Everything, Everything in The Reader's Lounge

Mar 13, 2015 Glass rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, realistic-fiction, buddy-read-with-tanja-and-emma

Buddy read/review with Emma. :)

Storyline

Nicola Yoon won me over with her debut novel Everything, Everything. Beautiful and fluid writing, intriguing story and likable characters are what makes this book so good. Young girl who spent her whole life locked inside of the same house, not being able to go out because of her illness. Empty house next door that one morning isn't empty anymore. Boy who wears all black and doesn't give up on the weird girl who stares at him from her bedroom window. Em ...more

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Aug 23, 2015 Grace Fonseca rated it really liked it

An interesting book that makes you wonder how far we will go for the people we love and what we are willing to risk. Madeline and Olly have one of the most unique relationships. Madeline and Olly have to deal with things that most teenagers can’t even imagine.

I like how the book is told from Madeline’s point of view. She has to live in a bubble quite literally and have nurses monitoring her health constantly. She has to meet people through the internet. When she looks out her window, Maddie gets An interesting book that makes you wonder how far we will go for the people we love and what we are willing to risk. Madeline and Olly have one of the most unique relationships. Madeline and Olly have to deal with things that most teenagers can’t even imagine.

I like how the book is told from Madeline’s point of view. She has to live in a bubble quite literally and have nurses monitoring her health constantly. She has to meet people through the internet. When she looks out her window, Maddie gets to see Olly. Olly is a new boy. I like how their relationship develops via Instant Messages. It’s a different dynamic for Madeline. Her nurse Carla is always encouraging Madeline aka Maddie to have a life. It will not be easy, but she lives in a state of always not taking risks.

Maddie’s medical condition is one that frustrates her at times, it would be frustrating to live the way that she has to. Anything could trigger it. So of course things get interesting. We all deal with things in life that don’t always make sense. I like how she details her life and the many charts and schedules. Also like that there are drawings that she does in the book. I totally feel like Madeline is the kind of person that I could totally hang out with if not for her condition. Things get much more intense through the friendship she begins to have with Olly. I like that Olly is willing to go through so many hurdles and other things to be with Madeline.

The way the book developed and the relationship between Madeline and Olly was in some ways very much at the heart of this book. They are two teenagers who are dealing with something that is much bigger than him. His father has so many problems. I like that Olly is trying to be understanding towards his father, but can’t find a reason for this behavior, even though we know the reasons. There seems to be something very deep and disturbing. I like how Madeline for the first time in her life takes a risk. She knows that she could die, but ends up taking it. I also really like how things change for the two of them after the first risk. Although I felt like the scene where she took her first big risk was kind of rushed, but understood why.

Things get more interesting as the book goes on. We find that Madeline is actually getting better. As she finds the courage to defy her mother and risk her very life for a chance at happiness and to love someone, she does the unthinkable and runs away. Her running away with Olly to Hawaii of all places was interesting because she made a decision to just have a life even if it’s only for a short time. I truly came to accept that this decision is flawed, but sometimes in life we are not truly living until we take risks and Maddie has decided to take one.

The rest of the book was good and had some really interesting twists. Especially the one with her mother. Her mother has lied to Maddie about her condition and she is not happy with that. Maddie’s mother has been scared to lose her daughter like she did her husband and son. So in some ways you come to understand it. Maddie doesn’t really get it at first, but does in time. I also like how Maddie and Olly work through their issues as well.

A solid book overall.

Rating:

Four Hearts ...more

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Sep 10, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing

My lovely girl, Glass and I have been reading a lot lately and we really wanted to pick this one up together. If I'm honest I didn't know what to expect. they only thing is that everyone has enjoyed it. From the gorgeous cover, illustrations done by Nicola's husband, to a debut and refreshing voice to YA. I present to you my review... Also make sure you visit Ja čitam, a ti? for Glass's joint review with some added extras to mine.

Storyline -
The story begins with eighteen year old, Maddy. She liv ...more

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Dec 01, 2015 Pili rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-debut-challenge

Everything, Everything is my first finished read for #DiverseDecember and I'm quite glad that I started with this one, given how it was a super fast and adorable read (for the most part) that I could finish on a quiet night shift at work. Written by a BAME author and with a mixed race main character, diversity is not a flag waved in this one, but an integral part of the book as is.

I really loved how the book didn't just follow a liner storytelling format but also had IMs and e-mails, and homewor Everything, Everything is my first finished read for #DiverseDecember and I'm quite glad that I started with this one, given how it was a super fast and adorable read (for the most part) that I could finish on a quiet night shift at work. Written by a BAME author and with a mixed race main character, diversity is not a flag waved in this one, but an integral part of the book as is.

I really loved how the book didn't just follow a liner storytelling format but also had IMs and e-mails, and homework assignments and some other more visual formats intersected, it gave it a very vibrant and dynamic feel at times.

Madeline has never got out of her house because she's allergic to the world, so she is homeschooled, cared for a nurse and her mum and have very limited interaction with the world outside. Barely anyone is allowed to come in, and they have to get through a decontamination process to do so. Her voice was a lil naive at times, but that's quite realistic given how few interactions she had with the outside world and how limited her experience in general is. I loved her relationship with her mum and Carla, her nurse.

Everything changes when a family moves into the house across the street, and as part of that family there's a boy, Ollie. Their interactions are sweet and adorable and funny and I loved how they were supportive of each other, but seriously, the adorableness of their interactions with their awkward pauses both online and in person were a delight to read.

Madeline changes because she finds that she wants more and she is no longer content with her bubble life and like any teenager tries to find her way and explore and take control of her life, even if in her case it could be a fatal risk. I felt like the relationship between Maddie and her mum was written so well. The guilt of leaving paired up with the desire of leading our own destiny.

There was quite an unexpected twist that I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it still. It really changed the perception of everything, and it made sense if you look back at all the events and reactions, but to a point it felt like a bit of the easy way out of the conundrum? I can't really explain it without spoiling things, but it also added a lot more to the complex mother-daughter relationship being explored here for sure.

All in all, a rather delightful debut, full of adorable moments and also with a much darker ending, even if it's also full of hope. 3.5 to 4 stars to this one! ...more

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