“Everything, Everything” is the book for the classic romance-loving reader.  Full of deep emotions, lighthearted laughter and everything in between, this book will have you smiling and crying within a 10-minute span.

Allergies are the worst in the mind of anyone who has them.  In this novel by Nicola Yoon, 18-year-old Madeline Whittier is “allergic to the world” and has never been outside.  Her disease is called SCID, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, more commonly known as “bubble baby disease.”   

No one is allowed in or out of her amazingly clean Los Angeles house, with a few exceptions.  Madeline lives with her mom–unfortunately, her dad and brother died in a car accident when she was an infant–and nurse, Carla.  Locked up in her room, all she ever does is read books and play games with her mom, but that all changes when Olly Bright moves in across the street.

Olly alters almost everything about Madeline’s life.  They communicate through e-mail and by mouthing words to each other from opposite ends of the street, talking about everything from Olly’s abusive alcoholic father to Madeline’s favorite books.  Olly gives Madeline a new outlook on life and changes her mood for the better.  

However, life can’t stay in this bubble of bliss forever.  One night, Olly’s father is on a drunken rampage that goes too far.  Madeline witnesses his escapade and takes the biggest risk of her life–she goes outside.  

Realizing the jeopardy she has put herself in and seeing that nothing has immediately happened to her, she decides to travel to Hawaii with Olly.  Madeline chooses to risk her health to protect Olly, and likes how it feels to be outside; she doesn’t want to let it go.  But will her health catch up to her?

This book is different from other “sick kids” books.  Madeline doesn’t have a terminal illness hanging over her head.  She’s not in a deep, dark depression.  This book is an uplifting story full of sweet moments that make you grin from ear to ear, for the most part.  Readers sympathize for Madeline and her condition, but she usually had an optimistic attitude, even more so when she met Olly.

“Everything, Everything” brilliantly combines words with wonderful cartoons and graphics, bringing the book to life.  Almost everything that Madeline does has a small, cute drawing to go along with it.  During her IM’s with Olly, for example, the pages look like an actual computer screen with messages going back and forth.  These illustrations, while small, have a big impact on the book and make it extremely enjoyable to read.

This artistic masterpiece of a novel is extremely easy to read.  The way this book is written allows the story to flow smoothly.  The short chapters and charming love story will make you never want to put it down.    

This book was so good, in fact, that it is being made into a movie that comes out May 19.  With stars like Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson, it will be exciting to see how the book is portrayed on film.  Look for it at a nearby theater.