Dear One Day,
Hey, remember that time I read you and I wailed at the injustice that happened to your characters? You are a pretty big asshole, you know that? No? You don’t remember? I’m sure. (Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice?)
I shouldn’t like you and your cliché romance, but I CAN’T HELP IT. (You can say I read you for purely shallow reasons. I wanted a romance book that I can breeze through fairly quickly.)
I’m a big romantic at heart. I love a good romance that utterly wrenches my heart, and Dexter and Emma kind of have that? (Y’know if you excuse their stereotypical characteristics and stuff, which I can do sometimes when I’m not looking for any “deep” content.) They’ve been friends since the day they graduated college. They can’t help but rely on each other. I like that a lot. I really enjoy the slow-build of their relationship and their bantering. Long-term friends becoming more always do weird things to my heart. (It’s like a fish got stuck in my heart and is flopping around because there’s no water for it to swim in.)
You do not know how many times I squealed whenever Dexter would think of Emma. Every time he did something extremely asshole-ish/douche-y, I wanted to yell at him. “Don’t be stupid, Dexter. Just tell her!” He’s not my favorite leading man because he’s not the greatest person, but I guess that gives him a sort of realism, right? Despite that, my heart does a weird flop when I read about his dependence on Emma. She’s his rock. I like that he needs her. He’s a better person when she’s around, and yes, I’m pretty sure I’m quoting you, but it’s true!
At the same time, I think Emma could do better. I’m pretty sure if she and Dexter had never met, she would’ve been fine without him. (That’s an absolute fact.) And she did, for a certain time. She excelled while Dexter declined. I feel conflicted because I like them together and the whole “the love of my life was already by my side all along and I just never realized it until now,” but they are really polar opposites, which is why it works for me? They provide things to each other that the other doesn’t have.
I love that we, the readers, get to peer into a single day of their lives. I like seeing their growth (both individually and together) and not knowing what happens in their lives prior and after July 15th. It works.
But you know what didn’t work? The ending. It was such a cop-out and totally unbelievable. Sure, it wasn’t an entirely cliche ending because it wasn’t a happily ever after, but it became unnecessarily dramatic. It was very much a Nicholas Spark move by throwing this twist, and I, for one, did not care for that at all. The ending might have pulled at my heartstrings a bit, but that didn’t mean anything. If I could, I would show you the utter look of disgust on my face when I read it. Just what the fuck.
One Day, you were good. You could’ve been great though. I still think you are. I would’ve thought you were fucking awesome if there was more to the characters and if the ending wasn’t a pile of shit. I know we can’t always have a happily ever after, but goddamn it.
Sincerely,
I think this is the post I’ve been waiting for. I was so dissapointed when ‘that’ happened. I read through all those years, which dragged a lot and finally reached a happy place and BOOM, it happens. I remember thinking how unfair that was. How unnecessary. And it didn’t seem like an accident too! Gah, I was a mess after.
Its almost like Nicholls believed in the whole “They died so their love never would” scenarios. It seems like a Shakespeare thing.
Anyway, sorry for the rant! This letter explains exactly my feelings for the book! :)
I was so close to throwing the book across the room. Like WTH. We know Dexter is going to dissolve into a mess since Emma means the world to him. And Nicholls had to take that away. *shakes head*
“They died so their love never would.” *shudders* Yeeeeessss. It really didn’t have to happen. Their love already ~transcended time! GIVE THEM MORE SO THEY CAN BE TOGETHER!
I could not get through this book, it felt so tedious so I stopped. It was a book club book that most of the group didn’t read or finish.
That’s okay! It’s not for everyone. The ending would’ve enraged you like it did with me. Ha.
I didn’t read the book but… oh, girl, I can’t stop myself from laughing, this letter is like the best review I’ve ever read hahaha Ironically, now I really want to read ‘One day’ so I could opine about that ending! Although I think I can imagine what happened if you practically quoted Nicholas Sparks lol
I am pleased you laughed. :D
I was raging so hard! A big fat “WUUUTTTTT” came out of my mouth because really? That happened? (Which was followed by a loud groan.) I don’t understand why anybody who worked on this book thought that twist was a good idea. *shakes head*
First even though I already told you I have to tell you again, I love the graphic for this post! It’s so cute and perfect. Alright moving on.
Your letter was so funny. I haven’t read this book but I saw the movie & I’m not sure if it’s exactly like the book but I agree with your Nicholas Sparks comment. I was like WTF. You can’t do that. You can’t make them happy and then BAM. No happily ever after for them. Also, Anne Hathaway’s accent was so annoying.
I love reading about best friends falling in love. It’s just always so cute reading about their feelings for one another. *sigh* Those kind of romances are always so cute.
Great job on your new feature! I can’t wait to read the next one :)
Ha, thanks! As you can see, no feather pen like I originally wanted! ;D But this graphic is absolutely perfect for this feature, so I’m glad you approve.
The movie was true to the book (but it left out a lot of scenes which is normal since they can’t fit everything into it). The ending was the one we see in the book and that’s such a cheap and overdramatic way of sending a character off. (AND YES. Anne Hathaway’s accent went in and out. Like did the director not sense this? They should’ve casted a British actress instead. *sighs*)
I have total hearts in my eyes when I see two friends slowly realize that they want more. (I secretly want that. Lol.)
AH. AHHHHH. DEX AND EM. EM AND DEX. ;_________; Why did that have to happen? Why couldn’t they be happy? Their love story was exactly my favourite type of romance but then that happened and and and my heart was ripped out. I mean, I kind of got it, showing Dexter how much Emma was to him. But I just really, really wanted them to get their happy ending after everything they’d been through. :'(
I loved this book so damn much. ;_________; (The movie, eh, not so much.)
I DON’T KNOW. THEY WERE FINALLY GOING TO BE HAPPY TOGETHER. :((((((( It’s totally unfair. HOLES IN MY HEART, NIKKI.
(Lollll, Anne Hathaway had a horrrribbleeee accent. I can’t read the book without thinking of the movie, which totally sucks!)