David Levithan, the author of the critically acclaimed and incredibly successful Every Day series, has centered much of his literary career on love—particularly 2SLGBTQIA+ love. In each of his novels, love is a prominent theme. That is especially true with 19 Love Songs (2020), which contains nineteen short stories and poems about love. For example, one story follows A, the protagonist and narrator of the Every Day series, who navigates Valentine's Day while living in the body of a small child. Another story is non-fiction and chronicles Levithan's parents' own love story. Although several stories involve characters from Levithan's previous novels, many stories follow brand-new characters.
As with Levithan's previous novels, 19 Love Songs received exceptionally positive reviews from critics across the world. Kirkus Reviews wrote in their review that the novel is "Easy listening for the lovesick." Publisher's Weekly also praised the novel. They named it one of their top "picks" and cited Levithan's voice and the "diverse" protagonists as two of the collection's biggest strengths. Summing up their view on the collection, they said that it is an "optimistic reminder of the transforming power of love."
