I recently read David Levithan's novel 'Every You, Every Me' and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Almost every review I have read online of this novel is predominantly negative, so I have resolved to write my own review to strongly contradict other opinions.
It was a lot of firsts for me:
- First time I had ever picked a book up off a shelf at random and read it all the way to the end. I read the first chapter and was immediately hooked.
- First 'post-modern' book I've read. I'm usually stuck into classic and mainstream authors and have always avoided books with words placed in seemingly random splotches on the page, or bizzare formats, or mirror-writing (see front cover). However, I found that it was not a random assortment of rule-breaking just for the fun of it - rather every unconventional stylistic choice was measured and contributed to the meaning.
- First David Levithan novel I have read, and I find that most people's criticisms are that it does not compare to his other books, however I found this a fabulous introduction.
- First time I have ever read a book from beginning to end so fast (3 days - I am quite a slow reader, don't judge me!), except for the last Harry Potter book.
The novel is not so much a story but rather an exploration into the effects of
mental illness. The protagonist (Evan) and the main subject of discussion (Ariel) both suffer nameless mental illnesses, mainly depression. Levithan's depiction of life is startlingly and refreshingly truthful, often giving voice to things I've thought but never realised I've thought.
Levithan's use of
language was simply stunning. He would often include little word-plays or discussions on the use of words with I found fascinating, such as the paradoxical use of 'profile' in online networking. His themes on networking [suggestively Facebook] were intriguing, as again I am usually immersed in century-old writers and I found it interesting to read his views on the modern age (Now I really sound like I'm some old person stuck in the past...!)
An a novice at photography myself, I found his use of
photography gripping. The influx of photos each chapter made the experience feel like a detective story as I closely analysed each image for clues.
Another interesting feature is that almost half of all the text is
crossed out. This is what first caught my attention, and is a very cleaver technique in presenting Evan's forbidden thoughts written in second-person to his missing friend as well as the same tortured memory that continuously plagues his mind which the reader slowly pieces together throughout the novel.
Many people criticise this book for a lack of
plot - however I felt the story moved quickly, easily engaging the reader in a desire to know who is behind the elusive letters and hate-mail that slowly drives Evan into madness. The revelations at the end were satisfying, in my opinion, revealing an extremely cleverly woven story that hinted at the answer from the start if you are able to piece together the information given in broken fragments.
Overall, and
excellent book. A light read (245 pages, many taken up by pictures, and large print), and obviously not ground-braking-J.K.Rowling material, but an interesting diversion from (and into) life :) Highly recommended.
