Ultimately, the universe doesn't care about us (novel)
Ultimately, we don't care about the universe (English original title: Every Day ) is a novel for young adults, written by the American author David Levithan . It was published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on August 28, 2012 and is recommended for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18. The German translation by Martina Tichy was published by S. Fischer Verlag on March 27, 2014.
action
Ultimately, the universe doesn't care about us tells the story of A, a person who wakes up in a different body every day. A does not have a real name, he is not a person in the conventional sense, but has a mind that changes from one host to the next without choice and replaces its consciousness with its own for just 24 hours. A has memories of his own, but is also able to tap into the memories of the person whose body he occupies.
The story begins when A wakes up in the body of a teenager named Justin. Upon arriving at school, A meets Justin's friend Rhiannon and immediately feels connected to her. Based on Justin's memories, A can say that Justin and Rhiannon are having a hard time in their relationship, so A invites them to the beach to learn more about them. The two open each other, although A says less and formulates it very carefully. A has never felt such a connection with anyone before, so is trying to find a way to stay around Rhiannons for the next few days. A does his best to convince Rhiannon that the day at the beach wasn't between her and Justin, but between her and A.
A spends almost every day after this event figuring out the best way to approach Rhiannon, as luckily they are never more than a car ride away from each other. After some difficulties, A is finally able to convince Rhiannon of who he is and what phenomenon he experiences on a daily basis. Although she believes A and understands how difficult it must be, she also realizes that a relationship with A would be impossible even if she wanted to have one. As the story progresses, we follow A as he repeatedly wakes up in different bodies and continues to go after Rhiannon. In the meantime, he is forced to fight a boy whose body A used to inhabit and who tracks him down to get answers about who A is and how he was able to take over his body and mind, as well as a priest who lives with this Boy who gathers a following of people who live in the bodies of others.
reception
Ultimately, we don't care about the universe has received a lot of positive reviews, for example from Kirkus Reviews, which states, “Levithan's confident, analytical style blends perfectly with the plot. His reflections on love, longing and human nature fit seamlessly into A's journey. Readers will devour his signature poetic pun and cadences, which feel as fresh as they did when he wrote Boy Meets Boy (2003). ”Susan Carpenter of the Los Angeles Times wrote,“ It's the rare book that gender guesswork questions in a fun and unexpected way and, perhaps most importantly, engages teenagers who don't believe they need awareness training when it comes to sexual orientation and the nature of true love. Ultimately, the universe doesn't care about us is just such a book ... A story that is always seductive, often humorous and, like love itself - magnificent. "Frank Bruni of the New York Times said of the novel:" It shows Levithan's talent for empathy, which in the best parts of the book is paired with a compelling optimism about the chances of happiness and true love. The only way to move on is to see each person as an opportunity. For A, with the daily changes, this is an absolute necessity. For the rest of us, it's still a good idea. "The Boston Globe's Chelsey Philpot commented," The ending is abrupt and leaves one asking for more explanation ... But maybe it just feels like that because we're not ready are about to let go of A. Through A's eyes the readers experience what it would be like to be a different but the same person. "
In 2015, the book was awarded the Youth Jury Prize of the German Youth Literature Prize. In 2014 it won the LovelyBooks Readers Award in the Best Book Title category .
Sequels
A prequel novella entitled Six Earlier Days was published on November 26 of that year. A companion novel with the title Ultimately it's just about you (English original title: Another Day ) was published on August 25, 2015 - the German translation followed a year later on August 25, 2016. A sequel called Someday will be released in 2018.
filming
In June 2017 it was announced that we don't care about the universe will be filmed with Angourie Rice in the role of Rhiannon. The script was written by Jesse Andrews, author of the book Me and Earl and the Girl and the screenplay for the film of the same name , directed by Michael Sucsy. The shooting took place in the summer of 2017 and the film was released in German cinemas on May 31, 2018.
Individual evidence
- ↑ EVERY DAY by David Levithan . In: Kirkus Reviews .
- ^ Susan Carpenter: Not Just for Kids: 'Every Day' has heart and soul . In: Los Angeles Times , September 1, 2012.
- ^ Frank Bruni:Every Day , by David Levithan . In: The New York Times , August 23, 2012.
- ^ Reviews of "Every Day" By David Levithan; "Two or Three Things I Forgot to Tell You" by Joyce Carol Oates; "Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone" by Kat Rosenfeld . In: The Boston Globe .
- ^ Six Earlier Days .
- ↑ 5 Reasons You Need to Read David Levithan's Another Day . August 13, 2015.
- ↑ David Canfield: Someday : Read an excerpt from David Levithan's Every Day sequel . February 6, 2018.
- ↑ MGM Acquires 'Every Day;' Michael Sucsy Directs, Angourie Rice Stars In YA Adaptation ' . In: Deadline .