Status
Checked out
Due Aug 25, 2023
Genres
Publication
Knopf Books for Young Readers (2015), 400 pages
Description
"Told in alternating voices, when Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school--both teetering on the edge--it's the beginning of an unlikely relationship, a journey to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, and two teens' desperate desire to heal and save one another"
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User reviews
LibraryThing member jmchshannon
There are times when one reads a novel in which one can see the ending early into the novel. Most of the time, this is not something readers want to happen; they would prefer twists and surprise endings that shock and amaze. However, in some rare instances, the characters are so well-defined that
Readers do not need to infer much to understand that both Violet and Finch are suffering, nor does it take much deduction to accurately guess what ails them. Their symptoms are obvious, and therein lies a large portion of the tragedy. If their symptoms are so clear to readers, why are they not to their family and friends. More importantly, if they are, why has no one acted? In many ways, it is the very same adults who espouse recovery through counseling and who profess to have the students’ best interests at heart that prove to be the biggest failures. Adult readers will find this problematic because it only serves to confirm the gap between teenagers and adults, something that does not appear to be Ms. Niven’s intention. However, the lack of action by the adults when they are all too aware that there are problems is just as clearly defined as Violet’s and Finch’s illnesses, and the implication there is upsetting.
Violet and Finch each provide much food for thought in their actions and their thoughts. One of the topics Finch repeatedly mentions is the stigma of labels, especially as they apply to mental illnesses. Finch’s argument is that he will not seek help because he does not want anyone to have any more fodder to continue to ridicule him. Even Ms. Niven mentions the negative connotations associated with being diagnosed with a mental illness in her author’s notes. However, there are elements of this argument that readers will find difficult to accept. Seeing Finch suffer throughout the school day because no one understands his odd behavior does not confirm Finch’s arguments but raises the question as to whether his fellow students would be less judgmental if there was a legitimate reason for his quirks and outbursts. As with the lack of adult action, one cannot help but feel concern that Ms. Niven is sending the wrong message. Are labels really the issue? In this day and age, when just about everyone has some sort of diagnosis and is taking some sort of medication, is there a stigma towards mental illness and all that diagnosis implies?
At the end of the day, these types of questions and concerns only come to the fore long after one finishes the novel. While in the midst of it, a reader will only worry about Violet and Finch, whether they will get better, and whether Finch will be able to stay awake. More importantly, these two very troubled teens are more than words on a page but become very real to readers. Their pain and suffering becomes the reader’s pain and suffering, just as their hard-won happiness magnifies a reader’s happiness. These are two characters that blur the line between fiction and reality and for whom readers will care very much.
In spite of its happy title, All the Bright Places is not necessarily a happy novel. There is a lot of pain and suffering Violet and Finch experience, and a reader can only read impotently as they barrel towards their destinies. Those readers who are quick to shed tears should have a box of tissues ready to hand, and even those readers who are usually tougher to crack might also want to have one or two tissues in the vicinity of their seat. Not only does All the Bright Places tear one’s heart strings, but it also raises awareness of mental illness and the importance of taking action if a loved one refuses to seek help. It is a very powerful message in an impressive package.
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readers will not worry about the known ending but will spend the rest of the novel wishing that one could become part of the story and save the characters from their fates. All the Bright Places falls firmly into the latter category, and in this case, it is a very good thing.Readers do not need to infer much to understand that both Violet and Finch are suffering, nor does it take much deduction to accurately guess what ails them. Their symptoms are obvious, and therein lies a large portion of the tragedy. If their symptoms are so clear to readers, why are they not to their family and friends. More importantly, if they are, why has no one acted? In many ways, it is the very same adults who espouse recovery through counseling and who profess to have the students’ best interests at heart that prove to be the biggest failures. Adult readers will find this problematic because it only serves to confirm the gap between teenagers and adults, something that does not appear to be Ms. Niven’s intention. However, the lack of action by the adults when they are all too aware that there are problems is just as clearly defined as Violet’s and Finch’s illnesses, and the implication there is upsetting.
Violet and Finch each provide much food for thought in their actions and their thoughts. One of the topics Finch repeatedly mentions is the stigma of labels, especially as they apply to mental illnesses. Finch’s argument is that he will not seek help because he does not want anyone to have any more fodder to continue to ridicule him. Even Ms. Niven mentions the negative connotations associated with being diagnosed with a mental illness in her author’s notes. However, there are elements of this argument that readers will find difficult to accept. Seeing Finch suffer throughout the school day because no one understands his odd behavior does not confirm Finch’s arguments but raises the question as to whether his fellow students would be less judgmental if there was a legitimate reason for his quirks and outbursts. As with the lack of adult action, one cannot help but feel concern that Ms. Niven is sending the wrong message. Are labels really the issue? In this day and age, when just about everyone has some sort of diagnosis and is taking some sort of medication, is there a stigma towards mental illness and all that diagnosis implies?
At the end of the day, these types of questions and concerns only come to the fore long after one finishes the novel. While in the midst of it, a reader will only worry about Violet and Finch, whether they will get better, and whether Finch will be able to stay awake. More importantly, these two very troubled teens are more than words on a page but become very real to readers. Their pain and suffering becomes the reader’s pain and suffering, just as their hard-won happiness magnifies a reader’s happiness. These are two characters that blur the line between fiction and reality and for whom readers will care very much.
In spite of its happy title, All the Bright Places is not necessarily a happy novel. There is a lot of pain and suffering Violet and Finch experience, and a reader can only read impotently as they barrel towards their destinies. Those readers who are quick to shed tears should have a box of tissues ready to hand, and even those readers who are usually tougher to crack might also want to have one or two tissues in the vicinity of their seat. Not only does All the Bright Places tear one’s heart strings, but it also raises awareness of mental illness and the importance of taking action if a loved one refuses to seek help. It is a very powerful message in an impressive package.
