Books I've Loved: Everything Everything

I read this one the same weekend I read Nicola Yoon's other book (which I reviewed last week), and I actually liked this one more.

I saw the twist coming a long time before the end, but that didn't matter to me because I don't think it was meant to come as a big surprise.

Once again, this book has an almost instant attraction spring up between two people, but in this case, I felt like it was more believable.  The protagonist is totally isolated, never seeing anyone except her mother and her nurse (and very occasionally a teacher).  So when someone shows up next door who is her age and actually makes an effort to communicate with her, why wouldn't she fall in love with him?  I felt like she would have fallen for anyone who had reached out to her, regardless of who it was.

I also liked how being in love changed her in a very significant way.  Love gave her the strength to challenge everything she thought she knew and to start breaking away from a relationship that was suffocating her (literally).

The mother is also really well drawn here.  While you can't exactly condone her actions, they are understandable and there is never any doubt that she loves her daughter.  In fact, she loves her too much!

But don't just listen to me.  Here's the blurb:

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and 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. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.