“Do you remember when we read The Little Prince together for the first time? I was so upset that he died in the end. I didn’t understand how he could choose death just so he could get back to his rose. I think I understand it now. He wasn’t choosing to die. His rose was his whole life. Without her, he wasn’t really alive.”
― Nicola Yoon, “Everything, Everything”
Teenager Madeline Whittier, aka Maddy, suffers from a rare and famous disease that causes her to be allergic to the world. Her immune system is so weak that she can’t go outside, and everyone who enters her house must go through a strict sanitizing procedure. The only people she has contact with are her mom, her nurse Carla and her tutors. That is until she meets Olly.
Olly Bright is a boy dressed in all black who just moved in next door. After exchanging glances through their windows, the teen boy writes his email address on the window and they begin corresponding online.
Once Maddy gets to know Olly and his story, she doesn’t want to go back to her lonely life. She wants to meet Olly in person more than anything. When Carla finally agrees for the two to meet, each on opposite sides of the room, Maddy finally understands what she’s been missing.
As the two long for each other more and more, Maddy thinks about what her life is worth. Is life really worth living if you aren’t happy?
Told through text, pictures, and writing, Nicola Yoon brings adventure, fear, and understanding into Maddy’s story as everything begins to make sense. If you can’t experience everything, it’s important to at least experience something.
I highly recommend this book because it guides people to look for things in their life to be grateful for.
