Review: Every Day & Another Day by David Levithan

Posted August 27, 2015 by Lillian in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review: Every Day & Another Day by David LevithanEvery Day by David Levithan
Series: Every Day,
Published by Random House on 2012-08-28
Length: 322 pages
Reviewing eBook from TN R.E.A.D.S.
Rating:

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.

So I really wanted to like this book! The synopsis, the concept, the whole idea of A made me want to jump inside the book immediately and start reading….but it was such a letdown!

Every Day by  is about A, a sentient being who wakes up each morning in a different body. He/She/It has no idea how this happens, why it happens, or what he/she/it is. A lives someone else’s life each day, passing through, observing, but not making any waves until he meets Rhiannon. Then A’s entire existence is finding a way to be with this girl he knew for all of 1 day while he pretended to be her boyfriend.

This book really revolves around A’s obsession…erhm I mean love for Rhiannon. It’s a bit on the creepy side. A believes that love can overcome any obstacles including those associated with his body jumping ability. Rhiannon doesn’t quite see it that way. I mean what normal 16 year old girl would?! And A doesn’t take to kindly to this. He’s upset that she can’t see past the skin to who is inside the body…..

 

So yeah, this book started strong with a good paranormal, sci-fi feel and of course the touch of romance with A’s crush. However it quickly devolved into pushing an agenda. Or at least that’s how it felt to me. Instead of focusing on the big issue of A – what he is, how to stop the body jumping, etc – the book focuses on Rhiannon’s inability to love A no matter what body he was in – girl, boy, fat, skinny, nerd, hot, gay, etc. It focuses so much on this point that by the end I was hoping she wouldn’t stay with him. He didn’t try to sympathize with her struggles at all.

Let’s be serious for a sec….could you be physically attracted to someone if they were in a different body every single day? Be honest with yourself….I couldn’t. I love my husband but if he showed up as a sexy super model tomorrow I’m 100% positive I wouldn’t be attracted to him (Sorry honey ?). But the beauty of this is that he wouldn’t expect me too. A expected Rhiannon to love him no matter what body he showed up in.

Overall this book had SO MUCH potential but it was wasted on A’s fixation on Rhiannon. The author didn’t even attempt to dive into what A was, how he was able to body jump, or any of the paranormal elements I expected. This book should really be classified as a young adult contemporary romance with a dose of paranormal on the side. It just wasn’t for me, especially towards the end when it felt like I was being preached at over and over again that the outside doesn’t matter. People we can kid ourselves all we like, but ALL relationships start with a physical attraction of some kind before evolving into a deeper connection. It’s just a fact, sorry not sorry.

Final Conclusion:

it-was-ok

Review: Every Day & Another Day by David LevithanAnother Day by David Levithan
Series: Every Day,
Published by Random House on 2015-08-25
Length: 300 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:

The eagerly anticipated companion to David Levithan’s New York Times bestseller Every Day

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan (co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson with John Green) tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person . . . wasn’t Justin at all.

WHY GOD WHY IS THERE ANOTHER BOOK?!?! One was really enough. Another Day by  is a *companion to Every Day and tells the EXACT SAME STORY from Rhiannon’s POV.

*Note: This is a companion, NOT A SEQUEL. It tells the same story as the first book just from a different character’s point of view

Honestly this book didn’t need to be written. It just didn’t. I feel like it’s an attempt on the author to get more money off the success of the first book and I have a feeling it’s going to flop big time.

Rhiannon is a sweet, kind girl who is easily forgettable. She doesn’t speak up for herself, she cowers to her boyfriend, and doesn’t have too many friends. She doesn’t reach for the stars, she has no dreams of her own, and she, in general, is not a good role model for teen girls (just saying). It’s no wonder some sentient being who body jumps every day fell in love with her – please note my sarcasm.

The plot is the same as the first book. A fell in love with Rhiannon while he was her boyfriend for a day. Now the question becomes can Rhiannon love him no matter what body he is in. The following is not a spoiler, it’s a fact stated near the very beginning of the book. The answer is yes she can love him, but she can’t be physically attracted to him. Be serious, could you?! I couldn’t and I wouldn’t even try. BUT Rhiannon does. Why? I believe because she is desperate to have someone see her. I mean really see her for who she is not who she is with.

I did not finish this book. I just couldn’t. I tried. I spent over two weeks reading this book and gave up at 75%. Why? Because it was boring! I’ve already read this story and while there was some new information about Rhiannon, scenes that weren’t in the first book because A wasn’t there, most of the book is just a regurgitation of the first. Think about it for a second. Take your favorite book where two characters are prominent (you know they’re both in every scene), now imagine an author writing from the other character’s POV. Would there be much difference? No…..that’s this book!

Overall it’s well written and I did enjoy reading Rhiannon’s POV more than A’s. BUT it was just so repetitive. I think I would have enjoyed it more as a novella instead of a full length novel. That way all the A scenes could be glossed over, because hey I’ve already read them! On the good side though, if you haven’t read Every Day then you could potentially skip it and read this one instead. It won’t affect the story at all! Because again it’s a companion NOT A SEQUEL. Sorry folks! I know many might be looking for a sequel, this isn’t it.

So I debated ranking this book with stars, but since I didn’t finish it, I didn’t think it was fair to the author. Personally I wouldn’t buy this book, but I also felt only lukewarm to the first book. If you read it let me know what you think!

Final Conclusion: Did Not Finish

hated-it

This book fulfills #24 on the COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt.

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4 responses to “Review: Every Day & Another Day by David Levithan

  1. I read Every Day a couple of years ago and — like you — was struck by the sharp right turn into an agenda that takes place around the mid-point of the book. I feel like Levithan is trying so hard to push the agenda that he misses the forest for the trees.

    Part of it is that A is presented as so “enlightened” while any one who doesn’t quite understand what he/she is going through isn’t. And yet, A has had a long time to become used to the transference that takes place. When he/she reveals all to R, he/she expects her to just “get it” right away. No time to let it sink in or to wrap her head around it. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone could find out something like that and quickly go accept it with little or no reservations. It’s not helped by A’s behavior that, as you said, borders on stalker-ness.

    I had no idea that there was a sequel/companion book to this one. And honestly I’m OK with not reading it. 🙂
    Michael recently posted…Re-Opening The X-Files: DPOMy Profile

    • You said it better than I did! There was just so much potential that wasn’t delved into. I guess I was expecting a sci-fi book and it really wasn’t

      You’re not missing anything not reading the companion. Rhiannon is a bit whiny 😉

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