Follow the couple’s adventure off the page in the locations the explored in the novel.
Romance, as a literary genre, has been my least favorite category of books to read for as long as I can remember. Even as an adult, love stories strike me with a particular queasiness, which almost always keeps me from following through to the end of any couple’s story. Everything, Everything, however, is one of very few exceptions to this rule.
Despite my initial misgivings, I found myself becoming infatuated with the novel almost in tandem with the protagonists. The unlikely pair begin as complete strangers separated by a fence and Maddy’s mother’s strict rules. Maddy is being treated for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID,) a disease that leaves the effected individual susceptible to severe infections. To prevent a medical emergency, Maddy lives a sheltered life and is confined to the limit of her home. These restrictions do not stop the teens from bonding, who eventually forge a romantic relationship that they want to explore outside the limits of their bedroom windows and emails.
Between Nicola Yoon’s prose and her sweet yet daring characters, this novel can coax the inner romantic out of any reader, even me.
Everything, Everything explores what it means to chase romantic love and to take risks for the people you care about. Readers can follow the couple’s adventure off the page in the locations the explored in the novel.
Los Angeles, California
The reader is introduced to Maddy in her Los Angeles home, where she is living with her mother, Pauline, and nurse. After the death of her brother and father along with the onset of her symptoms, she is stuck with little hope of an opportunity to see the world beyond her window until she catches sight of the new family moving in next door.
Despite the small life which Maddy’s mother has forced her to endure, Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world with much to explore. Several major networks, including Warner Bros, Sony Pictures, and Universal, have studios located here that allow visitors to tour the production space. Film enthusiasts can tour these lots for a backstage peek at the sets and props that feature in their favorite movies and television shows.
For readers more interested in the quieter, family-oriented side of LA, Echo Park is the place to be. Past and present collide in this area with older Victorian homes seated next to trendy eateries and live music venues, like the Echoplex.
Maui, Hawaii
The pair eventually decide that communicating online is not enough and decide to meet with the help of Carla. Pauline eventually catches them and enforces stricter rules to keep them apart. Inspired by a family photo, Maddy invites Olly to get away in Hawaii. The pair have a wonderful romantic getaway until Maddy has to be rushed to the hospital.
The cluster of islands that make up Hawaii is full of culture and gorgeous views that make it alluring to so many travelers each year. Maui, the second largest of the archipelago, is a great place to go to enjoy all that the island has to other and reflect on the state’s history. Mākena State Park is one of Maui’s signature beaches. Visitors can enjoy sunbathing or exploring the ocean across the over half a mile stretch of white sand and clear blue water.
New York City, New York
The pair are eventually brought back home and separated again. Olly and his family move to New York to escape his father, and Maddy discovers the truth about her medical history. Angry that she has been living a lie for her entire life, Maddy leaves home to reconnect with Olly in New York. The pair find each other through a scavenger hunt that ends in a used bookstore in the city.
One stop reading enthusiasts should make in the Big Apple is to Albertine Books. The shop carries book titles in French and English making it great for those looking for a little “biblio-diversity”. Visitors looking to experience the locals should check out The Lit Bar. This indie bookshop fosters community by hosting events and curating novels that encourage diverse readers. Book clubs are encouraged to gather, and more solo readers can chill with a glass of wine and enjoy reading that way.
