Book Club Pick: March 2019
Title: Everything, everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Series: Stand alone novel
Country: United States of America
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
First Published: 2015
Pages: 310
Publisher Description:
Live life is a bubble?
Or risk everything for live?
Maddy is allergic to the world.
She hasn’t left her house in seventeen years.
Olly is the boy next door.
He’s determined to find a way to reach her.
Everything, Everything is about the crazy risks we take for love.
Review:
The novel follows Madeline ‘Maddy’ Whittier, a biracial teenager (African-American and 3rd generation Japanese-American) who is being treated for rare disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SKID).
Maddy lives her life inside a sterile environment never leaving her house – hence why SKID is often referred to as ‘bubble disease’. Her only company is her doctor mother, her day nurse Carla, and the occasional tutor.
Shortly after her 18th birthday she watches from her window as the Bright family move in next door – mom, dad, son, and daughter. Maddy is drawn to the son: ‘tall, lean, and wearing all black: black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers and black knit cap that covers his hair completely’. He practices parkour, is mysterious, and her bedroom looks directly into his.
The boy-next-door Olly befriends Maddy and the two first begin communicating by mime from their bedroom windows and later online, and eventually with the help of Carla are able to meet in person – behind her mother’s back.
Maddy and Ollie communicate via email
and instant messaging
Maddy knows that her and Olly will never be able to have a normal relationship, and the novel explores this dilemma.
The book features numerous illustrations throughout by Nicola’s husband David (his debut novel Frankly in Love is due out September 2019).
Illustration by David Yoon
In 2007 a film adaptation was released with Amandla Stenberg as Maddy and Nick Robinson as Olly.
Links:
Source: I borrowed this book from my public library.
