Movie Mondays: On the occasional Monday, I will review a book series or novel that has been made into a movie. I will then answer the question that everyone asks: which is better, the movie or the book? Here is this edition’s offering:
Book Cover | Movie Poster
Book: Every Day by David Levithan (2012) | Movie: Every Day (2018)
Which did I read/see first? the BOOK
Series: Every Day Trilogy
Author: David Levithan
# of Books: 3 (Every Day, Another Day, Someday)
There is a prequel novella: #0.5 Six Days Before
Book Order: Companion (Another Day), Chronological Sequel (Someday)
Complete?: Unsure
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Magical Realism
Heat Rating: warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Dates: August 2012 – October 2018
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook
I wasn’t a huge fan of the novel mostly because I wasn’t a fan of the two leads. Our lead, A, comes across as selfish and slightly obsessive when it comes to anything to do with Rhiannon and that was just off-putting for me. And Rhiannon was a total dud which didn’t help justify the situation. She’s whinny and selfish as well. So that put a damper on their romance which just came across as unhealthy and obsessive.
What I did enjoy (though it gets highlighted more in the third novel, Someday) is the philosophical, moral and ethic dilemmas it raises about A’s situation. It really got me thinking about life, how we treat others and what I would do if I was in A’s shoes. And I really enjoyed the idea that you can fall in love with a person’s spirit–not just their outward appearance–even if I didn’t love the romance we actually get.
Rating: 3/5
Series Review: Full series review here!
- Just One Day by Gayle Forman (Just One Day Series #1)
Were My Expectations Met?
I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t going in with the highest expectations. It was mostly just curiosity to see how they’d handle this that had me interested.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie for what it was.
How Close is it to the Book?
I don’t really remember the specifics of the first book and all the little scenes we get but I feel like the essence of those scenes were captured in the limited time.
But for the most part, I’d say this was a romance and not really anything much deeper than that. We don’t delve into the crux of why A is the way they are–though I don’t really think the book did too much either. I just think there was a bit of a missed opportunity there because the concept of the story is great.
I thought the characters were more likeable though in the movie. And while they do have some selfish moments, A’s monologue they deliver about being in one body really tugged on my heart more than it ever did in the novel.
Did I Like the Cast?
Some movies aimed for teens/younger adults can have terrible acting but I was really impressed by this cast. Considering you have multiple people playing A, I thought they all did a fantastic job.
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
I really doubt they are going to make the sequels into movies. But I feel like this entire series would have been better as a TV miniseries instead…
In some ways (like character likeability), I definitely prefer the movie. But I like how the book is a touch more philosophical about the predicament that A finds themselves in. I think the movie focuses more on the romance, and it comes across as slightly shallow. However, I’m not going to go out of my way to rewatch the movie nor reread the books.
Do you agree? Leave a comment below!
Synopsis for Every Day (from Goodreads):
Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
Trailer:
I liked the book; it was different. I had no idea they made it into a movie.🤣Great review!
I know I had heard about it but it wasn’t until I was looking at new releases at my library that I remembered it had been released 😛