Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

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.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

5 of 5 stars

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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**

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 July, 2015: Finished reading
  • 26 July, 2015: Reviewed