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LibraryThing member Swibells
O.M.G.
Blurb:
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
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.
Review:
There were three major reasons why I bought this book...
1. I fell in love with the cover. It was love at first sight.
2. I started reading the description on the Amazon page, which went something like, 'perfect for the fans of The Fault In Our Stars...' That's all I read before deciding that I have to buy this book, but what made me buy it right then was...
3. The subtitle of the book, which went something like this: A story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die. That's what made me click the 'buy now' option.
And I do not regret it one bit.
All The Bright Places is a novel that made me laugh in the beginning, fall in love with yet another fictional character in the middle, and get my heart broken in the end. It was a heart warming, gut wrenching experience, but at the end, I was glad I'd read it.
The characters Violet and Finch, were in their own ways two very distinct and utterly beautifully created characters.
The story flew like a gentle river, gathering me up and taking me in with it.
The wanderings they went on were my most favorite parts, because that's where we get to see the true Violet and Finch.
The ending made me cry. A lot. I hated the fact that Finch's parents were so ignorant. I hated the fact that he left, without even a Goodbye.
What made me cry even harder though, were the messages that Finch left for Violet in the places they were yet to wander. The song at the end absolutely broke my heart.
All in all, All The Bright Places gets a well deserved 5 stars from me, for everything it was.
If you loved The Fault In Our Stars, or if you like YA, Romance mixed with a little real life, or maybe even if you don't, you should definitely read this book. Who knows, maybe it will change your mind?
P.s. This is my first time writing a full length review, so would you please let me know if it was okay or not?
Blurb:
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
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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.
Review:
There were three major reasons why I bought this book...
1. I fell in love with the cover. It was love at first sight.
2. I started reading the description on the Amazon page, which went something like, 'perfect for the fans of The Fault In Our Stars...' That's all I read before deciding that I have to buy this book, but what made me buy it right then was...
3. The subtitle of the book, which went something like this: A story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die. That's what made me click the 'buy now' option.
And I do not regret it one bit.
All The Bright Places is a novel that made me laugh in the beginning, fall in love with yet another fictional character in the middle, and get my heart broken in the end. It was a heart warming, gut wrenching experience, but at the end, I was glad I'd read it.
The characters Violet and Finch, were in their own ways two very distinct and utterly beautifully created characters.
The story flew like a gentle river, gathering me up and taking me in with it.
The wanderings they went on were my most favorite parts, because that's where we get to see the true Violet and Finch.
The ending made me cry. A lot. I hated the fact that Finch's parents were so ignorant. I hated the fact that he left, without even a Goodbye.
What made me cry even harder though, were the messages that Finch left for Violet in the places they were yet to wander. The song at the end absolutely broke my heart.
All in all, All The Bright Places gets a well deserved 5 stars from me, for everything it was.
If you loved The Fault In Our Stars, or if you like YA, Romance mixed with a little real life, or maybe even if you don't, you should definitely read this book. Who knows, maybe it will change your mind?
P.s. This is my first time writing a full length review, so would you please let me know if it was okay or not?
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
Ok, so I must be the only one that did not get the concept of this book and was fully invested in Finch and Violet. Despite cursing and the heavy subject matter I wanted to like this book. I tried and tried to keep reading but it was evident that this book was not for me. I did not feel anything
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for Finch or Violet. Well maybe I did feel a little for Violet. Finch really had a down and out look on life. IT was depressing. Several times with the cursing I had to go back and check what age range this book was geared towards. I would not let a 14 year old read this book. Maybe a sixteen year old would be the youngest I would like read this book. For this type of book I need the main characters to be inviting and make me want to be on the emotional journey they are experiencing. Show Less
LibraryThing member crashmyparty
All The Bright Places is just one of those bowl you over, knock you for six books. It is wonderful and heartbreaking and … just …. Arghhh!
It’s difficult to write a coherent review because it should be done with the least amount of spoilers as possible. But I want to write about all the
All The Bright Places is the story of Violet Markey, dealing with the death of her sister, and Theodore Finch, who has an obsession with suicide that traces back to an abusive and neglectful past but just hasn’t brought himself to do it yet. They meet in the bell tower where Finch talks Violet out of jumping. Two very broken souls come together and it could either be the start of something magical, or something heartbreaking.
This book covers some heavy topics – its characters are both dealing with depression of different kinds and when they fall in love they not only have to deal with their own problems but each other’s while never asking for or receiving the help they really need from parents or teachers or counsellors. All they have is what they have found in each other and I spent the majority of the book hoping it would be enough. I have never wanted a fictional couple – or any couple, really – to be together so much and not only that, to be able to stay together against all odds. I wished, unrealistically, for them to fight harder, to want to survive. I hate suicide stories but I read so many of them because I’m looking for not necessarily a happy ending, but an ending that will convince likeminded people to stay. I just want them to stay.
Both Violet and Finch were such real characters who felt so alive which I think is why it got to me. They felt as if they could have been people I knew or had once met or even just passed in the street. From their adventures through Indiana that brought out the wandering nature in me, to their poignant moments with each other, to their interactions with their families and peers, everything about them felt real to me. I could have read a neverending book about Finch and Violet. I loved them even when I was annoyed, and when I tried to understand what they were going through but felt like I must have just been missing it, and when I was begging them to stay, I loved Finch and Violet all throughout this book. Jennifer Niven has crafted some wonderful characters and a poignant, moving story I won’t forget in a hurry. There were moments when they frustrated me, especially Finch, as much as I tried to understand him I just wanted to shake him and yell at him to GET HELP.
