How Structure Contributes to Everything, Everything

 Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon is a coming of age novel about eighteen year old Madeline Whittier who is suffering from a disease called Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, or SCID. Maddy describes her sickness as being allergic to "everything". Maddy has been unable to leave her house for over seventeen years. But, Maddy does not completely ignore the world, nor does it ignore her. Through the structure in the novel, the reader can see how Maddy is able to communicate and interact with the world outside of SCID. 

All throughout the book, Yoon uses different kinds of graphics to reveal Maddy's view of her world. Periodically, Maddy draws cartoons of what she is thinking about. A common theme throughout the book, is a toy astronaut that Maddy places in her architecture models. She feels connected to the idea of being an astronaut because they can go anywhere and do anything but they have to remain in their bubble at all times. So, she draws herself as an astronaut exploring the world. Maddy also draws cartoons that show her imaginations. For instance, on page 78, Maddy draws her version of a "WebMD" page. It is a thorough explanation of "Hysterical Abdominal Rhopalocera", which is what she calls the "condition" of having butterflies in one's stomach. She includes things like: a step by step process of how to kiss someone and ways to pass the time while waiting for something exciting to happen. These graphics are lighthearted and show the inter workings of Maddy's imagination. 

Sometimes the chapters that are organized non-traditionally explain more than words would. For instance, one graphic on page 116, shows a credit card application. But instead of saying "today I applied for a credit card", Yoon decides to show a picture instead. This tells the reader that Maddy got a credit card, but it also shows the reader that Maddy wants to be able to spend her own money when she wants, how she wants and without her mother knowing. It's Maddy's first attempt at being completely independent.

Yoon also writes short chapters of lists, dictionary entries, book reviews, and instant messaging dialogue. Maddy's lists/schedules show how often Maddy watches Olly's house. It shows that she is paying attention to Olly and to the family dynamic of the home which is Yoon's way of introducing a whole extra conflict into the story. We only see Olly's family through the eyes of Maddy. The dictionary entries are words that Maddy chooses to define in relation to her life. Often times, they are adjectives about the way she feels about Olly: infinite, promise, obsessed. The book reviews are Maddy's way of having a voice out in the world. She posts spoiler alerts about books in a concise and often comical way but as the book progresses, the reader can see that the reviews are more about Maddy connecting to the literature that she is reading. By page 302, Maddy derives the meaning out of The Little Prince, that "Love is worth everything. Everything." Maddy has read The Little Prince several times, but this is the first time that she derives this meaning, and it's because Olly has made her feel like love is worth losing it all. And lastly, the instant messaging dialogue is the reader's chance to watch as Maddy and Olly fall in love. We get to see their sense of humor, their devotion to one another, and the hardships of leading the lives that they do. 

Yoon uses different kinds of structures throughout the novel to make it more interesting, relate to adolescents, and show the reader rather than tell the reader. All three of these elements are important when your audience is a  group of adolescents. Adolescents could have related to the themes offered in the text before COVID-19, but now, they are even more relatable. I would definitely recommend using this book in your classroom.