Chrissy’s Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything
written by Nicola Yoon
published by Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2015

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Target, Walmart, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? I didn’t enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad, but it was very predictable and inconsistent.

We meet Maddy in her house, a house she has never left since she was an infant. Apparently, she has a rare disease that prevents her from ever leaving her house because she is allergic to EVERYTHING. She goes to school online, has a home nurse, and spies on her neighbors from her window. Of course, she falls for the cute boy who moves in next door and knows nothing about her. Don’t the neighbors talk?

Here’s the thing, I finished the book. It kept me reading despite knowing/guessing the ending very early in the story and despite me being angry with the adults in this book.

Anyway, I don’t want to spoil the book, so you can stop reading here.

 

However, if you want to read some of why I didn’t like the book, continue reading. There will be spoilers!

SPOILER ALERT

I figured out the ending/”twist” from almost the beginning. There were so many red flags throughout this story that told us the ending. It wasn’t hard to figure out. I get the mom was distraught and upset and wanted to protect her only child. But did no one question anything? Really? Why did Maddy never question her diagnosis? She never researched her disease? Seriously?!?!?! She has internet access. She never looked anything up? She never checked her symptoms? And the nurses never questioned anything? Especially Carla??? She had an inkling but did NOTHING to help. And Maddy never saw a doctor. I don’t care if her mother is a doctor, she should have been seeing specialists as well as general practitioners. Just, no. It was too convenient and not that surprising.

SPOILER OVER

Would I recommend it? I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend it, and I wouldn’t go out of my way to tell you not to read it.

 

About the book – from Goodreads: 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.