So please, if you ever feel depressed, if you ever experience something like this, like Violet or Finch or even something different – there are places you can go and people you can go to for help. You are never alone.
If you only read one contemporary this year, make it this one.
It’s difficult to write a coherent review because it should be done with the least amount of spoilers as possible. But I want to write about all the
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amazing and awful things, I am in serious need of an All The Bright Places wordvomitfest (like my new word?). I will try to keep it limited though while still providing you with all the reason to read it – wow reviewing can be hard!All The Bright Places is the story of Violet Markey, dealing with the death of her sister, and Theodore Finch, who has an obsession with suicide that traces back to an abusive and neglectful past but just hasn’t brought himself to do it yet. They meet in the bell tower where Finch talks Violet out of jumping. Two very broken souls come together and it could either be the start of something magical, or something heartbreaking.
This book covers some heavy topics – its characters are both dealing with depression of different kinds and when they fall in love they not only have to deal with their own problems but each other’s while never asking for or receiving the help they really need from parents or teachers or counsellors. All they have is what they have found in each other and I spent the majority of the book hoping it would be enough. I have never wanted a fictional couple – or any couple, really – to be together so much and not only that, to be able to stay together against all odds. I wished, unrealistically, for them to fight harder, to want to survive. I hate suicide stories but I read so many of them because I’m looking for not necessarily a happy ending, but an ending that will convince likeminded people to stay. I just want them to stay.
Both Violet and Finch were such real characters who felt so alive which I think is why it got to me. They felt as if they could have been people I knew or had once met or even just passed in the street. From their adventures through Indiana that brought out the wandering nature in me, to their poignant moments with each other, to their interactions with their families and peers, everything about them felt real to me. I could have read a neverending book about Finch and Violet. I loved them even when I was annoyed, and when I tried to understand what they were going through but felt like I must have just been missing it, and when I was begging them to stay, I loved Finch and Violet all throughout this book. Jennifer Niven has crafted some wonderful characters and a poignant, moving story I won’t forget in a hurry. There were moments when they frustrated me, especially Finch, as much as I tried to understand him I just wanted to shake him and yell at him to GET HELP.
So please, if you ever feel depressed, if you ever experience something like this, like Violet or Finch or even something different – there are places you can go and people you can go to for help. You are never alone.
If you only read one contemporary this year, make it this one.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
LOVED IT!!! This novel speaks to the heart of so many troubled people. The characters of Finch and Violet are perfectly written. Their story is told through their two voices. They meet on the ledge of the clock tower of the high school and from there their stories take off. This story is about
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mental illness, suicide, bullying, family relations and dealing with death. I live in Indiana so it was so very interesting to read about all the places they went for the "Wander" assignment. I plan on visiting them this summer. (Check out the book Weird Indiana to see some of the sights). I think every character in this book is so well written, I felt I knew each and every one of them. Every teen and every educator should read this book. It is AMAZING!! Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
This YA novel has the usual expected teenage angst – what YA novel doesn't? However, the protagonists, Finch and Violet, both have very good reasons for their angst. Especially when they meet on a ledge of their school's bell tower. That can't bode well.
There is the outcast, the popular girls,
Finch felt he needed to constantly reinvent himself, or at least his persona, and the transformations were entertaining and touching.
I want to reach out and slap some of the parents in this novel, but again, that is par for the course. And they were not all one-dimensional, not all the bad guys even when they didn't know how to react.
I read slowly towards the end because I was pretty sure what happened next, and I just didn't want that to happen. Was I right? I'm not telling.
Okay, so it got a bit sentimental in places. Nothing wrong with that. Overall, this is an entertaining if sometimes sad YA novel that can been enjoyed by both teens and adults.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review.
There is the outcast, the popular girls,
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the mean girls, the hunky but shallow guy – the usual cast. However, the book managed to bring me into their lives and care about them. Especially about Finch, whose life is not easy for a couple of major reasons. Mostly there is his Asleep/Awake dichotomy. But then there is his father.Finch felt he needed to constantly reinvent himself, or at least his persona, and the transformations were entertaining and touching.
I want to reach out and slap some of the parents in this novel, but again, that is par for the course. And they were not all one-dimensional, not all the bad guys even when they didn't know how to react.
I read slowly towards the end because I was pretty sure what happened next, and I just didn't want that to happen. Was I right? I'm not telling.
Okay, so it got a bit sentimental in places. Nothing wrong with that. Overall, this is an entertaining if sometimes sad YA novel that can been enjoyed by both teens and adults.
I was given an advance reader's copy of this book for review.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
This is the second book I've read in the past year that was described as THE FAULT IN OUR STARS meets ELEANOR AND PARK (the first one was SAY WHAT YOU WILL by Cammie McGovern), and the problem with comparisons like that is that the book is never the sum of it's parts. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and
The beginning is where I think ATBP suffers the most by the above comparisons. It lacks the captivating dialog that Rowell excels at, and it failed to immediate ingratiate it's protagonists and plight the way Green does. Maybe the later is due to the fact that in FAULT, the characters are suffering from an external plight (cancer), and in ATBP, they are dealing with an internal one (suicidal tendencies). I do think that Niven did a very good job portraying the mindset of a suicidal person in a way that was sympathetic without overly romanticizing death.
Since I started this book with unrealistic expectations, it took me a little bit to let those go and just appreciate the book on it's own merits, once I did that, I started to enjoy ATBP immensely. Finch is, well, he's the star. I fell in love with him and for him and I felt everyone of his emotional peaks and valleys with him. He was like all the best and most tortured YA characters rolled into one. There are things he did in the book that I will always adore him for, and things he did that I'll never forgive him for. He is unforgettable. I enjoyed Violet as well, though I mostly enjoyed her love for Finch (another miss compared to Rowell and Green who have protagonist of equal weight).
