A girl who has never left her house because of a rare illness falls for the boy who moves in next door
Risking everything for life
Madeline Whittier is eighteen and has spent her whole life inside her sealed house, because she has a rare immune disorder that makes the outside world dangerous for her. She reads, studies online and spends evenings with her loving mother, a doctor. Then a new family moves in next door, and Madeline sees Olly, a boy dressed all in black, and her careful life begins to change.
Who will enjoy it
Teen and adult readers who enjoy heartfelt romance, unusual storytelling and a story with a twist.
What you will get
A sweet, moving and inventive love story about a girl who dares to step into the world, told with charming illustrations, notes and chats that make it quick to read.
Everything, Everything Facts: Pages, Genre and Setting
Genre
Young Adult · First love · Illness · Family secrets
Length
352 pages · ≈ 10 h
More about this book
Madeline's days follow a strict routine. Her nurse, Carla, checks her health and becomes her closest friend, and her mother plans quiet evenings of films, games and puzzles. Olly is funny, clever and dealing with problems at home, and the two begin communicating through their windows, then by email and instant messages. Eventually Carla allows a careful visit, and Madeline feels, for the first time, how much she wants a full life.
The story is told through short chapters, diary entries, charts, book reviews and drawings by the author's husband, David Yoon, which make it lively and easy to read. As her feelings grow, Madeline makes a daring decision to leave the house and travel to Hawaii with Olly, knowing it could be dangerous. A revelation in the final part changes everything she thought she knew about her life, and the book explores love, trust and the courage to take risks. It was later adapted into a film starring two young actors.
Quick, romantic and full of heart, a story about choosing to really live. About 352 pages in the Ember paperback.
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Me Before You
The Sky Is Everywhere
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I'll Give You the Sun
All the Bright Places
A Monster Calls
Looking for Alaska
They Both Die at the End
Sunrise on the Reaping