All the Bright Places
Ratings251
Average rating4
i've read this book years ago and i wanted to reread it it hit harder this time i cried from the middle to the end this is one of the best books ive ever read its so beautiful and ill never forget it
I think i wouldve loved this back in 2015 in the fault in our stars/john green era of my life but it was just a simply fine book for me now
Before i started reading this book i was thinking that it going to be one of those sleazy romantic books, but it turned out to be really interesting story with a sad ending. Generally it is 9/10 in my opinion.
Theodore Finch is obsessed with death. There are so many different ways a person can die, but which one will finally take him? He sees a school therapist, but it is easy to hide behind a fake smile and dark humor. He acts out in unexpected ways to keep people at arm's length and stays trapped in his mind for too many hours of the day. Until he crosses paths with Violet Markey on the ledge of the school tower. While he may have been considered jumping, he can’t stand to see her do the same.
Violet Markey is a survivor. But being a survivor is not something to celebrate when you blame yourself for your sister’s car driving off the road. Burdened with guilt, Violet is slowly withdrawing from the world. Backing away for her friends, family, and things that once brought her joy. She finds herself on top of the school tower, not fully committed to jumping but not entirely sure she wants to keep living. Until Finch talks her down from the ledge and opens the door to a new possibility.
All the Bright Places is a book that broke me. It took well over a week for me to begin writing this review, because of how emotionally connected I felt to the characters. Jennifer Niven has crafted a novel that is so beautiful and yet so tragic at the same time. The emotional weight tied to these characters and their story lingered long after I finished the book. Even creating the quote art for this novel almost brought me to tears.
Finch is the main target of the popular kids because he is different. He acts out, dresses differently, and doesn’t act like the other students. He has a rough home life and is suffering from mental illness. The stigma that comes from carrying an invisible illness is touched on with this narrative and it hits close to home. Readers will see how damaging it can be for peers to throw harsh words and bully Finch as he struggles against his own mind. There are moments where he is so strong, fighting against the encroaching darkness and dread that threatens to suffocate him, but without a strong support system, he falls over and over again. Until Violet enters his life. She is finally the one spark in his life that gives him hope.
Violet’s story, while tragic, also shows how different people can be treated based on their backgrounds. She’s a popular girl in school, has good grades, and has a loving family at home. Even her counselor talks to her differently than Finch’s. However, Violet suffers from survivor's guilt and is beginning to isolate herself. Her friends don’t recognize it for what it is, but Finch sees it. Having lived with his share of mental problems, he begins to integrate himself into Violet’s life. Once they become partners for a school project, Violet can’t help but socialize with him. And in the end, it changes both their lives.
As Finch and Violet begin their journey together, they slowly reveal to one another how broken they are. There is a mutual understanding that begins to take hold, and Violet begins to see why Finch has such a hard time dealing with his mental illness. The utter hope and need to do better Finch feels is heart wrenching as his destructive thoughts continue to pile into his head. I wanted to scream at his parents to open their eyes, to help their son. To stop being so caught up in their distant worlds and recognize how much he suffered. Violet saw it and did everything she could to help him. Through Finch, she learned how to fight for herself no matter how hard life became.
The relationship they fostered was messy and complex. It was slow to develop and realistic. While Violet would never have considered befriending Finch in the past, the way life through them together forced her to open her eyes at her own bias. And the always distant Finch fought to become a better person for Violet. This story is heart wrenching in its intricate and emotional writing style. Jennifer Niven has done such a brilliant portrayal of these characters and the separate battles they each fight. This book is one I think everyone should read.
This probably deserves 4 stars but I'm being harsh cause I'm having a stressful week and I needed a happier ending than that. Also books about suicide bug me. I might seek out some of Niven's other books in the future.
oh my god this book was so good im definitely planning on reading it again when im in a better place mentally because i havent stopped thinking about it since
Whelp I was NOT expecting this one to be so darn sad and depressing while at the same time having bits of love and laughter mixed in. I was thrown off by the title and honestly thought I was getting something light-hearted and fun.
While it did have elements of that here and there, this is mostly a sad and melancholy read. If not for a buddy read, I wouldn't have pulled this off the shelf yet. I had a really hard time wanting to read this one, BUT don't be confused...I loved it...it just really threw a monkey wrench in my holiday spirit today.
This has elements of a sweet love story and what it means to truly care for and love someone unconditionally. It also has elements of stigma related to mental health and the way it was carelessly thrown aside throughout this story, which led to the ending it did, was exasperating.
Theo's mother was completely self-absorbed as she cared more for “how it would look” to have a child with a mental health issue, instead of embracing her son and doing any, and everything she could to find help for him. I almost threw my book a few times when I encountered her parts in the story.
Too often, people are judged because of how they act and it's usually with misinformation. Kindness, and understanding could seriously change the world if people would get out of their own heads sometimes and just offer a smile and a hello once in a while.
I know some consider it silly and maybe even dumb, but I seriously believe a simple smile and show of humanity towards another could create a chain reaction that might save someone's life or just brighten their day when they needed it most.
I was not expecting that ending. It was a light read at first, a bit cringe-inducing because the characters spoke in a stilted, unnatural way. They threw in quotes, and spoke as if from a script. I felt like the author was trying a little too hard to come across as “deep”.
The ending surprised me, and it was definitely sad. But I was also surprised by the lack of emotion the other characters seemed to feel. Violet just felt like a name on a page. I felt more emotion from Theo, but more manic energy than emotion. Nothing amazing, but not the worst thing I've read.
3.5
The way its written makes you feel like ur watching d story unfold right before your eyes
very sad ending:(
watched the movie immediately after and despite not being in violet's full situation, the hurt really stays with you huh
First read in 2015 and then saw the movie this year so I just had to read it again and I wasn't as upset as I was the first time I read it but I understood more than I did back then so I enjoyed the story more
It started off so strongly but then... it turned into The Fault In Our Stars, Five Feet Apart, The Sky is Everywhere. Good, but not great. I think I'm done with YA contemporary.
“Is today a good day to die?” This is what Theodore Finch, a boy fascinated by death, asks himself each day. He always thinks of ways to kill himself, but something stops him each time.
When he meets Violet Markey - a girl going through the grief of her sister's death, on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. They pair up for a project to discover the natural wonders of their state. This is when they discover that life is after all worth living. Only around Violet, Finch can be himself -a weird, funny, lively guy who is not the freak people call him at school. And it's only with Finch that Violet starts to live instead of counting her days till graduation.
This is a story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die.
The book captures the theme of mental illness, suicide, & friendship (with a touch of romance). It beautifully describes the feelings of a person suffering with a mental disorder, while not revealing the disorder until later. It is captivating & high on emotions. In fact, there comes a point where you no longer want to read ahead because it just hurts so much. The chemistry between Theodore & Violet, the way they are completely themselves with each other tells you the depth of their bond.
The writing was good to the extent of extracting emotions out of the reader, however I feel it lacked character development. You do not connect with the characters on a personal level, and are left only feeling bad for them superficially. It seems like they are just used as a means to extract your emotions.
The book is usually compared to TFIOS with people calling it the second TFIOS. I'm not sure if I agree with this. The story is similar, to an extent, with all the death & emotional stuff. However, it isn't on par with TFIOS when it comes to character development & plot.
Ngl was a little confused about how I felt about this book until I read the Author's Note and realized how Niven's loss of her loved ones inspired the book. Definitely made it much more personal and made me appreciate the book!
This book tore me to pieces, yet it helped me understand my own struggles with bipolar depression. I would add this book to any essential YA reading list.