Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Amisha | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9

Rating: **

“Everything Everything” by Nicola Yoon is a novel that follows Madeline Whittier, a half Japanese and half African American girl. Maddy is unlike most people in the world, due to her illness, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID). Maddy has to be kept in an isolated environment so she has never left her house in seventeen years. She’s never wanted to either, until she meets Olly, her new neighbor. Yoon describes the irrepressible bond that springs up between the two and how it evolves into something more through her novel, “Everything Everything”.

Personally, I found this book lacking in many aspects since it was quite cliche and predictable at times. Though the concept was cool, in my opinion, it wasn't well-executed. Madeline’s character was flat and underdeveloped, so the story didn’t make me feel for her. On the other hand, Olly was a unique character with very different interests. He is a math geek who believes that everyone is a mathematical equation; he brought a little bit of light in the novel for me. Another aspect that could have evolved into something better was the appearance of Madeline’s nurse, Carla. Carla is a lovable person but a minor character, since the novel focused on Maddy and Olly, which meant that she wasn’t very prevalent in the action. Furthermore, I believe the lack of character development affected the plot and made me indifferent towards the relationships being weaved and what was going on in the summation of the novel. This book was not for me, since I like more character driven stories that really show the depth, complexity, and personality of all the characters in the story. However, if you are intrigued to learn more about how the life of Olly and Madeline intertwined, then try this book out.

Laci | Howell High School, Grade 11

Rating: **

This book is a young-adult fiction book about a teenage girl, Maddy Whittier, with an extremely rare disease that does not allow her to leave her house. She is allergic to the outside and everything and hasn’t left her house in years. Soon, a boy next door moves in. His name is Olly. The two hit it off through looking their windows and soon become texting buddies. Weeks and weeks later Maddy and Olly can no longer be apart and want to be next to each other. They risk everything to be together for even just a moment.

I really enjoyed this book. If you like romance novels this one is for you. I was recommended this book by one of my friends and it did not disappoint. This isn’t exactly a soppy romance, more like a heartfelt romance where it just makes you want to fall in love. Seeing how the characters interact with each other is so heartwarming. You will be able to relate to the main character, Maddy if you have someone that you love so much that you would risk your life for them because that is exactly what she did. If you enjoy this book make sure you watch the movie!

Katrine | Manalapan High School, Grade 11

Rating: ****

This novel tells the story of an 18-year-old girl named Maddy who has a rare disease that forces her to be excluded from the outside world. If she leaves her house, she has the possibility of becoming sick and dying. When Maddy meets Olly, they immediately form a bond and communicate through the internet. Then, she takes the risk of leaving her sealed environment to experience the world, even if it means losing everything.

I enjoyed reading this book because of the adventures the main characters went through together. Olly truly cared for Maddy and was always looking out for her best interests. These are the types of love interests that made me enjoy reading. If you enjoy genuine romantic novels, this is the story for you.

Jordan | Manalapan High School, Grade 9

Rating: ****

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon is a novel about a young girl named Madeline Whittier. Maddie has a rare disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency also known as (SCID). She has stayed in her home for 17 years straight. Maddie has been fine in her home until one day when she meets her new next door neighbor Olly.

In my opinion, I found this book very interesting. I can’t imagine staying in my house and never leaving for 17 years of my life. Although this story was very predictable, I found Madeline's story very interesting. Olly is also a very different character. He is a math geek who tries to turn everything into a math equation. He made the novel a little more uplifting and exciting. Madeline's nurse Carla also plays a large role in this story. She is always there for Madeline if she is sick or not feeling well. Overall, I strongly recommend this novel!

Shivani | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9

Rating: ***

Madeline has a form of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, meaning she is basically allergic to the outdoors. As a result, she hasn’t left the house for 15 years, leaving her wondering what the outside world is really like. One day, the new neighbors arrive, and Maddy starts to fall for Olly, who has his own troubled life at home. The more they get to know each other, the more Maddy wants to venture outside her bubble.

"Maybe we can't predict everything, 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."

Now, I’m going to be honest, I usually do not read these kinds of books, but I feel like it perfectly captured the cheesy, romantic, YA book kind of feeling. I originally heard of the movie first, and convinced myself to read the book first, and as the romance became obnoxious and out of control, I still couldn’t stop reading! My point is, this book definitely follows the guidelines for your popular young adult love story, but it is perfect for a rainy day when you have no idea what to do.

Shruthi | Holmdel High School, Grade 11

Rating: ****

Living with Severe Combined Immune Deficiency is hard, as you might imagine. However, it seems like just a normal thing that Madeline has to do in daily life. Madeline lives in a virtual bubble that starts and ends in her house, with her overbearing mother caring for her and providing everything she needs to stay alive. However, Maddy soon realizes that staying alive and truly living are two very different things, when she meets Olly, the boy next door.

I enjoyed this book. Though some themes were different from the conventional romance, there were other aspects of the story that were very similar to a Disney Channel stereotype. Girl falls in love with boy next door? Predictable. I didn’t know that the novel was romance when I picked it up off the library shelf, but I knew she and Olly would fall in love from the moment he was introduced. But if you’re into that sort of old-school romance but would like a bit of a twist, this is for you.