Published: 01 September, 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Format: Hardcover, 307 pages, English

“We can have immortality or memory of touch. But we cannot have both.”

★★★ (3 / 5 stars) While the romance was sweet and several characters were realistic, I had hoped for more details and intricacies and definitely felt like the very ending left me hanging.

Concept

The premise of this novel was a terrific modern reinvention of stories like “The Boy in the Plastic Bubble” starring John Travolta. Madeline’s opening lines about being an avid reader, along with the sanitation process for visitors and her tumblr following, all made the story as a whole young and fresh. Even though we were visiting the life of a girl who’d never experienced the world, we as the readers got to experience her world and what encompassed it.

Plot & Structure

As a whole, the structure and pacing moved well in the novel, and the budding romance between Madeline and Olly was sweet as ever. But I wish there had been more detail when Maddy first was taking breaths outside the house or when she was exploring Hawaii—discovering her senses for the first time. In reality, it probably would have been sensory overload for someone with her background, and this kind of went overlooked in my opinion. Also, I can’t write this review without saying how much I truly felt cut off at the end. I suppose it subtly brought some things full circle for both Madeline and Olly in the end, but I thought the last scene between them should have either been extended to discuss the future or just cut out completely.

Character Development

As I mentioned already, the romance was really sweet, and I enjoyed the creative elements that Yoon used to tell pieces of each of their stories. Some more development of the minor characters would have been nice to give a little more oomph but character flow was not really an issue.

Writing

Lastly, I enjoyed the writing and the unique elements of Yoon’s storytelling. By using Post-Its, emails, diary entries, text messages, sketches, and schedule trackers—plus some traditional prose—I really felt like I was seeing life through Maddy’s eyes. I think the main flaw in the writing was just some missing details like I already mentioned. Yoon told her story well; I just wanted more!

All in all, this was a really enjoyable read. From start to finish, Yoon threw in adorable quirks and thrilling surprises that kept me wanting to turn the page. I hope to read more of what Yoon puts together, and I hope her stories just get better and better! … What did you think of the novel? Do you think I’m being too harsh on this beloved YA novel? How did you feel about the ending?