Everything, Everything

Life is a gift. Don’t forget to live it.

We all feel isolated at times. Like no one really understands what we’re going through and that there’s no one to talk to. In Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, that isolation is explored in detail through a teenager with a devastating disease, her protective mom, and a nurse who just wants to see her patient happy. This YA novel is beautifully written, an interesting concept, and really nails that teen angst without getting TOO angsty. (I realize that I’m the last person on the planet to read this book, but I’m glad that I did! Movie is up next!)

Madeline has lived her life in a white room in a white house with her physician mother for almost her entire life. Her only contact is with her nurse, Carla, and whatever she can see outside her bedroom window. She was diagnosed with SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) as a young child, which basically means she’s allergic to everything. Her house is airtight, she can only eat certain foods, books are delivered brand new and plastic wrapped, she is homeschooled, and she can’t have any contact with anyone in the outside world. Enter Olly, her new next door neighbor, a boy who runs up walls, wears all black, and isn’t intimidated by Maddy’s condition. From the moment they see each other, a connection forms, and he will either save her life or be the downfall of it. Maddy has to decide whether she wants to play it safe and keep her health intact, or take a risk to be with the boy she loves.

This is a very solid YA novel, and I think anyone can relate to the feelings that Maddy has about wanting to take risks in order to live her life to the fullest. She loves her mom and Carla, and wants to do what she’s supposed to do, but she also wants to experience all the things that life has to offer. If you can’t fall in love and be with that person, are you really living?

The writing is wonderful, but I did find the plot a bit predictable, including the big twist. (And it is a great twist!) There were a few plot holes that bugged me as well, but overall I’m glad that I read it. I am extremely glad that Maddy is a diverse character (half Japanese, half African American) that teens everywhere can identify with. I really loved Maddy herself. She’s sweet and smart and strong and a thinker-what more could you want in a lead character?

All in all, Everything, Everything is a beautiful book, and Nicola Yoon is an extremely talented writer. If you enjoy reading about the human spirit and what people will do when placed in impossible situations, I think you’ll like this one. It’s a quick read, and will definitely make you think!

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