Hi all!

I’m back with another book review of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon but this one will be compared to the movie adaptation. If you have not yet read the book, nor seen the movie, please click away as I will be revealing light spoilers.

Disclaimer: My last few posts have been book-related. My website is not going to be an exclusive book blog. Lately, I’ve just had a lot of fun writing up reviews and tags. I have plenty of variety and topics to post about.

PLOT SUMMARY 

All her life, 18 year old Madeleine Whittier, has suffered from SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency), which basically means she cannot leave her house. Her incredibly weak immune system could kill her from what it absorbs in the outside world. She lives in a home, fitted with air-filters, airlocks and a nurse named Carla. Her mother is a doctor, who is constantly running tests and check-ups on Madeleine. She is home-schooled, loves to read and play games, but aside from that, is very bored and unhappy with her life. One day, a family move in right next door and Madeleine is immediately intrigued by her neighbour, Olly, a lively boy her age. They begin communicating through their windows/Instant Messenger and it isn’t long before they fall in love. The trouble is, they cannot touch one another, due to her condition. They cannot go outside together, nor can they have a normal relationship. The question then arises: how far will you go for love before it kills you?

THE CHARACTERS 

Madeleine as a female protagonist is quite sweet and despite her circumstances, is just a normal teenager, trying to live a normal life. She loves to read, frequently reviewing books in the story with sarcasm. She’s also extremely innocent because she hasn’t been exposed to other people, aside from her mother and Carla. When Madeleine was a baby, her brother and father were killed in a car accident. She fell ill not long afterwards, where she was contained in her own home. 

Olly is charming and sensitive. For a teenage boy, he is quite mature and his love for Madeleine, very evident. He was quite happy to give up everything just to be near her. He has a very difficult relationship with his father, doing everything he can to protect his mother and sister from his bouts of drunkenness and abuse. He is described as quite skinny and lanky, with a penchant for wearing all black and a beanie. I laughed out loud at the scenes where he would hang from certain things around him.

Carla, Madeleine’s nurse, is lovable, sweet and nurturing. She references her own daughter quite frequently and their strained relationship. When Madeleine’s mother discovers that Carla is allowing Olly inside the house, she is fired, which creates another huge loss in Madeleine’s life. Carla mentions often that life is to be lived.  She encourages Madeleine to follow her heart and dreams, despite the consequences.

Madeleine’s mother, Pauline Whittier, is overprotective, thorough and a perfectionist. Her only priority is keeping her daughter safe, which is very evident. She clearly loves Maddie but is it too much? That’s a discussion topic for another post. Now, let’s discuss that twist ending, shall we? 

THAT ENDING THOUGH! 

The ending was not what I expected. For some, it ruined the story completely but for me, it improved it. I found it to be quite refreshing and edgy. What did you think of the ending? Did you find it to be a cop-out like some other reviewers did? I would love to know your thoughts.

THE WRITING STYLE 

Despite the heavy content, this book is a quick and easy read. Nicola Yoon’s husband, fills the pages with unique illustrations and online chat dialogue. Nicola uses vivid, beautiful language. You would not know this was her debut novel. I also loved the pacing and the build-up. If I had one criticism, it would be that I wanted a little more. The book is just over 300 pages long but I felt more could’ve been explored. Other than that, I have no complaints. 

STAR RATING

4/5 BOOK

4/5 MOVIE

THE MOVIE ADAPTATION 

First off, I need to mention how beautifully Madeleine was played by Amandla Stenberg (Rue from The Hunger Games). She portrayed Maddie’s innocence and vulnerability perfectly. Olly, who was played by Nick Robinson, also did a fabulous job, fitting the character description exactly as I imagined. The cinematography and scenery in Hawaii was just gorgeous. The chemistry between both main characters was strong but I found the story, in particular the ending, to be a little rushed. It did not have the same build-up as the book.

The movie release in Australia was pushed back several times, which was frustrating. However, it was worth the wait and I’m glad they did it justice. There were only some minor changes from the book to movie. The main one I had an issue with was Olly did not do any of his trademark acrobatics. I really wish we had seen that. There was a nice element of Maddie’s imagination, accompanied by an astronaut, whom she identifies with. The house she lives in is so visually stunning and the colour-grading, well thought out. Overall, I enjoyed the film and the soundtrack was fantastic.

What did you think of the book and film? Which did you like better? I welcome all thoughts and opinions. Thank you for reading.

Peace & Love xoxo