Every Day by David Levithan

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In David Levithan’s book, Every Day, “A” wakes up in a new body every morning. Without any real identity, gender, or concrete past, A has known this way of life since birth. Every day, A experiences a new life, a new body, and a new mind, reaching the conclusion and acceptance that they will never have a life that is truly their own. However, A’s contentment in life seemingly changes when they inhabit the body of Justin, Rhiannon’s boyfriend. After spending one day with Rhiannon, A is undoubtedly in love with her and cannot get her out of their mind. Ever since that day, A makes it a point to reach Rhiannon in any way they can, taking whatever body they wake up in and going to her. At first, it begins as happy encounters with strangers that seem to be coincidence from Rhiannon’s perspective, but soon their communication takes the form of email exchanges. When A finally feels compelled to tell Rhiannon the truth, she is skeptical, but ultimately, is convinced and intrigued. A and Rhiannon begin dating, each day bringing a new obstacle along with a new body. After a series of failed dates and unkept promises, Rhiannon breaks up with A, not for lack of love, but in an attempt to regain her life. Although in despair, A keeps switching bodies until they wake up in the body of Alexander. Once A gets to know Alexander, A decides to meet with Rhiannon to give her a chance at real love. A meets Rhiannon as Alexander, implanting all the love and important memories they have collected, and leaves her with Alexander in a gloomy goodbye. Without Rhiannon, A chooses to go on a journey of self-discovery to find out if there are others that suffer this fate and if it can be stopped.

Every Day is intended for young adult readers. It is suitable for high school students, as there are sensitive topics that are discussed frequently, such as homosexuality, sex, drugs, underage drinking, and violence. While the nature of the book is mostly thought-provoking, it does include several scenes that would require an appropriate maturity level. With each change in body, A is driven into experiencing life from another perspective. From this, the book derives its major strength by literally stepping into another person’s shoes for a day. The reader is exposed to the life of a drug addict, the life of an alcoholic, the life of a girl that is suicidal, and the life of a goody two-shoes amongst many others. Through this, the reader learns about life choices, repercussions, and gratitude. Psychology and sociology teachers might find this book to be valuable in their classrooms, as they have a multitude of behaviors to study. Likewise, English teachers will find that this book offers many opportunities to inference throughout the story, as well as hold researched debates concerning the aspect of morality as it pertains to the entire concept of the book.

This novel was certainly not what I expected. While it is farfetched, it does emotionally engage the reader into different realities and the unfairness of life. Throughout A’s daily life, I found myself wandering in other people’s shoes, basking in their misfortune or normality. As an avid people watcher, I frequently find myself wondering what is going on in the lives of others, and this book gave me the satisfaction of feeling present elsewhere even if for a short amount of time. The love that A and Rhiannon share is a representation of inner beauty and true love. While that is made blatantly clear, it is an important notion for youth to consider as there is more to life than appearances. I think the book does a great job of mixing spirituality, morality, and inner beauty while presenting a modern, but tragic love story.

If readers are left unsatisfied, the story is told from Rhiannon’s perspective in the novel, Another Day, and A and Rhiannon’s journey returns in the sequel, Some Day!

Every Day was turned into a movie in early 2018! Based on the trailer, it seems the theatrical version is very similar to the book, and attracts viewers by mixing humor in the storyline. Watch the movie trailer below:

Levithan, D. (2012). Every Day. New York City, United States of America: Alfred A. Knopf.

Levithan, D. (2017). Another Day. New York City, United States of America: Random House Children's Books.

Levithan, D. (2018). Someday. New York City, United States of America: Knopf Books for Young Readers.