Every Day by David Levithan Narrator: Alex McKenna
Series: Every Day #1
Published by Knopf Books on August 28, 2012
Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
Genres: Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 322
Goodreads
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.
Rose’s Review: 
This book was unique, which I appreciated. This book was thought provoking and made me ask questions of myself, which I also liked. Starting every day out on a new day, with a new main character? Did NOT like.
The story is told from the first person narrative of A. A is neither boy nor girl. A is just A. Every day, A wakes up in the body of a local 16 year old teenager, just not the SAME body every day and never the same body twice. Got that? A does not travel, he/she simply manifests in the body of a nearby 16 year old, presumably because A is 16. The change happens at midnight every night. A cannot control the change. It’s always been this way for A.
I did find this book stressful in that every day, it was like the beginning of a book. I grew attached to some characters and didn’t like knowing I’d get no more of their story once the chapter ended because A would wake up in a new body every morning. Perhaps, that is the point, right? We don’t always get to know the ending of some stories in real life, either. I was a little frustrated with the ending of the book because nothing was neatly tied up. I like how A and Rhiannon’s story was left. I didn’t like that A never really explored what Poole was telling him.
Every Day explores human prejudices. The book touches on all types of issues topics from homosexuality, to drugs, obesity, love, bullying, mental illness, gender identity, etc. The main idea I took away from this book: Even though we are all born with innate qualities that we cannot control, every day we wake up with the ability to choose what kind of person we are going to be. There are some great quotes, good writing and for that the book earns 3 stars from me. Overall, the book sort of stressed me out and bored me simultaneously. I hear talk of a sequel. I will not be reading on.
Julie’s Review:
This book has an interesting concept and it was unique, I’ll give it that. It really reminded me of Quantum Leap (you know, the TV show, or am I showing my age?). Growing up basically body hopping is quite the experience, I’m sure. I know I wouldn’t like it, but hey, that’s one way to really get to know people. This book also has some really good quotes.
I do have to say though Every Day got a bit repetitive in the middle. I got tired of meeting a new character every day, hearing about that person’s life, and how A reacts to his/her new body. It felt very routine after a while and while some stories and some individuals really stood out and helped the plot progress, others just felt like filler. It also felt very judgey. Sometimes A was compassionate for his “host body” and other times A was just cruel. I didn’t like how A would first say that he/she tries not to mess with the person’s life too much but then goes and contradicts him/herself by making some drastic decisions just to stay near this girl he fell for. I also thought the day where “this is what it feels like to blink her eyes” was just creepy! Just, no!
I liked the ending though. I think A did something very noble for Rhiannon. I’m not gonna go into any possible spoilers though.
The audio narrator was fitting. The voice was ambiguous and I couldn’t really tell if the narrator is a male or female, so I thought that fit very well for A. But, the narrator’s voice kept cracking and I wanted to clear my throat. So that was distracting.
Overall, a decent book but it had its flaws. It was definitely a fun book club discussion though.
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I am so glad I am not the only one who reviewed this book and thought Quantum Leap. I grew up loving and hating that show.
At our book club meeting, quite a few people cited Quantum Leap. I wonder if the author ever watched the show?
OMG I love Quantum Leap! The first time that guy showed up on Chuck, I pointed and shrieked (making my husband think I’d lost my mind, LOL). I’ve had this sitting on my bookshelf since it came out, but now I’m feeling motivated to check it out, even though I’m not entirely convinced that I’ll love it. I can always skim through the middle, if I get bored, and I can’t help but be intrigued about the concept 😉
Jessica @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Yea Quantum Leap was definitely a good show 🙂 I think the book is worth reading, because it is unique. A lot of people in the book club really loved it.
I really enjoyed this one and I also listened to is on audio. I don’t normally read contemporary but this one had just enough of an element of “other” that I felt it fit into my comfort zone. I also didn’t care for the fact that A didn’t explore the possibilities of what he found out at the end. I liked the ending of the relationship though but jeez…what a lonely existence his/her life must be.
Tabitha (Not Yet Read) recently posted…Review: House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter
Yea, A’s life is a really lonely existence. This definitely had a good mix of contemporary and paranormal aspects.
Darn!! This synopsis sounds so incredibly intriguing and I was a HUGE fan of Quantum Leap, so I guess it makes sense that I thought I’d like this. But I can definitely see how it would be frustrating to never hear the end of the story for each new person A became (unlike Quantum Leap, where you usually got a sense of closure with each episode). I still might have to try this book out, but it won’t be at the top of my list.
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Nicole Hewitt recently posted…Best of the Bunch – May 2014
I think it is definitely worth reading, but I wonder if he means to make it a series since this one didn’t quite wrap up, and he is making “Book 2” from the girl’s POV. I can’t tell if it is a companion retelling or a sequel.
It’s rare that I come across a dual review where both bloggers give the book the same rating. I guess great minds think alike! LOL A new main character every day? That sounds unique, and… SUPER confusing. o_O
Carmel @ Rabid Reads recently posted…Early Review: Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett
I think it is hilarious when we have a dual review of a book and our reviews are completely opposite. We should do some more of those soon lol.
Yea, I thought the concept of the book was unique and fun, and it wasn’t too confusing because it was still A narrating, but talking about a new body and a new life.
Rare indeed, Carmel. In fact, one of the only other books that Julie and I have rated the same is Colleen Hoover’s Hopeless, for which this blog is named.