REVIEW: Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

I’m not the biggest contemporary fan, but this book is the exception.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world. So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years. She is content enough—until a boy with eyes the color of the Atlantic Ocean moves in next door. Their complicated romance begins over IM and grows through a wunderkammer of vignettes, illustrations, charts, and more.

Everything, Everything is about the thrill and heartbreak that happens when we break out of our shell to do crazy, sometimes death-defying things for love.

Everything, Everything is flawlessly written with perfect pace and unforgettable characters that will steal your heart.  The number one aspect of this book that I adore is how personal Yoon embodies the main character Maddy. The book is written just like a personal diary of Maddy’s where it’s in first person (which I absolutely love!) with graphs, pictures, IM messages, text messages and even handwritten notes. This made the book come alive and set it apart from other YA books and just made it a memorable read that has you on the edge of your seat.  The plot itself isn’t too strong, but Yoon’s writing style enhances the plot in such a creative way that it seems so original and extraordinary.

Mini (not-so) spoiler: THE PLOT TWIST AT THE END, THOUGH

I love the main character: Maddy! We experience the world through Maddy’s innocent eyes and I loved the way she viewed common things in a beautiful way. She was just so wide-eyed and curious that you had absolutely no other choice but to love her, but can’t help but feel sympathy for her. Now we get to Olly. I just love him, too. I love that he was just so physically fit, which is the polar opposite to Maddy. His character progression was beautifully written and with perfect pace so you could understand his situation to the fullest extent. Both of these characters together are just asking for a cute, lovable couple to form.

Everything Everything is a novel that anyone can fall in love with. It’s a funny, heart wrenching roller coaster of a read that can be read in just one engaging sitting. You’ll come away reading this book with a sense of what it means to love, what it means to let go and what it means to truly live.