Letztendlich sind wir dem Universum egal

Every Day #1

by David Levithan, Martina Tichy (Translator), Adam Nümm (Narrator)

8 Stunden und 17 Minuten, ungekürzte Ausgabe

Kann man jemanden lieben, der jeden Tag ein anderer ist?

A hat keine Freunde, keine Familie, kein Zuhause – und keinen eigenen Körper. Er ist nie länger als einen Tag dieselbe Person. Mal männlich, mal weiblich taucht er in die unterschiedlichsten Leben ein. Das ist sein Alltag, etwas anderes kennt er nicht. Doch dann lernt er Rhiannon kennen und verliebt sich unsterblich in sie. Und auf einmal wünscht er sich mehr Kontinuität, als das Universum ihm zugesteht.

Ein herausragendes, magisches Hörbuch für alle, die die Sehnsucht nach der ganz großen Liebe kennen.

Adam Nümm, Schauspieler und Sprecher, spielt und liest nuanciert und facettenreich. Seine warme Baritonstimme passt sich As wechselvollem Leben an und stellt eine besondere Nähe zwischen dem Hörer und David Levithans Geschichte von Liebe und Selbstlosigkeit her.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction, Contemporary, LGBT, Magical Realism

8 pages, Audiobook

First published August 28, 2012

About the author

David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm in the minority here: I didn't like Every Day, and the more I think about the book, the more it angers me.

The main character, A, is Dr. Sam Beckett; A quantum-leaps from person to person, landing in a different host each day. A has no body of A's own, having been leaping since A was an infant at least. There are a few rules limiting the leaps:

1. A leaps only into a host of approximately the same age, and A appears to age in the same progression as a human (that is, A at one is mentally indistinguishable from a human at one). At the time of this story, A is sixteen.
2. A's leaps have some sort of geographical upper limit; the only way for A to, say, leave the state is if the person A leaps into leaves the state that day. This limit plus the previous raise questions about what will happen when A gets to be, say, ninety. The number of suitable hosts will go down, and their geographical distance will increase. And what happens if a host dies while A is in possession?
3. A makes the leap at midnight each day. It isn't clear whether midnight is relative or absolute (i.e., would A leap at 11 P.M. if A were in the Central time zone rather than Eastern? Does A spend exactly twenty-four hours in each host?), but relative is implied. (Which suggests that one way for A to never leap would be to travel west fast enough. And what would happen if A possessed an astronaut on launch day?)
4. A never leaps into the same person twice.
5. A can "access" the memories of A's host, but only in regard to facts, not feelings. Also, A can't access foreign languages fast enough for fluency, which raises some interesting questions about the nature of language acquisition as related to A.

In fact, all of these rules raise some interesting questions. And if you are the sort of person who thinks in these terms - here are the limitations, now what are the implications of those limitations? - then you WILL NOT like this book. (Another reviewer of this book referred to this frame of mind as "logic-hobbled". Thanks. Maybe I should refer to YOU as "unimaginative".) None of these questions get answered, and in fact, the book brings up more questions as it goes on (it turns out that there are other entities like A, and that it is possible to remain in the same host indefinitely. HEY WHAT? But no, this concept doesn't get explored much). Oh, and what do A's hosts remember about having hosted A? Well, it depends on what the plot needs. At first, A doesn't know what they remember, but then, a few days later, A has suddenly gained the ability to implant perfect false memories in A's hosts.

I will say, though, that I actually wasn't all that bothered by the lack of answers. It was pretty obvious from the first few pages that Levithan isn't the sort of author who really cares about those details (I'm sure he would agree with Emerson*). So since I could tell I wasn't going to get the kind of story I would have liked, I instead focused on the story we did get.

And the story we did get is...not good. There are two main threads of the book. The first is the story of A's Twoo Wuv, which is, naturally, Nice Guy apologism with a heaping helping of stalker apologism. Stalking is romantic, didn't you know?

The second main thread is a series of after school specials focusing on the plights of various victim groups. It was tedious and predictable. Today we will learn about depression! Today we will learn about illegal aliens! Today we will learn about transsexuals! Today we will learn about obesity! Today we will learn about beauty! Also A doesn't really have a gender and so we will learn about that! And so forth. Didactic, agenda-driven, and boring.

Back to the first thread. A falls in love with Rhiannon, the girlfriend of one of A's hosts. The passages describing her are classic Nice Guy crap - only A can see her secret sadness, only A can see what a kind and interesting person she is, only A can see that she wants to be "part of the world" (what does that even mean?), and OF COURSE only A can make her happy, because she is A's Twoo Wuv. So naturally, A begins stalking Rhiannon and plotting to get her and her boyfriend broken up so she'll be free to date A. You know, as Nice Guys do. It's even creepier because A is using A's hosts to do so. So not only is Rhiannon being stalked and having her privacy violated, but also, every person who serves as A's host gets violated as well.

And we are supposed to sympathize with A.

I can't even express how furious this makes me. A is not the victim here. Yes, A's existence sucks, but A is not the victim. The people A is possessing AND VIOLATING are the victims. A forces A's victims to skip school, miss tests, miss trips to Hawaii, lie to family, etc., etc. All things that A knows full well A's hosts don't want to do. A is POSSESSING A's hosts. In the beginning, A tries to be a good guest - go along for the day, don't do anything A's host wouldn't do - but A's stalkerish obsession with Rhiannon leads A to completely ignore A's own rules.

The only, and I do mean ONLY, saving grace of this book is that A finally realizes that what A - with the complicity of Rhiannon OMGWTFBBQ?!? - is doing to A's hosts is GROSS AND WRONG AND EVIL and goes back to A's original set of rules. (After violating a couple more people first, of course.)

One last complaint, and then I'm done. One of A's hosts, Nathan, who got particularly thoroughly violated, retained a partial memory of what had happened to him. He had been possessed and forced to do things he didn't want to do. He describes his experience as possession, and concludes that it must be the work of the devil. And the tone of the book regarding this kid is derision. "That dumbass, how can he believe in demonic possession? A isn't the devil. What a dummy. And the people who believe him are even dumber."

But the thing is, Nathan WAS possessed. He WAS forced to act against his nature by A, who had taken over his body. As part of A's conflict with Nathan, A discovers, as previously mentioned, that there are other entities like him. One such entity has taken over a religious leader and is claiming to help Nathan with his possession experience. That entity is pretty clearly malevolent. How is that entity's behavior different from demonic possession? And there are MORE entities like this out there. And yet, the narration thinks that people who believe in demons are stupid and deserve condescension. This is like saying, "Well, ok, sure, I drink human blood to survive, and I combust in sunlight, and I have to sleep on a bed of my native soil, and I don't have a reflection, and there are other people like me out there, and some of them are malevolent, but VAMPIRES DON'T EXIST AND BELIEVING IN VAMPIRES IS STUPID AND YOU ARE STUPID FOR BELIEVING IN THEM." What?!?!?

In conclusion, this book has thoroughly earned one of my rare one-star reviews. I don't recommend it at all.


*"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds." Something Emerson said, probably when a "logic-hobbled" buddy of his pointed out a gaping hole in one of his essays.

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not kissing her because I want to, and I am not kissing her because I need to - I am kissing her for a reason that transcends want and need, that feels elemental to our existence, a molecular component on which our universe will be built.

I have enjoyed Levithan's books in the past, but the magic that other readers found in Every Day just wasn't there for me.

Many claims have been made about this book - that it is a clever "what if" science fiction novel, that it explores what it means to be genderless, without a body, and without a family, and that it is an evocative love story. I honestly didn't get much sense of any of that.

The story is about "A" - someone who wakes up in a different person's body and life every single morning. They have always been this way and have come to accept it. Until, that is, they end up inside the body of a boy called Justin and fall for Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. Suddenly, A's many lives revolve around locating Rhiannon and spending time with her. Hoping they can be together, and knowing that they can't.

The strongest part of this book - for me - was the many small stories scattered throughout about the different lives A enters. They are fleeting, varied, but often quite interesting and touching.

