Wattmag Issue #13

BOOK REVIEW: Everything, Everything

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING BY NICOLA YOON

(Spoiler alert: You will cry. )

I did. For those of you who haven't read Everything, Everything that was a reference to the book reviews that Madeline Whittier, the main character, and narrator of the novel, does during the story. Now, let us get to why you will cry when you read this book.

I write. I read. I read a lot.

Therefore, I have seen plenty of plot twists. Random deaths and shockers for all. But, this book: Oh. My. Gods. (any demigods?).

This book takes the sheer definition of plot twist and twists it around. It is unexpected, it's heartbreaking, and most of all it changes the entire direction of the book in a way I didn't think was possible. Everything you thought you knew about the story changes dramatically and what you once probably expected to happen no longer will.

I don't even know what to feel! I spent so much time in a state of pure confusion over my emotions. Am I happy? Am I sad? I don't even know. You feel such conflicting feelings for Madeline's character when everything does comes to light, making Nicola Yoon's writing truly powerful and emotionally stirring.

Okay, so I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Before this giant plot twist, there is, of course, an actual story happening. The book follows teenager Madeline, a girl who has a disease called SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency), an illness that makes it impossible for her to leave the house. It was also just recently turned into a major motion production staring Amandla Stenberg.

Madeline hasn't left her house in seventeen years and has spent her time inside reading books and taking courses over the internet. She only ever sees two other people, her mom, and her nurse Carla.

Then a boy moves in next door. 

The guy is named Olly and after moving in, he begins to see glances of Madeline through the window. That is enough to start something between the two of them.

This something is a sick bunt cake. (Don't ask, I suggest reading the book.)

In this world of technology, they manage to talk through their phones and learn more about each other. It's very flirty and cute. It hits you right in the feels watching the two of them grow closer.

It develops like a real friendship with inside jokes, witty one-liners, and moments of true honesty. I think we can all appreciate reading about friendships that we can relate to. We see them do little games and just talk. (They play a game called fast five where one person says five topics and the other person lists of their favorite parts, ie. ice cream. Chocolate chip cookie dough, my personal favorite)

They are just so cute.

Now, let us talk structurally.

As book readers, we see a lot of the same things. This book mixes up the normal chapter structure that most of us are used to seeing. It spices things up and it adds stuff like photocopies of her old diaries, photocopies of medical paper, drawings that Madeline has done, and other fun things that Madeline does.

Also, the chapters tend to be mixed in lengths. At one moment, you'll get a long chapter with straight-up narrative, then a chapter with purely text communication between Olly and Madeline, and then just a paragraph or two with Madeline.

This story definitively mixes things up: The plot, your feelings towards the characters, your feelings in general, and the style.

It's worth the read and by the end of it, you will have bounced between uncontrollable laughter and sobbing because your heart was cut out of your body with a chainsaw.

If you're up for that, I definitely recommend you check it out.