“Live life in a bubble? Or risk everything for love? 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.”
What is the book about?
Maddy is a seventeen year old girl who has never left her house. She has an incurable disease that means that she is allergic to the world; anything could trigger her illness and lead to her death. Maddy has lived a melancholy life in her perfectly white room, each day exactly like yesterday and just like tomorrow. Until one day a new family moves into the house next door. Maddy tries to ignore them but the boy is not like anyone she has ever seen before. Maddy knows that hoping is pointless and that there is no way she will ever get to lead a normal life, but Olly is determined to find a way to reach the mysterious girl from next door. After a while emails and messages are no longer enough. However, the more she gets, the more she wants. Maddy knows that wanting and wishing will only lead to more and more heartbreak, but she can't help it. Until she met Olly, Maddy had never realised that she was never really living. Maddy might finally get a chance to really be alive, but at what cost?
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
The first time I saw the book I was already desperate to dive into its pages and start reading. The cover looked beautiful and, even though the blurb was quite short and simple, it gave me enough information to leave me with overwhelming need to open the book and see what I would discover in it pages. Once I finally began to read I was completely captivated by the wonderful pages and, by the time I looked up, it was already hours past my bedtime. The chapters in Everything, Everything aren't like ordinary chapters: most are short, some are emails, and others are quick one sentence spoiler reviews of books. Although the chapters aren't like usual ones, I still enjoyed them immensely and every second was amazing. The start of the book was perfect and it was very fast paced, even from the very first page. I finished the book quicker that I thought I would and when I reached its end it felt like I had just begun reading a few minutes ago, when in reality it had been hours. I loved Everything, Everything from the very beginning and I loved it all the way to the end.
Who was your favourite character and why?
I don't know exactly who my favourite character was because I liked so many characters for so many different reasons. One of the characters I liked was Carla because of how wise and kind-hearted she was. She was there for Maddy through everything and gave her so much love and friendship. She was there to be her nurse, but ended up being a second mother to her. Carla knew how Maddy felt and bended so many rules to make sure that she was happy as well as safe. Carla gave Maddy so much advice and made her life so much better. Carla is one of the sweetest characters I have ever read about, but she was also a fierce one and, although she was extremely caring, I know that she wouldn't let anyone mess with her or with anyone she loved. Another character I liked was Olly. I loved how strong he was and how he protected his family, even when he was also hurting inside. He was an extremely wild character at the start, never still and always moving, but he knew how to comfort people. Even though he himself was broken, he was always there to help his family and pick up the pieces. Olly had a lot of great qualities, but his loyalty to his family was the one I loved the most. The last character I liked was Maddy. She had been in her house all her life and didn't know anything about the outside world (except what she had learnt from reading books), but she was brave enough to start living her life for real and took the opportunity to discover what she has missed. She might have been a bit careless and might have let her heart lead, but in the end it was the right choice and her head might have kept her from it. In the beginning she seemed too clean and perfect, but reading more I saw how she changed into the person she wanted to be, not the person she thought she needed to be.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
There are a lot of good parts in the book, many of them sad and others happy, however the best part is undoubtedly the ending. I have read a lot of books, and I have read a lot of endings, and I know that this book has a perfect ending. It leaves you with a longing for more but also gives you the closure you need to put the book back on the shelf and start a new one. This ending was happy but sad at the same time, and left you with the feeling that the characters story is not over. I know they the book has come to an end, but the ending left room for more and, although I won't be reading about Maddy and Olly anymore, I have a feeling they have a wide future filled with adventures they will go on without me. I can't say very much about the ending without ruining it, but I think it was very well planned and I would not change anything about it. I enjoyed many other parts of the book, almost every single one of them, but the ending was towering over all the other amazing parts and it made a wonderful book even more incredible.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, I think that Everything, Everything is one of the most comforting books I have ever read. This is actually the second time I read it and I enjoyed it just as much, or maybe even more, than the first time. One of the reasons why I loved the book was because it’s perfect. Everything, Everything has all the elements that make a book amazing and leaves you feeling a little lost in the world. It's written as if the author knew exactly what all readers have wanted. Short and sweet chapters, but also deep and depressing ones that make you question life. The emails, pictures and chapter titles made the book fell complete. The best thing was the few pages with only sentences on. It's every reader’s worst nightmare to read a spoiler and when we are so impatient to skip to the action and discover the next parts, our eyes always slip and we spoil everything for ourselves. However, the one line pages meant that no matter how shocked and anxious I was, I did not skip anything or spoil anything for myself because I had to turn the page to discover what happened next. Another thing that I liked about the book was its fast pace. Most chapters were extremely short and all of them had a different meaning so, no matter how much I told myself that I was only going to read for a few minutes, I always found myself looking up hours later completely puzzled at where I was and what time it was. Time always flies when I'm reading, but Everything, Everything was a completely different experience. One last thing about the book is just how comforting it is. After speaking to one of my friends, I discovered that it wasn't just something I felt, but that Everything, Everything is a comfort book that helps you escape the world immediately, even if it's just for a few hours. As soon as I finished it, right away I wanted to restart it and go through experience for third time. With most books, you only get the feeling of comfort and loss the first time you read it, but Everything, Everything was different and, although it was the second time I read it, I was still completely in love.
Would you recommend this book?
I am 100% sure that anyone who picks up this book will enjoy it. I particularly recommend it for 13+ readers and those who enjoy romance. It's a wonderful read for anyone who is in need of a fast paced escape.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A marvellous, comforting and romantic read.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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