Every Day

I've been a huge David Levithan fan for years now. Falling in love with Boy meets Boy and Nick and Norah's iInfinite Playlist in particular. I'm happy to say that I can add this book to that list. The central story to this book is beautifully tragic and provides a wonderful emotional roller coaster. The different lives each morning are well thought out and provide a new surprise to each chapter. David finds fantastic ways to insert his own ideas about the rules of society, love, and happiness into the story that make the whole thing very heartfelt. Hopeless romantics beware, this one will sweep you off your feet.

Every Day is a magical realism novel that tells the story of A., a teenage soul that wakes up every day in a different body, not knowing why or how this happens. One day, A. wakes up in the body of Justin, the boyfriend of a girl named Rhiannon. A. quickly realizes that they have fallen in love with Rhiannon and embarks on a daily journey to find her no matter what body they inhabit. Every Day is beautifully and lyrically written. It was such a pleasure to read just because of the writing style. But there was one other aspect that I absolutely loved about this book, and that is Levithan’s acknowledgement of diversity in the form of gender fluidity, mental illness, racial and class differences, and even struggles with substance abuse. The character of A. identifies with no gender, and frequently mentions being attracted to both men and women. They can’t seem to understand why people are so afraid of gender fluidity and gender identity. Levithan also gives a nod to mental health issues, allowing the reader inside A.’s head as they inhabit the body of people with varying degrees of mental illness. This was approached so wonderfully. A. also inhabited the bodies of people of different races, body types, religions, and social and economic classes - and it was fascinating to read about the public’s reaction to A. when they were in these bodies. It was like a mini sociological experiment, which is something that is right up my alley. I wish I could describe the way these scenes were presented in more detail, but alas, I am not as eloquent as David Levithan and therefore I will leave the writing to the master and suggest you check out the book for yourself.

Wow, this story. I did not expect the punch it gave me. I suggest that you not find out any spoilers before reading it. It does an excellent job of making you really think about what’s important and truly appreciate things. I highly recommend this for teens and adults. It’s great for opening the mind and the heart.