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64th out of 226 books
—
886 voters
Every You, Every Me
by
David Levithan (Goodreads Author),
Jonathan Farmer
In this high school-set psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absenc...more
Hardcover, 245 pages
Published
September 13th 2011
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Sep 21, 2011
Tatiana
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who can't get enough of the ANGST
I usually like David Levithan, a lot even. But this new experimental piece of his - it caused me physical pain to slog through that little bit of the book that I did manage to read.
Let me recount my problems with Every You, Every Me in order of appearance:
1) the ANGST - the book assaults with an unbearable amount of teen boy angst from the very first page, when you do not even know the main character's name and circumstances. It's just angst, angst, angst with a hint of mystery. The novel breat...more
Let me recount my problems with Every You, Every Me in order of appearance:
1) the ANGST - the book assaults with an unbearable amount of teen boy angst from the very first page, when you do not even know the main character's name and circumstances. It's just angst, angst, angst with a hint of mystery. The novel breat...more
Two words: teen angst! And how does one evoke more teen angst? Strike through wording!
Evan has lost his best friend, Ariel, but how? Readers are not meant to discover a solid explanation until the end. In the mean time, Evan is haunted by her through memories and his own guilt for actions that resulted in her absence. Then, beginning on Ariel's birthday, someone starts leaving photos for Evan: a picture of trees, a picture of him, more trees, more Evan, and finally... pictures of Ariel. Evan, no...more
Evan has lost his best friend, Ariel, but how? Readers are not meant to discover a solid explanation until the end. In the mean time, Evan is haunted by her through memories and his own guilt for actions that resulted in her absence. Then, beginning on Ariel's birthday, someone starts leaving photos for Evan: a picture of trees, a picture of him, more trees, more Evan, and finally... pictures of Ariel. Evan, no...more
Oh god, this book.
I like the books of Levithan's that I've read but this was just awful.
The idea behind this book was actually a great and interesting. I like the way the book was set up and the addition of pictures to it and how the story was written between the author and the photographer.
The problems I had with this book:
1. The characters were COMPLETELY one dimensional and they didn;t develop at all over the book. On top of that the relationships between the characters weren't very convinin...more
I like the books of Levithan's that I've read but this was just awful.
The idea behind this book was actually a great and interesting. I like the way the book was set up and the addition of pictures to it and how the story was written between the author and the photographer.
The problems I had with this book:
1. The characters were COMPLETELY one dimensional and they didn;t develop at all over the book. On top of that the relationships between the characters weren't very convinin...more
7 likes · like · see review
Lang und breit
Every You, Every Me ist ein experimenteller Roman. Nicht nur, dass die Geschichte mit Fotos bereichert wird, auch im Textbild springen einen immer wieder durchgestrichene Wörter und Sätze an. Für manche mag das störend, gar unnütz herüberkommen, aber wer Originalität schätzt, wird begeistert sein.
Das viele Durchstreichen verdeutlicht meiner Meinung nach nur das Chaos in Evans Gedankenwelt. Die Geschichte ist aus seiner Sicht geschrieben und seit seine beste Freundin Arial nicht meh...more
Every You, Every Me ist ein experimenteller Roman. Nicht nur, dass die Geschichte mit Fotos bereichert wird, auch im Textbild springen einen immer wieder durchgestrichene Wörter und Sätze an. Für manche mag das störend, gar unnütz herüberkommen, aber wer Originalität schätzt, wird begeistert sein.
Das viele Durchstreichen verdeutlicht meiner Meinung nach nur das Chaos in Evans Gedankenwelt. Die Geschichte ist aus seiner Sicht geschrieben und seit seine beste Freundin Arial nicht meh...more
3 likes · like · see review
All I needed to know about Every You, Every Me was that David Levithan wrote it. The man has a permanent spot in my heart for giving me Dash & Lily! But this! Well…it was a whole new experience filled with imagination.
Once I opened the book, I could not put it down. The mystery and tension just built page turn after page turn just pulling me deeper into the story. I found myself clutching the book at times trying to get a better look! It truly was an amazing reading experience that blended p...more
Once I opened the book, I could not put it down. The mystery and tension just built page turn after page turn just pulling me deeper into the story. I found myself clutching the book at times trying to get a better look! It truly was an amazing reading experience that blended p...more
This book would not be my first encounter with David Levithan. The first book I read of his was Lover’s Dictionary which I loved completely because of how he unconventionally told the story of the lovers whose names were never mentioned (their gender was never mentioned too).
Every You, Every Me was eccentric. It was odd. It would put you on the edge of your seat. It would keep you reading until you find out what really happened.
Evan started getting weird photographs.