Beyond this, though, it was a disappointment. This same story written by many other authors would be called out for its "instalove". However, I suppose Levithan writes poetically enough that A's relationship with Rhiannon seems deeper, when in reality A falls in "love" with her instantly (because she is a "sad girl" who wants to go to the ocean).

Secondly, there is no explanation at all for the paranormal aspect. No attempt to address it, no consideration given to why A always wakes up in a body 4 hours or less away from Rhiannon and is always the same age. But I can suspend a lot of disbelief and I understand this isn't the kind of book that concerns itself with the "hows", so that wasn't even a major issue.

By far a bigger issue for me was something that many people have praised the book for - the unique perspective from the point of view of someone who is genderless and without a life of their own. Wow, what an interesting idea, right? Indeed it is, and yet it is not explored at all. There is very little discussion of what it means to be male, female, both or neither. It is taken for granted that these things are meaningless and shrugged off. What a wasted opportunity to look at a fascinating subject!

Some people look at Every Day and see a very different and beautiful book. I look at it and see another YA romance, framed in such a way that it can claim to be different without ever really breaking new ground.

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[Wendy Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes us fall in love--and what makes us who we are?

Those are the questions at the heart of this novel, which tells a thoughtful, touching story that will surprise readers with its sentient literary style and gentle feeling.

Everyone longs for human connection, but 16-year-old A.'s search for it seems to be a losing proposition. Every day, for as long as he can remember, he wakes up in a different body: sometimes as a girl, sometimes with a different ethnicity, sometimes with a different sexual orientation. He's long recognized the futility of trying to create lasting relationships, but everything changes when he meets Rhiannon, a girl who makes him want things he's never thought possible.

This story reminds me of one of my favorite TNG episodes with a similar concept, and A. also follows a sort of prime directive in his self-imposed policy not to interfere too much in his "host's" life. He is, for the most part, a very likeable protagonist who doesn't wallow in self-pity or maudlin emotion, and it's interesting to see how skillfully the author retains A.'s sense of self and personality even within very different people in very different circumstances. One of my favorite things about this book is how we catch a glimpse of all the lives that A. touches; some of the manifestations are humorous, some of them are incredibly sad, and some of them are downright harrowing. There is also a tension and urgency in the story from various different sources, most notably in the form of someone who is relentlessly pursuing A. for his own dangerous reasons.

The things that some more logic-hobbled readers (heh, I am coining that term!) won't like about this book are precisely what I do like about it. I like the book's more quiet, philosophical bent, and I actually like that we don't get any answers as to why this happens to A. Frankly, they're not necessary--this story isn't about that, and had the author attempted to invent specious reasoning for the wheres and whyfores of this concept, this would have been a very different book. A. obviously makes some mistakes in judgments--haven't we all?--and I do think his relationship with Rhiannon developed rather suddenly, as she's a fine enough girl, but I never really understood why he liked her so much! But for me, this all worked within the confines of this story concept. I accepted that in the course of living countless lives in A.'s lifetime, something in this girl at this time called out to him. And sometimes people just come along at the exact right time in your life when you desperately need it, and A. is very much in need of being loved. And perhaps even more importantly, he is very much in need of being acknowledged.

"The tenderness between two people can turn the air tender, the room tender, time itself tender. As I step out of bed and slip on an oversize shirt, everything around me feels like it's the temperature of happiness."

Things become very difficult, of course, once Rhiannon learns about A.'s unique circumstance. It's hard to fault anyone for having trouble accepting the fantastical premise, as well as the reality of living with it, because after all, a big, big part of love relies on both the thrill and the comfort we find in another person's familiar presence. The struggle that these two have to reconcile what they want with what is realistic is poignant though ultimately, still very hopeful. By the end of this pensive, bittersweet novel, your heart may rend in two, because the purest form of love is perhaps when it involves some form of selflessness or self-sacrifice. But there's a great deal of beauty--and comfort--to be found in that, too.

This is my first time reading David Levithan. But it won't be my last.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.

Recommended for: fans of A Certain Slant of Light, for those who were intrigued by the body-switching concept in Mercy, and for those who might've yearned for a more mature, tender feeling from Tempest.

Win an Every Day ARC! And make cookies, too!

We're giving away an Advance Readers Copy of this book on the blog. And hey, this review was powered by peanut butter cookies! By special request from Cassi you can download the free recipe card, too.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: We all want everything to be okay. We don't even wish so much for fantastic or marvelous or outstanding. We will happily settle for okay, because most of the time, okay is enough.”

This book was a true clusterfuck of emotions. I was engaged from the first moment to the incredibly original concept, the simple but effective writing style and the rich main character. But I feel like with a concept like this they could have taken it to the next level. I feel like, while the book was amazing in what it did, it could do much much better. It could exceed the expected so easily and it would be wonderful to read. I can't tell you how that would be possible, but it's just an inkling. There were so many possibilities that I can't know if they are explored in the next books, but they would be fantastic.

Even though this book could be so much more and so much more complicated, I commend it for its simplicity. It's just a person who is in a different body every single day, who one day sees a girl and falls in love with her. Just as simple as that. And apart from that, it explores other different situations. It's not just a chick flick with a gimmick, but a much deeper read with many real and devastating problems. And not just problems but it talks about topics of life as well such as religion and gender and suicide and addiction in such a way that it feels so different and fresh and important. Because it talks from the prospective of a person who changes bodies every day and gets to actually live all these situations they're talking about. And I believe it does an amazing job in that respect.

Apart from all that heavy stuff, the romance is just so cute man. It has its problems at times, but I fell in love with their love. I was fucking heartbroken and happy and amused. It was so wholesome and beautiful and weird.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable, hard at times but easy to digest, read, which is more than just a chick flick. I would truly recommend it, for people especially who enjoy weird gimmicks in their books. Till the next time, k bye!

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The concept for the story is intriguing - A is a person that inhabits another person's body for one day. Sometimes A is a boy, sometimes a girl. A can inhabit different colors of skin and different shapes and sizes. A tries to minimize the impact of occupying the body. A is supposedly not judgmental. Whatever body A inhabits is fine with A.

The story is, I believe, about acceptance. People come in all shapes, sizes, genders and orientations. There is no preference given the above mentioned categories. Biology does play a part in a person's makeup, as demonstrated by the chemically depressed girl A inhabited one day which was moving and empathetic. Very well written. Also well-written is the chemical dependence of the addict and physical pain A felt and the act of defying the urge by staying in the bedroom until the end of the day, enduring.

Yet I feel like Leviathan is preachy about his own beliefs, pushing his viewpoint whether than just letting the reader think. The lack of understanding that gender might effect Rhiannon's attraction and the implication that she is wrong for that isn't fair. I'm only attracted to men. Does that make me a bad person? Even though being attracted to one gender is more common, A pushes the idea that it's wrong and judgmental which feels judgmental to me.

Much of the storyline focuses on gender and orientation rather than acceptance of each person. Not that the author doesn't attempt this topic because he does. The protagonist inhabits a 300 lb. boy, an addict, a boy grieving for his grandfather, a mean girl, a football player, a deeply depressed girl. Yet the recurring theme tends toward gender being a societal construct rather than a biological reality. Love is love no matter what. There is lesbian love, homosexual males in a gay pride parade, a transgender female going through hormone changing injections with a girlfriend, a past where A fell in love when occupying a boy's body with another boy and began a romantic relationship yet I don't recall (although I may be mistaken) a healthy heterosexual relationship portrayed throughout the book.

Additionally, the topic of religion is brushed upon but not in a favorable light. I did like the summation that religions share a great deal of commonalities because I agree with this especially when clarified with the differences being the history of their church and origin. But overall, humans believe in a higher power and a greater purpose. However, brushing religion under the carpet as being unimportant is rather condescending. Despite the commonalities of all religions, I'd wager that identifying with a religion is one of the top 5 characteristics of most people. Perhaps because my sexual orientation is just assumed, I don't typically qualify myself as "heterosexual."

The concept of this book is interesting, but overall it's a romance. It carries all the cheesy declarations of loves that come with that. If the book had focused less on the romance and been more well-rounded in it's portrayals of different belief systems it would've probably rated higher for me. It seems to want people to understand different viewpoints without fairly attempting to understand theirs. Faith being portrayed so inaccurately is very frustrating, especially when it's also unnecessary.

