Everything Everything
Delacorte Press
September 1, 2015
Hardcover
320
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.
Review:
What I liked about “Everything, Everything” is perfectly summed up by the title: Everything. It’s a wonderful and unique book that pulls at your heartstrings, makes you think about the nature of life, and also makes you laugh.
Madeline is a girl with SCID, commonly known as bubble baby disease, who has lived a life with little human contact and a world contained entirely within her home. Olly is the boy-next-door who manages to break through her emotional barriers. The romance is sweet and inspires a wide-range of “feels”. Madeline and Olly are both exceptionally well-developed, which is an amazing achievement given the limited confines of her life and their interactions.
Not many of the technicalities of SCID are explored in the book, but given that it is all Madeline knows, and it drives the plot instead of being the plot, I believe it is handled perfectly. I can’t go into too much depth without giving away important pieces of the plot, but please do not think “The Fault in Our Stars”. This is not at all like that, in spite of the presence of a disease. Stick with it, and you will see that the inevitable comparisons some will make do not prove to be true. “Everything, Everything” is a wonderful book in its own right and should be read as such.
I can’t write the review without mentioning how much I love the non-traditional manner in which the story is told. There are charts, graphs, journal entries, instant messages, doctor reports, drawings, and much more sprinkled throughout that all serve as an integral part of the story. It’s a refreshing break from the ordinary.
Also, and this is very important, the main character is of mixed-race. I wish there were more books out there featuring diverse characters, but “Everything, Everything” is an excellent addition to the collection and should serve as an example to other writers that it can and should be more common. We need more diverse books!
To sum it all up, I highly recommend “Everything, Everything” to everyone 7th grade and above, including adults. It reads quickly and is sure to be a hit for reluctant readers. Five enthusiastic stars!
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warning:
Mild Language, Sexual Situations, Domestic Violence
