Everything, Everything

Madeline “Maddy” Whittier, an 18-year-old, has severe combined immunodeficiency, a rare condition that renders her allergic to nearly everything and requires her to live inside a carefully sealed environment. That doesn’t stop her from falling in love with Olly, the boy next door. Since much of the novel is told from Maddy’s point of view, reader Turpin’s versatility is on full display here, not only with Maddy and Olly but also with Maddy’s anxious, protective mother and Carla, her loving, funny nurse. Actor Daymond occasionally chimes in to read Olly’s messages to Maddy. Voice-over veterans Hillary Huber and Ann Marie Lee also appear in brief, unheralded cameos, giving voice to the parts of the story that feature other narrative devices such as journal entries, medical reports, and other kinds of text. At times, these abrupt transitions give the audiobook a disjointed feel, but Turpin’s performance is stellar. Ages 12–up. A Delacorte hardcover. (Sept.)