Suicide is not something I've had personal experience with (I appreciated reading in the acknowledgment about how deeply personal Niven's experiences were), so I struggled a lot empathizing with the power it held for these characters. It was very frustrating to watch someone so alive almost long to snuff themselves out. Again, I appreciate Niven balancing both sides, expressing deep tragic sadness without mitigating anger and selfishness. There was a tunnel vision displayed by the suicidal characters and a consuming and deadly focus on self. It really was a stark contrast with Green's FAULT characters that I couldn't help dwelling on as I finished this book.
Ultimately, this is not an uplifting book. Back to the two comparison titles, they also dealt with heavy subject matter and deep sadness, but there was something triumphant and bittersweet with how they ended. I can't say the same about ATBP. I didn't sigh with longing or an overload of emotions when I finished this book in the way I had hoped. Again, I loved Finch, and I loved the deft writing that handled such sensitive subject matter, but this left me wanting...more.
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ELEANOR AND PARK are probably my two favorite YA books ever, so I feel like there is a built in disappoint when expectations are set so high. ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES (ATBP) may share some structural and thematic similarities with those two books (although the tone is much more like another of John Green's books, LOOKING FOR ALASKA), but doesn't hit the same emotional mark.The beginning is where I think ATBP suffers the most by the above comparisons. It lacks the captivating dialog that Rowell excels at, and it failed to immediate ingratiate it's protagonists and plight the way Green does. Maybe the later is due to the fact that in FAULT, the characters are suffering from an external plight (cancer), and in ATBP, they are dealing with an internal one (suicidal tendencies). I do think that Niven did a very good job portraying the mindset of a suicidal person in a way that was sympathetic without overly romanticizing death.
Since I started this book with unrealistic expectations, it took me a little bit to let those go and just appreciate the book on it's own merits, once I did that, I started to enjoy ATBP immensely. Finch is, well, he's the star. I fell in love with him and for him and I felt everyone of his emotional peaks and valleys with him. He was like all the best and most tortured YA characters rolled into one. There are things he did in the book that I will always adore him for, and things he did that I'll never forgive him for. He is unforgettable. I enjoyed Violet as well, though I mostly enjoyed her love for Finch (another miss compared to Rowell and Green who have protagonist of equal weight).
Suicide is not something I've had personal experience with (I appreciated reading in the acknowledgment about how deeply personal Niven's experiences were), so I struggled a lot empathizing with the power it held for these characters. It was very frustrating to watch someone so alive almost long to snuff themselves out. Again, I appreciate Niven balancing both sides, expressing deep tragic sadness without mitigating anger and selfishness. There was a tunnel vision displayed by the suicidal characters and a consuming and deadly focus on self. It really was a stark contrast with Green's FAULT characters that I couldn't help dwelling on as I finished this book.
Ultimately, this is not an uplifting book. Back to the two comparison titles, they also dealt with heavy subject matter and deep sadness, but there was something triumphant and bittersweet with how they ended. I can't say the same about ATBP. I didn't sigh with longing or an overload of emotions when I finished this book in the way I had hoped. Again, I loved Finch, and I loved the deft writing that handled such sensitive subject matter, but this left me wanting...more.
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LibraryThing member nightprose
This is an emotionally charged novel about two mismatched young people. Violet is a popular cheerleader; manic Finch is considered the school “freak”. It seems they should have nothing in common, but they do.
Violet is trying desperately to cope with the sudden loss of her sister. A car accident
Finch leads a manic way of life giving him the label, “The Freak”. He is always changing his persona and his outlook. He is also constantly plagued by thoughts of depression and suicide.
One day the two teens meet through dangerous and unusual circumstances. Together, they set off on a life altering journey. Neither one of them will ever be the same.
Jennifer Niven has written an extraordinary novel that goes far beyond youthful angst. This brave, heartrending story delves into the deep recesses of the troubled teenaged psyche. Watch for the movie based on this incredible book.
Violet is trying desperately to cope with the sudden loss of her sister. A car accident
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took the life of her sister, leaving Violet the sole survivor of the crash. She is left with devastating guilt, causing her to rethink life.Finch leads a manic way of life giving him the label, “The Freak”. He is always changing his persona and his outlook. He is also constantly plagued by thoughts of depression and suicide.
One day the two teens meet through dangerous and unusual circumstances. Together, they set off on a life altering journey. Neither one of them will ever be the same.
Jennifer Niven has written an extraordinary novel that goes far beyond youthful angst. This brave, heartrending story delves into the deep recesses of the troubled teenaged psyche. Watch for the movie based on this incredible book.
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LibraryThing member tsutton
"It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also on them."
**********
Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of their
With this book, Jennifer Niven may have changed my mind about YA fiction. Usually I find that tales of heartbroken, "damaged" teens feel forced: rife with kids who can't send a text using full words then make melodramatic speeches (yeah, I'm looking at you, Fault in Our Stars) and parents who are a stereotype. All The Bright Places, however, manages to not only capture authentic teen voices, but also show their daily struggles (bullying, friendships, searching for identity, family dynamics, etc.) without being patronizing.
That's not to say there aren't problems with this novel. The school they attend seems woefully ill-equipped to deal with teenagers. A guidance counselor Finch sees regularly knows of his bell tower visit yet doesn't make any concerted effort to contact Finch's parents, voicemails home go unanswered for the entire year with no follow-up, Finch regularly misses weeks of school, yet there's also no fall-out. Also, the secondary characters are not well developed and sometimes fade into the background, with the possible exception of Finch's and Violet's parents, who demonstrate their dysfunction in opposing ways.