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wake up the next morning in Beyonce's body.

3.5 stars. I think I hated this book, even though I was drawn into it like a moth to a flame. And by hate, I mean that I did like the book, but found myself frustrated because I was forced to question every single damn thing. There was something about the entire story that suffocated the hell out of me. My head hurt from trying to figure out how all of 'this' was supposed to work. My heart hurt from the presumed hopelessness of the situation. Yet, I still kept reading. There has to be some talent hidden in the storytelling if I find myself continuing to work my way toward an ending of which I'm uncertain will be positive or negative. The closer I got to the end, the more worried I became. Yet, I still kept reading.

If there was ever a book which would make for a great book club discussion, this would probably be it. The range of opinion would quite possibly be vast. People who tend to want specifics for every detail would pick everything apart, while the dreamers would want to imagine how to change the situation.

So much happiness can only make me sad.

Our main character in this book is never described as male or female. "A" is a being who wakes up every day in a different body. This person is the very definition of "walking a mile in someone else's shoes." Mainly it's because A has never had shoes of his/her own.

This is not my body, but it's the body she wants. I feel like a pretender.

I often tend to put myself in the place of the lead character in stories and find myself wondering what I would do in the same situation. To be completely honest, I know that I could probably never survive a life in which I never was allowed to have at least one person to call my own - whether it was a parent, sibling, friend or lover. How could ANY one person survive waking up every morning in a different body without wanting to finally give up on life? Even knowing that A had always lived like this and knew nothing else, I kept wondering how A was not constantly envious of at least some of the people that A had inhabited.

So of course, love would have to come in and complicate things. The connection between A and Rhiannon was bittersweet. Their friendship was a challenge every step of the way.

I never want to stay. I'm always ready to leave. But not tonight. Tonight I'm haunted by the fact that tomorrow he'll be here and I won't be. I want to stay. I pray to stay. I close my eyes and wish to stay.

Other than having to find my way out of a paper bag by the time I was finished reading, I don't have any major complaints other than one. At times, there did seem to be some repetition with a few of the author's opinions. I would have preferred the sexuality side of the story to have been a touch more organic with the surroundings. The characters were who they were. That should have been the beauty of it all - the varied cast of characters. I would have appreciated the variety much more if I didn't feel like I was being lectured to question my beliefs on sexuality (when I hadn't given any sort of opinion in the first place). This book felt like a bit of a soap-box at times.

In the end, I was glad that I'd read about the journey of A, but found myself frustrated that he/she was a better person than I wanted him/her to be at times. Where was A's one selfish moment? When you get to keep nothing in life, would you for at least ONE day, choose to do what you wanted, even if it meant screwing with the path of someone else? I'm pretty sure that I would.

I want to get back to her. I want to get back to yesterday.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a interesting concept for a book. 🤔 A person (a soul maybe 🤷🏼‍♀️) jumps bodies every day. It tackles a lot of different things, as each person (host body) is unique. Of course there’s a love interest. But how in the world are you supposed to have a real relationship with someone, when you’re a different person each day? This follows ‘A’ who was born with this strange ability. I’d have liked some more answers... like... is this a soul?.... anywho.... It was fascinating enough. 😉

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was such a feast for my eyes and mind!



My thoughts after finishing the book: SO GOOD! I didn't even have time to mark it as currently-reading, this is how lost into the story I've been. One of the best books I've read in quite a while!

Full review:

Romance aside, this story is about people .. All kinds of people in all kinds of scenarios, with different lives and in different environments. It's the most wonderful book about what it means to be human.

It takes you on a journey around the world not physically but emotionally, it travels through space and bodies and it talks about so many taboo subjects that you can't even imagine.. This, my dears, it's a real piece of art!

“I wake up thinking of yesterday.
The joy is in remembering; the pain is in knowing it was yesterday.”

You can learn a lesson from almost every chapter, you can be in the body (and somehow even the mind) of all kinds of people, struggling with their problems, creating others, trying to fix the unfixable or to keep untouched the precious moments in their lives.

You learn that actions have always consequences, that when you change things you have to assume the responsibility for doing so; you get glimpses into the head of so many types of people and at the end of the day not only you can learn a thing or two from it, but you can really become a better person.

It's not that the concept is entirely original (I remember seeing when I was young a movie series quite similar to this) but the amount of research needed for this story and the perfection with which it has been implemented turns this book into a real gem. It's fresh, it's well written, it is addictive and so full of precious content.

There are few books that have left an imprint on my life; this is definitely one of those.

I love this guy - I mean the author - he is so smart and open. He talks about so many things with conviction, but without trying to make you believe the things he does; he gives you the good and the bad in all situations and I must confess that reading this book (and being just for a bit in his mind while doing so) felt really, really good.



Now about the characters...

I'll start with A and Rhiannon.
As you should know from the book description A (which is a name, by the way) does not have a body. He is just a soul spending each day on a different body. We think of him as a boy but in fact he has no gender, and each day he can be a boy or a girl, having no control over where his soul might wake up in the next morning. He doesn't know why it happens, so don't try to find out because this is not what this story is about.

All days are similar - he wakes up, tries to find out what he can about the person he has to be that day, and tries not to mess up things for that person, because the lives he lives are borrowed and he has no right to ruin them.

"I only have a day to give - so why can't it be a good one?"

One day is different though. He is impersonating one guy called Justin and falls in love with his girlfriend. Justin is not a good person and he is not good for/to Rhiannon, but wouldn't A want to be Justin for the rest of his life? Wouldn't he want to wake up in the morning and still be here, wouldn't he want to have Rhiannon in his life forever?

It's a day that changes him, it's a day that changes everything.. And so the story starts..

For you it might feel like A starts liking Rhiannon too quickly, it might feel like insta love, but try to picture A's life, try to imagine a life when every single day is different, a life where you meet a person today but you might never be given a second chance.. How long it would take for you to give away your heart, how long it will take for you to fall in love?

Day by day A. gains more information about her, he tries to see her again and with everything he learns about her day after day he gets to care more, to truly love her - for the way she thinks, she acts, she feels.

"My life doesn't add up to anything. Except for an afternoon, it did."

Truth being told, all A needed was to belong, he needed something palpable in his life and so he found Rhiannon.

She is for him a symbol of everything he can't have. It seemed like love at first sight, but in his world that's the only kind of love he can get. There is no way to meet again someone and to relive a day such that he could fall in love in the usual way. So I didn't mind him focus all his attention on this girl that has stolen his heart and that he can't possibly have because every day he becomes someone else.

In a way, this is how Romeo and Juliet should play around in our days (the concept, not the Shakespearian play), with the entire universe against our sweet couple. Some will love their story, some probably won't, but don't think about the whole book as a romance, because you'll be missing a lot... that's the reason all this started, yes, but there are many other amazing things about it that will steal your heart.

"This is what love does: It makes you want to rewrite the world. It makes you want to choose the characters, build the scenery, guide the plot. The person you love sits across from you, and you want to do everything in your power to make it possible, endlessly possible. And when it’s just the two of you, alone in a room, you can pretend that this is how it is, this is how it will be."

There were so many other characters that are worth talking about, so many destinies that A changed, so many lessons to learn from. There were happy moments, and sad ones, there are tons of quotes that will make an impression for sure, there are so many great ideas hidden between the pages, the lines, the words in this book.. Nothing feels like it has been 'spilled' at random in this sea of magical thoughts, and there are not enough words in the world for me to tell you how wonderful this story was to me.

I loved the stories of every person A impersonates during his travel..

Drug addict, fat person, geek, gay, transgender, homeschooled, mean girl, rock boy, suicidal girl (and so on, and on, and on) - there was a selected group of people that can/will leave an impact on you. You might not relate to any of them, but you can understand them all. They all speak through A.'s voice and you might ask yourself if this is the author telling you life-changing stories, or the characters are really alive talking to you - they are so realistically portrayed.

