This is a spoiler-free review!
Maddy (omg, twins!) has lived her life bound to her home, allergic to the world on the other side of her bedroom window. After tragedy struck her family, herself, her mother, and Carla are her only source of contact inside her home. When a moving truck brings a new family and a new neighbor boy that spike her interest, Maddy begins to wonder even more about the world she has never lived in. With Olly now in her sight, Maddy has something more to look forward to than game nights and online school.
Looking back and understanding that this book was published in 2015, the poetry that Maddy and Olly are writing to each other and reading definitely reflects the Tumblr-era of teens, and reading it now was like getting whiplash. As a teenager, I can certainly see how Maddy was enamored by Olly, but as a twenty-five year old, I was cringing internally. That being said, it was socially relevant at the time, so I am letting this slide.
Olly's characterization was giving major Augustus Waters vibes in the sense that he was just interesting enough to someone who literally has never interacted with more than two people in their lifetime. In all seriousness, he is a teenage boy was a complicated home life that certainly makes him vulnerable, but I was not drawn to him in the way that Maddy was -- he felt more like an idea rather than a person. However, that certainly changed after the second half of the book, and I believe the author did a decent job in exploring his past, along with his current home life.
Maddy's mom.... she takes overprotective to a new level, so much so that I spent the majority of the book constantly aggravated with her decisions and actions. I definitely did not agree with the way she handled a number of situations, and it felt as though whenever Maddy tried to get through to her, it just went in one ear and out the other. Given the tragedy that she has been through, I was trying to give her some grace, but I simply could not justify some of her over the top decisions. Carla was honestly a much more influential figure in Maddy's life.
The obstacles in this book are more high-stake compared to other young adult contemporary romances, given the fact that Maddy could quite literally die if she were to step into the outside world, and it is the thing she wants the most in her life. Olly and Maddy's struggles are so complex and hard for mere teenagers to have to live and deal with, and Yoon did a good job at expanding on their inner thoughts and how they processed their own feelings.
I did see the film adaptation when it first came out in theaters, and I vividly remember my best friend and I sitting in the theater wanting to scream after a very particular revelation was made by Maddy. For those who have seen the film or finished the book, you know exactly what scene I am referring to - my blood was boiling.
If you are looking for a contemporary romance, this hits the marks, while still having the touch of sadness that comes with heartbreak in more ways than one. For fans of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven who are in search of a happier ending, Yoon's standalone may be for you.
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