The remarkable thing about this novel, however, is how Niven realistically portrays depression and mental illness. Finch describes his dark times:
I get into these moods sometimes, and I can't shake them. Kind of black sinking moods. I imagine it's like what being in the eye of a tornado would be like, all calm and blinding at the same time. I hate them.
Finch copes by hiding in his closet, making his world small and manageable, until he feels "awake" again and can emerge to face everything again. A school counselor suggests he may have bipolar and Finch fights this suggestion, afraid that he will become even more of a "freak." Niven manages to capture Finch's desire for an understanding even as he resists the label of a diagnosis.
Strangely, even though others have said that they saw the ending coming, I was so swept up in the story and my concern for these two characters that I was as blindsided by the ending as the characters were - surprised even though, in retrospect, it was probably inevitable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys John Greene and Rainbow Rowell…but also to those who don't. This book was pitch-perfect in a field of books that otherwise strain a bit too hard to hit the right note.
**********
Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of their
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school's bell tower one fall afternoon, each wondering what it would be like to end it all, though stopping short of taking the leap after being surprised to find the other there. Finch, a self-proclaimed loner who is fascinated with death is surprised to find popular Violet in the same situation, though she won't admit to him her reasons for being on the ledge that day. While she resists his efforts to form a friendship, he arranges for them to be partners on a class project, determined to get to know her. During their year together, the two broken teens wander their state, finding beauty and happiness in odd places.With this book, Jennifer Niven may have changed my mind about YA fiction. Usually I find that tales of heartbroken, "damaged" teens feel forced: rife with kids who can't send a text using full words then make melodramatic speeches (yeah, I'm looking at you, Fault in Our Stars) and parents who are a stereotype. All The Bright Places, however, manages to not only capture authentic teen voices, but also show their daily struggles (bullying, friendships, searching for identity, family dynamics, etc.) without being patronizing.
That's not to say there aren't problems with this novel. The school they attend seems woefully ill-equipped to deal with teenagers. A guidance counselor Finch sees regularly knows of his bell tower visit yet doesn't make any concerted effort to contact Finch's parents, voicemails home go unanswered for the entire year with no follow-up, Finch regularly misses weeks of school, yet there's also no fall-out. Also, the secondary characters are not well developed and sometimes fade into the background, with the possible exception of Finch's and Violet's parents, who demonstrate their dysfunction in opposing ways.
The remarkable thing about this novel, however, is how Niven realistically portrays depression and mental illness. Finch describes his dark times:
I get into these moods sometimes, and I can't shake them. Kind of black sinking moods. I imagine it's like what being in the eye of a tornado would be like, all calm and blinding at the same time. I hate them.
Finch copes by hiding in his closet, making his world small and manageable, until he feels "awake" again and can emerge to face everything again. A school counselor suggests he may have bipolar and Finch fights this suggestion, afraid that he will become even more of a "freak." Niven manages to capture Finch's desire for an understanding even as he resists the label of a diagnosis.
Strangely, even though others have said that they saw the ending coming, I was so swept up in the story and my concern for these two characters that I was as blindsided by the ending as the characters were - surprised even though, in retrospect, it was probably inevitable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys John Greene and Rainbow Rowell…but also to those who don't. This book was pitch-perfect in a field of books that otherwise strain a bit too hard to hit the right note.
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LibraryThing member adam.d.woodard
All the feels. All of them. This book is brutal at times and beautiful at others. The way depression is portrayed is accurate and the things Theodore says about how he feels are echoed in my mind and it hurts. It's extremely personal and it's still a struggle at times, but in glad this book exists.
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There are some very hate-able characters throughout, but everyone is fighting a battle of some kind even if they don't show it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jwarbler
Wow. I'd heard so many good things about this book, and it definitely lived up to the hype. Finch and Violet are both incredibly compelling and frustrating, and I love the balance their relationship has. If you liked TFiOS, try this.
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
All The Bright Places, Jennifer Niven, narrators, Kirby Heyborne, Ariadne Meyers
I am not sure why this book has been labeled young adult. All readers, regardless of age, a parent, a counselor, a teacher, a coach or a student, could benefit from reading it. It is right on target about the way teens
Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are the two main characters. Both are seniors in high school, both are extremely bright and although both are broken, one is more severely troubled than the other. Both should be planning their futures at college, but Violet is mourning the death of her sister and Theo (Finch) is trying not to “go away”. Violet is part of the popular crowd. She has wonderful parents, and receives sympathy from everyone. She is riddled with guilt about the accident that took her sister’s life but spared her. She doesn’t understand why she should be alive. She dreads school, graduation and what comes afterward. She has lost interest in her work, her boyfriend, her life as it used to be. Her parents, equally sad about their loss, are still actively involved with her care and with her counselor try to help her work through her guilt, but so far, they have not been that successful. She has learned how to give appropriate answers to their questions to keep them calm.
Finch is different. His father and mother are divorced. He yearns for a stable home life, but his mother, unhappy since the divorce, works and does not even pay attention to phone messages, let alone her son, so she is unaware of the depth of his problems. His sister does her best to protect him and does not relay the messages from school about absences and altercations. Only the counselor at school seems to recognize the depth of his problem. He is the one that has labeled Finch’s mental problem and that label appears to be a tipping point for Finch. He hates labels. He does not want another. He is already called “the freak”. He wants to be normal like everyone else and he is really trying, but he can’t lose the label. He wants to be accepted, to be happy, but sometimes he just has to keep moving and feel a rush and sometimes he simply has to stop and sleep until “he returns. Theo knows he is broken; he doesn’t believe he can be fixed. He often contemplates different ways of dying, even just from an intellectual vantage point. He really seems to want to live. No one seems concerned about him. It is just Theo being Theo.
