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Everything, Everything

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Madeline Whittier, a teenager with SCID, is confined to her house due to her severe immunodeficiency disorder. Her life changes when Olly, the boy next door, moves in and they start developing a friendship that challenges the limits of her sheltered existence. The book explores themes of love, friendship, and the desire for freedom, all depicted through a unique and heartwarming story with some unexpected twists. The plot unfolds through a mix of journal-style entries, texts, and illustrations, capturing the essence of teenage emotions and relationships in a compelling and engaging manner.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Madeline as a relatable protagonist, Olly as her charming love interest, and supporting characters that add emotional complexity to the narrative.

Writing/Prose:

Yoon's writing style is characterized by its engaging prose, creative integration of mixed media, and the effective use of humor to convey deeper emotional themes.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers on a teenage girl with a medical condition that confines her to her home, and her emotional journey as she falls in love with a boy next door, ultimately leading to a profound revelation about her situation.

Setting:

The setting alternates between the sterile confines of Madeline's home and the outside world, representing both her physical and emotional limitations.

Pacing:

The pacing is fast and engaging, utilizing a variety of formats to enhance the narrative and maintain reader interest throughout.
She pulls a framed photograph from behind her back. My heart squeezes inside my chest. It’s an old photograph of the four of us—me, my mom and dad and brother—standing on a beach, someplace tropical. ...

Notes:

Madeline Whittier has SCID, a rare disease that makes her allergic to everything, forcing her to live in isolation for 17 years.
The story is told through a mix of traditional narrative, IM chat logs, emails, and illustrations, which adds a unique touch.
Madeline's life changes when Olly, the boy next door, moves in, sparking a forbidden romance.
The book explores themes of love, identity, and the desire for freedom, as Madeline questions her sheltered life.
There is a significant plot twist at the end that changes everything we thought we knew about Madeline's illness and her mother's motivations.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include discussions of domestic violence, child abuse, mental illness, and the implications of a health condition.

Has Romance?

The romance between Maddy and Olly is central to the story, showcasing strong emotional and physical connections.

From The Publisher:

Risk everything . . . for love with this #1 New York Times bestseller.

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.

Everything, Everything will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. It's an innovative, inspiring, and heartbreakingly romantic debut novel that unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, illustrations, and more.

And don't miss Nicola Yoon's The Sun Is Also A Star, the #1 New York Times bestseller in which two teens are brought together just when it seems like the universe is sending them in opposite directions.

Ratings (53)

Incredible (7)
Loved It (22)
Liked It (10)
It Was OK (10)
Did Not Like (4)

Reader Stats (95):

Read It (61)
Want To Read (27)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (6)

4 comment(s)

Loved It
2 weeks

****does contain spoilers****

I paid entirely too much for a kindle copy of this book. I wanted to love this book so badly, and I did, for a while. I liked the writing style (although I could have done without the pictures) and felt the character development was ok. I really enjoyed that the main character was not a blonde haired blue eyed goddess, but a mixed race girl. although, i will complain her heritage didn't shine through the book as I expected it to. they brought up her background several times, but she ate American food. which, in all fairness, doesn't mean that people from other cultures can't eat American food, i just wanted to hear more about her culture. speaking of food, she could only eat white foods....usually people with severe allergies are allergic to the foods she ate..pasta, cake, etc. And that brings me to my next point, the author didn't go into enough detail about SCID. I felt like it was just used to make the book interesting. I guessed, from very early on, that she didn't actually have SCID, even after the Hawaii incident. I did love Ollie and their insta-love. I could believe it to a degree...I remember being 18...and I would imagine after 18 years alone, i would insta-love any cute person near me. overall, i liked the concept of the book, but just felt like I guessed the ending too early, and it was a cop-out.

 
Did Not Like
5 months

so here we come.

it is not a bad book. it really isn’t. just isn’t for me. the whole story was so boring, only two of the characters had me and the thing in the end i had it figure it out since page 179. and the last chapter, the one who could finish it all good just… didn’t. i needed reactions and conclusions. that last chapter didn't do it.

the thing about “oh i can die in any moment” when they’re were outside was literally so strange for me. i don’t know nothing about the disease, any of them mentioned on the book, but i don’t think it works like that. not 100% at least. and i’m actually surprise most of you didn’t suspect it.

i only really liked of two characters, olly and carla, and the others i didn't care or it was just one more for me, incluiding maddy.

i don’t know how to feel about this book. i just know this is a disappointing and a 2.5 book.

 
Incredible
6 months

Truly a deep, contimplative book. I enjoyed it greatly.

 
Incredible
7 months

I've never seen a story so uniquely told, carefully imagined and subtly profound. Breathtaking

 

About the Author:

NICOLA YOON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, a Michael L. Printz Honor book and a National Book Award finalist. She grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, who created the artwork in these pages, and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. Everything, Everything, her debut novel, is now a major motion picture.

Follow Nicola Yoon on Instagram and Tumblr and @NicolaYoon on Twitter.

 
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