On the day of graduation from Edinburgh University, Emma and Dexter hang out for the first time, although they’ve known of each other for a while. From this their friendship grows and for the next 20 years they celebrate each other’s victories and mourn their loses. But will their friendship ever be anything more? One day may make all of the difference.

I like the concept surrounding One Day: that a decision made one day can change the course of your life forever. So I really enjoyed that each chapter took place on the same day (but different years). David Nicholls did a great job at showing the growth in both characters even though readers only received a glimpse of their lives on one day in each year. The characters were also very lifelike, the dialogue like something you would overhear in a coffee shop. Readers will become invested in the characters almost from the very beginning and will not be able to put the book down once started (trust me, I almost read it in one day and probably would have if I had had more time).

One Day is probably one of the best books for readers who are in their mid- to late-20’s and early 30’s because not only does it follow Emma and Dexter through those years of their lives, it portrays two different lifestyles that are relatable to readers in those age ranges. You have Emma who feels stuck in dead end job after dead end job, just wanting to find her place in the world. Then you have Dexter, the guy who travels the world and can do whatever he wants—the guy who seems to have life figured out and has everything in place. The interesting thing is in the middle of the book they switch roles. This is what I find promising to readers: that although life may not seem that great or even if life is amazing right now, your luck can always change. You just have to know how to handle it when it does.