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A review by lawbooks600
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Trigger warnings: Death of a father and brother in the past in an accident and suicide mentioned, hospitalisation of a child, medical content, near-death experience, physical illness, child neglect and abuse
Score: Five points out of ten.
I wanted to read Everything, Everything after seeing it in my recommendations, and when I discovered that a library I visited had this, I immediately wanted to read it. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem like an intriguing read, despite its unoriginality. However, when I closed the final page, it was underwhelming.
It starts with the first person I see, Madeline, living at home for her entire life due to an illness making her allergic to the world. Everything looks typical at first until a new neighbour arrives, Olly. Nothing happens in the opening pages save for the slow relationship developments of Maddy and Olly. My most prominent gripes with Everything, Everything are the characters and plot. I couldn't connect or relate to any of them, even though Maddy has a crippling disease, and the plotline wasn't engaging. It was more monotonous and tedious to read than enthralling. I didn't like the decisions Maddy made as she escaped her home for the first time to meet Olly in person, and then went holidaying together.
Everything, Everything says, "The greatest risk is not taking one." I disagree. The greatest risk is a risk endangering one's life. Which is the risk Maddy took, which nearly cost her her life. I get that she doesn't want to be stuck at home all day, but she has a life-threatening illness. How can she risk her life so carelessly and recklessly? I don't get that. The plot twist is so contrived it's challenging to comprehend. Maddy didn't realise she never had an illness but her mother made her think that? I have no words to describe that. The conclusion wasn't great either as it petered out Everything, Everything. I wished I could've enjoyed this fictional composition, but alas, I did not.
Score: Five points out of ten.
I wanted to read Everything, Everything after seeing it in my recommendations, and when I discovered that a library I visited had this, I immediately wanted to read it. I glanced at the blurb, making it seem like an intriguing read, despite its unoriginality. However, when I closed the final page, it was underwhelming.
Everything, Everything says, "The greatest risk is not taking one." I disagree. The greatest risk is a risk endangering one's life. Which is the risk Maddy took, which nearly cost her her life. I get that she doesn't want to be stuck at home all day, but she has a life-threatening illness. How can she risk her life so carelessly and recklessly? I don't get that. The plot twist is so contrived it's challenging to comprehend. Maddy didn't realise she never had an illness but her mother made her think that? I have no words to describe that. The conclusion wasn't great either as it petered out Everything, Everything. I wished I could've enjoyed this fictional composition, but alas, I did not.