Novella Review: Six Earlier Days by David Levithan

Six Earlier Days by David Levithan
Release Date: November 26, 2012
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal, LGBT
Source: Library
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In Every Day, New York Times bestselling author David Levithan presented readers with his most ambitious novel to date: Every morning, A wakes up in a different body and leads a different life. A must never get too attached, must never be noticed, must never interfere.

The novel Every Day starts on Day 5994 of A’s life. In this digital-only collection Six Earlier Days, Levithan gives readers a glimpse at a handful of the other 5993 stories yet to be told that inform how A navigates the complexities of a life lived anew each day.

In Every Day, readers discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day. In Six Earlier Days, readers will discover a little bit more about how A became that someone.

This is the first work of David Levithan that I’ve read and boy, I can’t wait to read more. I can’t wait to read Every Day. I can’t wait! His writing is beautiful. The stories are so different yet so fluid. The stories are compact and the pacing is so wonderfully crafted and executed. Best of all, these stories have heart. Every single one of them. A may be in a different body everyday and that’s like a Love 101 class in itself. I loved following A as A navigates each body that A is in and the dynamics of each relationship A must uphold. I love the varied emotions each relationship brings. The varied tones each house holds. The varied conflicts. Levithan hits all of the right moments. This is truly a magnificent body of work. This is brilliant. Brilliant!

“I don’t really care about commercials, because even if I get things, I don’t have them for very long.”

In Six Earlier Days, we follow A over six days as six completely different people in completely different circumstances and conflicts. First, we follow A as Cara on her tenth birthday and we discover what it means to A to have this birthday when, as so many people, A has had so many. Second, we follow A as a seven year old only child who is essentially a prisoner in their own home and the tension is so real. My God, the tension. Third, A is Holly, a girl missing her friend, Natasha whom she was, I read it as more than friends with before Natasha moved away to Paris. A was Holly when Natasha needed Holly to reaffirm things and encourage her and just be there. Sometimes the greatest thing in the world is to know that someone is there for you. Levithan displayed this beautifully here.

“Everyone wakes up tired.”

Then, A is Hamilton who is a work out machine and discovers that even in this setting, the grass is not always greener. So glad this perspective made it in the book because so often this perspective is written off. Next, A is Paul who is faced with making a decision in such a pivotal moment in a relationship between two best friends who could be more than friends. If only. Boy was this uncomfortable! I loved how awkward it made me feel. What an emotional ride this novella will take you on but boy, this story in particular really got me. Wow. Finally, A is 16 year old Mark, who finds himself in Mark’s body on the day his best friend comes out to him, longing for him. I love, love, love A’s response. It’s neither a yes or a no but chance and compassion and it makes me love A all the more.

In these six stories, Levithan defies so much. Be it sexism, appearance, etc… he covers so much in so little words with so much heart and I couldn’t be more proud of this story for him. I’ve said it before but it’s beautiful. It really is. It was exciting getting a taste for how A’s world works before reading Every Day which I can’t wait to read soon. If this is on your list of books to read, I’d tell you to get to it right away. It will bring a smile on your face and so much more.

Six Earlier Days by David Levithan is available today.