Everything, Everything

by Nicola Yoon

Risk everything for love with this #1 New York Times bestseller from Nicola Yoon • "Gorgeous and lyrical"—The New York Times Book Review

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. 

"This extraordinary first novel about love so strong it might kill us is too good to feel like a debut. Tender, creative, beautifully written, and with a great twist, Everything, Everything is one of the best books I've read this year."—Jodi Picoult

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 bestselling novels The Sun Is Also A Star and Instructions for Dancing.

• ISBN10: 0553496646
• ISBN13: 9780553496642
• Publish Date: 1 September 2015 (first published 28 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Delacorte Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780553496642

Reviews

[Kelsenator]

3 So glad I read this.

[Jo]

2.5 Stars.

Originally published on Once Upon a Bookcase.

I was first drawn to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon's beautiful cover, and then hugely intrigued by the blurb. A romance against the odds, who wouldn't fall in love with this premise? Everything, Everything turned out to be a different novel than I expected, but a fairly sweet one nonetheless.

Madeline has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), which means she is allergic to everything - or anything, as it's too difficult to work out exactly all the things that could make Maddie ill. So she has spent the majority of her life inside her sterile, clean home where the air is filtered and recycled constantly. If she were to step outside the safe confines of her home, there's a high likelihood she would die. Maddie is fine with this, she has her online schooling, she has her books, and she has her close relationship with her mum - she has everything she needs, and has no major desire to leave her house. Sure, it would be nice if she was well and could leave, but she can't, and that's ok. Until Olly moves in next door, a gorgeous boy who wants to get to know the girl behind the window. When he writes down and shows her his email address, Maddie's world changes. Now there's something on the outside she wants to get to, but there's no way she can.

There are some things about this novel that I want to talk about, and to do so I'll have to spoil some major parts of the book, so a significant part of this review will be hidden. But lets talk non-spoilers before then. I loved how diverse this book is, and the serious topics covered, too! Maddie is bi-racial; half African-American and half Japanese-American, Olly has an abusive, alcoholic father, and Everything, Everything discusses serious illness in SCID and mental illness, too. I think we have to applaud Yoon for making these elements part of the characters' lives. Although there seems to be a lot going on, it's not heavy on the "issues". The focus of the story is on the romance between Maddie and Olly, when Maddie can't really be a part of Olly's world because of her illness (more on this later), so the other topics and issues are either smaller parts of the story, or just identities that don't define the characters, at least not too much for the most part.

I loved the conflict for the romance between Maddie and Olly. Most of their contact is through email and IMs. I love the inital contact between them, before Olly shows her his email, when he tells the "story" of the life of a Bundt cake, that sits on his windowsill with googly eyes stuck on, that cannot be destroyed. He breaks the ice by trying to destroy the cake each day, and it's really cute and funny. (I have to say, it did make me smile, though thinking about it, making jokes about a suicidal cake probably wasn't wise. Suicide isn't a joke.) And soon the chatting online becomes very strict meetings orchestrated by Maddie's nurse, Carla. No touching is allowed, they must be on opposite sides of the room, Olly can only visit for 15 minutes, and must undergo the freezing decontamination process before hand. Despite the distance between them, the tension is palpable; right there, on the other side of the room is a seriously good looking boy, who obviously finds her extremely attractive too, and staying away from each other is not what either of them has on their minds. The inevitable happens, and they touch. Nothing major at first, just hands being held, but the affect it has on Maddie is unbelievable. Up until this point, the only people who have touched Maddie in years are her mother and her nurse Carla. The only other person who's ever visited her is one of her tutors. The description of what these small, innocent touches do to Maddie are exquisite, because they're not that innocent. Olly's touch could kill her, and they would like a little more, but there's the fear. And it's all so new to Maddie. It's maddening and torturous, but wonderful.

However, I didn't really believe the love between the two. It felt more to me like they really fancied each other, with huge amounts of sexual tension, but I didn't feel the love. They obviously cared for each other a great deal, but I didn't feel their relationship developed enough for me to believe they were in love with each other. Which is sad, because that love is pivotal to Maddie. pivotal to the story, the thing that changes everything. But I didn't believe it. They're relatioship was sweet, sure, but, for me, it just wasn't love.