I remember a chapter that I liked a lot: There was a drug addict that needed badly to take a doze and A kept fighting it, fighting his body's needs, he tried to stay focused, to think of a way to make it through the day, he tried not to let the body win.. It was such an emotional chapter and it gave insights into the power of the mind, something I've thought about over the time.

On each day, either the body was weighting on A, or the feelings were be pressing on him. He could feel the sorrow, the despair, the addiction but also the happiness, the calm, the hope and the love... It was such a beautiful orchestra of emotions playing in front of you - one that you can focus on each individual instrument and their beautiful, heartwarming music.

There are also references regarding morality, some social issues are talked about and even Christian beliefs are considered. Every scene has its own emotion, every person gives you something to think about, every moment is important because there's always some meaning behind the tale.

And because I don't know in how many other words to tell you that I loved this book to pieces, I will simply end on a nice note:

"I turn back. I keep turning back to see her. Even when there are walls between us. Even when there are miles between us. I keep turning back. I keep turning in her direction"

...Just like I'll always turn back to this story.

Happy midnight reading!

* This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”We all contain mysteries, especially when seen from the inside.”

I don’t know how to start this review because this book is unlike anything I ever read and this comes from a person who has rated 862 books on goodreads. (Yes, I actually looked it up! ;-P) The story David Levithan presents to us is something so unique I can’t compare it to anything I ever read and I don’t know about you but I, for my part, love it even more for that! XD So what exactly is “Every Day” about?

”I no longer think she’s just being nice. She’s being kind. Which is much more a sign of character than mere niceness. Kindness connects to who you are, while niceness connects to how you want to be seen.”

Well, the concept of this story is pretty intriguing. A. our MC is living every day in someone else’s body and sort of travels from one person to the next. A. has no memory why her/his life is like that or why she/he doesn’t have an own body. It was always like that and A. learned to deal with it. So what happens when A. inhabits a body? Well, our MC “accesses” the memories of the person and then lives that one day like the person she/he currently occupies. The mere idea of living in a different body every single day and experiencing a different life every 24 hours... Gosh, it’s mind-boggling.

”If you think about it hard enough, every step can be a false step, any move can lead to an unintended consequence.”

I’m not going to lie; at first the prospect of waking up in a different body and therefore in a different life every day sounded kind of interesting. The more time I spent with A. the more I realized that this is a horrible way to live your life though. A. never has a chance to live her/his own life. All A. can do is to live the person’s life she/he is currently inhabiting and yes, sometimes that’s a nice life, but at other times it’s an awful and harrowing one and A. has to deal with the consequences. Not everyone is average or beautiful and not everyone has caring parents or siblings. Sometimes there are lives that are grim and gruesome and A. just tries to get through them.

”Yes, I could get away with it, but certainly we all have the potential to commit the crime. We choose not to. Every single day, we choose not to. I am no different.
I am not the devil.”

Another thing that made me love A. was the fact that she/he takes care of the person she/he is occupying. A. always tries not to interfere with the lives she/he takes over, which makes A. a saint in my eyes. I mean the next day A. would be in a different body so A. could do everything she/he wants and would easily get away with it. The next day the person who would have to deal with the consequences isn’t A. so the potential to misbehave was certainly there, but A. does none of those things. A. doesn’t want to hurt the people she/he possesses and I really appreciated that. XD

”But shouldn’t her life come above yours?”
“Why?”
“Because you’re just the guest.”
I know this is true, but it’s shocking to hear her say it.

Still, my heart bled for A. whenever she/he was confronted with that particular reality. If it would be you, would you be content with always being just a guest? What about A.’s own wishes? A.’s own life? Can you really expect A. just to lead the lives of others and never to do something egoistic? A. is her/his own person, craves for love, has feelings like everyone else but can never act on them, can never get attached because the next day she/he is gone again. What a miserable existence... T_T Well, and the fact that A. falls in love with Rhiannon certainly doesn’t help either.

”This is the source of the pressure. This is the cause of my hesitation. Right now I am here with her completely. But tomorrow I may not be. I can enjoy this today. It can feel right now. But tomorrow, I don’t know. Tomorrow I may be gone.”

Which brings me right to the pan and gender fluid rep. They were both done really well and I loved how A. explained them with just a few words. It must have been really confusing for A. at first though and I’m glad A. eventually figured it out. I swear this book posed so many questions and to talk about all of them would probably make another essay review. *lol* (I guess this is already some sort of an essay again but umm, never mind. ;-P)

”In my experience, desire is desire, love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals. I know this is hard for people to do, but I don’t understand why it’s so hard, when it’s so obvious.”

”There were days I felt like a girl and days I felt like a boy, and those days wouldn’t always correspond with the body I was in. I still believed everyone when they said I had to be one or the other. Nobody was telling me a different story, and I was too young to think for myself. I had yet to learn that when it came to gender, I was both and neither.”

All told this book gave me A LOT to think about and I’m pretty sure it will preoccupy my thoughts for quite a while. The ending alone posed so many questions that I’m kind of indecisive whether I want to read the other two books or not. *lol* On the one hand I want A. to be happy and to find a solution but on the other hand I’m not all too sure this would be good for A. or anyone else. XD To say I’m torn is putting it more than just mildly. XD Especially if we take Reverend Poole into the equation as well. ”There was no hesitation. No warning. No acknowledgment of the lives we’d be destroying.
That’s when I knew for sure I had to run away.”

I’m still shook! I would have never expected that Reverend Poole was occupied by someone like A. too. So there are more people like A. and she/he isn’t the only one! The ruthlessness and disregard for the people Reverend Poole possesses scared me big time though. I think A. did the right thing by going into hiding but I’m afraid whoever inhabited Reverend Poole is going to hunt and find him nevertheless. >_<

”How did you know it was me?” I have to ask.
“The way you looked at me,” she says. “It couldn’t have been anyone else.”

I guess when it comes down to it, my curiosity will be stronger than my fear though, so I suppose it’s safe to say that I’m already looking forward to read the second book. *lol* ;-)

________________________________

There is no way this ends like this!
I mean I have QUESTIONS ... about a million of them and I need answers!
Also I don’t want an ending like this... T_T
How can this even end like this?! Especially after THAT kind of encounter!!??
AHHHH my head is a question mark.

Full RTC soon! Stay tuned! ;-)

_________________________________

I’ve become such a mood reader over those last few months, but the concept of this sounds so intriguing!

To wake up in another body every day must be one hell of an experience and I’m more than just curious how David Levithan implemented this idea.
Is there a central theme?
How does A. know about the life of the people they erm ... possess?!
Does A. even know about their lives or is it a jump into cold water?

Already so many questions before I even opened the book!
I need answers and I’m so going to read "Every Day" because my curiosity must be satisfied! *lol*

[Justin Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of the best YA books ever. Waking up in the body of another person every day isn't just a thrilling premise, it's a master class in empathy. It's rare to close a YA book and feel ten years wiser, but that's how powerful this is. It opens your eyes to what life is like for someone else, not just in theory but in actuality.

The love story element fits perfectly because it asks that old Haddaway question: What is love? Is it based on a person's body or their soul?

Must read!

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update: Kindle $1.99 special today! If you've never experience David Levithan --this is a wonderful book ---(for teens and adults who feel like 'teens'...haha)


What would it be like to wake up in a different body every day? And what would it be like
to be in love with a person who changed every day?
What makes us fall in love--and what makes us who we are?

These are the questions at the heart of this novel... a touching story.
Everyone longs for human connection, but 16 year old *A's* search for it seems to be losing
proposition. Every day he wakes up in a different body, ( sometimes a girl. an athlete, or different ethnicity, obese, wealthy, middle class, bi, black, white, drug addict, Academic overachiever, meticulously neat, a person with suicidal thoughts, .... or any combinations of these attributes).
*A's* awareness that he/she is never himself/herself.

*A's* world changes when he/she falls in love with Rhiannon. Things become difficult, of course,
once Rhiannon learns of *A''s* unique circumstance. It's hard to fault her. Part of the comfort of loving a person is a person's familiar presence.... And even their physical attraction.

