Nicola Yoon - Everything, Everything.

Nicola Yoon – Everything, Everything.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Hey Guys! So initially I was going to post a review for a book I finished this morning. But the book is part of a trilogy so on second thought it seemed a better idea to post it when I had read all of the books so I can upload them all together. Instead I am going to post a review for a book I have read many, many times. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. This was a nice story. I really enjoyed it and learnt a lot from it too. Here are some of my deeper thoughts on it.

Synopsis:

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.

Maddy is allergic to the world; stepping outside the sterile sanctuary of her home could kill her.

But then Olly moves in next door. And just like that, Maddy realises there’s more to life than just being alive.

You only get one chance at first love.

And Maddy is ready to risk everything, everything to see where it leads.

A Little About The Author:

Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Everything, Everything is her first novel. Her second is entitled The Sun is Also a Star.

A Little About The Story:

Maddy is sick. She has SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency). Because of this she doesn’t leave her house. At all. She see’s her mother, her nurse Carla, and Carla’s daughter and that is it. She is very sheltered and lives the same daily routine every single day. This is until Olly and his family move in next door. Olly and Maddy start texting and soon enough she develops feelings for him. Her relationship with Olly convinces her to push the boundaries when it comes to her health. To take a little bit back from the world that has taken so much from her. This leads to a major problem that comes with some life changing news.

The main characters in this book are Maddy, Olly and Maddy’s mother. Maddy and Olly are falling for each other despite the fact she is not supposed to go near him or leave her house. They are up against every odd imaginable and we get to follow along as they try to make it work in their favour. This is going on whilst Maddy’s mother is trying to keep Maddy inside and away from anything the outside world could throw their way.

I am trying so hard not to give spoilers, which is so hard because it means I can’t talk about the entire second half of the book without giving things away. The main problem the main characters experienced was health. Whether or not Maddy and Olly could be together without her getting sick. Whether they could be together at all really. And the problems in the second half of the book show the issues and lasting psychological damage that heartbreak and trauma can cause. If you have read the book and know what I’m talking about, did you feel as bad for the Whittier family as I did. It broke my heart to find out the reasoning behind Maddy’s mother’s every action.

You could consider every minute of Maddy and Olly’s relationship an adventure if you think about it. It is all new for Maddy. She has never had a relationship like this, she has never got to know someone in this way or fell this hard for anyone.

My favourite character is Olly. Naturally. After learning a bit about his family and his backstory I feel for the guy. He just wants to protect his mum and his sister and that is admirable. When he learns of Maddy’s sickness it doesn’t push him away. He comes to visit her in the house a few times, he stops talking about something if she tells him she doesn’t want to talk about it. He is kind.

I couldn’t relate to any characters in this story personally, but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. It was nice, it made me think about my own health and the things I take for granted like being able to go outside, being able to travel, meeting new people. I take it all for granted, so confronting that and seeing how hard some people have it was really important.

I have mixed feelings about this book. If I remove any of my personal feelings and look at it purely as it is, then yes. It is a good book. It has good life lessons behind it, the characters are well developed and three dimensional, with good backstories and it draws attention to a disease that isn’t as well-known as it could be. It is well written and all deserved credits go to Yoon. In my personal opinion, however, I felt like it was missing something. I kind of saw it coming. I love to be shocked and surprised by twists and turns in books, and this ending didn't shock me as much as I would have liked.

My favourite part of the book was when Maddy and Olly start texting and talking to each other. It is literally how every single teenager starts talking to another teenager. Awkward small talk. I found it light-hearted and a little funny. It reminded me of my own awkward encounters.

My least favourite part of the book was the ending. I saw it coming. I knew that it would happen. It was a nice ending, I just wish I hadn’t expected it.

I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a light read. This book was so nice to read. It wasn’t the best, I mean some parts were a little expected, and personally I like it when a story has a surprise that I didn’t see coming. That is personal preference though. The book is aimed at the Young Adult group. Those are the type of people that would like this.

That is my review for Everything, Everything. Nicola Yoon and her stories pack a punch, I’m not going to lie. She twists in life truths and things that people need to realise they take for granted. They make you re-evaluate what is important in life. She is a wonderful writer and gets these messages across in a great way.

Stay Curious!

J x