Everything, Everything

You may have seen the movie trailer for Everything, Everything coming soon to theaters on May 19, 2017. It is about a girl, Maddy, who is sick—very sick. Since birth, she has had Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, otherwise known as “Bubble Baby Disease.” Throughout the book, it follows Maddy and her life. It follows the life of a girl with a strict routine—a girl who is surviving but never truly living. Some of the things in her usual routine includes checking her heartbeat, watching what she eats because of allergies, and seeing the same people each day.

Along the way, she meets a boy named Olly. Olly is her complete opposite; a boy who is wild, free, and healthy. This book truly brings light to the entire “opposites attract” cliché. However, I don’t believe this book is cliché.

Everything, Everything speaks of a girl who is stuck and can’t get out. Maddy feels as if there is no escaping her life because of her disease. Everyone around her tells her to stay inside and to stay safe—her mother, her maid/friend, and even Olly. She had never experienced anything a “normal” teen would have by the age of 18; she had never been to high school, had a friend over for a playdate, or even played outside. To put it in the words of Maddy herself, “-But the difference between knowing [it] and seeing [them] in person is the difference between dreaming of flying and flight.”

So, Maddy and Olly take off to Hawaii to experience new things—to be in an airplane, to see the Humuhumunuku-nukupuaa (Hawaiian state fish), and to experience love. All three things Maddy got to do and more.

I highly suggest reading this book. It has some amazing things that most teenagers can relate to, along with funny quips that will keep you entertained throughout the entire book.