One day, at school, by sheer coincidence, Finch and Violet both find themselves on the edge of the roof of the school’s bell tower. Finch talks Violet off the ledge and saves her, but when students notice them, he pretends that she has saved him. He is already labeled as “the freak”, no need for her to be labeled, as well. It is easier for everyone to believe that the popular girl would never consider jumping, while Theodore “freak” surely would. The popular kids, the bullies, ridicule him even further and Violet goes along with the charade. Then, in one of the classes that Violet and Theo share, Theo gets himself assigned to a project with her. At first, she doesn’t want to be seen with him, but soon, she finds there is a side of Finch that she likes. He is funny, thoughtful, mature, and smart. His ideas are spontaneous and imaginative. He makes everything they do a special event for her. He makes her happy. Soon they develop a deep friendship and then, they fall in love. Violet makes Theo happy too. The relationship that develops between them is tender and romantic, and one cannot read this story without identifying with their confusion, their pain, their joy, their sorrow and their love. Yes, it is true that Theodore Finch is different. He is mocked by the kids in school, but his differences are now exciting and inspiring to Violet. Theo sees beauty in so many places and he points them out to her. She begins to come out of her self-imposed shell, but Theo begins to withdraw into his. Can Violet save Theo from himself? Will their friendship help Violet?
Theo represents children all over the world who are bright, imaginative, and talented who slip through the cracks because no one recognizes that they have an illness rather than a stigma to be hidden. They need help. Without the help, their brilliant, creative minds and talents are wasted. At the end of the novel, the hypocrisy of the adults and student body was hard to justify. Few took responsibility for their part in what took place and only expressed compassion when it was too late for it to do any good. Finch just wanted to be seen, just wanted a real friend, and he wanted the bullying to stop. He was blamed for reacting to it, while the bully walked away unscathed by the system. He couldn’t help his behavior, but the bully surely could. His relationship with Violet was not sanctioned by her friends, her family, or even by Violet, at first. She didn’t want anyone to see her with “the freak”, lest his reputation stain hers. Yet they became kindred spirits, each lifting the other to greater heights, until it wasn’t enough. Mental illness is so often hidden, not only by the person who suffers, but by family, friends and a society that either doesn’t want to deal with it or doesn’t know how.
There are several characters that the reader may want to strangle because of their sheer arrogance. Their superior attitude was infuriating, and yet, even as it was upsetting, it was also very real. The fact that Violet never told anyone but her parents the truth about Theo saving her life disturbed me. To save her own reputation, she tarnished his further and never really confessed. I understood why Finch did what he did; he was already accused of so much, but her reputation was pure. He had nothing to lose.
I thought it was interesting that the author chose the names Violet and Finch, a flower and a bird. Flowers attract birds and they are both, generally, things of beauty. Theodore tells the story of a bird, a bird that repeatedly searches for its home, a tree that is no longer there. It repeatedly slams into the door of his house until he finally dies from the impact. He wanted to rescue that bird, but ultimately, he realized he couldn’t. Theo also searches for a home, a family that is no longer there. He searches until his search ends as the bird’s does, unsuccessfully. Could no one save Finch? Was Finch the bird constantly and futilely searching?
Theodore’s mind never stops working. He is simply wired differently, he says, than others. At the heart of this book is the subject of mental illness and suicide, both topics that are neglected by society because they are not pretty subjects. The backdrop of the story includes quotes from Virginia Wolfe, another brilliant victim of mental illness who could not salvage herself no matter how hard she tried, who believed that she was the burden that had to be eliminated. The marriage of her quotes to the story enhanced its development.
The narrators did a good job, but at first, Violet was off-putting because she seemed to have a slight lisp. However, after awhile, the tenderness of her tone seemed appropriate for a teenager and it worked well.
I am not sure why this book has been labeled young adult. All readers, regardless of age, a parent, a counselor, a teacher, a coach or a student, could benefit from reading it. It is right on target about the way teens
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interact, with friends, with teachers, with parents and with those they consider to be less worthy than themselves. It deftly explores their mindsets and behavior, their relationships, their trials, their responsibilities, their failures, their insecurities, their dreams and their nightmares. This is an important novel because it exposes major, rising problems like bullying, depression, broken marriages and families, hopelessness, mental illness and suicide. Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are the two main characters. Both are seniors in high school, both are extremely bright and although both are broken, one is more severely troubled than the other. Both should be planning their futures at college, but Violet is mourning the death of her sister and Theo (Finch) is trying not to “go away”. Violet is part of the popular crowd. She has wonderful parents, and receives sympathy from everyone. She is riddled with guilt about the accident that took her sister’s life but spared her. She doesn’t understand why she should be alive. She dreads school, graduation and what comes afterward. She has lost interest in her work, her boyfriend, her life as it used to be. Her parents, equally sad about their loss, are still actively involved with her care and with her counselor try to help her work through her guilt, but so far, they have not been that successful. She has learned how to give appropriate answers to their questions to keep them calm.
Finch is different. His father and mother are divorced. He yearns for a stable home life, but his mother, unhappy since the divorce, works and does not even pay attention to phone messages, let alone her son, so she is unaware of the depth of his problems. His sister does her best to protect him and does not relay the messages from school about absences and altercations. Only the counselor at school seems to recognize the depth of his problem. He is the one that has labeled Finch’s mental problem and that label appears to be a tipping point for Finch. He hates labels. He does not want another. He is already called “the freak”. He wants to be normal like everyone else and he is really trying, but he can’t lose the label. He wants to be accepted, to be happy, but sometimes he just has to keep moving and feel a rush and sometimes he simply has to stop and sleep until “he returns. Theo knows he is broken; he doesn’t believe he can be fixed. He often contemplates different ways of dying, even just from an intellectual vantage point. He really seems to want to live. No one seems concerned about him. It is just Theo being Theo.
