Every Day Reading Response

Picture this: you wake up every day in a different body, not knowing who you are. It sounds like an impossible situation to deal with, but this is what A’s life is like every single day. The book Every Day by David Levithan is a fascinating story about a person who’s life is essentially meaningless. He wakes up each morning as a different person, with access to all of their memories- but also to his own. He is someone new every day, but his conscience remains. He goes day by day, trying not to mess up the body’s life, but by doing this, he restricts his own capabilities. This is how it has been for as long as he can remember- until, one day, he meets the love of his life. Rhiannon. After his day in that body is up, he keeps in touch with Rhiannon and eventually tells her his secret. They fall deeply in love- but because of the circumstances, their relationship is naturally complicated, but equally real and passionate. 
One example of this is how A wakes up as a different person every day, and Rhiannon finds it difficult to “see” him inside the body he’s in. In order for her to love him, she has to love his personality and spirit, not his body- and she does. Rhiannon does her best to accept A no matter what, and shows A that she loves him. One example of when Rhiannon expresses this difficulty is from page 153 in the text: “‘Why? Because one morning you could wake up on the other side of the country. Because I feel like I’m meeting a new person every time I see you. Because you can’t be there for me. Because I don’t think I can like you no matter what. Not like this.’” This quote shows how their relationship can be frustrating because there is no guarantee of consistency. However, Rhiannon also shows A how much she loves him. Page 259 in the text states: “‘I’m not saying you’re any less important. You know I’m not. Right now, you are the person I love the most in the entire world.’” These two quotes show how frustrated Rhiannon is by the fact that A isn’t always there for her and never can be, but also how much she loves and cares about him regardless. 

Another example of how their relationship is complex but also admirable, is how the first thing A thinks of as soon as he wakes up is how far away from Rhiannon he is every day. The chapters start with something like, “I wake up, and I am three hours away from her,” or, “I am only two towns away from her.” This shows how A is so dedicated to being with Rhiannon, but also it exposes the complications of their relationship. Every single day, A wakes up a certain distance from his love, be it ten minutes or ten hours away, he’s still never with her, as much as he wishes he could be. Also, when he falls asleep next to her, she knows that in the morning, he will be gone, and he never knows how far away he will be. This shows that Rhiannon is A’s number one priority, but also that he can’t always be there when Rhiannon needs him.

One final example of how A and Rhiannon’s relationship is flawed, but still strong, is how A is willing to sacrifice the body’s well being in order to get to Rhiannon. At the beginning of the book, he lived the life the body would want him to live, as not to disrupt the body’s life. After all, he was just the guest. But as his relationship with Rhiannon grows stronger and more intense, A is willing to sacrifice the safety of his secret to be with Rhiannon. One example of this is when A is in the body of Nathan Daldry. A sneaks out in Nathan’s body and goes to a party just to see Rhiannon again. He can’t get back in time, so he falls asleep in Nathan’s car while driving home from the party. Afterwards, Nathan claims he was “possesed” by the devil, and people are looking for answers, meaning that A’s anonymity is in danger. But this was a risk he was willing to take to spend time with Rhiannon. Page 75 of the text states: “Poor Nathan Daldry. He is going to wake up on the side of an interstate, an hour away from his home. I can only imagine how terrified he’ll be. I am a monster for doing this to him. But I have my reason.” This shows how Rhiannon was more important than A, than the body’s well-being, even, which used to be the most important thing to him. But now, Rhiannon is his first priority and his sacrifices prove it.

All in all, these examples prove that Rhiannon and A have a complicated but extremely real and important relationship. Rhiannon overcomes her obstacles by learning to love A no matter what body he’s in, and A shows his dedication to her by trying to be there for her no matter where he is, what body he’s in, or what the dangers and sacrifices may be. They learn to love each other in an extremely unique and powerful way, and the foundation of their relationship- trust- is what holds them to one another no matter what the circumstance. They have changed each other’s lives in an inexplicable way. This book teaches me how powerful love can be, and also to never take the security of my body, life and loved ones for granted. I am lucky to wake up as myself every day.