Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything, by Nicola Yoon
Blurb: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.Well, I officially loved this book! I don't know why it took me so long to grab a copy! At the same time though, I have mixed feelings about some parts... If you take it at face value, this is a great YA novel, but if you start looking beneath the surface complications start to arise...It was well written and the pictures and layout made it feel fun and cute. Both Maddy and Olly were great characters and the dialogue between them was so sweet; they are a couple I was cheering on every step of the way. I loved the storyline and thought it was unique, which brings me to the plot twist... On the one hand I loved it (I love a plot twist!), but on the other it felt like a bit of a cop-out; I would have liked to see them learn to live with Maddy's illness.I also thought the message in this book was good... Being alive isn't necessarily living. I know many people won't agree with me, but I'm a huge believer in the quality of life and choice and being cooped up in your house for eighteen years is really no life at all. However, on the other hand, I can see how this portrayal of Maddy's illness could be insulting to some. I've only done a little research into it, but it seems there is so much more it it than was shown in the book and the restriction are even more serious than portrayed. Like I said, mixed feelings! Some people are saying her illness was simply something for her to overcome, which she did, however, I can't help feeling it would have been much more interesting if she'd learnt to live with it instead, as people with the actual illness have to.Despite that though, I'd recommend giving it a try and seeing what you think for yourself. :-)My favourite quotes from 'Everything, Everything':' Madeline: I'm not at princess.Madeline: And I don't need rescuing.Olly: that's ok. i'm no prince '' "The ocean will kill you." He winks at me. "It turns out that Mother Nature is a lousy mom." '' "Just because you can't experience everything doesn't mean you shouldn't experience anything. ..." ''And the less he seemed to love them, the more they tried to become more loveable.'' "I'm not lonely, ... I'm alone. Those are different things." ''I was happy before I met him. But I'm alive now, and those are not the same thing.'' "... They said it wasn't worth my life, but I said it was my life, and it was up to me to decide what it was worth. I said I was going to go and either I was going to die or I was going to get a better life." '' "You're not living if you're not regretting." ''Be careful because once you become a part of the world it becomes a part of you, too?''My heart is too bruised and I want to keep the pain as a reminder. I don't want sunlight on it. I don't want it to heal. Because if it does, I might be tempted to use it again.''Maybe there's a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don't.''Safety is not everything. There's more to life than being alive.'
Blurb: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.Well, I officially loved this book! I don't know why it took me so long to grab a copy! At the same time though, I have mixed feelings about some parts... If you take it at face value, this is a great YA novel, but if you start looking beneath the surface complications start to arise...It was well written and the pictures and layout made it feel fun and cute. Both Maddy and Olly were great characters and the dialogue between them was so sweet; they are a couple I was cheering on every step of the way. I loved the storyline and thought it was unique, which brings me to the plot twist... On the one hand I loved it (I love a plot twist!), but on the other it felt like a bit of a cop-out; I would have liked to see them learn to live with Maddy's illness.I also thought the message in this book was good... Being alive isn't necessarily living. I know many people won't agree with me, but I'm a huge believer in the quality of life and choice and being cooped up in your house for eighteen years is really no life at all. However, on the other hand, I can see how this portrayal of Maddy's illness could be insulting to some. I've only done a little research into it, but it seems there is so much more it it than was shown in the book and the restriction are even more serious than portrayed. Like I said, mixed feelings! Some people are saying her illness was simply something for her to overcome, which she did, however, I can't help feeling it would have been much more interesting if she'd learnt to live with it instead, as people with the actual illness have to.Despite that though, I'd recommend giving it a try and seeing what you think for yourself. :-)My favourite quotes from 'Everything, Everything':' Madeline: I'm not at princess.Madeline: And I don't need rescuing.Olly: that's ok. i'm no prince '' "The ocean will kill you." He winks at me. "It turns out that Mother Nature is a lousy mom." '' "Just because you can't experience everything doesn't mean you shouldn't experience anything. ..." ''And the less he seemed to love them, the more they tried to become more loveable.'' "I'm not lonely, ... I'm alone. Those are different things." ''I was happy before I met him. But I'm alive now, and those are not the same thing.'' "... They said it wasn't worth my life, but I said it was my life, and it was up to me to decide what it was worth. I said I was going to go and either I was going to die or I was going to get a better life." '' "You're not living if you're not regretting." ''Be careful because once you become a part of the world it becomes a part of you, too?''My heart is too bruised and I want to keep the pain as a reminder. I don't want sunlight on it. I don't want it to heal. Because if it does, I might be tempted to use it again.''Maybe there's a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don't.''Safety is not everything. There's more to life than being alive.'
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