One day, at school, by sheer coincidence, Finch and Violet both find themselves on the edge of the roof of the school’s bell tower. Finch talks Violet off the ledge and saves her, but when students notice them, he pretends that she has saved him. He is already labeled as “the freak”, no need for her to be labeled, as well. It is easier for everyone to believe that the popular girl would never consider jumping, while Theodore “freak” surely would. The popular kids, the bullies, ridicule him even further and Violet goes along with the charade. Then, in one of the classes that Violet and Theo share, Theo gets himself assigned to a project with her. At first, she doesn’t want to be seen with him, but soon, she finds there is a side of Finch that she likes. He is funny, thoughtful, mature, and smart. His ideas are spontaneous and imaginative. He makes everything they do a special event for her. He makes her happy. Soon they develop a deep friendship and then, they fall in love. Violet makes Theo happy too. The relationship that develops between them is tender and romantic, and one cannot read this story without identifying with their confusion, their pain, their joy, their sorrow and their love. Yes, it is true that Theodore Finch is different. He is mocked by the kids in school, but his differences are now exciting and inspiring to Violet. Theo sees beauty in so many places and he points them out to her. She begins to come out of her self-imposed shell, but Theo begins to withdraw into his. Can Violet save Theo from himself? Will their friendship help Violet?
Theo represents children all over the world who are bright, imaginative, and talented who slip through the cracks because no one recognizes that they have an illness rather than a stigma to be hidden. They need help. Without the help, their brilliant, creative minds and talents are wasted. At the end of the novel, the hypocrisy of the adults and student body was hard to justify. Few took responsibility for their part in what took place and only expressed compassion when it was too late for it to do any good. Finch just wanted to be seen, just wanted a real friend, and he wanted the bullying to stop. He was blamed for reacting to it, while the bully walked away unscathed by the system. He couldn’t help his behavior, but the bully surely could. His relationship with Violet was not sanctioned by her friends, her family, or even by Violet, at first. She didn’t want anyone to see her with “the freak”, lest his reputation stain hers. Yet they became kindred spirits, each lifting the other to greater heights, until it wasn’t enough. Mental illness is so often hidden, not only by the person who suffers, but by family, friends and a society that either doesn’t want to deal with it or doesn’t know how.
There are several characters that the reader may want to strangle because of their sheer arrogance. Their superior attitude was infuriating, and yet, even as it was upsetting, it was also very real. The fact that Violet never told anyone but her parents the truth about Theo saving her life disturbed me. To save her own reputation, she tarnished his further and never really confessed. I understood why Finch did what he did; he was already accused of so much, but her reputation was pure. He had nothing to lose.
I thought it was interesting that the author chose the names Violet and Finch, a flower and a bird. Flowers attract birds and they are both, generally, things of beauty. Theodore tells the story of a bird, a bird that repeatedly searches for its home, a tree that is no longer there. It repeatedly slams into the door of his house until he finally dies from the impact. He wanted to rescue that bird, but ultimately, he realized he couldn’t. Theo also searches for a home, a family that is no longer there. He searches until his search ends as the bird’s does, unsuccessfully. Could no one save Finch? Was Finch the bird constantly and futilely searching?
Theodore’s mind never stops working. He is simply wired differently, he says, than others. At the heart of this book is the subject of mental illness and suicide, both topics that are neglected by society because they are not pretty subjects. The backdrop of the story includes quotes from Virginia Wolfe, another brilliant victim of mental illness who could not salvage herself no matter how hard she tried, who believed that she was the burden that had to be eliminated. The marriage of her quotes to the story enhanced its development.
The narrators did a good job, but at first, Violet was off-putting because she seemed to have a slight lisp. However, after awhile, the tenderness of her tone seemed appropriate for a teenager and it worked well.
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LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
The top of a clock tower, contemplating suicide, is a strange place to
AllTheBrightPlacesmeet, but so it was with Theo Finch and Violet Markey. Her sister, Eleanor, dies nine months previously in an auto accident for which Violet feels responsible. It was her idea to take the A Street Bridge which
It is Theo who saves Violet, not only from jumping but from the paralyzed life she is leading. She refused to get into a moving car and rides her bicycle, Leroy, everywhere. She has stopped writing (she and Eleanor had co-authored a blog). She has disengaged from all her friends. When Finch requested to be partnered with Violet in a U.S. Geography project that will force them to travel around the state of Indiana, she is forced into a car and she is forced to write, to things that will get her on the road to recovery.
However, Theo’s issues are more severe. Theo has clearly fallen in love with Violet. She has shown him that there are good days, not only bad ones. And while, in many ways, Violet has saved Theo, the real question is will it be enough.
FallingIntoPlaceWhile I liked All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, I didn’t love it. It is another case of an odd couple, in this case the once-popular girl and the outcast guy. It is also another case of a road trip changing someone’s life. I don’t have a feel for whether Theo rings true because I’ve never known anyone who was extremely bipolar, so it was hard for me to get into his character. The book does provide an interesting contrast in parents when you compare Theo’s to Violet’s and it raises the unanswerable question of ‘should a parent be able recognize that a child needs help or are they always the last one to know?’
A recent book I would recommend about suicide is Falling into Place by Amy Zhang. In that, you can feel the pain.