The struggle that these two must reconcile what they both want is poignant yet still very
hopeful.
By the end of this bittersweet novel... your heart may feel split... because pure love involves
compromise, selflessness, and sacrifice. Yet there are many lessons to be found - comfort--
and beauty!

*A* is a teen hero. He reminds us that no matter how bright, well adjusted socially, athletic,
talented, ... no teen is 100% comfortable in their own skin at all times. It's a period of constant
change, growth and development.
There are qualities that this young 16 year old has that is inspiring to us all: he/she
is unbiased, nonjudgmental, considerate, and loyal. He makes mistakes too...yet... he still
seems like a wonderful person...,(despite some crappy people he has been). From 'learning...
he try's to be helpful if he notices something going terribly wrong. He wants to be a better person from all he has experienced.

Rhiannon is an important character. More controversial. Not as likeable ( on the surface), as *A*- but I felt I understood her. I understood what she was struggling with. I don't think she wanted to 'have' to be made to feel less than-- if her morals were not at the same high standard as *A*.
At times it seemed *A* was much too obsessed with Rhiannon... Yet, if you were 16, never fully having your own life, and falling hard in love for the first time-- ( always being the stranger..
the different one...almost a ghost...because nobody really knows who you are), might not
you behave a little obsessively for the person you loved?

Wonderful book... It was great to step outside of societal roles and experience the world from
someone who was gender neutral.... but also didn't have the comfort of stability in his daily
life.

I've already started the second book: "Another Day". David Levithan prefers to call it a twin book. Closely related but having its own identity. The book can stand alone. ( it's not necessary to have read this book, but I'm glad I did).

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Once upon a time, I dreamt of being a different person, of waking up one day in a different person’s body, preferably of that who was a lot better, if not perfect. (Beyonce’s did occur to me too.^^)

David Levithan brought this fantasy to life through Every Day and it felt like it aimed to harshly snap the reader back to reality. It was like a not so kind moralistic tale that tells you to be happy with who you are, what you have and for the people who surround you. Be thankful that tonight when you sleep, you are the same person tomorrow- that you’ll have today, tomorrow and many more tomorrows with the ones you love because there is this teeny tiniest possibility that somewhere out there, someone’s life is as ephemeral as that of A’s and to tell you honestly, there is nothing I would envy of his (or her) life.

And if the mention of this person A sparked your curiosity, I suggest you read the book because I won’t be saying anything more than what’s already said. What I’ll tell you is this, Every Day has been in my tbr wish list for a long time now and after reading it, I could say that I’m both satisfied and disappointed. Satisfied because of the intriguing premise and gorgeous writing but also disappointed because it was an exhausting read. Although it was very entertaining, the tone was generally sad and in the end, there were more questions than answers although I’m sure that’s the very point of the story.

“There will always be more questions. Every answer leads to more questions. The only way to survive is to let some of them go.”

My biggest quandary about the story is the theme on love. I get that this is a story of unconditional love but when you use a concept so far-fetched, so incredibly impossible to embody what it means to love unconditionally, it kind of loses the point. Just saying.^^

Overall though, I still think this book is worth all the hype, worth all your time and money and I would really love to see this make its way to the big screen and I would definitely want to read the sequel.^^

For more positive, more enthusiastic reviews, do check out Drew’s and Lola’s who are consequently celebrating their birthdays this month. Drew on June 12 and Lola on June 23. Happy Early Birthday, my wonderful friends. I hope you have the best time on your special day. <3 <3 <3

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars
This was just a beautiful book.

[Lindsey Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why do I remember a time spent driving around all day with wind and music in my hair as if it was yesterday, but can’t recall one detail about my high school graduation? Some days stick. Others fade away. A life mystery...I hope forever remains a mystery.

One day at a time. Live every day to the fullest. Be in the moment. Day to day. Today is a new day. See you tomorrow…..Are just a few of the common expressions that Mr. Levithan blows up and almost redefines in the pages of Every Day. A book that forced me to reflect and take stock of my days in a whole new light.

“A” wakes up every day in a different body and life. Moving from girl to boy, family to family, town to town, day to day. Always moving on after one day. It is the only life he has known. New parents, rooms, physical appearance, and surroundings every day. Good days and bad days. Painful days and happy days. Each day passes with new experiences for “A”, but never adding up to a past or history to hold on to and see grow over time. Can you imagine saying goodbyes every day? To survive, A swears to never get attached or involved in the individual lives he inhabits for the day. Until he meets Rhiannon. A girl that changes A’s day to day life and perhaps much more.

An instant spark, chemistry, and “enormity” between two souls is so rare in life, so when it does happen—good gods—hold on tight! A is Justin, Rhiannon’s boyfriend for the day, when he meets and falls for Rhiannon’s energy, spirit, and beauty. They click. The universe seems to say be happy today together.

”The moment you fall in love feels like it has centuries behind it, generations—all of them rearranging themselves so that this precise, remarkable intersection could happen. In your heart, in your bones, no matter how silly you know it is, you feel that everything has been leading to this, all the secret arrows were pointing here, the universe and time itself crafted this long ago, and you are just now realizing it, you are just now arriving at the place you were always meant to be.”

For the first time, in a long time, A needs more than just one day. He longs for more with Rhiannon. Is it possible to fall in love with someone that has no idea who he/she will be from one day to the next? How can love last under such conditions? How does love last from day to day? Very bittersweet and inspiring thoughts and emotions ran through me with A’s struggle for love. A journey that will impact each reader and heart differently. We all see, feel, and experience the world through different eyes and hearts. So I wonder what you will see in these pages.

One of my favorite parts of this book was A’s spirit. With care, integrity, and a sense of responsibility, A sets out each day to survive and move through the time without interfering, disrupting or connecting with the people and places around him. Do you realize how many people really do live like that in life? Not connecting with anyone or anything. Breaks and terrifies my heart. The fact I fell in love with A without an actual physical appearance or place to focus or hang on to is jaw-droppingly brilliant! Levithan infused A’s life with a spirit and love that jumped right into my own heart and blood. A contagious energy filled with inspiration and push to look for the good in life each and every day. :)

Now please prepare for fan-girl gushing in 3, 2, 1…. I am a Levithan girl. The man makes me happy! The love for words and language appears in every page and description which seems to fit perfectly in my reading heart. He is my number one word man! Oh, the words! The dictionary is never far when reading a Levithan story. :D But it’s more than just his word choice. A feeling lives in his words. A wish-you-well-in-the-world type feeling. The way he looks at the world and portrays it on the page pumps and inspires new life and energy in my heart. Spending time in a David Levithan world is magic. I feel better after visiting. Listen to the way he describes playground swings—“I head to the swings and hang in the air for awhile.” Or the approaching fall time—“Color is right around the corner.” Or pain as “being left in a room after the door has been slammed shut”. Those lines seem so simple, but heart-achingly beautiful to me. Pure reading magic! *sigh*

Oops! I swooned on and on there for a bit. Hehe….Back on track now. :D

Every Day is a book to savor and experience. Each voice, character, and day continues to hit me over and over the more I think about the words and story. A book filled with the power of love, loss, friendship, family, communication, and the bonds that tie us all together. We all have full days and “blank days”, but I do hope you take time to enjoy this world.

Highly recommended. This story will be one of those days and memories that stick with you. :)

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

the thing that's amazing about this book is that it proves that even if a straight white boy embodies a new person every day, across genders and sexualities and races, cultures and classes and locations, he STILL manages to be boring.

the other thing that's amazing about this book is nothing else.

part of my review-books-i-read-a-long-time-ago-as-if-no-one-is-watching series

[Komal · Rating 1 out of 5]

David Levithan formed the perfect hypothesis, but he failed to design an experiment, plan an observation or conduct a research and quench the bits which mattered the most. Instead, he took the easier route out and declared the result unreachable when it could have, so easily, been created right out of the never-emptying vaults of his mind.

