Natterings From Nepantla

This was my fourth read of Yoon's debut, following 18-year-old Madeline Whittier, who was diagnosed with SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) as a baby, and cannot leave her house without risking severe illness or death. She reads, a lot - not much else for her to do. She goes to school online. She rarely sees anyone except her mother and her full-time nurse, Carla, and when she is allowed other visitors, they have to go through a full physical and a lengthy sterilization process. As Madeline says, "It's a pain to come see me." Madeline is aware of her limitations, of the milestones she's missed and adventures she'll never get to have, but she's as happy as she can be, given the circumstances. But then a new family moves in next door, and with them comes Olly, a boy her age who spots Madeline in the window and is determined to talk to her. The two develop a friendship while emailing and texting in secret, and start to fall in love, which Madeline realizes can't end well for either of them.

For me, this is one of those books where, nearly every criticism I hear of it, I'm like, "Yes, you're right." The portrayal disability and illness is questionable (more about that in the spoiler section), and the book can be melodramatic and silly. But I eat it up every time; each time I've read this book, I've read it in under 24 hours. The romance is very sweet, and both Olly and Madeline are very likable and compelling characters. The story is a love story first and foremost, and if you want an easy-to-read, enjoyable romance, this might be a good pick for you.

I revisited this book because I've been in a terrible reading slump for the past couple of weeks, and it worked like a charm. The book flies by as you read it, with prose that's both accessible and pretty, and the inclusion of things like medical reports, book reviews Madeline posts online, and receipts from purchases she's made is a nice touch. Madeline's voice is eloquent but believable for a teenager (especially one who's been solely in the company of adults her whole life), and it was a delight to revisit this book for the first time in several years.

( Here there be spoilers... )