Everything, Everything

June 15, 2015
Madeline Whittier, a biracial 18-year-old, has severe combined immunodeficiency, a rare condition that renders her allergic to nearly everything and requires her to live inside a carefully sealed environment. Madeline’s contact is limited to her physician mother and her full-time nurse, until handsome Olly moves in next door. Madeline falls for him from her window and begins disobeying the rules that keep her from the outside world. Despite the serious dangers posed by Madeline’s medical condition and Olly’s violently alcoholic father, Yoon’s debut reads breezily. Many chapters consist of single, short paragraphs, as well as emails, chat exchanges, and Madeline’s pithy book reviews (of Lord of the Flies, “Spoiler alert: Boys are savages”). Yoon’s husband provides diagrams, cartoons, and other illustrations that reflect Madeleine’s claustrophobia, whimsical longings, excitement over Olly, and sense of humor. The main conflict is resolved in a few brief pages and reflects an overall tendency for things to happen a bit too easily. Even so, this is an easy romance to get caught up in. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Shandler and Joelle Hobeika, Alloy Entertainment.