There's also a major flaw to the story. There's also a crucial part of the story where Everything, Everything felt like a story than like something that could be true. Considering Maddie's condition, it felt really farfetched because... What? I just really can't imagine how it would happen, how Maddie would do something so terribly risky - even if I did believe the love, it was just so irresponsible and dangerous. I had moments of, "I can't believe this is happening! How is this happening? What is going on? What is wrong with Maddie?"

I'm going to elaborate on this now, as part of the spoilers. A few things will be discussed here, you've been warned. Don't view spoilers if you don't want the story spoilt for you.


So it turned out that Maddie doesn't actuall have SCID. Her mum, who is a doctor, had trouble coping with the death of her husband and son when Maddie was only five months old, and as Maddie was a sickly child, convinced herself she had SCID - despite a number of other doctors saying otherwise  (more on this further down). I have to say I worked this out about half way through, but doing so didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book.

The crucial moment I mention above - by which I'm referring to when Maddie and Olly run off to Hawaii - despite already having a theory that Maddie didn't actually have SCID, Maddie herself didn't know that yet. So, although I thought she would be fine, she didn't yet have the assurance that she could be, eventually, and so her actions were just completely inconceivable to me. I cannot fathom how this even got past the editing process really. Maddie is 18, not 14, she's practically an adult, and doing something so dangerous is just unbelievabl! I just can't comprehend how anyone could believe she'd take such a complete leave of her wits. Major, major flaw of this story, no matter what you think of the story as a whole.

I know people have some major issues with this book, and I can understand them, but at the same time, I liked where this story went. I shall explain. As I understand it, most people have a problem with the fact Maddie is a bad representation of a disabled person, because she isn't actually disabled, that her dibilitating illness - that she doesn't have - is used only as a conflict to the romance, a storm to be weathered to get through to sunnier days, when everything is fine and hunkydory. I get that, I really do. It's true, there really is no denying it, and I'm not going to. Especially considering the point I made above about Maddie running off to Hawaii. But I do think this story is a valid one.

Hear me out: I do believe this book was published at the wrong time. I think we should have had far more novels published with positive representations of disabled people before a book like this was published, because it is such an unfair portrayal, and disabled people deserve to see themselves in the books they read, and not have one of the few there are have a character who turns out to not actually be disbaled at all. But, I think - and I could be wrong, so please do correct me if I am - had this book been published at a time when there were more positive representations of diabled people, Everything, Everything wouldn't be as problematic. Because, despite the flaws, this is a story that as a whole I could see as believable, as something that could happen. I'm sure I've seen TV programmes along similar lines. I think having a story about a teen who has been locked up by a parent who has lied to them for most of their life in order to "protect" them is a fair story to have told. This is what I think. The timing was off, but I don't think that makes the story necessarily a bad one. Feel free to disagree.

Everything, Everything is a flawed novel, but it's an interesting one, and the romance is sweet if not a believable love story - to me at least. It's definitely one that has got people talking. I do think it's worth a read, even if just to understand what everyone is talking about. It's got people talking about and highlighting an important topic, and for that, even if you were to hate it, it has it's purpose. Through not being the best novel, it does some good.

Thank you to Corgi Children's Books via NetGalley for the eProof.

[cornerfolds]

The first thing I noticed about Everything, Everything was the unique cover! The second thing I noticed was that it was a story with a really unique premise. I saw someone else compare this to The Fault in Our Stars... this story is not that. For those of you who are unaware, I generally cannot stand contemporary fiction unless it has some kind of unique catch, which this one did.

Everything, Everything begins with Maddy watching as the new family (and one gorgeous teenager, Olly) moves in next to her. We also learn about her sickness and that she is unable to have any contact whatsoever with the outside world. The only people she can have any contact with are her mom and nurse, Carla, although some of her teachers are occasionally allowed to come into the house after a lengthy decontamination process. Still, Maddy can't help being interested in Olly. This is there story.

The characters of Maddy and Olly were both amazing. I loved getting to know both of them and could sympathize with both of their plights. Maddy is a strong character who has done the best she can with what she has. Best of all, she's a book blogger (Tumblr, but still one of us!) and has an insane supply of books to pass her time alone. Her character had the potential to be really whiney and "woe-is-me" but went in a totally different direction that I loved. Olly was also really great. Although he was not cut off from the world, he did have his own battles, but remained good in spite of it. Their romance was believable and perfect and I loved it! Well, most of it. I didn't love the times when Maddy decided to completely cut Olly off. I hate it when one half of a relationship makes decisions about what's best for both of them alone.

