Everything, Everything | Book Review

Books. Something that was a foreign object to me growing up, but now has turned into my favorite past time. With school out for the summer, I have acquired more free time; not much, but enough to send me into bored fits. I think, since graduating high school I've grown to respect and appreciate the effect a book can place upon you; happy, sad, questioning, etc. Books can take you to a whole new world, allowing you're imagination to run free; forming a type of limbo state that only you can control. . . Anyway, I hope I'm not speaking gibberish. .

Recently, I spent yet again, way too much time moseying up and down the aisles at Barnes & Noble, and ended up purchasing 5 new books to add to my collection. I think I was antsy to grow my collection and to have a variety to choose from. Out of the 5 books I purchased, "Everything, Everything" by, Nicola Yoon, was the first I reached for.

I'll (try to) quickly give you a taste of the plot; Madeline, a teenage girl lives indoors, 24/7. She never leaves her house due to her illness, SCID. A rare disease that basically makes her allergic to EVERYTHING, and the triggers are unknown. To keep her safe and healthy, Madeline lives a scheduled life at home; school is done over the computer, her mom and nurse, Carla, take constant care of her, nights are spent playing games or watching movies; everyday generally repeating. Maddy has come to terms with how her life is and wouldn't change it, until a new family moves right next door, and the teenage son, Olly, catches Maddy's eye. Olly has a sister, but is a very minor character. His dad is basically an abusive alcoholic, and his sweet innocent mom tolerates him. You can tell that Olly is a family man since he is always standing up to his dad to protect his mother. (If you want the actual summary from the book all paste it below)

When I first picked up this book, I was intrigued by the cover. Simply white, with splashes of color and random chaos. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I can't help it. The title seemed quite vague, but intriguing and I had to know the plot. I will admit that I am a sucker for bad-boy stories (or just love stories in general), so when I read, "He's tall, lean and wearing all black-black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely." I was sold; Mainly because his physique/wardrobe had 'bad boy' written all over him...  I knew instantly that I would fall in love with this character and wanted to know how Maddy & Olly's relationship would pan out. Let me break it to you now, Olly isn't a "bad boy", in fact I'd say he's the opposite. 

I'm not really sure what I was expecting from this book in all honesty. I spend a fair amount of time glued to Wattpad (a website that lets amateur authors post their stories), and you can probably guess the type of genre I look for. . ^^ . . Don't judge, I'm a single, 20 year old, college student, what do you expect?! So, my expectations, probably weren't lining up with what this book had to offer.. BUT THAT'S NOT A BAD THING.  I am telling you right now that I fell in love with this book, and I will definitely re-read it down the road. 

 I can say that this book had me laughing-out-loud at parts where I could imagine myself in; more specifically, conversations held between the two. Maddy is smart and witty and strong. Olly is observant, collected, and mature. He  thinks about Maddy's well-being and doesn't play around when it comes to her safety/health. Throughout the book, you watch Maddy grow into the teenager she should be; crazed hormones, feelings for a boy, wanting to see the world in it's entirety. You watch as she experiences her first crush, her first love and risks she's willing to take to live a normal life. This book is powerful and so well-written, it's not what you'd expect. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down. In fact, by the time I reached the end I had tears in my eyes wanting to read more. Were they good tears? Bad tears? I wish I could say more about this book, but I'm afraid I'll spoil it... therefore, I HIGHLY recommend this book. 

Rating: 4.7/5  - I only wish there was a sequel or a bit more to it since the climax didn't happen until almost the end of the book.

**The pictures included are not mine, therefore, i do not own the right to them. They are simply a visual reference to give you a feel for the book.

Books & Tag

Lately I've been obsessed with buying books. I never used to be into reading - in fact I hated it, but now I enjoy picking up a book and reading it. I don't know what it is but I prefer an actual paper copy that I can hold in my hand than an electronic copy. I now have a small collection that should keep me busy for quite awhile.






I found this tag awhile back while I was browsing for new blogs to enjoy, and stumbled upon one done by Drops Of Anna and felt in the spirit to fill out the tag as well and share it. If you'd like to check out her answers you can click Here. I hope you enjoy!






Do you get sick while reading in the car? 

Unfortunately, yes.

Which author’s writing style is completely unique to you and why? 

I think i'd have to say Suzanne Collins. I choose her because I am picky and I find it difficult to find a book that draws me in and keeps me interested. When I was in elementary school I read her book "Gregor the Overlander" and I loved it; it was one of the only books that kept me turning the page wanting more. Then when I entered high school I read another one of her books. I bet you can guess what it is.. yep! It was "The Hunger Games". 

Harry Potter Series or the Twilight Saga?

