Thursday, August 23, 2012

Every Day - David Levithan

Synopsis: Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. 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.
With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day. 
(From Goodreads)


Magical realism is one of my favorite genres, but I rarely come across books in the genre that I actually like. I find it fascinating since it's hard to pull off convincingly. But if it's done well, then those books are truly extraordinary. They also are some of the best books to highlight flaws in society. Every Day is one that was brilliantly executed because the magical elements serve a greater purpose, plus it was a great story.

A wakes up every day in a different body and basically keeps living out the life of that person without trying to draw too much attention. This is such an interesting concept that really makes you sit back and think. If your appearance and gender changes every day, how do identify yourself? Are you still the same person at the core? How do these different lives change the way you are? These are questions that are brought up, but David Levithan is really great about leaving the answers open for the reader to decide what to take away from A's extraordinary circumstances.

There's also a beautiful demonstration of acceptance that can be gleaned from A's story. A falls for Rhiannon, the girlfriend of one of the boys he wakes up in, and they have to figure out a way to be together. And of course, the thing standing in their way is societal convention. How can you be with someone who is physically different every day? And, while it's underplayed quite a bit, Rhiannon has some difficulties with A's changing genders. It's frustrating, because under it all, A still has the same spirit, the same soul, the same personality. It's just a wonderful representation of the core of humanity and what makes us who we are.

David Levithan has the wonderful ability to wrap up the meaning of life in short sentences or passages without undervaluing or over simplifying. I was writing down quotes left and right. There is so much substance and meaning in this book. It'll make you think, it'll make you cry, and it will sit with you for a long time. This book just feels so important and I really hope you'll pick it up.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Every Day - David Levithan

Synopsis: Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. 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.
With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day. 
(From Goodreads)


Magical realism is one of my favorite genres, but I rarely come across books in the genre that I actually like. I find it fascinating since it's hard to pull off convincingly. But if it's done well, then those books are truly extraordinary. They also are some of the best books to highlight flaws in society. Every Day is one that was brilliantly executed because the magical elements serve a greater purpose, plus it was a great story.

A wakes up every day in a different body and basically keeps living out the life of that person without trying to draw too much attention. This is such an interesting concept that really makes you sit back and think. If your appearance and gender changes every day, how do identify yourself? Are you still the same person at the core? How do these different lives change the way you are? These are questions that are brought up, but David Levithan is really great about leaving the answers open for the reader to decide what to take away from A's extraordinary circumstances.

There's also a beautiful demonstration of acceptance that can be gleaned from A's story. A falls for Rhiannon, the girlfriend of one of the boys he wakes up in, and they have to figure out a way to be together. And of course, the thing standing in their way is societal convention. How can you be with someone who is physically different every day? And, while it's underplayed quite a bit, Rhiannon has some difficulties with A's changing genders. It's frustrating, because under it all, A still has the same spirit, the same soul, the same personality. It's just a wonderful representation of the core of humanity and what makes us who we are.

David Levithan has the wonderful ability to wrap up the meaning of life in short sentences or passages without undervaluing or over simplifying. I was writing down quotes left and right. There is so much substance and meaning in this book. It'll make you think, it'll make you cry, and it will sit with you for a long time. This book just feels so important and I really hope you'll pick it up.