Subgenre: Young Adult Speculative Romance / LGBTQ+ Contemporary Fantasy

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.3 out of 5 stars)

“I wake up. Immediately I have to figure out who I am.”

And with that poetic punch to the chest, Every Day opens the door to one of the most unique love stories in contemporary YA literature. David Levithan invites us to meet A—a being who inhabits a different body each day, regardless of gender, race, orientation, or geography. A has lived like this for 16 years, never staying, never forming attachments—until they meet Rhiannon.

What follows is not just a romance, but a quiet philosophical meditation on embodiment, consent, connection, and what it really means to see someone beyond the surface.

🌟 What Shines Bright (Praise)

  • A Concept that Sparks Wonder: The premise—a soul that changes bodies daily—feels equal parts magical and existential. It’s a high-concept idea that Levithan grounds with surprising emotional realism.
  • Radical Empathy in Action: As A navigates different lives—teens who are trans, disabled, depressed, joyful, angry—readers are handed a passport into radically different experiences. The result is a masterclass in empathy without feeling preachy.
  • Romance with a Pulse: The tension between A’s shifting identity and Rhiannon’s desire for constancy is heartbreakingly honest. Their love feels tender, messy, and deeply human, in all the best ways.

LGBTQ+ Affirming: A’s fluid existence opens the door for conversations around gender, orientation, and love beyond binaries. It’s a warm, welcoming mirror for queer teens—and a gentle education for others.

🤔 Where It Trips a Bit (Critique)

  • A Bit Repetitive: The daily body-swaps—while thematically rich—can become narratively repetitive. Some readers may wish for a tighter pace or more external plot movement.
  • Ethical Gray Zones: A inhabits people without their consent, which raises valid ethical questions the book only lightly touches. If you're a reader who likes moral nuance explored thoroughly, you might find this unsettling.
  • Rhiannon's Flatness: While A is complex and layered, Rhiannon occasionally reads more like a vehicle for A’s longing than a fully-realized character in her own right.

🚨 Potential Triggers (By Degree)

Mild to Moderate:

  • Body dysphoria & gender identity distress (as A navigates different bodies)
  • Depression & suicidal ideation (brief but present in certain characters A inhabits)
  • Emotional manipulation in relationships (from Rhiannon’s boyfriend)
  • Consent ambiguity (A's uninvited presence in others' bodies)

No explicit violence or sexual content, but the emotional stakes can be intense.

💌 Who Should Read This?

  • Teens & young adults questioning identity, gender, or the shape of love.
  • Readers craving emotionally intelligent speculative fiction with a philosophical twist.
  • Fans of Becky Albertalli, Nina LaCour, or They Both Die at the End.
  • Adults nostalgic for YA that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

🌈 Final Thoughts

Every Day is a love story, yes—but also a mirror, a question, and a prayer. It asks: if we are more than our bodies, what does love really see? David Levithan doesn’t hand us easy answers, but he does offer us a kaleidoscope of lives—each one reminding us that being human is a beautiful, complex mess of connection.

It may not be a perfect novel (what soul ever is?), but it lingers, like a dream you can’t quite shake. If you’re ready to read something that will expand your heart and challenge your assumptions—with a touch of speculative sparkle—this might just be the book for you.