David Levithan

This sweet and solid middle grades novel tells three interconnected stories: one story about Donavan, whose mother is challenging a book assigned by his beloved 5th grade teacher; chapters from the challenged book; and a story that follows two 5th grade boys as they fall in love with each other. Donavan's story, which is contemporary, feels central. A mature 5th grader, he must find his voice to support his teacher and help his mother shift her perspective. Some readers will understand early show more on the connection between the two "real life" stories, but the specific way the two fit together isn't revealed until the very end. This revelation highlights one of Levithan's specialties: that twist that is both perfect and perfectly human. This isn't magic, it's everyday life, and characters will grow and change and - because it's Levithan's world - will try to become better versions of themselves. He is a master of books that are kind but not precious, deeply thoughtful without being preachy, and always, always generous in their belief in the possibility of goodness and community. I especially loved the character names that celebrate the beautiful history of the genre I started calling "YA Gay" after being delighted by Boy Meets Boy 20 years ago. show less

A YA novel in which two openly gay boys fall in love and run into normal rom-com-y obstacles to their relationship. Fun, funny, touching, and written in a smart, compelling voice. While this is a rewarding, entertaining read on the surface, it is probably most remarkable and most interesting because of what it is: a story which treats the teenaged romance between two boys as no different than a teenaged romance between a boy and a girl. Levithan creates an idealized town for his setting show more where homosexuality is universally accepted and embraced, and this ideal sharply points out the prejudices and injustices of the real world while creating a counterpoint within the novel for the prejudices the characters encounter outside their inclusive town. Recommended. show less

The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan constructs a couple’s romance in the form of a dictionary. Each defined word relates to the narrator describing his lover and their relationship together. The definitions are fairly concise, often just a paragraph, rarely longer than a page, and yet by the end of the novel the reader has a clear mental picture of the couple.
Through the use of the definitions, the mundane elements and the transcendent moments of the couple’s relationship are show more highlighted. In a nonlinear fashion, it presents how the couple meet through a dating app and their eventual decision to join two separate lives into one. Ultimately, each word the narrator chooses represents the negotiations that take place to overcome pitfalls which all couples face. In this dictionary, love is a rocky road where living happily ever after is never a straight and easy path to follow.

This is a unique novel that wowed me from beginning to end. The narrator’s A to Z definitions present a very personal story, but one that is universal as well. It is a book short enough to be read in a single sitting. But the reader may find themselves pondering how each word invokes thoughtful consideration on their own experiences in the matter of love, so it can take days to leisurely digest. It is a novel worth savoring one definition at a time. show less

Every Day has an interesting premise, in that its narrator, A, wakes up every day in someone else's body. Someone different every day. Someone his own age. Although you can't be sure "his" is the correct pronoun to use. A doesn't have his own body. A isn't even his name; its just what he decided to call himself. One day he wakes up as Justin, and over the course of his day inhabiting Justin's body, he falls in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. He has never met a girl like her, never show more had a day like the day they share. And unlike every other day of his sixteen years, when he wakes up in a new body, he finds a way to meet Rhiannon again. And again. Eventually he tells her his story. The first time he has ever told anyone his story. Because he has fallen in love with her.

This storyline I enjoyed. Even when he wakes up as a girl. As a lesbian. A gay guy. Trans. The storyline remains "how does he build a relationship with Rhiannon when every day he wakes up in a new body, one that often doesn't mesh with her needs and desires?" My hardcover copy is 324 pages long. I enjoyed all but the last ten, when Every Day loses me in its unsatisfying ending as A introduces Rhiannon to the boy he's inhabiting this last day, Alexander, then leaves and never contacts her again because he is trapped in this cycle and there is no way for them to be together. After which the book ends, rather than concludes.

I'm not sure what ending would change my sense of disappointment. It's really the only ending that works, given A's predicament. But the lack of closure is unfulfilling.

P.S. Only after writing this review did I see that Every Day is part of a series. When I finished reading it, I thought the story needed to continue. Unfortunately, David Levithan decided to continue it in Another Day and Someday rather than work out a satisfactory conclusion in Every Day. show less