First when he was on his wa...more
Every You, Every Me was eccentric. It was odd. It would put you on the edge of your seat. It would keep you reading until you find out what really happened.
Evan started getting weird photographs.
First when he was on his wa...more
Every you, every me is the first Levithan's book I've read, and to be completely honest, it caught my attention because the title it's a song by the band Placebo.
Evan is an angsty teenage boy who recently lost his best friend Ariel (in a way that we don't discover until the end of the book). On Ariel's birthday, he starts receving some creepy photos portraiting him, places relevant to Ariel/Evan/Jack's (Ariel's boyfriend) friendship. The photos keep coming and the tension keeps rising.
Anyway, I...more
Evan is an angsty teenage boy who recently lost his best friend Ariel (in a way that we don't discover until the end of the book). On Ariel's birthday, he starts receving some creepy photos portraiting him, places relevant to Ariel/Evan/Jack's (Ariel's boyfriend) friendship. The photos keep coming and the tension keeps rising.
Anyway, I...more
1 like · like · see review
2.5 Stars.
Every You, Every Me marks my second venture into David Levithan's repertoire following 'Boy Meets Boy'. 'Me' marks an interesting shift in perspective and writing style.
The book falls nothing short of unique, and reads almost as a journal or scrapbook with photographs from Jonathon Farmer interjecting the brief dialogic entries. It should be noted that vast swathes of these entries are crossed out which makes reading a little frustrating but does offer a unique approach to writing. W...more
Every You, Every Me marks my second venture into David Levithan's repertoire following 'Boy Meets Boy'. 'Me' marks an interesting shift in perspective and writing style.
The book falls nothing short of unique, and reads almost as a journal or scrapbook with photographs from Jonathon Farmer interjecting the brief dialogic entries. It should be noted that vast swathes of these entries are crossed out which makes reading a little frustrating but does offer a unique approach to writing. W...more
This review is going to be quite short because honestly there is not a lot to say about this book.
Evan was Ariel's best friend. Jack was Ariels boyfriend. Both of them start receiving mysterious photographs of Ariel, Evan and some other people that they do not recognise. The story kicks off from there.
Sorry that synopsis was very short and jagged but the plot of this book is very hard to explain. Whilst reading "Every You, Every Me" the plot did not seem to be the main part of the story, but rat...more
Evan was Ariel's best friend. Jack was Ariels boyfriend. Both of them start receiving mysterious photographs of Ariel, Evan and some other people that they do not recognise. The story kicks off from there.
Sorry that synopsis was very short and jagged but the plot of this book is very hard to explain. Whilst reading "Every You, Every Me" the plot did not seem to be the main part of the story, but rat...more
The book Every You, Every Me by, David Levithan is a very interesting and intriguing book to read. The main character, Evan, was constantly being stalked and would randomly find pictures of him and the places he would go. These pictures were making him go crazy. After a while of wondering who it could be, he suspects it could be his best friend Ariel who went missing not too long ago. The book starts out as Evan talking about his great times with Ariel. Then, one day when he was walking home fro...more
Firstly, as many reviewers have already said, the concept of this book is very interesting. A story told through photographs is very intriguing to me.
So basically, there is a mystery that needs to be solved, and the photographs are the clues that not only connect different people to a crime scene of sorts, but they lead to the culprit.
However, halfway through this book I realised that there was barely any mystery involved, it was extremely predictable and somewhat disappointing. The photographs...more
So basically, there is a mystery that needs to be solved, and the photographs are the clues that not only connect different people to a crime scene of sorts, but they lead to the culprit.
However, halfway through this book I realised that there was barely any mystery involved, it was extremely predictable and somewhat disappointing. The photographs...more
Every You, Every Me is an experimental novel by David Levithan. The story is enriched with photos. For some, the disturbing thoughts that have been struck through ( like this ), are annoying and may seem pointless, but to those who appreciate the books originality will find it to be a fantastic read that will keep you going throughout the book.
The strikeouts in my opinion are a beautiful way to show the chaos in Evans thought. The story is written from his point of view and since his best fri...more
The strikeouts in my opinion are a beautiful way to show the chaos in Evans thought. The story is written from his point of view and since his best fri...more
I really didn't need to read that dramarama right now. On the positive side it was a super quick read. I've read some stuff of David Levithan's before and there are some nice things ( I really loved 'Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist') but none of them has been such a whiny-ass book. I guess it's supposed to be that jumbled up since it reflects Evan's state of mind but it didn't sit very well with me. I was nearly expecting a mini twist in the plot towards the end but alas I was wrong. It was a...more
I have such mixed feelings about this book.
