Aj the Ravenous Reader's Reviews > Everything, Everything

Second Read: August 11, 2017
First Read: November 4, 2015

Wow! I didn’t think I’d like it even more the second time around. Just look at the amount of time I spent copying quotes and excerpts and taking photos of the pages.

“WHO IS AFFECTED BY HAR? (Hysterical Abdominal Rhopalocera)
The disease affects at least one teenaged American girl every 30 seconds” and a particular 31 year old woman in the Philippines everytime she’s reading a sweet romantic read like this book.

“You’re not living if you’re not regretting.”

“Love is worth everything. Everything.”

Time passing techniques


Pre-Kiss Checklist


Kiss Mechanics


Creating the Correct Kissing Atmosphere


Hilarious right?

Now that I already know the plot, I’m more empathetic with the characters and their motives. I no longer felt tricked or misguided by the plot twist and I have become more appreciative of the dialogues and the themes of the story. It’s also only now that I took notice that Ms. Nicola Yoon’s husband, Mr. David Yoon is the illustrator. How adorable is that?

I watched the movie right after I finished the book and I quite liked it too. I think the actors gave justice to their roles. There was enough chemistry between them and I’m thankful they didn’t make the story seem so cheesy with their cute romance. I liked the cinematography for creative effect. Of course there are several alterations but only to minor details like Maddy’s hair is supposed to be really long while Olly’s doesn’t have a lot of hair except in the last part of the book. But you know me, I notice insignificant stuff all the time. Lol.
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Original Review
3.5 stars

Brief intermission

Madeline’s question: "Who actually slaps their knee while laughing?"
Aj’s answer: "Uh, fifty percent of the Filipino population, I think?!"
*slaps her knee while laughing*

-end of intermission-^^

Everything, everything about the first eighty percent of this book is adorable in a “this-is-so-cute-I-want-to-pinch and smooch you” way. The story line is something very new because Madeline, a half-Japanese, half -African-American teenage girl is diagnosed with SCID, a special kind of illness that makes the person highly vulnerable to infectious diseases. For this reason, Maddy for the entire 18 years of her existence hasn’t gone anywhere except her super sterilized home.

Living life under such condition is unimaginable but Maddy has made it through because of her loving mom, caring nurse, love for books, passion for writing one-line spoilery reviews and her creativity in general. She seems okay with everything, everything until she meets her charming new neighbor, Olly, a young man full of life and energy. Everything, everything from then on is certainly never going to be the same. (I’m purposely trying to annoy you by saying “everything” twice.^^)

The writing is completely charming and really funny. I enjoyed how the book was written like the most artistic journal complete with diagrams, dictionary (Maddy’s version) and illustrations. Its creativity is very entertaining which makes the reader want to keep turning the pages for more surprises that despite the succeeding paragraph, I’m still giving this a good score.

I was a bit disappointed at the turnout of the plot. Actually, disappointed is downplaying it. I was frustrated that I had to stop reading for an entire day and when I picked it up again, some of the charm and magic of the book got lost on me. Also, that alternate sort of happy ending didn’t sit perfectly well for me. It ended too quickly and I felt like there were still certain important things that needed to be resolved.

Still, the message of the story is very prominent and certainly moving. We may find it worn-out but no matter how we reverse the world, tilt it sideways or turn it upside down, the truth that “love makes the world go round” or in this case, “love makes everything, everything go round” will always be true and more often than not, love doesn’t make us go for the most rational decisions. Love in more ways than one is both ugly and beautiful and yet people still live with and for it. ^^

Do check out Masooma's wonderful, wonderful review. <3