Eighteen-year-old Maddy has lived the majority of her life limited to her own home, with almost no visitors besides her nurse as Maddy has a rare disease that makes so many factors in the outside world possibly fatal for her. As she has been living this way since she was a baby, she doesn't remember or know an alternative. But when a cute boy moves in across the street, Maddy is intrigued by him and strikes up an online friendship. Once she starts learning more about the outside world, can Maddy still be content with the life she has?

This was an engaging and compelling read. Admittedly, romance is not really my genre but I did enjoy this title. For starters, Maddy and Olly both felt closer to real people than archetypes. They both have hobbies, such as reading/reviewing books and playing board games for Maddy and parkour and building an orrery for Olly. They both have their own familial issues to deal with and their own histories before meeting each other.

Also, I appreciated how the thing keeping the romantic pair apart was not some silly, contrived misunderstanding but a serious barrier due to illness. When it later is revealed that Maddy is not sick at all , I at first thought that was a cop-out and a real deus ex machina moment to solve the problem. However, I thought it was both appropriate and well done for the first reactions to this news to be Maddy dealing with how this affects her life in other ways -- her relationship with her mother primarily, but also her relationship with her nurse Carla, her schooling, her living situation, and finally her relationship with Olly. I think a more stereotypical romance novel would have jumped right to the last part first, but this way was more accurate to real life.

I do feel like the ending, while beautiful in its circular nature, left me wondering more about what was going to happen with these characters, but many of the best reads do conclude in such a way to make you regret leaving that world.

The audiobook was narrated extremely well by the main reader who put some much emotion into it; a couple of extra voices and sparingly used sound effects enhanced the experience. However, the print book also has fun little doodles and more, so I recommend having a copy of each to read. ( )

This was also a quick read for me I only picked it up because my little girl wanted me to read it with her. We both really enjoyed the storyline not normally my genre. I felt that the writing was smooth very easy to follow and I will definitely read another book by her ( )

This was such a fun and quick read!

As can be expected, our bubble girl, Maddy begins to wonder about the world and her life. In particular, how she’s living her life. It brings into focus the subject of what a life worth living might be to all of us. I really enjoyed this approach to asking bigger questions on a life such as Maddy’s. Are you LIVING if you are alive and healthy but unable to experience the world?
Maddy’s narration of her life is cute, witty, and uniquely delivered. (The story is told in unconventional ways like email conversations between Olly and Maddy, drawings, and even text that spirals into itself.) It makes for a creative experience and a more lighthearted feel overall.

The character list is small, but they are full of detail and personality. Great writing. Although, I saw the twist coming from a few miles away, I still enjoyed experiencing it. A lighthearted, feel good story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Full review: wanderinglectiophile.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/review-everything-everything-by-nicola-yoon/ ( )

Book on CD performed by Bahni Turpin & Robbie Daymond
3.5***

From the book jacket: 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.

My reactions:
This YA romance had some significant serious issues to discuss. Can love (even teenage love) conquer all? Yoon certainly makes a good case.

I really liked Maddy (Madeline Whittier). She’s intelligent and mostly serene. She’s come to accept her very limited world and hasn’t really “missed” what she can’t have. Until now, of course. Olly is more complex and guarded. His family situation is fraught with drama and it’s understandable that he’d want to keep some things to himself. Still …

What starts as messages taped to windows, and progresses to texting and IMing, must inevitably lead to meeting in person. Each of these teens has some significant issues to deal with on their own, and sharing their struggles brings them closer together. They come to trust in and support one another in a very nice, somewhat naïve way. Of course, things can’t possibly go smoothly for these star-crossed lovers.

There were some things that bothered me in the plot, mostly dealing with the reality of how things might happen. But I was willing to go along for the ride because I really liked both Maddy and Olly. I guessed the big secret ahead of the reveal, but still liked how Yoon handled it. And I liked the way these teens interacted with one another and their families.

Bahni Turpin and Robbie Daymond do an excellent job of voicing the audiobook. They really brought these teens to life for me. I’m glad, however, that I had the text handy, which includes a number of illustrations which just don’t translate well to audio format. ( )

Representation: Biracial (half Black and half Asian) character
Trigger warnings: Death of a father and brother in the past in an accident and suicide mentioned, hospitalisation of a child, medical content, near-death experience, physical illness, child neglect and abuse
Score: Five points out of ten.
Find this review on The StoryGraph.

I wanted to read Everything, Everything after seeing it in my recommendations, and when I discovered that a library I visited had this, I immediately wanted to read it. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem like an intriguing read, despite its unoriginality. However, when I closed the final page, it was underwhelming.

It starts with the first person I see, Madeline, living at home for her entire life due to an illness making her allergic to the world. Everything looks typical at first until a new neighbour arrives, Olly. Nothing happens in the opening pages save for the slow relationship developments of Maddy and Olly. My most prominent gripes with Everything, Everything are the characters and plot. I couldn't connect or relate to any of them, even though Maddy has a crippling disease, and the plotline wasn't engaging. It was more monotonous and tedious to read than enthralling. I didn't like the decisions Maddy made as she escaped her home for the first time to meet Olly in person, and then went holidaying together.

Everything, Everything says, "The greatest risk is not taking one." I disagree. The greatest risk is a risk endangering one's life. Which is the risk Maddy took, which nearly cost her her life. I get that she doesn't want to be stuck at home all day, but she has a life-threatening illness. How can she risk her life so carelessly and recklessly? I don't get that. The plot twist is so contrived it's challenging to comprehend. Maddy didn't realise she never had an illness but her mother made her think that? I have no words to describe that. The conclusion wasn't great either as it petered out Everything, Everything. I wished I could've enjoyed this fictional composition, but alas, I did not. ( )