Book Review: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Bad parenting in YA is as common as Love Triangles.

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the outside world. So allergic, in fact, that she has never left the house in all of her seventeen years. But when Olly moves in next door, and wants to talk to Maddie, tiny holes start to appear in the protective bubble her mother has built around her. Olly writes his IM address on a piece of paper, shows it at her window, and suddenly, a door opens. But does Maddie dare to step outside her comfort zone?

Everything, Everything is about the thrill and heartbreak that happens when we break out of our shell to do crazy, sometimes death-defying things for love. 

Lets start by stating the above summery has a small error and things don't quite go down in that way in the book. You're be shocked and horrified (okay, it's that there's no piece of paper. Also she has left the house, but she doesn't remember that). This plot isn't very unique and the plot is almost the exact same as a film, but reverse genders and a different tone. I won't say which one for spoilers but you can probably work out if you wanted to. I also feel like I have either read/heard about another book with characters with the same disorder.

The format of this book is my favourite part of this book.We have typical pose from the point of view of the Madeline with illustrations scatter throughout the book and emails, texts and post-it notes.

The characters themselves ain't great in personality department. I kinda equal the two main characters as two traits, Madeline is books and Olly is maths. Oh, I forgot that Olly is actually Green Arrow. I don't feel like explaining that reference. Their actual interactions are good, but these characters don't stand for themselves for me and feel flat. The relationship between Madeline and her mother doesn't sit right with me, especially towards the end of the book. I would have like more resolution with them.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. This novel is not at all original and filled with clichés but it's done pretty well. It's a good light read, though I do feel it's trying to be more than that with the issues it has characters facing. Though, that could be interpreted as Yoon trying to make them more realistic. The ending is just too "perfect" for me to think of it as anything more.

I got this book off NetGalley for Review and it is being publish by Corgi Childrens on 27th August 2015.