Books Young Adult

Everything, Everything

When you are allergic to everything, you’re not a normal teenager. Maddy Whittier, the main character in Nicola Yoon’s Everything, Everything knows this from experience. For the last 17 years, she has never left her house, been to a normal school or fallen in love. But everything is about to change…

About the book

Normally it would be bizarre to never leave your house, but with all the COVID-19 going around we are more isolated than normal. Maybe that’s what makes this book so compelling: the idea of complete isolation, and we can all relate to that by now. And before all of the current lockdowns the level of isolation Maddy experiences seems ridiculous, but Yoon writes it like we’re all there with Maddy. We feel for her.

What makes it so relatable is the rebellion Maddy shows. Much like a normal teenager she isn’t satisfied with how things are, and a boy makes her push the boundaries of all the rules she grew up with. Who doesn’t remember doing something like that?

Halfway through the book, when things start to fall into place, Maddy’s anger starts to grow. Angry at how she has to live her life, she takes a big risk. The suspense of waiting for it to go wrong is great, making for a book that you just can’t put down.

Besides how relatable the characters are, the way Yoon portrayed Maddy’s story fits the character. Crazy notes, drawings and messages between her and Olly all make it so “teenager”. Compared to other books (like 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough – stay tuned for that review), Yoon really captures the spirit of a teenager.

Verdict

There is just one thing that I didn’t like about Everything, Everything. The end is such a dramatic move, and I don’t thing this is very realistic. Without wanting to spoil the story it is really hard to describe my feelings about it, so go read it and contact me to discuss this ending 😉

Everything, everything else was perfect. (Yes, I did that on purpose). The way Yoon made Maddy come to life in the pages, with drawings and funny side notes and random thoughts that fit the crazy Maddy, is well done and I kinda wish she could have been my friend in high school. And then I remember that Maddy didn’t go to high school.

If you’re into YA, you should read this book. If you’re into stories about love finding a way, you should read this book. It is safe to say that this is one I recommend!

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1 Comment

  1. […] This also applies to the diary of Natasha. It just didn’t feel real, like for instance the IM between Maddy and Olly in Everything, Everything. The diary was more a statement about what happened after the accident that you would give to the […]

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