Every Day by David Levithan was sooo much better than the last solo book I had read by him (Boy Meets Boy). And here’s why.
Every Day, “A” wakes up in a new body. He’s done it for his entire life – as an infant, it was just something normal, something that happened – but as he grew older, ideas of “tomorrow” confused him. How could you plan for a tomorrow where you could be anywhere? It’s at this point that he realized he was special – he was alone.
So he (or she, depending on the day) continued living life. He’d mindlessly go through days as teenagers. He stayed in the same age bracket, so he never woke up as an old woman or mid-life crisis-prone man, but as a kid and then a teenager. He’d take tests, do homework, whatever. It was just monotonous. He had no reason to connect to anyone, because he wouldn’t see them again.
But then one day, he wakes up in the body of this big ole jackass. And for some reason, A decides to give Rhiannon (jackass’s girlfriend) a good day. They skip school, they go to the beach… and he falls in love. Something he’s refused to do before.
The next few days, he manages to find Rhiannon somehow. And then he finally confesses to her what he is. That he switches bodies everyday, that’s he’s the same person but at the same time completely different.
—
The story follows A and him trying to convince Rhiannon that they can be together, that they can have a true relationship.
David Levithan did an amazing job here. He made A’s story so painful – he’s so tuned out, he’s cold – except when it comes to Rhiannon. Their journey – because they both learn things about humanity – is heartbreaking, because it’s so obvious that anything like this would be a huge challenge. How can she love someone that’s never the same?
A core question of the book is what makes up a human. A has his memories, his own separate persona, but without a body, is he really human? And can he really love a girl?
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I did a presentation on this for class. My professor said “Greg?” and I just sat there, and then the girl in front of me stood up and said “I’m Elizabeth today.” and sat down. Next, the girl behind me stood up and said “I’m Becca today.” and then sat down. And then I began, from my seat. I didn’t stand up until halfway through my presentation – I was being like A, hiding among the crowd. I pleaded with the class that I didn’t want to do this, I didn’t mean to steal anyone’s body… I was just borrowing it. And not to hate me for it.
The odd thing is… if A came and borrowed my body for the day, I’m not sure how I would react.