Sunday, March 26, 2017

Book: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

Reading this book happened by accident. A few days ago, my sister asked me to get a copy for her so it was sitting in my bedside for like a whole week. I initially read it out of boredom, having just finished Part 1 of Murakami's mammoth of a book which is 1Q84. Apparently, Everything, Everything is a thing now since the trailer for its movie adaptation was released last month.

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. 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. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. (via Goodreads)

Saw the trailer of the film even before I read the book and I must confess that I already judged it even then. Personally, I am not a fan of characters who leave *everything* behind just because of love. Though in this case, Maddy desperately wants to have a life... the choice felt selfish and narrow-minded - but understandable I guess. The writing style was too contemporary for my taste but is charming in its own unique way. The romance was cute, but I felt like it was rushed. Olly is a pretty interesting fellow, but not one I could rank in my ~literary boyfriend list~. Though this line right here really got me:

"Being in love with you is better than the first time. It feels like the first time and the last time and the only time all at once."

This was a pretty short book - one that you could randomly read whenever you need a distraction. Though this book has its charms, I have a relatively lukewarm reception of it if you'd ask me. Maybe it's just a matter of taste? I find myself being a bit picky when it comes to my YA readings because that genre is a bit crowded these days - and some books really set the bar too high for me (*coughs* Six of Crows *coughs*), I guess. It has it's quirks. The doodles are cute - and helpful in propelling the story forward, I gotta say. But the book itself does not offer anything new. Well maybe the SCID thing was something new (heck, i didn't even know about it if I haven't read it here)... but you get my point.

I can't really explain it: the book was boring but for some weird reason it kept me hooked. Maybe it was because of how easy it is to read? It was easy following the story because not so much is going on and the narrative is too focused - a sad reflection of Maddy's life. And that revelation at the end kept me on my toes. If I have something to rave about this book, maybe it's that part because it really came as a shock. If you watched the trailer, it revealed almost 90% of the book - but surprisingly, the remaining 10% will make it worth it and may take your breath away. I did enjoy it.

So..... if you want to kill time with a breezy, enjoyable read, then this is absolutely a good choice. It presents some really big questions about life like the concept of risk and how not doing anything is also taking that risk + heart-fluttering feeling of that very first time you fall in love. It may be simple, but it's real - and honestly, nothing is really better than that. So do pick up and do support the movie, too! :) #EverythingEverythingMovie

Here's the my Twitter thread while I was reading the book (if you follow me): LINK. Honestly, I should really put my rants on Goodreads. >.<

My Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3 out of 5 stars)Quotable Quotes:

"Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you."

"Sometimes you do things for the right reasons and sometimes for the wrong ones and sometimes it's impossible to tell the difference."

"Maybe growing up means disappointing the people you love."

_______________

This is the 5th book I've read this year -- and this has been part of my 2017 Reading Challenge. #Bookworm2017

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