Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything was published in 2015 and written by Jamaican American author Nicola Yoon. It is a contemporary young adult novel that focuses on family relationships, grief, and teenage romance. Told primarily through the first-person narration of protagonist Madeline Whittier, the novel also uses a nontraditional storytelling method that incorporates various “documents,” like drawings, emails, and book reviews. Everything, Everything was adapted into a feature film in 2017.

Plot Summary

Madeline Whittier, an 18-year-old living in a California suburb, has lived her entire life believing she has a rare autoimmune disorder called severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). SCID is a rare genetic disease that prevents the body’s immune system from functioning normally, making it susceptible to even mild infections. Under the guise of protecting her daughter from her supposed illness, Madeline’s mother Pauline isolates her from the outside world in the family’s house, forbidding her to go outside and maintaining a sterile environment in the house. Madeline’s interactions with the outside world are limited to online schooling and communication. Because her father and brother were killed in a car accident when she was a baby, Madeline’s household consists of her, Pauline, and Carla, the nurse who takes care of her during the day while Pauline is at work.

A teenage boy named Olly Bright and his family move into the house next door. Madeline is intrigued by Olly, and the two gradually form a friendship by communicating through pantomime, notes displayed in their bedroom windows, and online messaging. Carla allows Olly to visit, and he and Madeline develop romantic feelings for each other. As their emotional intimacy develops, Madeline opens up about her illness, and Olly reveals more about his chaotic childhood and his father’s alcoholism. Madeline and Pauline’s relationship becomes more distant because Madeline must keep her involvement with Olly a secret from her mother. Madeline eventually decides that living her life fully is worth the dire risk to her health, and she leaves the house to take a trip to Hawaii with Olly.

The teenagers enjoy a blissful day on Maui together, which culminates in their first time having sex. Later that night, however, Madeline must be rushed to a local hospital because of heart and breathing issues. Pauline, who has tracked the teenagers down, comes and whisks Madeline back home. Olly and Madeline are forbidden from seeing each other or communicating. A few months later Olly’s mother finally leaves her abusive husband, and she and her children move away to New York.

Madeline gradually recovers and receives an email from the doctor who treated her in Maui saying that she likely does not have SCID. Madeline confronts Pauline about the doctor’s message. Pauline initially denies the idea, but Madeline is still suspicious and investigates the medical files her mother keeps in the house. She discovers that there’s no evidence she was ever formally diagnosed with SCID as a baby and soon deduces that Pauline’s grief over losing her husband and son, and her desire to protect her baby daughter, led her to delude herself into thinking that Madeline had the disease and needed to be kept inside. This crumbles Madeline’s final vestiges of trust in her mother, and their relationship becomes increasingly strained. Distraught without Olly, Madeline uses her newfound independence to follow him to New York, where they are reunited.