Another Day/David Levithan Note: This is a review of Another Day that can be applied to Every Day.
 
This was a really intense book, a really moving book that made me reconsider what we consider love.
 
Firstly, I must note that this book is a companion, meaning it can be a stand-alone! Levithan notes in his letter to the reader that he intended this book to be read by people who had never read Every Day, people who had read it a while ago, and people who had read it recently and knew every detail. I fell in the middle category. I read it over a year ago and couldn't remember anything except the premise and that I had adored it. I can't compare the two as I barely remember anything from Every Day but I do highly recommend reading one or the other.
 
The premise behind this pair is so intriguing that honestly even if the writing wasn't as solid as it is, I'd probably give it a couple of stars. This book is told from Rhiannon's point of view, whereas Every Day was told from A's. That is the main difference between these two, yet I think even if I'd just reread the first, I'd still have loved this.
 
And Levithan pulls it off so well. His writing is incredibly easy to fall into and captivated me from the first few pages. Looking at the book analytically, I don't want to like Rhiannon--there isn't much to her. However, I absolutely adore her. I can relate to her so easily, and I think that's what makes her such a strong character. Her life is very average, and in that, completely relatable. I loved the emphasis she put on having her own life and being able to spend time with her friends and continue those relationships. This sent a powerful message.
 
This book really emphasises what it means to be in love and what the end result of relationships are. Rhiannon had been dating her boyfriend, Justin, for over a year, but she's aware that she never knows how he'll be treating her. Her close friends all seem wary of the relationship, also. But is she settling if she's happy?
 
I found the boundary between love and friendship to also be immensely fascinating in this book. Reading this was particularly poignant as I am asexual and rarely if ever experience physical attraction to someone. In this, seeing how the person within a body could affect attraction, and how the outer 'shell' could cause a relationship to be friendship or more. Levithan explores these boundaries subtly but very cleverly.
 
I'm glad Levithan decided to have a companion novel and not a sequel, because I love the ending and all the possibilities it leaves for our imaginations.
 
In your lifetime, you should make sure you read at least one of this pair of novels. Levithan's put a lot of depth, some great thoughts, and a beautiful story into each. Another Day isn't out until August 25th, but you should go and read Every Day right now.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This book was a bit of a slow starter for me. The whole 'Insta-love' drives me crazy in YA books and this was no exception. But. I . Persevered . And it was worth it. The insights into what makes us who we are and how relationships work was fascinating and very well written. ( )

CW: Suicidal thoughts ( )

I found the premise quite clever: some sort of entity leaps from one body to another, once a day. Only bodies of the same age; in the book the entity "A" is 16, so all the people he jumps into are 16. For that day he has total control over them and "access" to their memories, but not their emotions about those memories. It basically gives a way to see the world through the lens of different genders, races, classes, sexualities, mental states, and addictions.

As it progresses the story kind of falls apart, but it is overall an interesting concept.

It was only some time after I read the book that I realised it's not really an original concept, it's basically Quantum Leap, except the leaper is 16 and mostly doesn't try to make things better (and as things progresses sometimes messes up the lives of the bodies he occupies). ( )

The story is immediately intriguing, because you can't tell where it might go. The protagonist is a singular person and yet, above singular. I usually read faster than this (eight days) but I couldn't rush this at all. I won't go into any detail. Just, if you're unsure, go get the free sample from amazon. See if it yanks you in like it did me. I guess it's marketed as young adult, but don't let that fool you. It's a smart, savvy book by an accomplished writer, using a premise I've seen used in disappointing ways, but Levithan uses it like a scalpel, or a Klieg light. Or a gentle kiss.

This is an emotionally perfect novel. You'll have to read it to understand what I mean by that. ( )