Pre-Pub Blog Tour: Everything, Everything

June 2, 2015 Heidi ARC, Blog Tour, Book Review 1

I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Source: ARC from Publisher

This book isn’t out until September! Normally I don’t post reviews of books until closer to the release date but the publisher is doing a pre-pub tour with this one and I agreed to read it early and share my thoughts. Oh man, I cannot wait to get a finished copy of this one for my shelves!

About the Book:

Author: Nicola Yoon
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: Sept. 1, 2015
Pages: 307

This innovative, heartfelt debut novel tells the story of a girl who’s literally allergic to the outside world. When a new family moves in next door, she begins a complicated romance that challenges everything she’s ever known. The narrative unfolds via vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.

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.

My Thoughts:

First things first, can we talk about that cover? That glorious, beautiful, amazing cover?!? I want a print of it for my office wall! So much pretty! When I saw it at ALA I immediately wanted to know more! So, well done cover designers!

As far as the story goes, I couldn’t put it down. The reading of Everything, Everything just flew by. This was good and bad…. I was totally captivated but I also didn’t want the experience to end!

The story is told from Madeline’s perspective. Nicola Yoon mixes various formats in with her narrative. As the summary for the story says there are, “vignettes, diary entries, texts, charts, lists, illustrations, and more.” I loved that the narration was portioned off into vignettes. We get these glimpses into Madeline’s world that build and build and build upon each other. Taken with the other formats, this method really draws the reader in.

I cannot say enough about the story itself. It’s simply gorgeous. There was never a time where I felt lost or sections that I wanted to skim. I savored every word. Madeline’s story was hopeful and heartbreaking all at once… and more of each as it went on. Quite frankly, I’m a bit in awe of the storytelling and how deeply the reading experience touched me. I was wholly absorbed in Everything, Everything. A beautiful book, inside and out. Not to be missed.