Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Series: -
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Teen
Published: September 3rd 2015
Read: March 2016
Rating: 4 ★
My Copy
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Kinokunyia, Singapore
Goodreads Summary: 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. But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddie, tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her. Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window, and suddenly, a door opens. But does Maddie dare to step outside her comfort zone? 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.
My Review
This is the first book that I've read that I really really enjoyed the beginning and then was completely disappointed in the character's choices moving on. I loved the build up in this book and enjoyed the small chapters with all the different titles and the e-mail conversations and the cute drawings which gave the book a nice edge.
The plot was well thought-through. From the beginning you get swept up in the protagonist's bubble and you can feel sympathy for her situation. Now after reading the blurb I actually thought that this character was a lot like me. "Allergic" in the sense of "real dislike" of the outside-world and not actually ill. The first half of the book is really sweet and if it weren't for work I would have read this book in one sitting. However, when I got to the middle part I was so perplexed that I didn't really continue reading for hours, but slowly got to the end after a week.
Because of the importance of the content the following part of the review might contain spoilers! Continue on own account.
I understand that love can make you reckless and you want to do silly things and stuff, but hopefully I'll never become suicidal for another person. I can't really comprehend that Maddy left her house to go on a vacation with Olly, who's such a sweet guy (!!), and risk her own death. I mean it all went well, but she didn't know that. She actually left the house thinking she'd never return. Couldn't she imagine a future where she would get to life and where she would get to integrate Olly into her home? On the other side I can fathom that you would want to actually live and not just be stuck in a bubble your entire life. Especially when you've never had any real friends or a first love.
The major plot twist of this story wasn't actually that surprising. I keep track of my thoughts whilst reading in a notebook and quite early on I played with the thought that the mother could have invented her illness in order to not lose her as she did her husband and son (again me and my consiparcy theories). In a way I can actually sympathize with this and I feel really sorry for her. She just wanted to keep her baby safe and I hope that I'll never know what she must have felt during that time.
Another thing that really bothered me was Maddy's reaction to finally finding out that she wasn't sick. Somehow she must be able to see why her mother did this and that she was sick and needed help. But she just kept being angry at her and didn't let it go and in the end even moved out of state. I could never do that to my mother even if she kept me hidden from the world for 18 years (because she somewhat had good intentions). Sure I'd be mad for a while, but after a few days/weeks I would beginn to forgive her. As far as I can see Maddy didn't and we don't know if she ever would.
Often I get very mad at book characters because they're too forgiving and not holding a grudge at all against people who betrayed them in some way. But in this case I'm mad at Maddy for being too much unforgiving and holds a grudge until the end of the book. I think I'll never be satisfied with any option the author delivers because I'll always want the opposite to happen.
Often I get very mad at book characters because they're too forgiving and not holding a grudge at all against people who betrayed them in some way. But in this case I'm mad at Maddy for being too much unforgiving and holds a grudge until the end of the book. I think I'll never be satisfied with any option the author delivers because I'll always want the opposite to happen.
