book review: every you, every me

image from davidlevithan.com

Author of Boy Meets Boy and co-author of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist among many other titles, David Levithan collaborates with photographer Jonathan Farmer in his latest YA novel, Every You, Every Me (Knopf Books for Young Readers, Sept 2011).

The narrator, Evan, addresses “you”, his best friend Ariel, whose absence leaves him with feelings of grief and guilt. Evan constantly reviews his memories of her, and it is clear that she was in crisis but it is unclear what happened to her. It almost becomes a mystery, why the narrator feels guilty for her absence. Even more mysterious are the photos he discovers, which hint that the anonymous photographer knows something about Ariel that he doesn’t. His obsession with these pictures and with figuring out who is leaving them for him to find soon affects his relationships with friends, Ariel’s ex-boyfriend, and his own mental state.

The photos are haunting. The writing is poetic at times and emotive always. And the use of strikethrough text, though at times excessive, gives an interesting perspective on personal thoughts and self-censorship. I would recommend Every You, Every Me to teens (and adults) who enjoy contemporary lit and artistic flair.


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To be honest, I wrote this review for another site--hence, the less sassy tone--but it won't get posted there. Which is totally okay, no hard feelings, because I'll have more opportunities to write for them. Announcement coming soon.