‘Every Day’ by David Levithan is a Thought-Provoking Romance With a Sci-Fi Bend

Hey all! I’m happy to introduce another new book reviewer. Welome, Kate! Here’s a little bit about her:

I have two great loves in this world, which are caring for animals and science fiction/fantasy. I am currently working as a Senior Pet Care Specialist at a PetSmart PetsHotel. In my spare time I consume all forms of science fiction and fantasy, from movies and TV shows to books! By far my favorite sci fi TV show is Stargate SG-1 but my current obsessions are Dr. Who and Dexter. Whenever I find time I am also reading, which usually means reading in place of sleeping. Some of my favorite books include the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn, Life of Pi by Yann Martel and anything written by Tamora Pierce. But a list of all the books, movie and TV show I love could go on forever. I just want to say I couldn’t be happier getting the chance to share my love with all of you!

For her first review Kate scored David Levithan’s lovely Every Day, which has quite the buzz around it and is already a New York Times bestseller. What’s it about? Take it away, Kate!

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For my first ever book review I got the chance to read David Levithan’s Every Day. Right away the idea stuck with me: what if you woke up in the body of a different person every day? Not just to inhabit their body, but to access their memories and truly live their life for just one day. It’s such a simple idea, such a wonderful idea. Each chapter is a new day, and each new day is a new life.

“A” is a sixteen year old boy. But A isn’t always a sixteen year old boy. He has spent his entire life shifting from one person’s life to the next. When he awakes each morning he can access the memories of the body he finds himself in, but it’s like a biography: all the details are there, just not the emotions.  Just enough to get by with no one noticing the difference, and this is what A wants: to go unnoticed. That is until he meets Rhiannon, the first person that A wants to notice him; the problem is that A is in Justin’s body. Justin is Rhiannon’s boyfriend. A does everything that he can to give Rhiannon the perfect day, because that is all he thinks he can give. Just one day.

However, A can’t forget Rhiannon in the morning, in the next body. But how do you explain that you are the same person in a new body? How to you make them believe? This is what A has to do, convince Rhiannon. While A stays about the same age, he doesn’t stay in the same place. One day he is an hour away from her, the next 3 or 4 hours away, but also sometimes the same town. This makes finding opportunities for A and Rhiannon to see each other difficult. Even harder is that A isn’t always a boy. While A thinks nothing of this, it may be his biggest hurdle in making Rhiannon understand. A has never thought of himself as male or female (I find myself using the male pronouns because that is how I pictured A, and referring to A as “it” doesn’t feel right).

A has also always been very careful about going unnoticed. Until he trips up and a host remembers not being in control of his body. This causes A to start questioning himself and what he does. He begins to wonder if he is the only one out there.

I loved this book. I couldn’t stop reading, and  I couldn’t stop thinking about it. While the concept drew me in, it is the writing that makes this book shine. I really felt like I knew each and every one of these characters that we get to meet so briefly. Every chapter was like starting a new book. At the beginning of each chapter Levithan introduces you to a new character and a new household. The people that A inhabits are so varied that I think anyone can find something to relate to in this book.

At the heart this book is a love story between A and Rhiannon. But through all of A’s host bodies we get to experience love in so many facets. The love between parents and children, between siblings, the exciting love a new relationship, the comforting love of a partner that see the real you, and even how life can be with the lack of love. What I found refreshing and intriguing about the relationships in this book is how Levithan didn’t restrict himself to heterosexual relationships. We see female-female relationships, male-male relationships and a very endearing couple with a transgender female and his girlfriend.

I found this book to be a thought-provoking romance with a definite sci-fi bend, and I loved every minute of it. You’ll want to cry, laugh and cheer for these wonderful characters.

Every Day hit shelves on August 28th, 2012.