Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

When I first saw this book on the desks of my 8th graders last year, I didn't think anything of it. When I started seeing The Sun Is Also a Star on the short list for the National Book Award, I decided to check out Yoon's first novel; I was not disappointed.

The premise: 18-year-old Madeline has a rare disease that forces her to stay inside in a completely controlled environment. She's surprisingly optimistic and fine with this life, until a boy named Oliver moves in next door with his family. 

When I read the summary for this book, I thought, great, another The Fault in Our Stars. I know that kids absolutely adore John Green, but I find his characters tiresome and angsty.

Everything, Everything is definitely not TFIOS. Though the characters have many things to be upset about, they're not. The relationship between Olly and Madeline (Maddy, as he calls her) is adorable and sweet and lovely, but my favorite part of this book is the mixed media/multi-genre feel to it. Yoon partnered with her husband to create these wonderful drawings spread out through the novel, as well as dictionary entries, emails, IM conversations (do kids even IM anymore?) and blog posts to her Tumblr account.

I love when books are multi-genre like this. It contributes to the authenticity of the voice, the character, and the story. It makes me feel like I'm peering into someone's diary. 

Let's get into the ratings...

Rating: ***** 

Recommended: Mature 8th graders, high schoolers (there is a mature romance scene that happens later in the book, so just make sure you're aware of this when recommending it to younger readers). 

Diversity: Though it's not obvious at the start of the book, Madeline is half Japanese and half black. There is also a character who comes up later in the book who is black and gay. Though it's not a focal point of the book (race or sexual orientation), I think it's important that it's here. The story may not be about race and racial identity, shouldn't young black readers be able to see themselves in Maddie: someone who is strong, brave, and kind to others? 

If you liked: all John Green books, all Rainbow Rowell books, To All the Boys I've Ever Loved Before