Novel Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Ember (Random House)

Release Date: 2015

Spoilers?: Yes, with warning.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

The Cover:

I think this cover is very simple and pretty. While I do like how it relates to the drawings and whatnot inside now, it didn't really catch my eye before I read it. It's definitely a nice cover, though, and I like how it's not at all embarrassing to carry around.

Review:

Maddy is sick and has been on house arrest her entire life, pretty much. After losing her brother and father, it's only been her and her mother, and her nurse Carla. She takes classes online, and she loves architecture. And then a new family moves in next door, and Maddy meets Olly through the window.

Maddy and Olly get to know each other through looks and gestures first, and then through text, before they get to meet. They get along straight-away. Despite being stuck inside always, Maddy is pretty optimistic and easy-going. She doesn't let it bother her. And Olly makes her laugh. He's energetic and loves black, but he also has a fun sense of humor and isn't afraid to act a little weird. He also worries about Maddy, and he just wants her to be okay.

I like Maddy's struggle, it felt realistic. She wants to get to know Olly from the beginning, but at one point she decides that it would be too risky, to let herself want something she can't really have. When she decides that love and life, and experiencing things, is worth the risk, I respect that. I admit her decision is rather impulsive, but I still respected it.

(Spoiler!) The twist at the end I didn't expect. The signs were all there, but I still fully expected this to be a sad, diseased-girl leaves her safe environment and gets sick kind of story. I didn't think it was going to be one where she's actually been lied to. That plot twist made me like the story even more, though—I'm a sucker for those kinds of plots. I also really appreciated how Maddy handled it. I think she acted how she should have—sure, her mother had something mentally wrong, but she also wronged Maddy. And Maddy deserved to be angry about that.

My only thing is that I wish there had more past the ending. I wanted to know what happened with her mother next, where she goes from here. (End Spoiler.)

This was a really fun book. I liked the writing style, and how it included all these drawings and short book reviews, and a lot of quirky little things strewn out. It was very fast, and fun, and then that twist definitely made it for me.