Everything, Everything

Spoiler Alert: Everything, at its root, is done out of love.

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A sweet and original story, Everything, Everything follows Madeline Whittier and her relationship with new neighbor Olly, who introduces her to the real world, while simultaneously urging to to break out of her own. The stakes in their love story however are high, as Madeline has a rare disease, so extreme in fact that she cannot leave the house. I deeply enjoyed this story. While on the surface it offered an enticing love story, likely to make the hearts of many readers melt, it also had a lot to say about family, love, loss, and the risks we take in order to be with the ones we love. The main character of Madeline was intelligent and easy to like. As the narrator, she was well-spoken and observant -- making her tale easy to read and almost impossible to put down.

With a big brain and a bigger heart, readers are likely to empathize with her. The decision that Maddy faces, although quite extreme in her case, is also an interesting one for all to ponder: am I alive or am I truly living? The relationships between characters were also incredibly well written and complex -- containing many layers. Maddy's relationship with her mother for example is seemingly perfect. Having been her only parent and best friend for her entire life, Madeline relies on her mother for everything, and her mom prides herself in being her daughter's caretaker and protector. However, things are not always as they seem and ultimately, the book demonstrates that the true enemy of love is fear. Additionally, Maddy is close with her nurse Carla, and Carla's daughter Rosa. The importance of female presence and support in Maddy's life not only makes her the independent and brave person she becomes but also helps her to navigate a healthy and equal relationship with Olly. The dreamy and dark Olly is straight out of any girl's fantasy, and treats Maddy with respect, care, and adoration. I enjoyed the many different forms of prose that the story adopted in showing their relationship; much of it consisted of text messages between the two. As readers were able to see them get closer behind the screens of their phone, it made their eventual meeting even more satisfying and exciting. The book also addresses intimacy with maturity and respect. The one love scene in the story highlights sensuality as opposed to sexuality, and shows how close two characters have truly become. I personally found this scene, as well as the love story to be quite magical -- if not a tad bit idealistic. I'm convinced that this story, although at times a bit two-dimensional or formulaic, could convince even the coldest of hearts that true, head over heels love exists and is out there waiting. It is worth mentioning, additionally, that it was Maddy's own hobby of reviewing books that inspired me to work on my own -- and even include "spoiler alerts" at the beginning of every entry. Although I read it a bit ago, this book remains one of the most heartwarming young love stories that I have ever read.

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Favorite Quotes: “Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you.” ~~ “Maybe growing up means disappointing the people we love.” ~~ “Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything.” ~~ “Life is a gift. Don't forget to live it.” ~~ “Just because you can’t experience everything doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experience anything.” ~~ “I was happy before I met him. But I’m alive now, and those are not the same thing.” ~~ “Sometimes I reread my favorite books from back to front. I start with the last chapter and read backward until I get to the beginning. When you read this way, characters go from hope to despair, from self-knowledge to doubt. In love stories, couples start out as lovers and end as strangers. Coming-of-age books become stories of losing your way. Your favorite characters come back to life.” ~~