Remember “The Bubble Boy,” the episode of Seinfield from season four? In it, George is taunted by a cantankerous boy who must spend life inside a protective shield because of his disease. It’s funny. However, the real disease is not. Alexis takes away one of our remaining joys in life by sharing the story of the real “Bubble Boy.” Then, on to our book…

Deathly allergic to everything on earth, Maddy must spend her life inside her home with only her mother and nurse for company. She passes the time with surprising optimism, reading books, watching movies, and playing games. But when a new family moves in next door with their teenage son Olly, Maddy learns something about herself that tears her world apart and nearly destroys herself and everyone she knows.