Review | Every Day by David Levithan

Author: David Levithan
Published: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA, Contemporary, fantasy

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

This was a book that was assigned for my American Diaspora class this semester. Being prejudice towards assigned readings, I honestly didn't expect it to be that great. Needless to say, this book as FANTASTIC.

A is a person without a body. Every day, they wake up in some stranger's body. Boy, girl, gay, straight, etc, the specifics aren't important. All that matters is that the other person is the same age as A and in relative geographical proximity to the last person A was in. There's no rhyme or reason to why A is like this. They were just born that way (though that does beg an interesting question on if A was hopping around fetus to fetus?).

Just when A has resigned themselves to their unstable life, A hops into the body of Justin and meets Rhiannon, Justin's girlfriend. Cue the insta-love. Rhiannon is "the one," the first person in a long time who has made A wish for continuity, for tomorrow.

What follows next is A attempting to remain with Rhiannon, while dealing with the problems of each new person they inhabit. Each human is diverse, and the book features  depression, homosexuality, illegal immigrants, race, transgender, mean girls, jocks, and nerds.

I loved this book because it forced me to really think about the implications of A's existence. How horrible would it be to not have tomorrow. To never know someone for more than a day. A made me sad because they sacrificed a lot just so others could live. When you think about, A showed incredible self-restraint for a sixteen year old with unimaginable power. A even does people's homework for Pete's sake, instead of breaking the law, getting drunk, and having sex with everyone. A treats each host with respect and tries hard not to disrupt their life too much, to the point of sacrificing his own.


Even with all of the romance plot lines, I really don't think romance was the main point. Certainly acceptance of different types of love was a key lesson, but the romance between Rhiannon and A felt like background noise for all of the other things Levithan wanted to portray. The people who A inhabited were just as important and I found myself falling in love with many of them. I became frustrated when A was yanked away to yet another person. I thought, "Just one more day. One!" Then I realized, this is A every freaking day. *cue angry tears*
I think my favorite chapter was the one where A inhabits Hugo, a gay teen on his way to a gay pride festival with his boyfriend. I thought it was very sweet, and I loved how A tried their best to make sure Hugo and Austin's relationship lasted.

While the whole Rhiannon thing is happening, there is also a religious extremist subplot going on in the background. Nathan, one of A's hosts, thinks he's been possessed by the devil and wants A to come forward and confess what they've done. This is one of the few instances (that A is aware of) that a host realizes he's been possessed (sort of).

Overall, this stupid book made my heart hurt. I was mad at the ending, because I wanted A to be selfish for once. I wanted them to go, "Fuck it, I NEED A LIFE TOO," but at the same time, I don't think I would have liked A if they did make the wrong choice. UGH.

Who is this book recommended for? People who love having their feels ripped apart so bad they never experience happiness again. Bonus points if you love diversity!

Verdict