Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Genre: Contemporary YA
Format: Paperback
Description (Source: Amazon):
Risk everything . . . for love.
What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken.My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.
Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.“
I’ve Read many more books than you. It doesn’t matter how many you’ve read. I’ve read more. Believe me. I’ve had the time.”
Overall Assessment:
What a great first line! Definitely one of my favorite openers into a book. Everything, Everything is about Madeline, a girl who was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID. It pretty much means she’s allergic to everything. The book starts right before Madeline’s 18th birthday. Because of her SCID she is forced to spend her days locked in her specialized house with only her mother and a nurse, Carla, for company. Madeline seems somewhat content in this existence until a new boy, Olly, moves in next door. Madeline’s world shifts in a quick and dramatic way as she gets to know Olly.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s written in a unique way because the “chapters” are short, and the written entries are supplemented with Madeline’s diagrams, diary entries, pictures, emails, and doodles. The book moved fast and was easy to read. I connected with Madeline and Olly fairly quickly, and enjoyed watching their relationship blossom.
Rating:
What I didn’t like:
– A little predictable. I kind of saw the twist coming, but it was still good.
– The ending felt really rushed! I wish we could have had an epilogue or something to help wrap things up a little. I’m not a fan when a book has a huge reveal at the end and then rushes the conclusion. I would have liked more closure and more info on what happened to Madeline.
– I didn’t like how easily Carla seemed to disregard Madeline’s health. Once I figured out what the plot twist was I understood a little better, but still.
Final Thoughts:
– Overall it’s a good book and I still recommend it. I’m excited to see the movie! Have you seen the trailer? I’m posting it at the bottom in case you haven’t.
Chanda Reads 