Every Day

July 9, 2012
Is it possible to disregard someone’s exterior to see—and love—that person’s true, interior self? That’s just one of the provocative questions Levithan (Every You, Every Me) asks in a novel that follows “A,” who takes over the body of a different person each day at midnight. Right around A’s 6,000th day on the planet, A meets Rhiannon—girlfriend of current host body Justin—and falls in love. A is careful not to disrupt the lives of the bodies he/she inhabits (A doesn’t identify as male or female), but that starts to change as A pursues Rhiannon. Levithan sets up the rules of this thought experiment carefully: A only hops between the bodies of teenagers (who all live fairly near each other), and A can access their memories. As a result, the story unfolds smoothly (the regular shifts between bodies give the novel a natural momentum), but it’s also less ambitious. Despite the diverse teens A inhabits, A’s cerebral, wiser-than-thou voice dominates, in much the same way A directs the lives of these teens for 24 hours. Ages 12–up. Agent: Bill Clegg, William Morris Endeavor.

Starred review from October 29, 2012
Imagine waking up every morning in a different body, with a different personality, and a different life. This is reality for A, who experiences a new beginning every day of his life. And while A has come to accept this fate, when he awakens to meet the woman of his dreams, he decides he must find a way to break the cycle. Leviathan’s entertaining and imaginative novel comes to life in this inspired reading by Alex McKenna. Despite the fact that A is a male, the female McKenna brilliantly captures the character, adding nuance and depth. The narrator’s delivery is confident, emotive, and captivating—at times it sounds as if she is reading from her own diary. The result is truly memorable listening. Ages 12–up. A Knopf hardcover.

April 15, 2023
A tries to maintain their own identity in this graphic adaptation of Levithan's bestselling 2012 novel by the same name. Every day, A wakes up in a new body. They've had this uncontrollable ability since birth and have grown used to keeping people at a distance--that is, until A wakes up in Justin's body and spends a romantic day at the beach with Rhiannon, Justin's girlfriend. Unable to forget her, A conspires to spend more time with her. As Nathan, A attends a party and exchanges emails with Rhiannon, finally building an ongoing relationship. Unfortunately, Nathan remembers being a spectator in his own body and tells people he believes he was possessed by a demon. Rhiannon does some investigating, realizes A's story doesn't add up, and A reveals the truth. Despite her growing feelings, Rhiannon doubts their relationship could work due to A's constant body-hopping. Questions of consent and selfhood are explicitly addressed through A's body swapping, making A an incredibly relatable protagonist and the premise as intriguing and relevant as ever. Because A wakes up in a different body every day, it can be difficult at times to spot which character they are currently inhabiting, but this is overall a very successful adaptation. The racially diverse cast is drawn in an expressive style, and the use of light and shadow and the varied color palette are highly effective. Demands readers' attention and does not let go. (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

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May 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-What does it take to fall in love? One perfect day. That is really all A has before waking up in the body of yet another person. But in the course of one day as Justin, A has fallen in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. The problem is that tomorrow A will be someone else. Though A has promised themselves that they won't interfere with their hosts' lives, they find themselves drawn to Rhiannon and continually seek her out in their various forms in hopes of being loved for their true self. Fans of the original novel will appreciate the way the full-color, comic-style illustrations add depth to the story and characters. For readers unfamiliar with Levithan's work, hand to readers who enjoy Alice Oseman's "Heartstopper," Trung Le Nguyen's The Magic Fish, or Molly Ostertag's The Girl from the Sea. VERDICT A welcome addition to high school graphic novel collections, especially where romance circulates well.-Monisha Blair

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