Every Day (Every Day, #1) in Never Too Old For Y.A. & N.A. Books

Jan 06, 2013 Jenny rated it really liked it

I have heard nothing but rave reviews on this book, so when I saw it in my library, I scooped it up. I really did like the story, but it wasn't instant love like I was expecting. I think I had trouble suspending my disbelief on the concept. Normally I love sci fi themes, and this one was a brand new one to me. I really liked the idea at first, but as the story went on, I started having problems with it.

So A wakes up every day in a different body. Its always someone who is 16 years old, and geogr I have heard nothing but rave reviews on this book, so when I saw it in my library, I scooped it up. I really did like the story, but it wasn't instant love like I was expecting. I think I had trouble suspending my disbelief on the concept. Normally I love sci fi themes, and this one was a brand new one to me. I really liked the idea at first, but as the story went on, I started having problems with it.

So A wakes up every day in a different body. Its always someone who is 16 years old, and geographically within a 4 or 5 hour drive radius. It can be male or female. A doesn't really distinguish gender like the rest of us, in fact, he doesn't really have one. But I felt like he was male, so I'm going to go with that for my review! The switch happens at midnight, and if he stays awake, he actually feels it, which is painful, so he always falls asleep by midnight. He has access to the person's memories, so he can get through their day without too much trouble.

He has rules: mainly, to not disrupt their life as much as possible. One time when he was eleven, he went skiing as a boy and broke the kid's knee. He felt so terrible, he no longer takes risks. Until the day he meets Rhiannon. He is in her boyfriend's (Justin) body at the time. He feels sorry for her, because its clear to him Justin treats Rhiannon like crap, doesn't really listen to her, and generally just uses her. They've been dating for a year, and Rhiannon just puts up with him. Somewhere in this perfect day with Rhiannon, A falls in love. And that changes everything!

I really liked A. He was a good soul, and obviously cared about people. He gets himself in lots of trouble throughout the story, but most of the time his intentions are good. I liked Rhiannon, but towards the end of the story I really saw the difference between them. When it came down to it, she got pretty selfish. In fact, all of the characters were selfish in the story but A. He wasn't perfect, but it made me wonder if that's why he was jumping bodies?

This is where I really started to lose the story. Things start coming to light, but not enough to make sense of the whole concept. I didn't expect everything to fit in a little box, but to really believe in a concept like this, it needs to have some kind of purpose. That was really lacking in the story.

The best thing about the book was really all the different bodies A inhabited. Because he was immersed in their memories, we get to really see what makes different people tick. The good, bad, and the ugly. It was really interesting. The love story between Rhiannon and A was also a huge plus, because it was so different than anything else in YA.

The ending left so many things open and to interpretation, that I though this book might be the first in a series. I haven't found anything that shows this is a series, though, so I'm a little disappointed with the ending. I was happy, however, in A's choices at the very end, and staying true to his character. It really made me think about what kind of soul I would be in the same situation, and I don't know if I could have been as selfless as A. ...more

Like · see review

Oct 17, 2012 Nance rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-2013, nance, romance, young-adult, fantasy, science-fiction

Okay, so I just finished reading this novel, and I am totally disappointed. That’s it? That’s the end of this book that I was so engrossed in? How can it end that way? Maybe I’m missing something. I just don’t understand it. So, that’s my reasoning for only 3 stars. I just thought that something more would be resolved, and I was expecting maybe a more surprising twist at the end. So, my review is more based upon the essence of the novel. More of an unexpected resolution from the author would hav Okay, so I just finished reading this novel, and I am totally disappointed. That’s it? That’s the end of this book that I was so engrossed in? How can it end that way? Maybe I’m missing something. I just don’t understand it. So, that’s my reasoning for only 3 stars. I just thought that something more would be resolved, and I was expecting maybe a more surprising twist at the end. So, my review is more based upon the essence of the novel. More of an unexpected resolution from the author would have been nice. But, it is what it is...

A (that’s the individual’s name) wakes up in a different body “every day”. The body, whether boy or girl, is always around 16 years of age. Each person faces a different dilemma “every day”. Whether it be emotional or physical troubles, it just doesn’t matter. The days are measured in only 24 hours before A moves onto the next body and faces another tribulation. A finally is introduced to the love of his/her life when he/she is embedded into Justin’s body and meets his girlfriend, Rhiannon. She is what A has always been looking for, and decides that no matter who A is and where he/she is, he/she just has to see her and speak to her. Finally, A lets her in on his/she secret, and they privately meet randomly throughout his/she bodily invasions. Finally, as the end of the book draws near, Rhiannon questions whether or not she can keep going on like this – seeing A oftentimes confined in someone else’s unappealing body, not knowing whether or not she can accept this bizarre and surprising presence day by day.

A tries to convince her that everything will be okay, “With relationships, you have to shape the pieces on each end before they go perfectly together.” (pg 212) – Vic (a biological female that is living as a male) is speaking to Rhiannon about getting through the beginning of their relationship – the hard part is at the beginning.

