ARC Review: Everything, Everything



Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Series: N/A, Standalone
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publication Date: September 1st, 2015
My Rating: 3.5 Stars


  This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

  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.

  I was given an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Please note that all quotes mentioned here were taken from the ARC copy, not the final version.

  Everything, Everything is about Maddy, a girl who has SCID. Basically, she's allergic to the world. As a result, she's been closed off to the world. She was perfectly fine living that way, until she meets Olly and starts wanting for more.


"I've read many more books than you."

  Everything, Everything started out really great for me. I had a feeling that it was going to be a great read after reading the first line. I was surprised that the chat conversations worked for me, because those usually bored me in other books. I also liked the touch that the illustrations/diagrams made, and I like how it was actually made by the author's husband.


"Maybe we can't predict everything, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly."

  The romance in this book was cute and sweet, and I really enjoyed it. I liked how it was not super intense. My mind registered that it progressed somewhat quickly, but I didn't feel like it was a problem. Somehow, the author made that work for me. I loved how Olly used bundt cake to "illustrate" what he wanted to tell Maddy. I also really liked Carla the nurse, because she talked to Maddy like they were equals. I liked Maddy's relationship with her mom because not many people have that.


"I am OK, but, like Alice, I'm just trying not to get lost."

  I admire how Maddy was so accepting of her situation at first. She didn't whine or anything. But I didn't like how whiny she became when she was cut off from Olly because that was one of her best qualities for me. This was when I started finding things I didn't like from the book.
"as•ymp•tote n. pl. -s. 1. A wish that continually approaches but never achieves fulfillment. [2015, Whittier]"

  Maddy started becoming a little bit selfish, and I hated all the lies she told her mother. I get it though. I'm not sure about this, but I think the replacement nurse just disappeared from the book, even before Carla came back. I also didn't like how Maddy and her mom didn't get to talk more in the end. They didn't need to make up or anything, but just to talk it out, seeing as they were really close in the beginning. 

  I gotta say, I kind of expected the twist, but I have nothing bad to say against that. All in all, this book was a really fun read. I liked how things closed off, aside from what I mentioned in the spoiler section. It's definitely worth giving a shot.


3.5 kinda 'meh' stars


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