Madeline Whittier takes her life into her own hands when she decides that she wants to take a risk and follow her heart in the novel Everything, Everything by Nicola Loon. Madeline is a severe combined immunodeficiency patient who must stay inside a carefully controlled environment to keep her from getting sick. When she meets a boy with whom she falls in love, Madeline decides even a few days of real life is worth the risk of death. Themes in the novel include Madeline’s coming of age, the power of lies, and the different ways people can be imprisoned by their situations.
