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Every Day

 (picture from Goodreads.com)

1.     

1.       Bibliography

Levithan, David. 2012. EVERY DAY. New York, NY: Random House INC.
              ISBN978-0-375-97111-2

2.       Plot Summary

Self named “A,” has no idea where they will be every day, let alone WHO they will be. Since before they can remember, A wakes up in a new body every morning. A goes about this existence until they meet Rhiannon, and fall in love. Desperate to find a way to stay with her, A begins a search for consistency and acceptance.

A feels the emotions of the person they become. They get their history and are able to pretend to be that person most days without anyone realizing it. A has gone back to see if the people realize their bodies were taken over, and very few even notice because they hold onto vague memories of that day.

So why has this happened to A? Can A try to stay in a body or will they be forever bouncing around, being someone new daily with no real family or friends?

3.       Critical Analysis

Many have read “love” stories where the main characters fight to stay together, but forces beyond their control tear them apart. In Levithan’s novel he takes this trope to a whole new level. Not only can A and Rhiannon not be together, but Rhiannon doesn’t even know WHO A will appear as each day. This leaves the question, can love find a way around that?

 

Apart from the obvious love story, we get a look into the many souls of everyday people. Sometimes A is happy, in a body of a positive, well-liked person. Other days A is in the body of someone who is depressed, and struggles just to exist. The lives of teenagers are put on display as A jumps bodies throughout the novel.

 

The topics of gender are included as A doesn’t know who they are supposed to be, and can be in a male or female body depending on the day. They have no one true identity, as many people feel in society today.

 

4.       Awards/ Reviews
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Booklist • Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review, Booklist, July 1, 2012:
“Levithan has created an irresistible premise that is sure to captivate readers….
[Every Day] is a study in style, an exercise in imagination, and an opportunity for readers themselves to occupy another life: that of A, himself.”

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2012:
“An awe-inspiring, thought-provoking reminder that love reaches beyond physical appearances or gender.”

Starred Review, Shelf Awareness, September 7, 2012:
"Levithan's unusual love story will make teens think about how the core of the soul never changes. A speaks of faith, love, dreams and death with a wisdom derived from thousands of lives visited over 16 years and firsthand proof of how much humans share rather than what sets them apart."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2012:
"This unconventional romance considers some fascinating and unexpected questions about the nature of identity, consciousness, love, and gender...Readers will identify with A’s profound longing for connection, but they’ll also be intrigued by the butterfly effect A’s presence may have on numerous other teens who make brief but memorable appearances."

The Horn Book, November 2012:
"Brilliantly conceived...[Levithan] shapes the narrative into a profound exploration of what it means to love someone."

5.       Connections

For students looking for something out of the normal realm of LGBTQ books. Every day has a science fiction element, a love story, and questions about what is gender and does it define who a person really is.

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