed and involved in the characters’ lives. Another reason this book worked was the friendship between Zoe and Olivia. It was really beautiful and written so well. They loved each other so much and it was amazing to see the strength they managed to build up not for themselves but for each other. Zoe is an amazing character, I felt like she was on the edge of losing it throughout this book but she managed to keep it together. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for Olivia, nothing and that was why I liked her so much. Her best friend having cancer scared her but she didn’t let it show and she was a constant pillar of support not just for Olivia but for her family as well. Maybe One Day is an epic love story, but it's also a story about facing tragedy and finding yourself. I was fully invested in Jess and Joe's story and couldn't wait to see where it would all lead, but I also loved seeing Jess finally come into her own. Following the letters and clues from place to place kept me on the edge of my seat, as I pieced together the years right along with Jess, Michael, and Belinda. Speaking of Belinda and Michael, they really helped balance the story so well. They gave much needed comic relief when things got a bit too heavy and I loved how supportive they all were in seeing this journey through. Unfortunately, the ending left me wanting more and it all wrapped up a bit abruptly (especially because of how much these two endured through the years). My heart was left happy and hopeful though, and I want to believe I know how things look in the future.

Apparently the statute of limitations for being nice to your friend after she's diagnosed with cancer only lasts for a couple of days. I quit here because there is literally nothing Zoe can do at this point to make me not hate her, especially since I spy a romance coming with Olivia's crush, who Zoe of course purports to hate. I love bitchy mean girl heroines, but NOT when they think they are sweet and saintly. Jess has (mostly) lived her life by her parent’s rules. She’s stayed within the routines and doing what ‘should’ be done. Her life after Joe feels very saturnine and predictable, not engaging with life or emotions (for obvious reasons)… until her mother’s death and the finding of the hidden box of letters and postcards in the attic. This opens up a gateway for Jess to start remembering and opening herself up to opportunities and emotions. But she doesn’t do it alone, she has Belinda and Michael by her side. They’re both fabulous characters and bring so many emotions to the story. Maybe One Day made me cry and not just a little bit, a lot. I sniffled most of the way through it and at the end when I put this book down I sat on my sofa and I had a good old cry. Even now as I am writing this review a week after reading this book I have tears in my eyes.

It is also worth noting – whether or not this is intentional – that the song’s title could allude to Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the Übermensch, a word which can be translated into, “superman.” The link can be made by likening his divorce from Kim to Nietzsche’s death of God, given that the divorce essentially created a void where Eminem’s values once were (in a sense) and which are now being called into question (he’s rethinking his reasoning behind marrying Kim in the first place). Cancer. How could my friend have cancer? Cancer killed people. But Olivia wasn't going to die. We were sixteen. People who are sixteen, people you've known your whole life, don't die of cancer. Why not? asked an ugly, scary voice in my brain. Why don't they die of cancer? "Because," I said out loud, the sound of my voice startling in the quiet room. "They don't." Then we have the MC. Oy, this girl had no idea what leukemia was, only that people could die of it and then upon arriving at the hospital saw the word oncology and immediately knew it was cancer. What high school aged person doesn't know leukemia is cancer? Hell, I would know the word leukemia way before the word oncology. Oh and what about the moment that she walked into the hospital room where her friend was getting her super fast chemo treatment and noticed the view out the window first and foremost. Then she proceeded to see Olivia's brother and have a fantasy in her head about how he was actually the one with cancer and she was just mistaken. She felt bad about this thought for a second and then RATIONALIZED IT AND FELT OK ABOUT IT. And don't forget about how she danced onto a curb minutes after finding out her friend had cancer... but I guess at that point she didn't know it was cancer because she's an idiot.

Jess sets out to follow the faded postmarks across the country, determined that her journey will bring her closer to him. As each clue falls into place, Jess discovers new things about herself – and the man who once broke her heart. Maybe she can find him. Maybe their love story isn’t over. But I did what I do best by swallowing down any pesky emotion before it could ever even get near to bubbling over. And then I realized that despite containing a true tragedy of losing a child and then losing herself in the aftermath, the tale of Jess’ discovery of old letters in her recently deceased mother’s attic and a roadtrip to find the love of her life was truly meant to leave the reader with this sort of result . . . .

