Hey guys! It's been forever! I've been super busy and haven't had a ton of time to read lately. I saw an ad for a new movie based on a book called Everything, Everything. As soon as I watched it, I knew I had to read the book. Apparently I'm not the only one who had the idea because I'm currently number 12 on the hold list at the library. Luckily, I borrowed a copy from a friend. It's the classic boy next door story, but with one twist. The main character, Maddy, is so sick that she can't go outside. "Basically, I'm allergic to the world. Anything can trigger a bout of sickness...I don't leave my house, haven't left my house in 17 years. " She lives with her mother and her nurse in an environmentally controlled home, shut up inside with friends existing on the internet only. That is, until Olly moves in next door. In the movie, Maddy is played by Amandla Stenberg, aka Rue from the Hunger Games. Olly is played by Nick Robinson, who some may recognize as Zach from Jurassic World. The movie comes out May 19, so everyone head to their local library so you can read the book before the movie. No excuses.
Maddy is extremely close with her mom, Pauline, and nurse, Carla, which is not surprising considering those are the only two people she knows. Her life involves daily checkups, games of Phonetic Scrabble, online classes, and movie nights. Anyone who wants to come in from the outside has to go through an extensive decontamination process, so most people aren't willing to visit. But then there's Olly.
"Then I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely." Maddy is immediately transfixed by Olly. As one commenter put it, "a whiff of instalove." They soon begin to chat online, and things progress quickly. Within a few weeks, Carla lets Olly visit. If you're into halfway cheesy, halfway sweet teen romances, this book is for you. Olly and Maddy's relationship was cute, but I felt like it was slightly unrealistic. Their only contact was through IM, notes posted on windows, and the occasional meeting. I mean, yeah, Maddy can't really talk to Olly any other way. Call me cynical, but do you really think a high school guy is going to stay focused only on a girl he's never seen outside? Late night chats on the internet is not the same thing as walking the halls of a high school.
That note aside, I DO like cheesy teen romances so I thought the dialogue and relationship between the two of them was adorable and sweet. Olly was thoughtful and funny, and the two seemed like the perfect pair. Olly changes Maddy's outlook on the world, whether for better or worse. As Maddy says, " Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference."
The book DOES have a huge plot twist. It was spoiled for me so I didn't have the shock that most people probably experienced. Without going into too much detail, I have to say that I have mixed feelings. It felt like a cop-out ending to a book that had the potential to be unique. The book also seemed to end quite abruptly, and an epilogue would have been greatly appreciated.
Overall, I liked the book but it didn't live up to all my expectations. The romance was cute and the concept was interesting, but there wasn't much depth to Maddy's worldview. Rather than a sentimental, makes-you-think book, this book falls into the endless pit of teen romances, akin to The Fault in Our Stars. That said, I am planning to see the movie, and here's the trailer. This might be the first time I've said this, but maybe this story will be better suited as a beginning-of-summer chick flick. We'll see on May 19, but feel free to pick up this book in the meantime to pass a spring day or escape from the upcoming finals (good luck!).
Keep reading!
Colleen
"Then I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely." Maddy is immediately transfixed by Olly. As one commenter put it, "a whiff of instalove." They soon begin to chat online, and things progress quickly. Within a few weeks, Carla lets Olly visit. If you're into halfway cheesy, halfway sweet teen romances, this book is for you. Olly and Maddy's relationship was cute, but I felt like it was slightly unrealistic. Their only contact was through IM, notes posted on windows, and the occasional meeting. I mean, yeah, Maddy can't really talk to Olly any other way. Call me cynical, but do you really think a high school guy is going to stay focused only on a girl he's never seen outside? Late night chats on the internet is not the same thing as walking the halls of a high school.
That note aside, I DO like cheesy teen romances so I thought the dialogue and relationship between the two of them was adorable and sweet. Olly was thoughtful and funny, and the two seemed like the perfect pair. Olly changes Maddy's outlook on the world, whether for better or worse. As Maddy says, " Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference."
The book DOES have a huge plot twist. It was spoiled for me so I didn't have the shock that most people probably experienced. Without going into too much detail, I have to say that I have mixed feelings. It felt like a cop-out ending to a book that had the potential to be unique. The book also seemed to end quite abruptly, and an epilogue would have been greatly appreciated.
Overall, I liked the book but it didn't live up to all my expectations. The romance was cute and the concept was interesting, but there wasn't much depth to Maddy's worldview. Rather than a sentimental, makes-you-think book, this book falls into the endless pit of teen romances, akin to The Fault in Our Stars. That said, I am planning to see the movie, and here's the trailer. This might be the first time I've said this, but maybe this story will be better suited as a beginning-of-summer chick flick. We'll see on May 19, but feel free to pick up this book in the meantime to pass a spring day or escape from the upcoming finals (good luck!).
Keep reading!
Colleen