Everything, Everything is a young adult novel that I wouldn't necessarily be inclined to pick up and read, but good plot-driven YA tends to work well for me on audio. This story of a teen girl who has spent her life isolated in her home because of her so-called "bubble-boy disease"--which basically means she is allergic to the world--was an interesting premise, but so much of this story felt implausible. Because it was an easy listen, I just went with it and found it moderately entertaining, but the implausibility and over-the-top teen romance didn't push this into that elusive "YA that adults will also love" category.

When Jasmyn and King move their family to the Black utopian community of Liberty, they expect to find like-minded people interested in social justice activism. Instead, everyone seems mostly indifferent and devoted to the wellness center in the community--which King soon settles into as well. Jasmyn can't shake the feeling that something is off--and things just get weirder when the few allies she has also seem to turn indifferent.

In the same way that Jasmyn felt something was "off" with the community, something felt very off about this book. Jasmyn's concern about racism is heavy-handed and is her whole personality; we never see her as a mother, wife, friend, or professional. As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly anti-Black and veers into some truly disturbing directions. None of it is subtle, and while there were some interesting germs of ideas here, the story ignored them and instead landed like an anvil. (I recommend reading the Goodreads reviews for perspectives from Black readers.)