Every Day (book)

Plot summary

Every Day is about the story of person who goes by A. Every day, A wakes up in a different body, living in whatever body they wake up in for the day. As described by Frank Bruni of The New York Times , "A. doesn’t have a real name, presumably because they don't have a real existence: they're not a person, at least not in any conventional sense, but a spirit, switching without choice from one host to the next and, for just 24 hours, replacing its consciousness with their own."[2] A has their own memories but they are also able to tap into the memories of the person whose body they are in, though only for a short time since they can only inhabit that specific body for 24 hours. The story begins as a day just like any other, with A waking up in the body of a teenage boy named Justin. Upon arriving to school, A meets Justin's girlfriend Rhiannon and feels an instant connection to her. Based on memories A can tap into from Justin's brain, A can tell that Justin and Rhiannon are having a rough time in their relationship, so in order to learn more about her, A invites her going to the beach. The pair head off and enjoy a beautiful day of relaxation as well as share a conversation in which they open up to each other, though A's sharing is limited and very carefully worded. A had never felt such a connection with anyone before so they begin to wonder about how they can make themself stay, whether in Justin's body or another body, as long as they get to be with Rhiannon. The conflict then arises in multiple areas. Firstly, A has to convince Rhiannon that the day shared at the beach was not between her and Justin, rather it was between her and A. Almost every body A wakes up in after their day as Justin is spent trying to figure out the best way to approach Rhiannon since they are luckily never more than just a car ride away. After going through some trouble, A is finally able to convince Rhiannon of who they are and the phenomenon they live through every day. While she does believe A and understand how hard that can be, she also realizes that she cannot be in a relationship with A even if she may want to. As the story progresses, we follow A as they wake up in body after body, each life more different than the last. A deals with trying to stay away from a boy whose body A inhabited early on who tracks them down in order to gain answers as to who A is and how they were able to take over their body and mind, a priest working with that boy who starts a following on the news about people who inhabit the bodies of others, all while trying to figure out a way to stay with Rhiannon.

Characters

Critical reception

Every Day has received many positive reviews like one from Kirkus Reviews which claimed, "Levithan’s self-conscious, analytical style marries perfectly with the plot. His musings on love, longing and human nature knit seamlessly with A’s journey. Readers will devour his trademark poetic wordplay and cadences that feel as fresh as they were when he wrote Boy Meets Boy (2003)." Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "It’s the rare book that challenges gender presumptions in a way that’s as entertaining as it is unexpected and, perhaps most important, that’s relatable to teens who may not think they need sensitivity training when it comes to sexual orientation and the nature of true love. Every Day is precisely such a book ... A story that is always alluring, oftentimes humorous and much like love itself — splendorous.” Frank Bruni of The New York Times had this to say of Every Day, "It demonstrates Levithan’s talent for empathy, which is paired in the best parts of the book with a persuasive optimism about the odds for happiness and for true love. 'The only way to keep going,' he writes, 'is to see every person as a possibility.' For A., with their daily transformations, that’s an absolute necessity. For the rest of us, it’s still a fine idea." Chelsey Philpot of The Boston Globe remarked, "The ending is abrupt and leaves you wishing for more explanations...But maybe it only feels that way because we’re not ready to let A go. Through A’s eyes readers get to experience what it would be like to be someone different but the same. As A explains to Rhiannon, '…when who you are changes every day you get to touch the universal more.'"