On top of all of this is Zoe generally being a horribly obnoxious person. From the beginning, she's hugely judgmental of all of the cheerleaders, one called Emma in particular. Now, I'm not opposed to some good old-fashioned mean girls or airhead cheerleaders in my fiction, because some are really like that, however they are ALL like that in Maybe One Day. Two years later, Hayley decides to leave her small town and her family's tragic past behind to attend the University of Delaware - the very same university as Jace. As the two reconnect for the first time in over a year, they can't ignore the growing feelings between them, however, things are never simple when it comes to love. It takes a lot to make me cry and I mean a lot. Some people might say I am cold hearted, this is not true, I feel a great deal about a great many things but I don’t often cry. I have read books that people have sobbed over but not even suffered a lip wobble. For an author to make me cry they have to do a great number of things right, it’s not just about the storyline but the characters and the writing. It has to be super good because I have to lose myself in it so much that it hurts enough to make me feel that amount of emotion.

I dialed her number. "That's information I could have used a little earlier," I hissed. " And she's not 'okay,' and nice of you to tell me she doesn't even want me teaching the class. I thought I was doing her some big favor." What I think was great about this book was that it wasn’t told from the point of view of the character with cancer but her best friend. You got to see up close the emotions she went though, how she was not only dealing with school and hormones but the illness of someone she loved. It was at times a painful read but also a beautiful one. Have you ever read a book that was completely addicting, really moving (enough to make you cry), and in the end, still had no idea how to rate it? On one level it is a group of three unlikely people going on potentially a wild goose chase of a road trip. On another level its a story that take in assorted tough topics including grief, and mental health. We also get to see how one man can have an impact on so many people's lives in different ways. I've always known Debbie Johnson is a fabulous author, but this book seems to have catapulted her to a whole new level, I really had no idea what to expect from the book, the blurb gives an idea but thankfully doesn't touch the surface of just what's inside the covers.I think this book will turn out to be one of those love it or hate it ones, with not a whole lot of people in the middle. There's some scenes and wording choices that could be taken two completely different ways, such as Zoe's reaction to the oncology ward when she thinks 'Leukemia was cancer. Olivia has cancer'. That could easily be taken as Zoe not knowing what Leukemia is or that she knows but seeing it as opposed to hearing it over the phone just made it that much more real for her. This is the worst thing that will ever happen, I thought, and as I stared into Olivia’s enormous green eyes, I knew she was thinking the same thing. This is the worst thing that will happen to us in our entire lives.”

And because I went into this story with blind faith that I knew I loved the author and thus would be happy with whatever was written, I really do think the less you know about the specifics the better. It was initially recorded in Tate’s bedroom unprofessionally. Since then, the video has amassed over 25 million views on YouTube and compelled Tate to professionally record it and release it on streaming platforms. This new recording was released on December 28 of the same year. This book completely shattered me, I was a blubbering mess from early on and right the way through to the end. There were times I literally had to stop reading as I couldn’t see for crying. What a heartbreakingly wonderful book. Each new person Jess meets in her quest to find Joe left me with a smile and a tear in my eye. You two look like salt and pepper shakers. That's what my mom use to say when we both had long hair. You're a couple of salt and pepper shakers. And now here I was, just a stupid lonely pepper shaker. What was the point of a pepper shaker without a salt shaker? I didn't even like pepper.” THE CONSTANT CRYING: I get it. Your best friend has leukaemia and you feel absolutely hopeless. What do you do? You cry. That is perfectly okay. Touching even. But when you start crying because you made someone else cry or just crying for the slightest little problem is just plain annoying. And very wimpy. And not pitiful at all.Everybody knows how much I love to read realistic stories. I can never get tired of them. At first I didn't want to read Maybe One Day because the first cover was giving me some fantasy/paranormal vibes. I didn't read the blurb so I ignored it altogether. And then one day, the cover was changed and I had to read the blurb. Once I did, I knew I would be reading it sooner of later. It turned out to be later because I didn't read the book for months. I'm not even sure why that happened.