Sparkles and Lightning

*****FINAL RATING: 4.75 STARS*****CATCHALLEvery Day was an absolutely work of art. Gorgeous. I can honestly say that it is a seriously unique book. David Levithan has woven a tale that's not only heartbreaking and beautiful, but dealt with gender issues as well. I loved that such a seemingly serious book was so deeply emotional and something that I could completely invest myself in. I loved being in A's world and getting to figure everything out along with A and Rhiannon.THE HERO(INE)AFirst, I want to make one thing clear. A easily reads as male, at least to me. But the truth is that A is genderless and both genders all at once. It is a mistake to say otherwise. I will be calling A "A" each time I mention A because although that is redundant, using "he" feels wrong and using "(s)he" or "he/she" or something is just annoying. Like it says in the blurb, A is soul. A has used to getting to live life unattached to anyone or anything. A's detachment was a protection against being hurt when A must ultimately leave, but at the same time that itself ended up hurting A too. A couldn't continue to live life detached from A's emotions. A is a very dynamic character. A doesn't want to live life selfishly, but in the end that was something that was very difficult for A.THE LOVE INTERESTRHIANNONRhiannon is the girl that A falls in love with. I didn't always like her. Although her reasons for staying with Justin are never explicitly stated, something about that was weird and it lowered my opinion of her because it made her look like she had very little self-respect. Rhiannon is sweet and far from naïve, but she's also not the most worldly girl. She doesn't need protection, but she still welcomes it. I eventually ended up liking her. She didn't have it easy with A, but she handled it very well in the end, and I agreed with her final decisions.THE PLOTFrom page one, Every Day grabbed me in a place I haven't been grabbed in a long time. Right in the feels. and it didn't let go. Honestly, it still hasn't. This was—is—an extremely emotional book for me and that's not the type of thing that's easily forgotten. It messed around with me in an almost cruel way, manipulating and changing me. Seriously. That sounds very, very cliché, but it's the best thing I know to say.I especially really liked the way A slowly gets to know Rhiannon. She intrigued him from the very first time he met her, but he could never have imagined that she was going to be so important. It was simply another day for A. But Rhiannon had something inside her that dragged him to her, despite his wanting to stay unattached. And once attached, A cannot stay away.I thought the way the story unfolded was gorgeous. It begins very mundane, for A's life, anyway. It doesn't seem like it's going to be anything special. And even though we know that this is the day everything changes for A, it's still thrilling to watch it actually happen.One thing I didn't like is there were some questions that were brought up and then just kind of ignored. It irritates me when authors ask questions like that—like about origins, for example—and never answer them. It would be much better if they had never been brought up at all, because then they wouldn't be on the forefront of my mind, waiting to be answered. Frankly, it's very annoying.This was absolutely lovely. It's not your average story in any way. It's a freaking emotional roller coaster. While that isn't the first time I've used that term and I seriously doubt that it will be the last, it is, well, true. There are moments full of seriousness, there are moments full of laughter, there are moments so tender and sweet they took my breath away.THE ROMANCEThe romance was gorgeous, and yes, it made my heart ache. From the very beginning, love between A and Rhiannon seems impossible. A is a different person every day, and A cannot control the change. Sometimes, A is in a girl's body. While that kind of thing doesn't bother him, it makes Rhiannon uncomfortable. That alone drives a wedge between them. And because of A's situations, he cannot always keep his promises to Rhiannon and he cannot see her every time he would like to. Sometimes no matter how hard he tries, he cannot do what she needs him too. Rhiannon clearly loves him, but she can only sacrifice so much. A obviously loves Rhiannon, too, and that becomes clear from his last choice.THE WRITINGI really, really, really like David's writing. Though it's true that A read as male for a lot of the book, A is genderless and that really did come across at some points. A's personality also really came through. We get to know A intensely through his mind, through his choices, through everything about him. Moreover, I really enjoyed the dialogue between A and Rhiannon. They have good banter, but they also have some really awesome serious conversations when need be, and their feelings and their hopes and their disappointments and everything really came through in sometimes only a few words.THE ENDINGThe ending broke my heart (in a good way) and made me literally cry my eyes out. Both A and Rhiannon have to make sacrifices, and what A does in the name of love is probably the greatest thing anyone could ever do for love. The ending ties the entire story together and cements A's and Rhiannon's shared story. Everything comes together in an explosive and perfect climax that stole a another little piece of my heart. It was dramatic but not overly so, and a definite tearjerker. I actually dare you to read it and not cry.WRAPUPSo, yes, Every Day was lovely, and excruciatingly painful. Still, I wouldn't change any of it for anything. It made me think, and I really liked that. It was so much more than just a fluffy love story, it's one of the most unique things I've ever read. Though this was my first David Levithan book, I have heard awesome things about his writing and I will definitely be checking out more of it in the hopefully near future. I can absolutely recommend this book with all my heart, and all my soul. I know that sounds totally cliché, but it's also true.FINE.Find more of my reviews on Sparkles and Lightning!