One thing I'm not 100% sold on is the writing. I had to continually remind myself that Maddy was 18 and not 12. While I did enjoy the tone that this gave to the book - kind of care-free, if that makes sense - there were times when it became a little choppy and strange. I did really like the addition of lists and pictures, though!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story a lot! It was an incredibly quick read, perhaps because of the writing and definitely because of some chapters being a sentence or two long or consisting only of a picture. I finished it in about a day and definitely say it was well worth the time! I won't give away too much, but I didn't find it predictable at all and really, really loved each new thing that happened! My biggest let down was the ending. I was sitting on the bus reading the last chapter, turned the page, and said, "WHAT?!" kind of loud, getting me some strange looks. It was an okay ending, I just wasn't expecting it just yet.

This is a book that I might be purchasing even though I've already read it just because I enjoyed it so much and, really, that cover is gorgeous!

[meowstina]

I received an advance reader’s copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very cute story, but it also addresses some very deep and emotional issues. We are introduced to the world as Madeline, the main character, sees it. She has never left her house and is content in her daily routines until a neighbour by the name of Olly appears in her life, at first from afar until he gets closer and closer. Madeline must grapple with the life she has and the life she longs for, and if the price is worth combining the two.

I love the format of the book. It’s written in small chapters, notes, and doodles that really add depth and character to the story. Speaking of characters, there are some great and not-so-great ones. Carla and Olly are amazing, and I love how they ground Madeline yet set her free at the same time. Madeline’s mother gets surprisingly controlling, which is something that made me very mad for her daughter. While the story presents Olly as a catalyst for some major changes in Madeline’s thinking, it does often come off as a little obsess-y, but maybe that’s just me. Though the book is not very long and reads quite fast, the story takes place over many months. This made the romance feel too fast and instant, though I don’t know if that’s actually the case. To be fair, any book with an intense romance usually makes me cringe a bit.

The story starts very chipper and positive, but later turns darker. I think it’s a good balance of everything, especially as Madeline evolves. I quite like this book, even if there are a few things that I’m not crazy about. It’s a story that will keep you reading and propel you into the main character’s world.

[e_rodz_leb]

Reading With ABC http://readingwithabc.com http://readingwithabc.com/review-everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/It seems like most of my blog friends have read and loved Everything, Everything, and thus I was eager to read it also. I cannot tell you in any coherent way the magic that resides within the pages of this book. Not only are the marvelous story and the writing enough to keep the reader enthralled, but they are both aided by an amazing array of pictures and handwritten notes created by Yoon’s husband. A truly engrossing experience.

Maddy is allergic to everything and thus she has not left her house for seventeen of her eighteen years of life… That’s right, let that sink in for a second or two. Let me repeat that sentence: Not left her house for seventeen years. Her house is a control environment, clean, white, and sterile. Her only physical contact is with her mother and her nurse Carla.

Maddy loves books and even keeps a blog with snippets of information. She tries to be content with the monotone and unchanging way of her life. But then a boy moves next door and they make contact. First on-line and then in person. This is the event that triggers in Maddy a sense of all that’s missing in her life. She starts questioning everything. Yay for diversity! Maddy is Japanese-African American :)

Olly is able to see past the disease and see the real Maddy. He learns to be a friend first, and then something more. Their relationship grew slowly and steadily. However, it felt like the disease had a life of its own and it tried to separated them over and over.

“If my life were a book and you read it backward, nothing would change. Today is the same as yesterday. Tomorrow will be the same as today. In the book of Maddy, all the chapters are the same.

Until Olly.”

Maddy’s mom is a physician and that comes in really handy when her daughter is so sick. To say that she’s protective is an understatement. Her whole life revolves about Maddy, her wishes, her disease, taking care of her and spending time with her. Carla, Maddy’s nurse, loves her like another daughter and tries to keep her living.

“The only thing I know for sure is that this, being here with Olly, being able to love him and be loved by him, is everything.”

This book is not all that it seems. Yes, it is about a devastating disease, about first love, about the awareness that there is something more to life than just being alive. Not all is as it seems, there are twists and surprises, but I will not spoil the book for you! Amazing, insightful, compelling writing. There is depth to this book.

“Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.”

