Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Release Date: January 6, 2015

Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 384
Source: ARC for Review

ISBN-10: 0385755880

Rating: 5 Hearts

Book Description

"The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven."

Review

Short and Sweet:

A heart-wrenching story that made me feel all the FEELS.

To Elaborate...

I don't usually read contemporary YA. It just hasn't been what has drawn me in, but from the moment I picked up this book, I loved it. I also legit fell in love with a boy named Finch. My heart fluttered, melted and eventually hurt for this boy. All the Bright Places is a raw, often hilarious and emotional story about grief and illness.

This is the story of Finch and Violet. They meet one day on the ledge of the bell tower at their school. Both are imagining what it would be like to 'end it all.' Though Finch saves Violet, he covers for her and tells everyone that she saved him. Violet is full of grief from an accident that she survived and her sister did not. Finch, on the other hand, is likely bipolar, although he is never actually diagnosed, his counselor at one point tries to reach out and offer him treatment options. However, like many people struggling with mental illness, Finch doesn't want a label. He wants to find his own way to 'better.' And Violet ends up being his way for a time. He shamelessly pursues her, embarrassing her and flattering her all at once. And though initially reluctant, Violet gradually realized that her time with Finch makes her feel alive again. He understands not feeling okay. He makes her laugh.

I really related to the romance of the story. In high school, I dated a guy a few years older than me who struggled with his own highs and lows. He would be this fantastic, hilarious, charismatic person one day and a reclusive, moody, distant one the next. I knew about his struggles and diagnoses, but hoped that I could be there for him. I refused to be 'scared off' by his bad days and I LOVED that boy so much it hurt. He hurt me. And on his next good day, it hurt him to have hurt me. It was heartbreaking.

Like Finch tells Violet, my guy told me that he was 'no good for me,' and I set out to prove my love by embracing his lows. Ladies, if ever been here you know that this is a disaster. It's magical and alternatively maddening. And so is the relationship between Violet and Finch. Violet has her own darkness and with Finch she can finally let out her grief. He pushes her to live again. Initially she resents it, but soon she can't wait to see him again.

Unfortunately, as Violet heals and begins to fall for Finch, he deteriorates. This aspect of the story is so real and frustrating. It is painful and illuminating to read. You get a really clear picture of how a dynamic like this unravels in real life. The characters here are so relatable that you ache for them. The situations that unfold are staggeringly hard to read at times.

However, I hope you will. If you are like me and don't read much contemporary, or avoid emotional books, I encourage you to make an exception for All the Bright Places. It is a beautiful book that I believe will make an impact on everyone who reads it. 5 hearts!