On the one hand, the book never dips into cliches, even when treading in the messy teen angst the main character Evan feels. His thoughts and actions feel natural (maybe too much so because I started having flashbacks to my own high school days). It's easy to sink into the story when you believe Evan so much. The book is written with parts entirely crossed out - things that Evan doesn't want to think about, things he thinks but doesn't say, parts of fla...more
On the one hand, the book never dips into cliches, even when treading in the messy teen angst the main character Evan feels. His thoughts and actions feel natural (maybe too much so because I started having flashbacks to my own high school days). It's easy to sink into the story when you believe Evan so much. The book is written with parts entirely crossed out - things that Evan doesn't want to think about, things he thinks but doesn't say, parts of fla...more
I really liked the first 2/3rds of this book; the tone was compelling, Evan was a great voice/narrator and there are some great comments. Teen angst is always interesting and the mystery here makes for a good read. However, I thought that Evan's similarity to Ariel in his quest for Truth and as everyone doubts him and he begins to question his own sanity was too over the top. The book was beautiful in its simplicity with lovely photography and great second person narration. We did not need to ha...more
I appreciate David Levithan's creativity and his experimentation with different narrative forms, and I won't stop reading them, though they often don't work for me. (The Lover's Dictionary was like this too). This book was haunting and creepy - Evan, the photographs, and the mystery were all these things. Where are these pictures coming from? Is Ariel dead or... what? What happened to her? Is Evan going crazy? I thought the strike outs were definitely pointing to Evan's descent into madness, but...more
Another book that's received really mixed reviews...another one I love. Evan has lost his best friend, Ariel. We don't know what happened to her, we just know Evan is truly depressed and isolated by whatever happened.
We get enough vibes throughout his narrative to know Ariel was really disturbed...maybe bipolar, maybe suicidal. But she was in horrible pain, pain Evan can't take away.
The book is written TO Ariel, she is the 'you' in the story. He's still trying to figure things out when photogra...more
We get enough vibes throughout his narrative to know Ariel was really disturbed...maybe bipolar, maybe suicidal. But she was in horrible pain, pain Evan can't take away.
The book is written TO Ariel, she is the 'you' in the story. He's still trying to figure things out when photogra...more
If somebody wanted to know what it was like to have depression I would tell them to read this book. Not because I think its awful: The opposite! The thoughts that Evan has and how he reacts match very nearly perfectly with how having depression really feels.
Beyond that, the descriptions and photos and mysteries were all brilliant, although the climax was a bit of a let down in some ways. (Dana is an idiot. It felt too simple. Why did the book have to end?)
I found myself confused about Ariel. Li...more
Beyond that, the descriptions and photos and mysteries were all brilliant, although the climax was a bit of a let down in some ways. (Dana is an idiot. It felt too simple. Why did the book have to end?)
I found myself confused about Ariel. Li...more
Here's something I don't experience very often. A very well-written, tragic tale that I'm somehow just not that into. Thus the three stars. It doesn't deserve less, but I wasn't mental enough to give it more.
And it is well-written, almost poetic at times. It's essentially a tale narrated by a boy named Evan who seems to have done something terrible to his best friend Ariel, with whom he's also a bit in love, and now she's gone. As you read, you learn that Ariel was mentally ill. Evan is starting...more
And it is well-written, almost poetic at times. It's essentially a tale narrated by a boy named Evan who seems to have done something terrible to his best friend Ariel, with whom he's also a bit in love, and now she's gone. As you read, you learn that Ariel was mentally ill. Evan is starting...more
This is a photo-journalistic novel about a teenage boy dealing with the guilt and trauma of the memories of the last day spent with his best friend. The photos in the novel are pictures that were left for him by a mysterious source, reminding him of that day and the difficult choice he made.
Besides being completely and utterly depressing, this was a really excellent book. The author uses the [s]strikethrough[/u] to make it seem like a journal entry or letter the protagonist is writing to his bes...more
Besides being completely and utterly depressing, this was a really excellent book. The author uses the [s]strikethrough[/u] to make it seem like a journal entry or letter the protagonist is writing to his bes...more
I liked this book an awful lot. It reminded me a bit of Please Ignore Vera Dietz, but that may have just been because of the dynamic & style. This book plays with form in a great way, using strike-throughs to highlight emphasize certain points, There are also photographs sprinkled through, an integral part of the story. I loved how much this book reminded me of high school & college, but how different it was from my experience - digital cameras & social networking pages really have c...more
* * * *
Shel and Bel will roll their eyes at me when I make this comparison but really, in my Killers muddled brain, it’s the best comparison I can come up with.
Have you ever heard the song Tranquilize by The Killers? If not, watch the video below. Relax. I am not asking you to like it. I just want you to listen. Notice how the song sounds a little edgy in the beginning. Then it builds up to a frenzied paranoia that is frightening and almost out of control. Then all of a sudden it ends with a tir...more
Shel and Bel will roll their eyes at me when I make this comparison but really, in my Killers muddled brain, it’s the best comparison I can come up with.