As A’s life trudges on, when one of his final days with Rhiannon is portrayed while being confined within young teenager Marc’s body after he has just lost grandfather and is attending his funeral, he realizes that he will never have a family grieve for him, never have people care for him, and if he dies, nobody but Rhiannon will know that he ever had existed. He’s jealous of anyone who makes people care so much. So, it’s pretty much devastating that he will not have anyone around to remember him or care about him as an individual should except for only one person.

Some of the stories were really sad, and sound like situations that teenagers face “every day” – from the overweight teenager bullied at school, to the young men and women deciding what their sexual orientation may be, to the peer pressure that comes with drugs and alcohol, and last but not least, just loving one’s self and being proud of who one is. It was a very emotional read when faced with all these different life-changing crises – one that a parent faces all the time when counceling their teenage children that require such love and support.

Like I said, the only thing that I was disappointed in was the ending, but the heart of the novel was very realistic in a strange and remarkable way. The author showed accurate realistic scenarios that teenagers face each and “every day”, which is something that I can attribute to after raising four teenagers myself. It’s not very easy for teenagers nowadays when there are so many temptations out there calling out to them to take advantage of. Optimistically speaking, most are smart and think twice about the consequences from their actions. But there are others that no matter what type of support and guidance their parents have provided to them, they just don’t make smart and responsible choices which lead to the difference between unexpected life changes that don’t keep with their already decided long-term future endeavors – a choice that threatens to have disastrous results.

I didn’t really totally not like this book, and the concept was somewhat interesting. I was, however, just disappointed with the final outcome. I would, though, take a stab at reading another David Levithan book if given the opportunity.
...more

Like · see review

Jul 08, 2013 Rachmi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ebook

From day 1 I read A's story or day 5994 for him, I have a lot of questions I really want answers. As the story goes I thought this is definitely one of books I can't decide whether I will love and enjoy it or hate it. At first I feel sorry for A.

There are nights I remember screaming and crying, begging my parents not to make me go to bed. They could never figure out what I was afraid of. They thought it was a monster under the bed, or a ploy to get a few more bedtime stories. I could never real From day 1 I read A's story or day 5994 for him, I have a lot of questions I really want answers. As the story goes I thought this is definitely one of books I can't decide whether I will love and enjoy it or hate it. At first I feel sorry for A.

There are nights I remember screaming and crying, begging my parents not to make me go to bed. They could never figure out what I was afraid of. They thought it was a monster under the bed, or a ploy to get a few more bedtime stories. I could never really explain, not in a way that made sense to them. I’d tell them I didn’t want to say goodbye, and they’d assure me it wasn’t goodbye. It was just good night. I’d tell them it was the same thing, but they thought I was being silly.

I will never have a family to grieve for me. I will never have people feel about me the way they feel about Marc’s grandfather. I will not leave the trail of memories that he’s left. No one will ever have known me or what I’ve done. If I die, there will be no body to mark me, no funeral to attend, no burial. If I die, there will be nobody but Rhiannon who will ever know I’ve been here.

Although his story reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife, his life is way unfortunate than Henry. Despite of the unavoidable time traveling, at least Henry has his own body, one thing that A doesn't have. Hence, I can learn so much from him. I agree with him that love supposed to be beyond physical, figure or even gender. It doesn't matter what package looks like, it's the heart and mind that matter. I love that one thing about him. He doesn't have a body but he’s capable of loving so full, if it's possible. There is one thing I love most from his story, it's his everyday life. I love reading his life day by day in many characters. His voice is very clear, I can feel each character is different yet has same mind, coming from one person, A. At some point I feel like I read short stories with A as its connections.

It's the way A falls in love to Rhiannon that makes me doubt if I will love or hate him. I can't understand how can he instantly falls in love to Rhiannon? Is it love at first sight? If it is, he doesn't fair to her and also Justin and all of inhabit bodies. As much as she understands his condition, I think her hesitation to A is understandable. I agree with his thought about loving and look past the blur but I also can see where Rhiannon think. All of things that Rhiannon think are quite normal and understandable for me, but it doesn't make sense for A, just because it's the way he thinks for all of his life. It makes me think that he is a selfish boy. And the more days I read, more selfish he become. Then, I'm glad he can see it through Rhiannon's eyes and can learn from different angles. That one particular thing, one day of his life turn me to love him. It isn't what he gives to Rhiannon in the end, it's the way he accepts his life and learns from his mistakes that make me love this book.

I still don't understand of A's love to Rhiannon and think that it is a little bit between love at first sight and an infatuation and still don't get the answers for my questions yet I'm happy with the unanswered ending. This story, just like A's has many possibilities. And I'm open to many more possibilities.
...more

Like · see review

Jan 29, 2013 Sharon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, must-read-again, 2013-read, cultivate-empathy

What would you do for the one you love?

Every Day is the story of "A", a person without friends, family, personal history (body), and... gender. Who are you? What are you? How much of you is your body, your mind, your soul?

What happens when you fall in love, and what will you do for the one you love?

A compelling and original story, written in a manner fans of Markus Zusak will recognize and enjoy, writing that borders lyrical - Every Day is a recommended read - for everyone. ...more

Like · see review