Posted by Brian on Thursday, Jan 24, 2013
Every so often, there’s a book that makes me stay up reading despite the fact that I’m very tired. Every Day, by David Levithan, was one of those books. It’s a young adult novel about A, who wakes up each morning in a different body living a different life. A’s life has always been this way and it (A considers itself genderless) has always tried to not screw up the host’s life that day. That is until it spends a day in Justin’s body and falls in love with his girlfriend, Rhiannon. After that fateful meeting, A uses its host bodies to try and get back to her. They start a relationship, but the problems of A’s existence eventually catch up with them.
For some reason, my mind focuses on the bad things about this book--it gets a bit preachy, Rhiannon is underdeveloped and the ending is kind of creepy. But I still really liked it. Maybe it’s the concept itself that I like so much. I also really sympathized with A, because it couldn’t have any lasting relationships. So, I wanted it all to work out between A and Rhiannon. Anyway, I recommend Every Day to anyone who thinks the basic concept sounds interesting.
I absolutely love the modern reboot trilogy of Planet of the Apes movies that began with "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." It was one of those rare trilogies where the entries kept getting better. I was intrigued when they announced another sequel. "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" takes place generations after the events of the previous three movies, and it's just as good: It features amazing special effects and a heartfelt story. I really hope they make more! -Brian