Have you ever heard the song Tranquilize by The Killers? If not, watch the video below. Relax. I am not asking you to like it. I just want you to listen. Notice how the song sounds a little edgy in the beginning. Then it builds up to a frenzied paranoia that is frightening and almost out of control. Then all of a sudden it ends with a tir...more
1 like · like · see review
Evan's best friend Ariel has gone away, and he's haunted by her leaving. While it's clear that he feels some responsibility for this fact, it's unclear what has happened to her. Is she dead? This murkiness is confounded by a series of mysterious photos, and eventually emails, that hint that she is still around somewhere, blaming him for her fate. Or is it Evan's own guilt acting out in some obscure fashion? Evan enlists the help of Ariel's boyfriend, Jack, in trying to figure out the mystery. Th...more
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I stated this one yesterday morning & finished it in the same day. It was so good I couldn't put it down. I haven't read the author's other books (except those written with Rachel Cohn), but I'll have to check them out!
Evan's best friend Ariel was taken away after a failed suicide attempt. The story is unclear on the details of exactly what transpired, and, for much of it, the reader is left wondering whether Ariel is even still alive. But one thing is certain: Evan blames himself for what h...more
Evan's best friend Ariel was taken away after a failed suicide attempt. The story is unclear on the details of exactly what transpired, and, for much of it, the reader is left wondering whether Ariel is even still alive. But one thing is certain: Evan blames himself for what h...more
Evan is guilt-ridden over some tragedy with his best friend Ariel, who isn’t around anymore. On Ariel’s birthday, Evan finds an envelope on the ground, with a picture of the woods where he had just been walking. The next day, he finds another envelope, this time with a picture of him. Thus begins an adventure where Evan tries to figure out who is sending these images and why.
I was initially put off by the format of this book (the narrator’s thoughts are mixed between his spoken words, butcross...more
I was initially put off by the format of this book (the narrator’s thoughts are mixed between his spoken words, but
Well, I have mixed feelings about this book. I love how Levithan displays thought process (though eventually all the striked through text got incredibly annoying). At times, I think it works really well, but mostly it was annoying to read. It just delivers more angst to an already angsty character. It should have been used sparingly.
The mystery was quite interesting, but I feel like there weren't enough hints on who was giving him the photos. The answer was just pushed out in front of the reade...more
The mystery was quite interesting, but I feel like there weren't enough hints on who was giving him the photos. The answer was just pushed out in front of the reade...more
1 like · like · see review
OK, so this book wasn't horrible....I know MANY people who Love David Levithan so I know his writing is nowhere near bad....but it just isn't for me.
This book was very interesting with the photos that were included and with the way the story was written also. There were a lot of very short chapters and then with the pictures, it made for a quick read.
I caught on pretty quickly what was going on and I thought the whole "I know what you did" thing was great....until, the "I know what you did" thin...more
This book was very interesting with the photos that were included and with the way the story was written also. There were a lot of very short chapters and then with the pictures, it made for a quick read.
I caught on pretty quickly what was going on and I thought the whole "I know what you did" thing was great....until, the "I know what you did" thin...more
David Levithan is an author I watch with equal parts awed admiration and unease, but when I stumbled upon this book, I new I had to give it a try. That was at eleven this morning. The story drew me in and the beautiful photographs piqued my curiosity. If this is the new direction Levithan is going in, then I wholeheartedly approve. The only reason this book didn't earn five stars from me is because of the astonishing levels of teenage angst. I went into it expecting a good amount, but I think it...more
Evan is haunted by the loss--unexplained to the reader--of his best friend Ariel. Clearly whatever happened was devastating, and Evan can't seem to let it go. And then he starts getting the photographs. Photographs of him, in the woods that day. Someone knows what happened. Someone who won't let Evan rest until justice is done. But what really happened? And what does justice mean, when you can never know every side of another person, even your best friend?
I love Levithan's writing so was eager t...more
I love Levithan's writing so was eager t...more
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David Levithan (born 1972) is an American children's book editor and award-winning author. He published his first YA book, Boy Meets Boy, in 2003. Levithan is also the founding editor of PUSH, a Young Adult imprint of Scholastic Press.
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“You don't know me. You know one me, just like I know one you. And you can't know every me, and I can't know every you.”
—
125 people liked it
“I don’t want you to think I got through this undamaged, okay? But I’m learning to live with it. Because otherwise, the damage is all you are.”
—
49 people liked it
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Dec 15, 2011 03:00pm
May 05, 2013 07:07pm