Over the last few years, David Levithan has written or co-written some of my favorite books. And after reading his latest, Another Day, I'm starting to wonder if there's anything Levithan can't do.
Another Day is a companion novel to Levithan's excellent, moving, Every Day, which was one of my favorite books of 2012. This new book tells the story of Rhiannon, a high school student who is pretty much resigned to the fact that every day of her life will be no more exciting than the day before. Her relationship with her troubled boyfriend, Justin, causes her simultaneous happiness and frustration, and while all she wants is to plan a future with him, he rarely gives her the satisfaction of even treating her the way she deserves to be treated, let alone make her believe they have a future.
"I am in love with someone who's afraid of the future. And like a fool, I keep bringing it up."
One day, however, things with Justin seem different. He's more attentive, romantic, spontaneous, and the two spend the type of day together Rhiannon has always hoped for. But the next morning, things go right back to normal, with Justin being sullen and argumentative. And worse than that, he has no real memories of the day they spent together and why it made Rhiannon so happy. And all that does is make her realize how absent this type of happiness is from her life on a regular basis.
She can't seem to figure out why Justin is acting the way he is, and why he doesn't remember their day. And then one day she meets a stranger who explains the truth, which seems utterly improbable—but the more Rhiannon thinks about it, the more she wants to believe it, and the more she realizes that she is worthy of being loved. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
"There is nothing that can make you feel quite so dumb as wanting something good to be true."
Like Every Day, Another Day requires you to significantly suspend your disbelief. But these books evoke so many emotions, so many ideas to consider, that no matter how improbable the plot is, I fell for it entirely. This is another wonderful book, and Levithan demonstrates his immense affections for his characters and the world that he has created for them. (I've been deliberately vague about the plot because you could read Another Day first and not be hampered in any way.)
I've said many times before that I love books that make me feel all the feels. This one certainly does, as does nearly every book that Levithan has written. If you're a sap like me, give these books a try. Hopefully you'll be as moved as I have been.
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