Sometimes, an author gets a brilliant idea, an idea that is out of this world, untried, new and unique and awaiting to challenge him and his readers alike. David Levithan had had such an idea occur to him: an idea that is an instant appeal to any audience curious enough. An idea that has so many countless possibilities and doors open for exploration and knowledge and rides of humongous thrills and fictious amusement. An idea which draws its power from the intriguing absurdity of it. Once you spot the synopsis, you can not not wonder what the story is about and would be like (unless you're some form of an oppressor of fantasy or just plain dismisser of anything one-of-a-kind). Even if you wouldn't read, you'd still wonder... and then perhaps turn that wonder into a plan to find out what it's all about.
This was all that I felt when I picked up Every Day. Plus the whole sweet whiff of romance sounded so warm and nice.

Every single dedicated chapter of the book was a sword digging deeper and deeper into my Nerve of Tolerance. You seem to be a man of wide-margined and unbound imaginations, but Mr. Levithan, I hope you realize the kind of opportunity you passed up on by leading this book into a direction completely regretful and extremely far from where I pictured it would be going. This book, the magnificent idea it harbours, could have turned into such a SWELL fiction, or an urban fantasy or any other tale of sorts. But you, Sir, you left all the questions unanswered and plunged your eye-brow raising idea into the deepest seas of confused emotions and a muddle of love.
I never got what I was actually looking for in the book. I was looking for the paths lighting ways deeper into the theory you created, woe is me.

There should be a mention, however, of David Levithan's writing style which is unexpectedly compelling and has a tone of 'factualness' about it - a tone I find quite endearing, hence making my regrets of the story going downwhill inflate in size. No exaggerations in his words or portrayals of destestable and time-wasting thoughts.

Read this only if you're a reader who cares not for logic, solutions, depth of exploration of ideas, characters with definite genders and a sense of morality and a story of sound closure. A treasure of an idea gone to utter waste - right from the beginning.

Kathryn's review sums up all my questions and opinions on this novel pretty nicely:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!

Every Day by David Levithan is a unique, emotional, and thought-provoking book. I can't say I've read anything quite like this book before. I enjoyed it, but I have mixed emotions about how I felt about the ending and the story itself.

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.

A's life is unpredictable in the sense that every day, A wakes up as a different person. There are a few things that are the same- A is always the same age, and always in the same area. It's been like that from the moment A was born, as far as A can tell. It's been the way it is and has never bothered A much, until one day A is in a guy named Justin's body and meets a girl named Rhiannon. Rhiannon changes everything. A wants to spend every day with Rhiannon, no mater who's body is being inhabited at the moment. And that makes things complicated.

I loved the premise of this story, and I really loved the character of A. Rhiannon I had mixed feelings about, but she wasn't in an easy situation so I cut her some slack. I'm not sure if I loved the ending, it definitely broke my heart a bit. I do feel, however, it was true to A's character. I can't imagine going through something like this. This book made me think, and truly made me feel. I loved the writing and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author, and seeing the film as well!

[Ecmel Soylu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yerle bir olmuş gibi hissediyorum :')

İki satır bir şey yazıp hemen gidicem çünkü kitabı okumak için yapmam gereken ne varsa erteledim ve şuan nefes almadan hazırlanmam lazım.

Akşama doğru "Ay biraz okuyayım, zaten yarın yola çıkıcaz yanıma alırım." düşüncesiyle başlayan eylemlerim, yerimden kalkmadan kitabı bitirmemle sona ermiş bulunmakta. Her şeyi çok sevdim ama bahsedecek vaktim yok dediğim gibi ama şuna değinmeden geçemicem, bazen yazarlar felsefi düşüncelerini, ilişkiler, hayat, aşk ile ilgili hissettiklerini de eserlerine aktarıyorlar ama çok ama çok azı bunu doğru şekilde yapabiliyor. Alakasız bir şekilde birden felsefe yapmaya çalışan o kadar fazla yazara rastladım ki. İşte David Levithan bunu mükemmel bir şekilde yapmış. Okuduğunuzda kendinizle ilişkilendireceğiniz ya da "Offf çok doğru söylüyo bu adam ya." diyebileceğiniz mükemmel yerler vardı. Çok fazla paragrafı, cümleyi işaretledim. Bayıldım bu kitaba.

[Always Pouting · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book is quite interesting and I did stay up reading this late into the morning, mostly to see where it was going to go. Honestly though I didn't feel interested in reading the sequel afterwards. I didn't realize this was YA and aimed at a younger audience which would have been better to know upfront. I think the writing felt a little immature and at times the author was a little heavy handed in spelling out beliefs, in terms of gender and religion. Even though I align with him on a lot of those things it felt a bit much to have it just stated like that without any allusion etc. I do think it's an interesting and easy to read book though. It poses a lot of good questions about personhood as well. Just wish I had realized beforehand that it would be aimed at a younger audience, but as always that's on me for not looking into what books are about before picking them up.

[Leslie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this last November, but I'm just getting around to reviewing it now because I heard that "Every Day" got nominated for a Lambda Award (which celebrates excellence in LGBT literature) in the Children's/YA category and that immediately rekindled my anger towards this book.

First of all: Lambda, I notice that you have 10 nominees for Children's/YA. That's a bit much, don't you think? That's basically every YA/children's book featuring a gay character, isn't it. Have higher standards for yourselves, for Gary's sake. If you go around handing nominations to every Tom, Dick, and Horace, people will be laughing at you behind your behind. Much like the Oscars with their 10 nominees for Best Picture, where once it was but a mere five -- now the Oscars are such a joke, they let the guy from "Family Guy" host it.

Second: It annoys tremendously how much I wanted to love this book, and how disappointed I was when I finally read it. I liked "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," which David Levithan co-authored with John Green. Was that book trite at times? Make that a lot of times? Yes; but it also had scattered moments of wit and piquancy, and trust me, I don't use "piquancy" lightly -- mostly because I have no idea what it means, but still. It was a decent book.

The concept -- "A" is a mysterious sentient entity who wakes up every day in a new body, and falls in love with the same girl -- is brilliant. That alone made me want to throw down everything else and just dive in. (Bad idea when you're experimenting with test tubes full of acids or holding a baby, by the way.) A fantasy romance is one of my top ten genres of romance, and when there's originality afoot -- rare as it is -- I get excited.

This story, however, is not a romance. Unless you consider stalking somebody and manipulating their emotions and fucking around with the memories of the body of the person you're inhabiting romantic, and I do not. "A" reeks of the typical Nice Guy. I get it, Rhiannon (yes, that's the girl he/she/it falls in love with -- I know, the name also made me raise an eyebrow too) is the most special girl in the world. She's absolutely beautiful and amazing in every little way, and nobody knows it, not even herself -- except, of course, you. You're only one capable of loving and appreciating her. Not the scumbag boyfriend she's currently in love with for no reason. And it's up to you to save her from her douche of a boyfriend -- to save her from her own bad judgment and poor decision-making skills -- for you to swoop in, become her best friend and confidante and then when she's ready to open her eyes and accept that her boyfriend sucks and dumps his ass, she'll totally fall in love with you. This is basically the fantasy that every Nice Guy makes up for himself, and there's nothing remotely original about that.

For once, can the female love interest in a novel or a One Direction song who happens to be beautiful and amazing in every little way despite there being no known evidence to substantiate her awesomesauceness -- can she be conscious that she's awesome? Can she possess the minimum IQ and self-awareness required to know that she's pretty and smart and has a good personality? I'm not sure why it's admirable for a woman or girl to be so stupid and have such a low self-esteem that she doesn't know a thing about herself.

In that same vein: Can she also be given credit for knowing what's good for her and what's not? The problem with Nice Guys like A (and I'll get back to A in a minute) is that they think they know what's best for their "love interest" -- which is, of course, himself. It never matters to them how the girl/woman feels. The Nice Guys will manipulate and downright lie in the guise of being "nice" to the love object (and object the girl/woman always is) when, really, it's always about getting what the Nice Guy wants.

