EVERY DAY by David Levithan

Title: EVERY DAY
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Number of Pages: 336
Source of Book: ARC from NetGalley & publisher at ALA

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.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,
has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a
captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to
comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and
Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined
to change every day.

There’s something poignant and beautiful and humane in all of David Levithan’s writing and EVERY DAY is no exception. It’s a look into the human condition and wants and desires of the soul. It goes beyond the corporeal factors and gets to the heart, while acknowledging that in some circumstances and in some situations, the body is in charge affecting the mind and soul.

I admit I had a weird sense of deja vu while I was reading. I was describing the premise to my librarian and she said it sounds Quantum Leap-ish, and it is in a way. I used to watch that show often, so that may be why.

The suspense of the story kept me turning pages, not wanting to put it down, and staying up too late because I couldn’t stop reading. Each chapter is a different day/person, some longer and some shorter, so there were natural break points, but that also kept me wanting to read to find out what would happen in the next body on the next day. 

What would you do to prove your love for and to someone? To what lengths would you go to see that person? All of these elements and questions are integrated seamlessly into this story along with elements of acceptance and gender and relationships, both romantic and friendly and also family-related. There were sweet moments in all variations of relationships with no judgement and no preaching, just being, which is one of the things I find so strong about Levithan’s writing.

I was left with a feeling of, Huh…that’s it? at the end, but the more I processed and decompressed from it, the more I realized the quietness and rightness and possibilities left by the ending. As A says, “Every person is a possibility.”

How different each person’s life experience must be based on their soul
and body and circumstances. This idea really hit home with
me even more while reading EVERY DAY. What makes a person who they are? There are some universal
questions in this story and they’re addressed in a spectacularly
thoughtful way.