Everything, Everything Review

Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon 
Delacorte Books For Young Readers
September 1, 2015
5/5
Quotes:
"Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything." 
“How am I suppose to go back to my old life, my days stretching out before me with unending and brutal sameness? How am I supposed to go back to being The Girl Who Reads?” 
"Maybe growing up means disappointing the people we love." 
 “I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path. The moment that answered the question, 'How did I get here?' But it's never just one moment. It's a series of them. And your life can branch out from each one in a thousand different ways. Maybe there's a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don't.” 
“In my head I know I've been in love before, but it doesn't feel like it. Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once.” 
   
I've heard some amazing things about this book so I was excited to finally pick it up for myself. It turned out to be more brilliant than I was even expecting. Madeline is a witty and fascinating character and she's probably one of the quirkiest narrators I've seen in a YA book for a long time.


The book follows Madeline, an eighteen year old girl who hasn't left her house since she was a baby due to the rare disease SCID. Maddy is allergic to pretty much everything and has to live in a bubble. Her only contact comes from her nurse Carla and her mother, who also doubles as her doctor. Any visitors that she does have are forced to go through a serious examination and decontamination. Her whole safe world is turned upside down by her new neighbor Olly. What follows is a heartwarming love story between the two as they must face these real life issues.

The characters in this book were absolutely fantastic. Our heroine Madeline has many awesome little quirks, including the hilarious spoilers that she wrote about classic novels. She also draws entertaining illustrations that will certainly amuse readers. For someone who's never been outside of her house, she is still extremely cultured and full of wit. Now that I've spent time talking about Madeline, I want to talk about the super swoon worthy love interest of hers. Olly is just as smart and witty as Madeline. He also is insanely charming and I love how protective he is of the people he cares about. 

Focusing on the relationship itself, Maddy and Olly gradually begin a relationship that affectionately begins through instant messaging and slowly progresses into in person meetings. I love this relationship and the life experience that Olly teaches Madeline as he becomes her first love. The roadblocks placed in front of them seemed very real to me and not at all cliche like some Young Adult romances can get.

This is a very fast paced read due to the short chapters and how it isn't always traditional chapters. Meaning, some will just be illustrations, Madeline's book spoilers, or emails between Madeline and Olly. It's a book with a totally unique plot filled with heartwarming character to match. What more could you ask for from a Young Adult book? I strongly recommend picking this book up in September when it's officially released!