The Tattered Page: Review : Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Pages: 336
Source: Own

The Story:

Risk everything . . . for love.

What if you couldn’t touch anything in the outside world? Never breathe in the fresh air, feel the sun warm your face . . . or kiss the boy next door? In Everything, Everything, Maddy is a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world, and Olly is the boy who moves in next door . . . and becomes the greatest risk she’s ever taken.
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.

via Amazon

Rating:

One-word Review: EVERYTHING

Reading Tune: Runnin' (Lose It All) by Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé, Arrow Benjamin

Tag Line:

The greatest risk is not taking one.

Opening Line:

I've read many more books than you.

My Review:

Everything, Everything was a Everything!

Funny.

Fresh.

Awkward.

Sad.

Romantic.

Endearing.

And I could not put it down.

The plot centers around Maddy Whittier, an 18-year old girl deathly allergic to the world. Diagnosed with SCID, she has not left her home in nearly all the time she has been alive. Maddy is the proverbial Bubble Girl. She watches a part of it through the windows of her Sun Room and the internet. And, for the most-part, she content and accepting of the life she has. That is, until Olly moves in next door. Funny, charming, kind, he easily snags Maddy's heart and changes her entire world. So much so, Maddy is willing to risk everything, everything to be with olly. To live.

What I loved most about Everything, Everything was: the authenticity. The story was not all perfectly placed moments. Especially not on the romantic front. The was awkward romantic tension between Maddy and Olly. Their characters were such genuine, and adorable.

"Why do you sleep on the left when you sleep alone?" I ask. I move onto the bed and lie down. He's right. It's breathtakingly uncomfortable.

"Maybe it's anticipation," he says.

"Of what?"

He doesn't answer, so I roll over to peer down at him. He's lying on his back, one arm flung across his eyes.

"Company," he says.

I retract my head, blushing. "You're kind of a hopeless romantic," I say. -- page 219-220

Everything, Everything pacing was perfect. Smooth and to the point. The plot unravel just as it ought to have. I only wish there was more story to read. Yoon's world-building was immersing - I got lost in the story, often catching myself giggling out loud on the train from work. And I loved Yoon's style of writing in Everything, Everything . It was unique and fresh from the styles of writing I usually tend to read in Young Adult literature. There were instant messages between Maddy and Olly. The endearing cartoons. Madeline's Dictionary entries. Emails. 1 sentence spoiler book reviews. Some chapters were 1 paragraph, some even 1 sentence. But in no way did any of this tae away from the story - even if it were not written in the "traditional" sense. It was so artfully done, it added more character to Everything, Everything .

All in all, I utterly adored Everything, Everything and literally recommended to anyone who would listen. Coming from someone who generally does not have a taste for contemporary -- aside from Katie McGarry's work -- if you have not read it and enjoy contemporary you need to read Everything, Everything.

Character Breakdown:

The characters were a fun bunch to get to know. I kind of hope Yoon would make a sequel.

Maddy Whittier - Smart, kind, bold.

Love is a terrible thing and its loss is even worse.

Love is a terrible thing and I want nothing to do with it. -- page 242

Olly Bright - Funny, charming, protective of his family, loves the color black. And faux dark with sweet edges.

He takes a breath. "In my head I know I've been in love before, but it doesn't feel like it. Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once." - page 221

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

It was such fun going back through Everything, Everything and my favorite quotes, searching for the ones I selected to post here.

"Please, Mom."

"It's better this way. I on't want you to have a broken heart."

"Love can't kill me," I say, parroting Carla's words.

"That's not true," she says. "Whoever told you that?" - page 149

~*~

He puts his hand on my bare waist. "You're all the good things wrapped into one good thing." - page 224

Meet the Author:

Nicola Yoon grew up in Jamaica (the island) and Brooklyn (part of Long Island). She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter, both of whom she loves beyond all reason. You can find her at www.NicolaYoon.com and on twitter and tumblr @NicolaYoon