Review: Every Day – David Levithan

Posted 24 February, 2016 by Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 35 Comments

Review: Every Day – David LevithanEvery Day by David Levithan
Series: Every Day #1
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on 28 August 2012
Genres: Young Adult
Pages: 322
Format: Kindle
Source: Kindle Purchase
5 Stars

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.

Every Day is a unique story in which A wakes up in a new body every day, and has to live the life of that person for one day.

Review - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Every Day is well written, and it is more than just A’s story, because A is like just a consciousness, no gender. And getting to know A is like getting to know someone who doesn’t see the world the same way most people do, both because of changing every day, and also because of not knowing why this happens, how to deal with it, or if it’s possible to stop moving around from body to body each day. The story is both a love story and a mystery, and once A meets Rhiannon, there is a new kind of life that coud open up for A, but it would be at the expense of someone else.

I enjoyed learning about A and that solitary life of waking up in a new body each day. Rhiannon was mostly a normal girl, with a boyfriend who didn’t necessarily love her all that much. Her life was complicated in some ways, and rather straight forward in others. When she first met A, it was as if her boyfriend had completely changed, and she spent the best day of her life. When A needed to find her again, and showed up as different people at her school, she found it difficult to believe A at first, up until a moment when there were just too many things strangers knew that only A could know about.

I’m not even sure what genre I’d put Every Day in, it’s a strange story, unique, and it shows that our true nature has nothing to do with the body our conscience is inside of, and that while we may be shaped by our environment, that’s not the only thing shaping us. Written in first person point of view from A’s perspective, and in present tense, the story is moving and both tender and a little sad.

Fave Quotes - (un)Conventional Bookviews

Every day I am someone else. I am myself – I know I am myself – but I am also someone else. It has always been like this.

It’s hard being in the body of someone you don’t like, because you still have to respect it. I’ve harmed people’s lives in the past, and I’ve found that every time I slip up, it haunts me. So I try to be careful.

I have learned how 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.

Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.

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35 responses to “Review: Every Day – David Levithan

  1. I love the premise for this story and it’s one I’ve meant to pick up since it released! Your review has me even more curious especially because of your statement about our true nature. I’ll have to try to work this one into my schedule sooner than later, Lexxie, if only so we can chat about it!
    Happy Wednesday, my friend!! **BIG HUGS**

  2. it’s always so great to have something different and the mix of romance and mystery is always appealing. I remember seeing the book when it was released but I’m ashame to say that I forgot about it. thanks for reminding me!

  3. This sounds like a very interesting story. It is nothing something that I would’ve picked up on my own or by the cover. As you know, I’m not a huge YA fan, but this might be something I’ll have to check out. Like you, I’m not sure what genre I would call this, maybe science fiction?? Great review. I’m going to add this to my ever growing TBR pile. Thanks for sharing Lexxie.

    Melanie Simmons @mlsimmons recently posted: Grave Visions Audiobook by Kalayna Price (REVIEW)
  4. I read this book a couple of years ago, and I loved it! Jeg likte spesielt god at forfatteren lot A våkne opp i forskjellige kropper med forskjellige utfordringer og problemer som vi alle kan kjenne oss igjen i. Denne boken satt i meg lenge etter at jeg var ferdig med å lese den 🙂

    • It is very different, Jeann. And A is so amazing! The thing about the no gender is something that really appealed to me, because I think even when we try not to, we tend to anticipate certain reactions from people based on their gender, but that just couldn’t fully apply to A.

  5. ARG I OWN this novel but I seriously have not read it because I keep putting it off, but coming from a childhood that grew up with an obsession with Quantum Leap, I should pick this up. I might make it a Forgotten Friday Pick, since it sounds so appealing.

    Lyn Kaye recently posted: How To Be Friendly on Social Media
    • It’s really so very interesting, and now that you mention it, I guess it could kind of be compared to Quantum Leap. Apart from the fact that A is younger, and doesn’t have a guide to help out in any way 🙂 I hope you’ll find the time to read it soon, Lyn.

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