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Book Review: Everything Everything

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon
3 Stars
Verdict: Cute romance and creative storytelling.




Madeline has a rare immune system disease called SCID that basically means she's allergic to the world. She stays at home, inside, every single day. She’s home-schooled by her mother and doesn't know anyone her age, until Olly moves in across the road and sees her through her window.

This book struck me as perfectly okay. It’s a quick read, great writing, and a super cute romance, but nothing in particular to rave about.

The epistolary style means it's short and fast with a mix of different styles: letters, texts, emails, drawings and more. It's a fun and creative way to tell a story. The novelty wears thin but then again, it's short and sweet.

The ending ruined it for me. For the sake of liking this author and the book beforehand, I’m going to pretend that didn’t happen.

I guess I found this take on the sick kids trope not fresh enough. I've recently finished Five Feet Apart and it played out very similarly. The teens are lonely. They know they should stay apart, but then: click. There's a spark, followed by a motherly character warning them not to pursue. Maybe one of them decides to shake off the other, but it's too late. They're already in love. I prefer Yoon’s writing but the ending in Two Feet Apart just felt more realistic and honest. Neither of them compared to The Fault In Our Stars, which felt like more than just a sick kids book to me (but maybe that’s just because I read it first?).

Okay, so maybe I should give this trope a rest for a while?

What I can say is the writer is fabulous. I really loved The Sun Is Also A Star, and this just didn't compare story-wise. If you're wondering which book to read, go for the other one! At least, that's what I would recommend.

Source: Bought it.

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Comments

  1. Aubrieannie UU15 October 2019 at 15:29

    Perfectly ok is often how I feel about books, esp when I'm on a streak of reading similar themes. When I do that, I only get excited when it is spectacular. Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aconite Cafe15 October 2019 at 16:51

    I try not to read in this troupe often because it can start to seem over done, or like they are all too similar. I read Five Feet Apart because my daughter has CF. Haven't read fault in our stars yet though. These books always tend to make me cry lol Great break down of this book, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kristin16 October 2019 at 02:46

    I do like epistolary style in books, but it sounds like an overly family storyline. However, I love the cover enough to maybe give it a chance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scookie16 October 2019 at 08:49

      That's risky to read it for the cover! But it is a nice book to have on the shelf.

      Delete

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