Every Day
by David Levithan
Publication Date: August 28th, 2012
Pages: 322
ISBN: 0307931889
Genre: Young Adult
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Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
by David Levithan
Publication Date: August 28th, 2012
Pages: 322
ISBN: 0307931889
Genre: Young Adult
Add to Goodreads
Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
Review
It took me quite a while to get through this 300 paged book. I was not eager to pick the book up, once I put it down in-between reads. However, when I did read this novel, I read for a long period of time. It was as if I enjoyed the act while I was doing it, but then had a low opinion when I was on a break. And I think that exhibits my opinion of the novel itself. I was eager for the idea, but the writing was almost difficult to continue to read. It forced me to confront my own deeply buried criticisms of the appearance of a person. When "A" became someone considered unattractive by society's standards, I completely understood Rhiannon's hesitance to show affection. But I also fell in love with A himself, the person, not the package. A has the type of personality I aspire to acquire. He believed in the person, not the package, and he worked hard to believe that love is superior to all else. Unfortunately, Levithan created such a perfect main character, that it was hard for me to sympathize without looking down on myself. This book forced me to explore my flaws and opinions that I have mostly kept hidden away from the light of day. Now, these are all very personal challenges that have occurred throughout reading Every Day, so it's very possible that the same problems will not arise for other readers.
I also thought the idea was quite excellent, but the execution could have been better. The book went from day to day, person to person. The slow execution of the synopsis made me feel as if nothing had happened. In fact, the actions that did occur I could fit in one short sentence; however, I'll spare you the spoilers. Another problem I frequented was the relationship between A and Rhiannon. I understand the relationship is supposed to be difficult; I understand that the challenges they face are supposed to be almost impossible to overcome. But once again, I was left feeling as if nothing had happened. There was a back and forth pattern between the two. They loved each other, they couldn't be together, they loved each other, they couldn't be together, etc. The outcome was predictable, and so was the love story.
I conclude by giving this novel 3 out of 5 stars, only because the story forced me to think. It made me consider my thoughts and opinions and aspire to become a better person. I believe that if any book can give a person motivation to become the best they can be (rather physically or mentally) that novel deserves the best possible review.
I also thought the idea was quite excellent, but the execution could have been better. The book went from day to day, person to person. The slow execution of the synopsis made me feel as if nothing had happened. In fact, the actions that did occur I could fit in one short sentence; however, I'll spare you the spoilers. Another problem I frequented was the relationship between A and Rhiannon. I understand the relationship is supposed to be difficult; I understand that the challenges they face are supposed to be almost impossible to overcome. But once again, I was left feeling as if nothing had happened. There was a back and forth pattern between the two. They loved each other, they couldn't be together, they loved each other, they couldn't be together, etc. The outcome was predictable, and so was the love story.
I conclude by giving this novel 3 out of 5 stars, only because the story forced me to think. It made me consider my thoughts and opinions and aspire to become a better person. I believe that if any book can give a person motivation to become the best they can be (rather physically or mentally) that novel deserves the best possible review.