'All The Bright Places' by Jennifer Niven

'All The Bright Places' front cover

'All The Bright Places' by Jennifer Niven - Review

*Trigger Warning: mentions of abuse, mental illness, death, and suicide*

*There are spoilers in this review!*

Description:

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. He's trying to cling on to all the good things in his life, but will it be enough this time?

Goodreads Rating: 4.16        My Rating: 5

First Impressions

When I first discovered this book in 2015, I was drawn in by the charming bluntness of the cover. On the front, it reads: ''The story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die''. Already, you can begin to form ideas about what may lie in the story ahead, as it lays out the premise so clearly for you to see. As well as this, the book won the Goodreads Choice Award in the same year for 'Best Young-Adult Fiction', so the overall reception was very positive and encouraged me to read it myself!

The Author

Jennifer Niven definitely has a knack for creating personal stories that can be perceived and felt in different ways universally, allowing the readers to connect with the characters within the book and be more invested in their journey. Jennifer's writing style is very unique in the way that she is able to capture the essence of different characters and portray them so intricately well. Along with this, the raw emotion within the story regarding mental health, loss, abuse, and much more is shown in such a unique way without sugar-coating it, which I had never experienced before! I give so much credit to Jennifer for being so open and honest in a way to educate and help others, as well as being an admirable role model to many people, including myself.

Introducing the Characters

The chapters of the book are split between Finch and Violet's perspectives: Finch counts the days he has been 'awake', whereas Violet counts down the days until graduation. This is a great way to show the difference between the two, as Violet has almost set herself a goal and is letting that rule over her rather than being in control herself, but Finch seems to be taking each day as it comes and trying to control himself being awake. By the middle of the book, Violet begins to date each chapter instead as if she is moving past that point in her life that was holding her back and going at her own pace, whereas Finch slowly begins to lose the sense of control he had. Overall, it's as though their roles have reversed.

The first two chapters of the book introduce Finch and Violet perfectly by placing you right in the middle of action, as both characters are on the ledge of the bell tower of their school. Finch's worrying behaviour is shown right away by his recklessness and disregard for his own safety, but the fear and vulnerability he has inside instantly makes him likeable as you feel a protectiveness over him. Violet, on the other hand, is very reserved and closed off about the way she feels, not giving much away. The fact that they both helped one another in that situation while tensions were so high represents their blossoming relationship throughout the book, but also the sense of dependency that they had for one another.

Theodore Finch

Theodore Finch is a very complex character. For most of his childhood, he was abused by his father and very quickly had to take on a protective role for his mother and sisters. The main theme of the book details his struggles with his mental health, possibly having Bipolar Disorder with depressive episodes and black-outs. We quickly learn that Finch is a victim of regular bullying by the other teenagers at his school and finds it difficult to find a certain image for himself, trialling many different personas (80s Finch, Badass Finch, etc.). 

Finch puts on a very good front of acting like he doesn't care about other people's perceptions of him, but it is clear it has had a lasting effect on him while reading from his point of view, and makes it all the more heartbreaking as the other characters aren't able to recognise this to give him reassurance! 

As his mental state deteriorates at a fast rate, there is a growing sense of dread while you are reading as a connection has been built up through trying to understand his character and empathising with him. This dread stretches across multiple chapters as we - the readers and Violet - all realise that Finch is most likely about to commit suicide, yet Violet following his clues and eventually finding him still hits in one big, shocking wave as though all of our fears were confirmed! 

I believe that Finch was an extremely well designed character and carried so many different themes without being unrealistic or unlikeable, making him so much more relatable and his death absolutely shattering. 

Violet Markey

We meet Violet on the anniversary of her sister Eleanor's death on the same ledge as Finch. Violet feels very guilty following the car accident that killed her sister, as she was also in the car at the time and survived. However, she keeps most of her thoughts and feelings hidden from the people around her, since she was one of the 'popular' girls at school, which is why it was so shocking to find her in such a dangerous predicament.

Violet Markey is VERY different to Finch in the way she acts and her thought processes. For example, she doesn't want to draw any attention to herself, but Finch puts on a confident and borderline arrogant front to cover up his own vulnerability. Although, both characters have a great amount of strength in them! Violet is able to reclaim the life that she wanted to have before the fatal car accident and experience everything she would have missed if she had continued shying away from each opportunity. 

Violet has such a respectable development arc as she opens up throughout the process of the book, powers through her set-backs, and does everything she can to be there for Finch while still respecting her own boundaries. Both main characters have beautiful personalities despite contrasting each other as much as they do. Jennifer embodied her own growth through Violet's character in an amazing way and it encourages the readers to seize every moment and be that bright place for other people, even if it is only temporary!

Conclusion

As a whole, 'All The Bright Places' is an extraordinary story that takes lots of serious themes and presents them in such an honest way while still being funny and heart-warming. The characters in the book have a home in my heart and have changed the way I look at life for the better as I am now more open about my own emotions and I also aim to be kind so that I can be somebody else's bright place! I have read this book SOOO many times since I first bought it and it still tugs at my heart strings every single time! 

Finally, the film on Netflix is a brilliant adaptation of the book! There are some small differences to the book - not drastic, don't worry! - but the message remains the same and still left me in floods of tears! All of the actors brought their characters to life in their own way and I could not have imagined a better cast.

If you like books that will resonate with you for their positive messages, this one is brilliant! 

If you enjoy interacting with authors and are trying to find one that will be a great influence and role model, Jennifer Niven is the one! 

If you are looking for a heart-wrenching, teen romance film, you can find All The Bright Places on Netflix!

Let me know what you think! :)