Now, Rhiannon seems like every other teenage girl in the U.S. of A. I see nothing that suggests that she's the next Xena the Warrior Princess but that's neither here nor there. The point is, she should be allowed to make her own mistakes, if mistakes they truly are. That's just an essential part of life. If anyone has the right to make her decisions, it should her and her parents -- until she's 18, and then it's nobody else. A doesn't give Rhiannon that much credit, and gets frustrated with her for not wanting to be with him/her/it unconditionally, regardless of how he/she/it looks, male or female, fat or thin. Yeah, like it's such an irrational request to want to fall in love with someone who has the same body every day. Or for a straight thin girl to be attracted only to straight thin males. Guess we didn't realize what kind of a stuck-up bitch she was.

Perhaps the biggest failing of "Every Day" is David Levithan's complete lack of nuance. He wants every sentence to be poetry, to be a nugget of irrefutable, profound wisdom on love that he crams down our gullets like we're too stupid to chew. He's trying to make grand gestures, trying to convey universal truths -- you know, bullshit. It's basically philosophy for people who don't know the first thing about philosophy. Wisdom cannot be found in "universal" statements (if such a thing exists); to find Truth, you must look to the specific, to the minutiae. (LOL, that sounds almost like a line from "Every Day" -- yeah, it's that bad.) In extension, A is intended as a metaphor for the "unconditionality" (IS THAT EVEN A WORD?) of love, that love knows no gender, no race, no body size, and all that hackneyed shit. Yet, even though we're supposed to think of A as an entity that has consciousness but no corporeal identity of its own -- meaning it presumably has no gender, race, sexual orientation, size, etc until it occupies the body of random person who's lucky enough to host A unwittingly (oh yeah, did I mention that A's Host of the Day never realizes they've been somebody's meat suit for 24 hours; except for this one boy who becomes a bit of a nuisance, but that storyline, which could have taken us to exciting and thrilling new realms, goes nowhere, WHAT THE FUCK) -- and we're therefore supposed to think of A as a "universal" voice without bias or prejudice, at no point did I believe A was anything other than a straight white male. Mostly because of all of the above. Interesting, considering that David Levithan, although white and male, is gay. It's a common white (male) fantasy -- the idea that a white voice can co-opt and authentically replicate the voices and experiences of people of all different racial, ethnic, gendered, and sexual backgrounds because white people are apparently neutral and can therefore speak for anyone and everyone. But that's a kettle of fish that I don't have time to touch right now. (Believe me, I'm busy enough touching all these other fish.)

In any case, I didn't find this book romantic or fantastic at all and I find mass murdering for love fantastically romantic. That's saying something (about me, I think). It ends in extreme seediness when, in a final act of manipulation, *SPOILER ALERT* A actually sets up a guy for Rhiannon to fall in love with by messing with the poor guy's memories. Like, I'm going to leave you alone, but let me fix you up with a nice boy that you can fuck and eventually marry and have kids with in my place. Nothing says eternal, selfless love like an arranged marriage.

I'm tired. Did any of this make sense? Don't care; I'm going to read a better book now. Oh, there's another book I read a while ago that I need to review that totally pisses me off, but I don't have the strength or time. Tomorrow is another day!

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I knew I was going to give 5 stars from page one. It's just brilliant.
I loved every single thing about it. I loved the writing style, characters, story, how it dealt with sooo many important themes... just everything. I especially enjoyed reading from A's point of view. I loved his way of thinking so much.

And it really made me think about life, and some things that I haven't thought about before. And I love when a book does that.

Can't wait for to sequel to come out, 'cause I'm going to read it the day it does.

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25* MY HEART HURTS. 😭

Every Day has to be one of the most interesting and unique stories I've ever read. I wasn't too sure what to expect going into it but I definitely wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I loved how it explored so many aspects of humanity, how we look at others and what makes us who we are. We got to delve into the lives of so many different people, in such an intimate way and it was absolutely fantastic. I picked this up on a total whim and I'm so happy that I did. I couldn't give it a higher rating due to a single chapter full of body shaming that was demeaning, unnecessary and disappointing to read but other than that, I thought every other aspect of this book was thought provoking, heartbreaking and so incredibly captivating that I found myself completely unwilling to put it down.

[Fabian {Councillor} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Day is a peculiar book with a very original theme - a book about a character who wakes up in the body of a different person every day. One day A, our main protagonist, might be a boy who treats his girlfriend badly, another day A might wake up as a girl addicted to drugs ... but whatever the body A awakens in is like, A's mind always remains the same. A grows with the experiences, learns the same things others do ... only A has to adapt to different environments, A has to learn that there is nobody who will ever accompany A on the way through a difficult life which will never allow A to settle down in one specific body, no matter how hard A longs for such an experience.

“I am a drifter, and as lonely as that can be, it is also remarkably freeing. I will never define myself in terms of anyone else. I will never feel the pressure of peers or the burden of parental expectation. I can view everyone as pieces of a whole, and focus on the whole, not the pieces. I have learned to observe, far better than most people observe. I am not blinded by the past or motivated by the future. I focus on the present because that is where I am destined to live.”

Isn't it incredibly sad to imagine having to live a life the way A has to? And yet A managed to find a way to embrace the possibilities life has to offer, to accept this fate and still remain A's own self.

A is genderless, though the topic of gender has been ignored by Levithan throughout most of the book, and even if the topic was close to being brought up, the author quickly managed to drift around it. Levithan's presumable uncomfortability with discussing gender as a part of A's identity disappointed me, just like the author's decision to let another plot point fall aside at the end of the novel - a plot point which had originally raised my interest, only to be dropped almost immediately.

This is a story about a person's love for somebody else, a love which cannot be broken even by something as insurmountable as what A has to experience. Usually, I'm not a fan of romance stories. A lot of them are either more about the sexual aspects (a trend fed by recent successes such as Fifty Shades) or are cheesy and a tad too unbelievable to be true (hello, Mr. Sparks). David Levithan jumped on the bandwagon with Nicholas Sparks and created a perfectly cheesy love story, with the girl A falls in love with being the kind of person all of us have already met - there was nothing surprising or too interesting about her. Yet, for some reason, the author made me not mind this fact at all, and I found myself enjoying this book immensely after my initial doubts about whether or not Levithan would succeed in making me care about A's fate. He did.

Apparently, there are a lot of mixed opinions for this novel, so if you are interested in the concept of the story, I'd recommend giving it a try. Fast-paced and built upon an interesting premise, this will probably not turn out to be a book you'll regret having read.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! 😮 Why didn't I read this sooner?! I've known about this book for years! And the trailer from the movie made me wanna read it now. Thank God for it!
So... I really liked the idea of the book. Original, like nothing else. If I could live every day in someone else's body, I would read every day without feeling guilty that I have to prepare things for the next day or that I have certain responsibilities for my future. Because there would be no consequences!
I am so curious how the movie will be. Because there were so many characters in this book. I don't think the movie will respect the book 100%, but still... I really wanna see it.
I have no idea how this felt for Rhiannon, but the next book is from her point of view, so I guess the questions I have now, will be answered if I read Another Day (the second book in the series).
On the other side, poor guy. To switch bodies every day and knowing he will never have a normal life. It must be really hard for him. I would like to experience this one day, no more!
In conclusion: amazing book! I totally recommend it! 👍

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE....



With that said, I put this book as one of my favorites. When I finished my feelings were all over the place, that I needed time to collect them. Now its been months and this book still makes my heart beat faster, my palms get sweaty, and I am eager to see where "A" will be next. You see this is a tale like no other. David Levithan has messed with my head, in a way that I am grateful for. He made me think and choose between ideas and feelings I never thought I would want to choose from.




I don't know how this works. Or why. I stopped trying to figure it out a long time ago. I'm never going to figure it out, any more than a normal person will figure out his or her own existence. After a while, you have to be at peace with the fact you simply are. There is no way to know why. You can have theories, but there will never be proof.


This is a question that "A" never really had to think about, he was whatever he would be for that day. Never really needed to know in way, because he could be a drug addict, high school jock, or a shy young girl.
For everyday is a new day for him. Everyday day is a mystery. Everyday is a new place. Everyday is a new home. Everyday is new views. Everyday is a new body. Everyday is new mind. And everyday "A" just goes through motions. Never really attaching to his host, just tapping enough to get through the day. Day after day, this was his life.

