Beautiful. If I had to sum up the whole book into one word, it would be: beautiful. From the cover of the novel to the storyline and characters, all of it was just so captivating. It made me think about life’s struggles but also made me see the beauty. The story circles around a young girl named Madeline Whitter, who has a rare disease called SID, which is where you’re allergic to the world. All of it. The slightest thing from the outside world could trigger a reaction or worse, death.
Madeline Whitter spends her whole life inside a bubble, with her mother who is broken by the accident which killed both her husband and son. He husband was a doctor and had been treating Madeline since she was little. As the story goes on it displays how life is a precious gift that many take for granted. Shortly after Madeleine’s 18th birthday, a new family moves in next door. A young and seemingly depressed teenage girl, a violent and alcoholic father, a weak and incapable mother but most importantly a boy who is wild, clever and very good looking. A few weeks pass and Madeline starts to learn more and more about the family as she watches them from her bedroom window. Ollie, the boy next door, starts to talk too Madeline over IM. They grow closer and closer but the fact that Madeline is severely ill prevents them from being together.
I like how Nicola Yoon gives each character a very different personality. Like Madeline, who is displayed as helpless and behaves way younger than her actual age. Or Ollie, reckless, charming but extremely caring. Or Madeline’s mother, who we later find out is going insane. The book itself is just full of twists and turns, which just makes it even more interesting.
I really enjoyed this book, it made me think and it made me question. Most importantly, it gave me an amazing read. I’d definitely recommend this novel to anyone who likes hopeful romantic books (or anyone who’d like to end up crying when the book finishes...pfft… that totally wasn’t me). Also because my summer break is coming up, I think that this book is the perfect read for summer. It’s really hopeful and talks a lot about youth. Everything, Everything is definitely a little complex, so the right ages would probably be for those who are 12 and up.
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop