Karyl's Reviews > Everything, Everything

There is really so very much to love about this book, though I admit it had its issues.

But first! The good:

1. The romance. Yes, there's a bit of insta-love going on, but it's much more realistic than most of the YA novels I've read.
2. The chemistry between Maddy and Olly. It reminded me of Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars
3. The writing is really quite good. I was able to lose myself in the story completely, and books with that kind of writing are always my favorite type.
4. The fact that the main character is a multiracial girl without a big deal being made of it (and I am SUPER glad the woman chosen to play Maddy in the movie is also multiracial. One of my biggest pet peeves is when directors end up casting all the characters as white. However, Maddy's mom is supposed to be Asian yet she's African American in the movie, so there's that).
5. The entire premise is quite fascinating, and it makes the reader wonder what she would do in Maddy's place.


The not-so-good:

1. The plot twist. I had a feeling that that's what the issue was going to turn out to be, and then I can see how it's somewhat of a cop-out as a way to tie everything up in a neat little bow by the end.
2. Hmm, this one needs to go behind a spoiler. (view spoiler)[As a mom, I was really, really, really pissed at Maddy for jumping on a plane to Hawaii, leaving basically a suicide note for her mother who has already endured the deaths of her husband and son. And it made me super uncomfortable, and that's never a good feeling when you're trying to escape from the world in a book. (hide spoiler)]


This is definitely a great novel in which to hide from reality, and Yoon's husband's drawings throughout the novel add so much to the book. I'm very glad to have read it, but I have yet to make up my mind whether to watch the movie after knowing how everything turns out.