Then he wakes up in Justin's body. Justin is not special, he is a grungy self centered adolescent teenager. But todays he's "A", and today "A's" life will be forever changed. For today "A" meets Justin's girlfriend Rhiannon. Most days Justin treats Rhiannon like crap, but today "A" is Justin and as much he tries to stick to the plan, he can't. All it took was one day, one person to make him think to want more for himself. For the first time in his 16 years of existence he questions everything. Why is he like this? Is there more like him? is he really a she? More importantly how to stay connected to the one you love when your someone different everyday, and how does she fall in love with you? How does she meet you and not the body you are currently? Like I said, this book is very unconventional and very forward thinking. You might not be able to see past "A's" exterior to see him, but if you read openly I promise you that you will. Forget how, what , where, or who... it's the only way to allow your brain to be able to absorb the beauty that is this book. After you still might go back to your same beliefs and thats ok. But I promise it will be a book you will never forget, because "A" will leave his mark on you.






I am the walrus. I'm nobody-who are you? Let all the dreamers wake the nation...





Before we say goodbye, she kissed me with everything she has. And I try to kiss her back with everything I want. This is the nice note, I can't help thinking. But just like a sound, as soon as the note hits the air, it begins to fade.

[Grace (BURTSBOOKS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Every day is a book about a person/being called A that switches bodies every day. One day when A is in the body of a boy named Justin, A falls in love with Justin's girlfriend. This book is a hit or miss type of book and while I understand a lot of the criticisms it gets I quite enjoyed it.

The concept of Everyday to me is extremely interesting. The idea of a genderless being moving from body to body daily is captivating and although some of the rules surrounding this concept are a little underdeveloped I still enjoyed it. I found the lack of concreteness surrounding the logistics of A's existence to add to the story. To those who often read highly detailed and sensical fantasy, sci-fi and dystopian novels I would not be surprised if you do not enjoy this novel. I quite enjoyed the vagueness to it which I know is problem among a lot of people. The lack of guidelines and rules though left me thinking about what they could be for days and I liked creating my own versions of them.

I also loved the writing in this book. David Levithan never disappoints me. Everytime I read a book of his I am writing notes and leaving sticky notes on every page, marking my favourite passages and exposition. I am a sucker for beautiful writing, like most of us are, and this book was full of it. Paired with the beautiful writing was the wonderful aspect of the daily change in A's perception of the world. Each day in a new body A sees the word and them self a little bit differently. Levithan writes this change of pov so well, it was my favourite part of the whole book. I have recommended this book solely for this element.

So the romance of this book. It is 100% insta romance. So that's a problem. Also in the first few chapters, A literally stalks Rhiannon(whilst in other people's bodies) so that's also a problem. That being said however the romance of this book didn't bother me.

That's not to say I liked it, I didn't, I didn't at all. I just liked all the other elements so much that I could look past it. I found myself reading this book so quickly for that reason alone, I zoomed past all the romance centred parts to get to the actual good stuff. Then again this is a lot easier said than done. I never read a book for the romance so I have a lot of practise ignoring romance arcs(especially in YA) whether it's an insta love stalker story or not. If however you are going into this book expecting an original love story about gender/looks/body type/skin colour being unimportant, you're fresh out of luck. The love story is classic one-sided love at first sight. Nice "guy" "fixes" sad invisible girl(I say nice guy because although A made it perfectly clear they didn't identify as either binary gender Rhiannon was insistent on referring to A as a boy.) Rhiannon also visibly changes the way she treats A when their not in the body of a skinny good looking boy so the notion of outward appearance not mattering is lost.

All in all, Everyday is a good book with a lot of interesting well-written elements. I would leave out the romance if I could but I would definitely recommend this book. I wouldn't go as far as calling it a favourite but it was a good reading experience.

[Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I immediately started sobbing after closing the book because I am just devastated to be leaving it behind me. I can definitely imagine how A must feel every day when A wakes up as someone else. My heart hurts. This book was phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. I'm terrified to read the sequel bc of just how much this book meant to me.

Also- RHIANNON. She was just.. Amazing. David Levithan wrote her so well. I feel like I fell in love with her right alongside A. I JUST CAN'T WITH THIS BOOK. I'm feeling so many feels.

[Lazaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was magnificent. It was a heart-stopping read. It was too realistic without being non-fiction.

A boy who changes bodies every day. A girl who's helplessly in love with someone who doesn't return her love. What can these two have in common? Everything and nothing.

It's a heartbreaking love story told from the perspective of a boy who's only ever known impermanence. Every day he wakes up in someone else's body, he gets to be that person, he gets access to their memories and to their lives and no one realizes what's happened when they wake up the next day. They only get that vague feeling that yesterday was an uneventful day.

He calls himself A. This is the only way he's going to be able to hold on to some part of himself. The only way to keep remembering that he's not inexistent, the only way to remind himself that he's a real person, a human being who cannot do anything about the way his life is.

"It's just - I know it sounds like an awful way to live, but I've seen so many things. It's so hard when you're in one body to get a sense of what life is really like. You're so grounded in you who you are. But when who you are changes every day - you get to touch the universal more. Even the most mundane details. You see how cherries taste different to different people. Blue looks different. You see all the strange rituals boys have to show affection without admitting it. You learn that if a parent reads to you at the end of the day, it's a good sign that it's a good parent, because you've seen so many other parents who don't make the time. You learn how much a day is truly worth, because they're all so different. If you ask most people what the difference was between Monday and Tuesday, they might tell you what they had for dinner each night. Not me. By seeing the world from so many angles, I get more of a sense of its dimensionality."

If you read this make sure that you are ready for the world to change forever. Be sure that you want your perspective of life to be changed. Make sure that you're not retrogressive. Read this and get ready to be changed.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a complicated relationship with this book. On the one hand, the premise is SUPER GREAT. He bodyswaps every single day, but I really could've used even more bodyswapping. UGH BODYSWAPPING, I WANT TO ROLL AROUND IN IT. And I read the whole book in a day, which, like, I barely even finish books anymore, so that's impressive, and there is definitely huge talent in writing something where the reader wants to know what happens next. The storyline with Nathan was greaaaaaat (except for the letdown at the end of A not wanting to know more about Poole -- UGH, SPEC FICTION HEROES, PLEASE ALWAYS WANT TO KNOW MORE) and several of the bodyswapping minidramas were super compelling (the depressed girl, the siblings toward the beginning) and frankly, I wish the whole book had been like that.

However. The romance is the blandest bland thing in all Blandtopia, and unfortunately it's pretty much the A plot here. The only reason I could see that A loves Rhiannon so much is that she seems to him like a vulnerable waif who needs to be rescued from her allegedly horrible boyfriend. (A is the biggest Nice Guy TM you've ever read, it's gross.) Speaking of which, A is allegedly raceless and genderless, but I am using the male pronoun because he comes across suuuuuuper like a white dude, because it's pretty rare for any other demographic to be as condescending as he often is. (Haha is that mean? It's true, anyway.) Which, also, he talks about being attracted to a PERSON not a GENDER in that annoying way that smug bisexuals sometimes do when they believe that their uncontrollable sexual preference is more open-minded and so morally superior to other people's uncontrollable sexual preferences. Ugh.

I think the unexamined privilege of the author is what damages the book the most for me. He's trying to write a book about what it would be like to exist without the external things that define all of us (race, gender, sexuality, family, etc) but he's a white dude and he writes like a white dude. I mean, how could you not? But I don't think he really understands what it's like to have people NOT automatically take your opinions as more important than other people's. And I think it comes across as though the default state of being human -- what's normal, what everyone would be like if they didn't have a body -- is like a white man. Which our culture assumes all the time, so it's not weird he would unconsciously think that, but it makes for a much less interesting book.

Anyway. On the plus side, gay and trans people exist and are treated respectfully. (He gets suuuuuuper preachy about gay rights, though. Nothing he says is wrong, except the tone of wanting a cookie for having, like, a bare minimum of human decency.) On the minus side, the chapter where he bodyswaps into a fat person is the most horrifyingly offensive thing I've ever read.

So, um, it's a mixed bag, is what I'm saying.