by David Yoon
First published 2015
Madeline Whittier cannot step outside. Her extreme allergies have kept her confined to her home for seventeen years, creating a safe but isolated existence. Her carefully controlled world shifts when Olly moves in next door. He has blue eyes like the Atlantic Ocean, and their connection begins through instant messages. What starts as digital conversation grows into something deeper through endless exchanges of words, drawings, and dreams. Suddenly Madeline notices things she never paid attention to before. She hears birds chattering outside her windows. Sunlight streaming through her shutters seems brighter. The more she tries to maintain distance from the external world, the more it seems determined to break through her barriers. Olly proves unpredictable and compelling in ways that shake the foundation of everything Madeline thought she knew about her reality. This story explores the overwhelming emotions that come with opening your heart to another person, the unique sensation of butterflies in your stomach, and the extraordinary things people will do for love.
Genres: romance, young-adult, contemporary-romance, young-adult-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
320 pages · Paperback · SM
Content warnings: anxiety, medical-trauma