Overall, Everything, Everything is a thought provoking book that portraits the life of a young adult living with a devastating disease and how she was able to move on to actually live beyond that. Outstanding story. Go read it now ;)This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[lizarodz]

Reading With ABC http://readingwithabc.com http://readingwithabc.com/review-everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/It seems like most of my blog friends have read and loved Everything, Everything, and thus I was eager to read it also. I cannot tell you in any coherent way the magic that resides within the pages of this book. Not only are the marvelous story and the writing enough to keep the reader enthralled, but they are both aided by an amazing array of pictures and handwritten notes created by Yoon’s husband. A truly engrossing experience.

Maddy is allergic to everything and thus she has not left her house for seventeen of her eighteen years of life… That’s right, let that sink in for a second or two. Let me repeat that sentence: Not left her house for seventeen years. Her house is a control environment, clean, white, and sterile. Her only physical contact is with her mother and her nurse Carla.

Maddy loves books and even keeps a blog with snippets of information. She tries to be content with the monotone and unchanging way of her life. But then a boy moves next door and they make contact. First on-line and then in person. This is the event that triggers in Maddy a sense of all that’s missing in her life. She starts questioning everything. Yay for diversity! Maddy is Japanese-African American :)

Olly is able to see past the disease and see the real Maddy. He learns to be a friend first, and then something more. Their relationship grew slowly and steadily. However, it felt like the disease had a life of its own and it tried to separated them over and over.

“If my life were a book and you read it backward, nothing would change. Today is the same as yesterday. Tomorrow will be the same as today. In the book of Maddy, all the chapters are the same.

Until Olly.”

Maddy’s mom is a physician and that comes in really handy when her daughter is so sick. To say that she’s protective is an understatement. Her whole life revolves about Maddy, her wishes, her disease, taking care of her and spending time with her. Carla, Maddy’s nurse, loves her like another daughter and tries to keep her living.

“The only thing I know for sure is that this, being here with Olly, being able to love him and be loved by him, is everything.”

This book is not all that it seems. Yes, it is about a devastating disease, about first love, about the awareness that there is something more to life than just being alive. Not all is as it seems, there are twists and surprises, but I will not spoil the book for you! Amazing, insightful, compelling writing. There is depth to this book.

“Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.”

Overall, Everything, Everything is a thought provoking book that portraits the life of a young adult living with a devastating disease and how she was able to move on to actually live beyond that. Outstanding story. Go read it now ;)This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[jnikkir]

This review can also be found at my blog, There were books involved...

-----------------------------

When I picked up Everything, Everything, it was during a time when most books were taking me about a week to read, no matter the page-number or genre. It wasn't that I was overly busy, or in a real book slump; but for whatever reason, I couldn't gain the momentum to make significant progress in any book. But as soon as I started Everything, Everything, I knew that was going to change -- I read this book in two days.

If that doesn't tell you how much I adored and couldn't put down this novel, nothing will.

On the outside, Everything, Everything seems like it might be a little bit contrived -- a girl who cannot leave her house falls in love with a boy who lives across the street. But the characters are what make this book so extraordinarily wonderful. The girl is Madeline, who was diagnosed with a disease called SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) -- which basically means that anything could potentially make her deathly sick. She has lived in one home her entire life -- a home that is temperature-regulated and totally sealed off from the outside world. (Seriously, there is an airlock on the front door and everything.) The boy is Olly, whose family moves into the house across the street from Madeline's. While they're moving in, the two share a look -- window to driveway, driveway to window -- and both of their lives are changed forever.

More than anything else, Madeline and Olly made this book, for me. I adored these two. Both of them are, to an extent, trapped in their own lives. Madeline is, obviously, trapped in the house she can't leave, almost literally on pain of death. She's idealistic and a little bit naive and obviously sheltered; but she's very smart, very well-read, and she's got a streak of independence that I loved. And Olly is trapped in his troubled family, with a parent unable to take the steps necessary to get Olly and his sister out of a bad situation. But despite it all, he's got a fantastic sense of humor, and such a good heart. When Olly and Madeline see each other, and then finally begin corresponding via emails and IM's, they form a connection that neither has experienced before. And let me tell you, they are adorable.

