Everything, Everything Review

First line of this review I wrote, preserved for posterity:

"Wow! This book was really good."

Let's try that again, with coffee:  

Everything, Everything was an utter pleasure to read.  I closed the proverbial cover — I read the ebook — a few hours ago, and I'm already planning to dive in again.

An author called Nicola Yoon technically wrote this novel, but her character, Madeline Whittier, is so sparkling with life, I'm convinced that she, and not Yoon, penned a memoir.  I was that full of belief.

Madeline is very sick.  She has that rare condition known as Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID).  Exposure to the world would kill her, so she lives inside her carefully sealed, air-filtered home.  Every person Madeline comes in direct contact with has to be medically vetted and decontaminated, so aside from special occasions, she only ever sees her nurse, Carla, and her mother.  Her mom and Carla try to give Madeline the best life possible, filling it with fierce love, rigorous education, and adorable traditions.  As a result, Madeline is an intelligent, funny, radiant young woman.

That's not to say her life of confinement hasn't done a number on her.  Madeline has to fight off low moods, and when a family moves into the house next door, it causes her caretakers some concern.  After all, Madeline has a history of getting attached to the neighbors, and once spun into a depression when a family moved away.  Despite their worries, Madeline is immediately captivated by the new neighbors, especially by the intriguing son, Olly, who wears all black, does street gymnastics, and has definitely figured out that Madeline is watching.

This story was very evocative of Romeo and Juliet.  I mean, Madeline even has a hilarious nurse!  I would not go so far as to call it a re-telling — it's not — but it captures the obsession between and insane plotting of young lovers so well.

However, the book isn't just a romance.  It's a coming-of-age tale as well.  It has a great cast of supporting characters.  It veers in bold, unexpected directions.  It's funny.  It's moving. It's a character-driven book that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  It's Everything, Everything.

I'm racking my brain to think up some criticism, but I can't come up with much of anything.  It could be that I was so taken by this novel that I've become critically blind.  I will say that there was part of the book that I couldn't read.  I was so worried for the characters that I skipped ahead to a less heart-stopping part.  But even that isn't a bad thing!  If anything, it just reiterates my point of how believable and engaging the book was.

If you're a fan of young love, I can't see how this book would disappoint you.  The only scenario I can see where a reader wouldn't like Everything, Everything is if that reader likes edgier fare.  True, Olly brings some badassery to the table, but the novel invariably causes toothache (it's sweet).

For my part, I recommend!  Have a great time reading this one, you all.