I have not read the Harry Potter series, but I've seen the movies and I loved them. I have read the first Twilight and seen all of the movies, and it was alright. I remember when J.K. Rowling released a couple of the last Harry Potter books, and my brother ran to Barnes & Noble to pick up a copy. Both him and my dad finished all of the books within days of purchasing them. So, to answer the question I'd say the Harry Potter series.

Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is it in (besides books...)?

Are we talking backpacks? Because I have a ton of stuff in there; mainly school supplies. But I also pack my laptop and power cables. I am looking to get a backpack or book bag for outside of school where I can store my laptop, journals/little notebooks & pens, and a camera. 

Do you smell your books?

Yes. A brand new book just smells SO amazing. #NoShame

Books with or without little illustrations?

Without illustrations.. Let my imagination draw a picture.


Hard Cover or Paper Back?

[ I added this one in myself ]
I prefer paper back over a hard cover, although I really couldn't tell you why. 

What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing? 

Oh goodness, I have no idea; haven't read that many.

Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!

I don't know if this counts but when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade my friend and I volunteered to read to the younger kids during morning recess just so we wouldn't have to go outside in the cold during the winter months.

What is the thinnest book on your shelf?

I have recently bought a couple books that were written by youtubers, so I'd have to say that the thinnest book would be "Really Professional Internet Person" by Jenn McCallister. 

What is the thickest book on your shelf?

I think that would have to be "The Fifth Wave" by Rick Yancey. I have yet to read it, but it sounded like a good one, so I picked it up.

Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?

I do not write, no... But I do blog! (: I remember when I was younger I started writing a book based [some what] on a personal experience and I wanted to call it Parloot Dreams. What it means I have no idea; Is that a real word, I'm not sure. But I could never get passed the first chapter so I eventually gave up on it.

When did you get into reading?

I actually just started to get back into reading. Growing up I never bothered to pick up a book. The only reading I did was for school. In 5th grade I remember I joined a book club where we had a list of books to read and at the end of the year all of the local schools got together and had this giant book bowl where we were tested on our knowledge. I think i only read 2 or 3 from the list of like 50. . . I think we got 4th. 

What is your favorite classic book?

Don't think I have one. I'm trying to remember all of the books we had to read in high school and the only ones I can fully remember are "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", "To Kill a Mockingbird", and "The Outsiders".

 In school was your favorite subject Language Arts/English?

Yes! I literally lived for Language Arts & English.

If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated...what would you do?

I'd still be thankful, because it's the thought that counts and I could always donate it. 

What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or The Hunger Games?

I'm not sure, the only one I could think of would probably be "The Maze Runner", but they are very well known now because of the movies. If any of you know any similar books to these three please let me know, I love these types of books!! Xx

What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while blogging?

I tend to repeat myself. I also eat snacks while Im typing so I get crumbs all over my laptop. Plus I get easily distracted and end up on tumblr or pinterest.

What is your favorite word?

I don't know if I have a favorite word at the moment... I do catch myself saying the word "happens" a lot. For me, it's a way of acknowledging something and then moving on from it instead of dwelling over it.  For example, I now live in a big city where parking is only 2 hours and then you have to move your car. Since the beginning of September I've gotten 2 parking tickets, which aren't cheap. Instead of getting angry over something so small I just told myself that it "happens". It's all part of the learning experience and you can't change it so you might as well except it and move on. Trust me, getting a parking ticket isn't the end of the world. 

Are you a nerd, dork or dweeb? Or all of them?

Possibly a Dork.. p o s s i b l y.

Vampires or fairies?

Fairies. They are small, mysterious, and unpredictable. Plus, they are magical and everybody loves fairies. . . I mean look at Tinkerbell, am I right?!

Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?

Shape-shifters. Don't really have an explanation, but I guess you can build a story more off of shape-shifters than you could Angels. . .? Just my personal opinion; I could be wrong!

Spirits or werewolves? Why?

Werewolves, definitely werewolves. Although I do like a good ghost story, it just gets too real and too intense. Kind of hits home a bit because I'm convinced that the house I grew up in had some paranormal activity and I was deathly afraid to sleep in my room by myself up until 7th grade. Also, I am obsessed with Teen Wolf at the moment, so it has to be werewolves. 

Zombies or Vampires?

This is a hard one. Zombies would be interesting and have a thriller/suspense kind of plot, but vampires could be fun, dark, and mysterious. 

Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?

Have to go with forbidden Love. I'm a sucker when it comes to those kinds of stories.

Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?

Hands down action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in. I think that full on romance novels aren't realistic and I'd rather read about a strong relationship that feeds off of one another and builds over time is ideal. Plus, when they are in predicaments, you really see the other person for who they are, and you get to see them doing something crazy. i.e. The Hunger Games. Plus I enjoy reading about relationships that grow over time, not over night. 


That is all! I'd like to see you all fill in your own answers and share it with me! (:
If there are any books out there that you recommend I give a read, let me know in the comments down below! Thanks! Xx