Every Day (novel)

Did You Know?

• A prequel novella titled Six Earlier Days was released digitally on November 26, 2012.
• A companion novel titled Another Day was released on August 25, 2015.
• The film script was written by Jesse Andrews, author of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.

Plot summary

The story follows A, a genderless spirit who wakes each day in the body of a different sixteen-year-old living on the East Coast. A has no real name or body of their own but possesses their own memories and can access the memories of the host, a process A calls 'accessing.' The narrative begins when A inhabits a teenage boy named Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon, feeling an instant connection. A invites her to the beach, where they open up to one another, though A's sharing is limited. A then tries to convince Rhiannon that the day was between her and A, not Justin. Over subsequent days, A pursues Rhiannon while inhabiting various bodies, eventually convincing her of their identity and the phenomenon they experience. Rhiannon believes A but realizes a relationship would be impossible. Meanwhile, A must contend with a boy whose body A inhabited early, who tracks A down for answers, and a preacher who gathers followers of people who inhabit others' bodies.

Characters

A is the narrator, a ghostly disembodied spirit who wakes in a different body each day, accessing that person's memories and becoming them for 24 hours. A has no gender, has aged over time, and never inhabits the same body twice. Up until the story's beginning, A strives to respect the hosts and stick to their routines. A keeps a personal email for thoughts and has no life of their own. A's fascination with Rhiannon leads A to pursue their own goals, causing moral conflict. Rhiannon is a teenage girl, Justin's girlfriend and A's romantic interest. She initially doubts A but soon believes them, though she understands a relationship with A is impossible. She follows A through ups and downs hoping for a way for A to stay permanently. Nathan Daldry is the body A inhabits after Justin's; while in Nathan's body, A goes to a party to contact Rhiannon but fails to return Nathan home before 24 hours, leaving Nathan to wake in a car. Nathan, reserved and religious, believes Satan took him over and discovers A's email, harassing A to take responsibility. Justin is Rhiannon's boyfriend and the first body A possesses; he is verbally abusive to Rhiannon and others.