Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Age: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary; romance
Rating: 4 stars

Melissa Thinks: I don't know how to feel about this book. Before I get into the meat of it, I'd like to address a few things. Nicola Yoon has a way with words, for sure. There was a poetic simplicity to her prose that I especially enjoyed. Her dialogue and the voice of her characters was a particular favorite of mine. Maddy and Olly had an charming and clever air about them. They were intelligent without seeming pretentious. There was one particular scene with a bundt cake that really put a smile on my face--cutest and funniest thing that happened in the entire book.

Now for the hardest part of this review: the plot. I found the "Bubble Boy" (2001 movie. Jake Gyllenhaal. Weird but cute boy with no immune system escapes his overprotective parents to find a girl. You should check it out.) concept to be unique in that I've never read a Young Adult book that tackled this issue. There were times, however, when Madeline's dangerous behavior was hard to grasp. It was difficult to believe that she wouldn't get sick what with some of the reckless things she ended up doing. And on top of all that, her mother came off as aggressively clingy and her need to isolate her daughter was pretty problematic in the beginning of Olly and Maddy’s relationship, though it’s never really addressed until the end. Even then, it’s glossed over. But, I really liked the progression of the story. The plot was only predictable in a few places.

There was a touch of insta love in Everything, Everything. Personally, that is a huge turn off for me in books, but I enjoyed the characters so much that I could forgive it for the most part. The two main characters were just heartbreaking. Their interactions had a realness to them that made them likeable and easy to connect with. One of the best aspects of the book by far, though, is its message. There was a large emphasis on living your life to the fullest and taking risks even if they might result in something bad, because life is too short to be cautious.

You guys should definitely read this book! Do it for the beautiful cover, do it for the lovely romance, do it for the bundt cake!