Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
320 Pages Delacorte (Publisher) Source: Kindle Ebook (Purchased Myself) Other Works (by author): None--Debut Readalikes: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell Add it to Goodreads |
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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 (Goodreads)
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 (Goodreads)
Of all the book genres in teen fiction today, contemporary realistic fiction are some of my favorite stories to read. I think this is because as a teenager, I craved stories people and places that were wholly new to me--adult life, growing up and experiencing a time beyond my four walls. Now, as an adult, I seek to experience what my young patrons are going through which is all together foreign to me even now. Life is not a fantasy, there isn't any magic, hobbits are Diagon Alley but these types of stories are compelling is a whole new if ordinary way.
I've heard amazing things about Everything Everything for the last several months and I'll admit the synopsis intrigued me. I happened to be quite a sickly baby as well and although I certainly did not have the same sort of issues as Madeleine I could certainly emphasis with her sense of despair at seeing her life so confined that even the loved ones around her could not fill no matter how desperately they tried.
I've heard amazing things about Everything Everything for the last several months and I'll admit the synopsis intrigued me. I happened to be quite a sickly baby as well and although I certainly did not have the same sort of issues as Madeleine I could certainly emphasis with her sense of despair at seeing her life so confined that even the loved ones around her could not fill no matter how desperately they tried.
Characters
I found the characters in Yoon's story to be very relatable and compelling. Madeleine is trapped in her own circumstances. She has a loving mother and kind nurse around her that provide anything and everything she may need. While she is able to glean what she needs to know about her outside world through books, she has very little if any true experience beyond the words on the page. She is bright, inventive and is able to function pretty happily despite her circumstance. Her mother loves her daughter greatly. This is definitely apparent from the first few chapters and can be seen throughout the novel. As the story progresses though we begin to see a woman who may be so enamored with the life she has created around Madeleine's illness that it is all she truly knows. Alice, the nurse who cares for Maddy is a bright spot throughout this work to both the reader and Maddy and provides some of the more poignant discussions on life, love and what truly matters. Finally, the both who captures Madeleine's heart.Olly is smart and both take to each other right away. In many cases thier relationship may seem "instalovey" since it develops rather quickly, but I feel it works for the novel. Olly is able to provide the conflict that Maddy needs to open he heart to something she feels is altogether impossible. Olly's background--the product of an abusive father is dealt with very well and does not overwhelm the story that Yoon is trying to achieve.
Writing
I find it very hard to see this as a debut. Yoon has done such a fantastic job right out of the gate and I will defintely have her next book on my radar. The writing was very lyrical, whimsical and you can definitely tell a lot of the love went into creating the storyline and crafting the characters. I also thoroughly enjoyed the diversity she put into both the mother and daughter in this story. Madeleine is both Asian and Black which you don't see in many young adult novels and it was really refreshing to see. My other favorite part of this work is the many illustrations that are provided that really illustrate Maddy's sense of humor and personality. I laughed out loud many times throughout especially at her medical description of "butterflies" that she feels when she sees Olly. The illustrations are done by the author's husband and I feel that they really enhanced the story.
Feels
I had so many feels of this book! I knew about a quarter of the way through that this was going to be an emotional journey. I don't really cry (at least physical tears) while reading I could definitely feel the emotions rising to the surface. In a way, I was having very similar emotions as Maddy experienced them--heart raising, anxiety about the future and what her ending and Olly's was going to be. Yoon's story definitely packed an emotional punch and was very well paced for such a short novel.
Overall
One of the best YA contemporary's I've read this year and the best debut as well! I cannot tell you how much I loved this story. If you enjoy emotional journeys of self-discovery, great writing and impactful characters please give this one a shot! Everything Everything has been compared to Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and feel that is a fair comparison. Don't miss out on this one, its truly fantastic!