BOOK REVIEW: WHAT WOULD YOU DO "IF YOU ONLY HAD ONE DAY TO LIVE"?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicola Yoon (born 1972) is a Jamaican-American author. She is best known for writing her 2015 young adult novel, a New York Times bestseller and the basis for a 2017 film of the same name.

**GREAT QUOTES:**

1. “That night, I dreamt the church with me. I breathed out and the walls contracted like a punctured balloon slowly deflating and squeezing me tightly. I breathed in and the walls expanded again. Just one more breath, and it would finally explode.”

2. “If life were a book, reading it from bottom to top wouldn't change anything. Today is no different from yesterday. Tomorrow will be exactly the same as today. In the book of my life, every chapter is exactly the same as every other chapter, until you appeared.”

3. Live as if you will die tomorrow, love as if you will be separated tomorrow, pursue your dreams as if it were your last chance in life. And finally, live peacefully, freely, and at ease. Life is too short to be full of competition, rivalry, and suspicion. Dedicate those moments to love and the good things in life.

4. “Life is a gift. Don't forget to enjoy it.”

BOOK INTRODUCTION:

"If I Only Had One Day to Live," originally titled "Everything, Everything," is a #1 New York Times bestselling novel – and has also been adapted into a film starring Amandla Stenberg as Maddy and Nick Robinson as Olly. From its release, the film became a box office sensation worldwide, sparking a craze.

"Do you like this world? A world where, at first glance, you only see tired, sad, and unacceptable things. Honestly... Do you like it?" Those are a few lines on the back cover of a comic book I read months ago and stumbled upon again. "Do you like this world?", or rather: do you want to exist in this world? So many young people have wanted to leave this world full of pain and weariness and chosen to end their lives. What about you? Imagine you're going to die after midnight today; you won't see the sun rise again. Here's a question for you: What would you do "If you only had one day to live"?

Somewhere in this world, there are still people who yearn to live, to be a part of the world. Madeline in "If You Only Had One Day to Live" is one of them.

"If You Only Had One Day to Live" is the Vietnamese title of the novel: "Everything, Everything"—the debut novel by author Nicola Yoon. It's the story of Madeline F. Whittier, a girl who should have been going to school, attending proms, having her first kiss, doing everything other eighteen-year-olds do, but instead is confined to four white walls because of a rare disease—SCID, also known as "Bubble Baby Syndrome." Her life, day after day, follows a pre-programmed schedule. "If my life were a book, reading it from bottom to top wouldn't change anything."

Amidst what seemed like a closed loop, a crack broke the loop. That crack was Olly. Olly was the shortened name of Olivier, a neighbor who had moved across the street from Madeline's house one day. She thought it was just another ordinary event, unaware that Olly's arrival would be a turning point, changing her worldview, shaking the world she knew, and creating a world she didn't yet know.

Olly's arrival piqued Madeline's curiosity a few days later. They saw each other through the window, exchanged email addresses, and the first messages appeared. Then they met in person for the first time. Olly was quick and lively, Madeline was gentle and slow. The story gradually developed in the most classic way – proximity breeds familiarity. When two people develop feelings for each other, that's when the real problems begin.

Madeline understood her condition and felt that Olly would be at a disadvantage dating a girl who couldn't leave the house, forever confined to a sterile white room. A struggle of conflicting emotions, an internal struggle for the protagonist, Madeline, unfolds: between her mother's love and her love for Olly. Loving Olly also meant loving everything outside, loving this world...

Olly was also a wonderful young man. When he understood his heart, he understood that this girl was truly special: "No one has ever given me this feeling before."

This love was not simply the love of teenagers, not just romantic love, but a love between warm hearts, carrying within them many wounds. While Madeline lost her father and brother and had only a single mother who cared for her alone for eighteen years, Olly had a complete family but was overwhelmed by depression. The alcoholic father frequently beat his mother and him; the weak-willed mother only obeyed her father but loved her son unconditionally; and the younger sister, a cigarette addict, was the only woman he trusted (before meeting Madeline). Family remains the decisive factor in shaping each character's personality.

"If I Only Had One Day to Live" is a story about love. As mentioned, first and foremost, it's the love the two main characters have for each other, and secondly, the love within the family. Madeline's mother, a doctor and her daughter's primary doctor, sacrificed her time, personal happiness, and youth to raise and care for her sick daughter. For her, Maddy was happiness, Maddy was synonymous with happiness.

Nico Yoon has written quite a few pages (in fact, many) about Madeline's gratitude to her mother. A clear demonstration of her mother's love is that later, when given the chance to open her mother's computer, Madeline only needed one try; the password was her name. But this mother harbored an excessive fear – the fear of one day losing her only child, leading her to control her daughter very strictly.

