I can’t imagine any young adult reader cheering for more time with Justin. It was a weak moment in an otherwise great book. For example, in 'Every Day' we had to deal with Rhiannon’s relationship to her obnoxious and angry boyfriend Justin. All that has been locked in by the previous book, so it can’t be changed. Yes, they might give us one or two little snippets of new information, but we as readers are experiencing the same dialogue and jokes, the same interactions and the same plot. It feels like the authors just copy and pasted the first book into a new manuscript. The thing is that these books seem lazy to me. I was, unfortunately, sorely disappointed. As a fan of the first book, I was really hoping for a sequel that moved the plot forward and added to the story. A better name might be 'Same Day.' This book follows the exact plot of 'Every Day,' but retold through the eyes of A’s love interest, Rhiannon. While this new book is called 'Another Day,' it is anything but that. Well, A and the other characters of Every Day are back.

I don’t say this lightly, but I think that every 16-year old should be handed a copy on their birthday. Levithan takes this wonderful concept and plays it perfectly in 'Every Day.' He uses each new morning as an opportunity to take on young adult issues like depression, addiction, and bullying. Using only memories and instincts, A has to survive through the day, until he falls asleep and the cycle begins again. Each morning, A wakes up in a different body, a different life. 'Every Day' is the story of a character named A.

Recently, young adult author David Levithan has done it, showing us a different side of his wonderful 2013 young adult novel 'Every Day.' Stephanie Meyer almost did it with 'Twilight.' It’s a trend that makes up a big part of the world of fan fiction, but now the mainstream is catching in. James did it with her '50 Shades of Grey' series, retelling the first novel from the perspective of her male lead. You might call these books “companion books.” They are not sequels per se, but instead a mirror of the same book, telling the same story from another character’s perspective. But while publishers and authors might be cashing in, readers aren’t so lucky.

I’m not sure if there is a word for it yet, but I am sure publishers are seeing its financial potential. There’s a weird new trend I’ve noticed creeping into the literary world.

Scott Southard tells us more in his review of 'Another Day' by David Levithan. But now, there’s another genre of follow ups to novels that’s becoming popular. Even more so if they make it to the big screen. Sequels can mean big money for the authors of popular books.

Novel by david levithan