These two are smile-till-your-cheeks-hurt cute. Ugh. Disgustingly cute -- and I say that with the utmost adoration. Their relationship might be a bit insta-love-ish, but honestly, I couldn't care less, because I believed it. The two of them just clicked, and I could not get enough of them. Them being adorable while instant-messaging, having late-night conversations through their windows (a mix of pantomiming and writing-on-windows, since Madeline's window doesn't open)... and in the very beginning, there's a hilarious scenario involving an indestructible Bundt cake (you just have to read it). Ugh! They were ridiculously cute.

But it wasn't just their cuteness that I loved (though that was a perk). Their relationship struck me as incredibly honest, and so refreshing. Their lives are so complicated, but their relationship at its core is just so simply wonderful, and I just loved that.

Another great thing about Everything, Everything is the way it's written. Not only is the writing engaging, often beautiful, and totally believable for Madeline's first-person narration; but it's written in a mix of short narrative chapters, instant message conversations, emails, lists, diagrams that Madeline draws... The mediums vary, and it all adds up to a really awesome mix of chapters that are fun to read, heartfelt, adorable, and incredibly meaningful.

I did have one small quibble with something that happened at the end of the book -- it wasn't so much that I actively disliked this element, but, while not being predictable, it was sort of an odd twist, and I can't really say whether I liked it or not. It was... interesting. But other than that, not a single complaint about this book. It was so much fun, full of sweetness and heart, and I loved every minute of it.

 
In conclusion...

I feel like this review is sparse on details, for which I apologize -- but I'm also not sorry, because I do not want to be responsible for spoiling anything about this book for you. It's just something you have to experience for yourself, and I think it's best to go in knowing as little as possible.

Actually, I almost missed out on this book -- I picked it up at ALA on a whim because I'd heard so many good things, but I am super picky about contemporaries, so I didn't really expect much. I was so, so pleasantly surprised. This book is adorable (have I said that enough?), the romance is so sweet, and it is filled with so many beautiful moments. If that sounds like something you're in the mood for, don't hesitate like I did. Pick up Everything, Everything immediately.

--

There were books involved...

[shannonmiz]

This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
Is it cheesy if I say that this book is everything, everything? You know what? I don't even care, because it is okay? This is absolutely one of my favorites of the year so far. First, it is unique- everything about it, really. Even though it was a contemporary, and could have ended up being "just another", the author did such an amazing job of making it unlike anything I've read before.

I don't want to say much about it, because you need to figure it out for yourself. I want to post all the quotes, but again, I will let you discover the specialness that is this book yourself. There's health issues of course, a love story, yes, but there was so much more. There was such a focus on family, on relationships in general, and maybe most importantly, growing up and finding out who you are. A lot of readers were angry with some of Maddy's decisions, but I feel like they were decisions we've all made from time to time. We don't always make good, selfless decisions, we're human, and so is Maddy.

“Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you.”

The writing is lovely and sets the perfect tone, but even better are the little details: the messages between Olly and Maddy, "Madeline's Dictionary",  drawings, and so much more- basically all special touches that give a glimpse into Maddy and Olly that made me fall in love with them.

I leave you with this, and my absolute recommendation to find this book and read it as soon as possible:

“Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.”

 

*Quotes taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change*
**Copy provided by publisher for review**

[whisperingchapters]

This 2.5 review can be found on Latte Nights Reviews on August 3.

I really enjoyed reading about this illness that I had never heard of before in my life. For a second, I thought it was invented but no, it isn't. It must be sad to live very secluded like Maddy was. All Maddy had for company were her mom, her nurse and books...lots of books. Then one day this family moves next door and Maddy sees the boy next door, Olly—it was love at first sight. I do not like love at first sight in books so you can imagine how frustrated I was. I understand that she was secluded...very, very secluded but come on. All of a sudden, she stopped her game/movie nights with her mom so she could chat with Olly until the wee hours of the night. I wanted to smack Maddy for ditching her mom for a boy she hadn't even fully met.

The story kept progressing and stop happened that had me frustrated, too. Maddy decides to go outside and leave for Hawaii with Olly and no one else. They have sex on the trip and I really was mad at her. I mean, her mom was so worried about her but don't even get me started on her mom. I kind of figured out that major secret at the end way before it ended but it still was surprising. Still, this was a book that opened my eyes to an illness that, as I said before, I hadn't heard of and it really intrigued me. The romance was a major turn off but I have to admit that Olly was a cool kid. I give it 2.5 because I did enjoy the book to an extent. It wasn't all that bad.

[violetpeanut]

review to come