The character of Carla, a close friend of Madeline, is always by her side, not only to care for her but also to listen to her naive teenage anxieties, to be her companion and comfort Maddy when she is sad. It seems that Carla doesn't see being with Madeline as just a job; she opens her arms wide, ready to embrace the little girl.

"If I only had one day to live" – an artful portrayal of the character's inner psychology. Madeline constantly tries to balance the complex emotions within her. On one hand, she wants to live like a normal person, to continue the beautiful days with Olly, to connect with the beautiful world outside; on the other hand, she is tormented by the constraints of motherhood. Sometimes, while happily with the person she loves, she suddenly remembers how much her mother loves her and how much of a burden her illness is, and she feels guilty and heartbroken.

It's nothing more than a feeling of happiness amidst pain. That lingering unease intensifies with each turn of the page. Nicola Yoon describes the characters' psychological development at a moderate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, allowing the reader to experience the joyful excitement of one page and then feel sorrow and compassion on the next.

The story is told from the perspective of the female protagonist, Madeline, about her days living in her "bubble." One might expect the story to be slow-paced and convoluted, but it's quite the opposite. For example, on page A, Madeline's mood is gloomy and sad, but on page B, Olly will bring some kind of surprise, and Madeline's mood will change in some way.

Because the story is told from Madeline's point of view, other perspectives in the story are not as clearly defined. When Olly's family faces difficulties, Maddy is merely an outsider observer, making it difficult for the reader to grasp Olly's emotions. Similarly, when Maddy isn't with her mother on typical evenings, she only understands her mother's feelings through silence and the emotions visible on her face: "Mom looks sad."

Of course, this is characteristic of a first-person narrative. If the author used a third-person perspective, the viewpoints wouldn't be so limited, but the protagonist's internal struggle would unfold in a more ordinary way, failing to leave a lasting impression on the reader.

"Everything, Everything" is a beautiful piece of writing about life, death, love, and motherhood. The story focuses on the female protagonist, Madeline, with her SCID. In the opening pages, Madeline is sheltered and protected by her mother's embrace; her life is fragile but secure. In later pages, Madeline risks her life to "live." This means she truly wants to live, to be a part of the world, to be integrated into it, not just to eke out a living, staying in a safe zone without any danger. But when she "lives," she will die. SCID prevents the dreams and expectations of going outside for this little girl.

For eighteen years of her life, never having left home, and at the prime of her youth, Madeline would also want to explore and experience countless new things in the colorful world.

Reading the story, we can't help but feel sorry for the female protagonist because of her circumstances and fate, but at the same time, we are inspired by her will to live. We are moved by her extraordinary resilience, feeling that she is a stronger person than anyone else. Because... life and death... have never been so clear.

The story ends. What do you think the ending of the novel "If I Only Had One Day to Live" will be? It's worth noting that the ending is a surprising twist. Although author Nicola Yoon hints at many things in the final pages, readers are still left in awe, experiencing a range of emotions with each turn. It seems like a satisfying conclusion, defying most people's expectations.

Regardless of the surprising and suspenseful beginning and ending, readers should enjoy the process. No element is primary or secondary. The intense desire to live is a beautiful flower in the soul. The love between the two main characters is the most obvious, evident in every line; it's something readers need to feel throughout the book, absorbing it with their hearts. From that love, one can sense the love within their family. All of these things are like small rivers, merging together to flow into a vast ocean. That ocean, ultimately, is humanity.

When a novel is more than just a novel. I believe that, precisely because of its profound and overwhelming humanistic qualities, "If I Only Had One Day to Live" becomes a love song about love and youth, a source of motivation for life, a torch illuminating broken souls, and a guide for those who are lost. Especially, it awakens intense desires to live and to love. This humanistic quality also makes us appreciate the simple things happening in our daily lives even more. In short, "If I Only Had One Day to Live" deserves a place on bookshelves and in the hearts of book lovers.

Ultimately, what we need to ponder is life and death. Returning to the initial question, the title "If Only I Had One Day to Live" gives the impression that Madeline's life is fragile and vulnerable, and she could pass away at any moment. However, analyzing the work reveals that even with only one day left, she willingly lives to the fullest, creating beautiful and moving stories; her will to live is stronger than anyone else's. You, an ordinary person facing a harsh life, want to give up, want to end it all. Maddy, a person with SCID, wants a normal life, ready to endure the harsh realities of life just like you. Such a resilient girl! I think you can do it too. Because, according to the book: "Life is a gift," enjoy your gift, don't throw it into a corner.

The initial question will now be replaced with: How would you live if you had the chance to live again?