AllTheBrightPlacesmeet, but so it was with Theo Finch and Violet Markey. Her sister, Eleanor, dies nine months previously in an auto accident for which Violet feels responsible. It was her idea to take the A Street Bridge which
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can get treacherously slippery at times. Theo is just trying to get away from a broken family, abusive father and bullies at school calling him Freak.It is Theo who saves Violet, not only from jumping but from the paralyzed life she is leading. She refused to get into a moving car and rides her bicycle, Leroy, everywhere. She has stopped writing (she and Eleanor had co-authored a blog). She has disengaged from all her friends. When Finch requested to be partnered with Violet in a U.S. Geography project that will force them to travel around the state of Indiana, she is forced into a car and she is forced to write, to things that will get her on the road to recovery.
However, Theo’s issues are more severe. Theo has clearly fallen in love with Violet. She has shown him that there are good days, not only bad ones. And while, in many ways, Violet has saved Theo, the real question is will it be enough.
FallingIntoPlaceWhile I liked All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, I didn’t love it. It is another case of an odd couple, in this case the once-popular girl and the outcast guy. It is also another case of a road trip changing someone’s life. I don’t have a feel for whether Theo rings true because I’ve never known anyone who was extremely bipolar, so it was hard for me to get into his character. The book does provide an interesting contrast in parents when you compare Theo’s to Violet’s and it raises the unanswerable question of ‘should a parent be able recognize that a child needs help or are they always the last one to know?’
A recent book I would recommend about suicide is Falling into Place by Amy Zhang. In that, you can feel the pain.
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LibraryThing member Ginnywoolf
Okay, it's been about a week and I'm ready to talk about this. This book was intensely upsetting to me seeing as I have bipolar disorder just like Theodore Finch. Every time I see a character in literature, film, TV, whatever, who has bipolar disorder it feels personal, like I'm reading about
And yet, and yet...this book is a solid five stars for me.
Theodore's illness was presented with respect and dignity. He wasn't treated like some manic pixie dream boy tortured hero, someone whose illness is the main attraction for Violet. He didn't save her life; she obviously didn't save his. At its heart this book was about the need for people who are mentally ill to be taken seriously, to be treated, and to be shown unconditional love.
Yes, Violet and Finch fell in love, but that's not what this book was about. And yet I ultimately felt left with hope, hope that bipolar can be depicted in a way that is realistic and not in a caricature. Romantic love rarely "saves" someone from anything, especially not something like an illness that is hard to overcome. Thank you, Jennifer Niven, for understanding the struggle.
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someone in my family, a twin perhaps, someone who hurts when I hurt and vice versa. So you can imagine how devastating it was to watch Finch suffer so much. It put me into a depressive episode for a few days, something hardcore and grim and so awful. And yet, and yet...this book is a solid five stars for me.
Theodore's illness was presented with respect and dignity. He wasn't treated like some manic pixie dream boy tortured hero, someone whose illness is the main attraction for Violet. He didn't save her life; she obviously didn't save his. At its heart this book was about the need for people who are mentally ill to be taken seriously, to be treated, and to be shown unconditional love.
Yes, Violet and Finch fell in love, but that's not what this book was about. And yet I ultimately felt left with hope, hope that bipolar can be depicted in a way that is realistic and not in a caricature. Romantic love rarely "saves" someone from anything, especially not something like an illness that is hard to overcome. Thank you, Jennifer Niven, for understanding the struggle.
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LibraryThing member SarahStenhouse
Okay, a bit heavy going, teen novel. Not sure how useful it would be for teens with mental health problems - ends in suicide.
LibraryThing member em0451
The book summary for All the Bright Places begins with "The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park..." I'm always annoyed when new books are compared to books that I loved, because I think it sets up unfair expectations for the new book. However, in this case, I'd say that a cross between those
There are definitely similarities between these stories, but even though it may not be wholly original, I still loved the story found in All the Bright Places. I read the entire book in almost one setting, even with a horrible migraine. I could barely keep my eyes open but I did not want to stop until the story was over. Jennifer Niven said in the notes at the end of the book that she wanted to write a story that was edgy, tough and sad but still funny. And I think she succeeded. She also said that this story was based on an experience she had in real life, which I think makes it more touching and real.
The story begins when Finch and Violet first meet. Both are standing on the ledge of the school bell tower, and both are considering whether or not to jump and end their life. Finch talks Violet off the ledge (literally) spouting off witty, sharp dialogue that is unexpected given the seriousness of the situation. Immediately it had my attention. I am such a sucker for fun, smart dialogue. Even if teens don't talk this way in real life, I just love reading about them in fiction. (Reason #1 why I am such a big John Green fan). I've read other reviews (of both this novel and John Green) that call this pretentious, but I find it fun to read.
Violet is grieving over the death of her sister, feeling responsible for her sister's death and unable to move on with life. Finch is forever an outcast, plagued by mood swings that range from high to low and obsessed with death and the possibility of taking his own life. When these two meet, Violet finds a reason for living again while Finch continues to struggle.
I feel like maybe I should include a spoiler alert for the rest of this review. Although I think it is pretty obvious what is going to happen just from reading the summary on the back cover of this book. So I'm not sure that I am really spoiling anything that anyone doesn't already know, but if you want to go into this story blind, then stop reading now!
I was not sure what to think about Finch at first. He is a bit over the top and all over the place. However, as the story progressed, I grew more sympathetic towards him. And by the end, I wanted to scream, "Why doesn't someone help this kid??!!" It was frustrating to read about the people in Finch's life who seemed either ignorant or unwilling to help him...his family, his guidance counselor, even Violet. But at the same time, I think it's probably realistic too. For many people, especially family, it is probably easier to ignore the problem and just hope it goes away than to deal with it head on. I felt like the guidance counselor was more interested in protecting himself legally than in truly helping Finn. In the case of Violet, she is a 17 year old girl with problems of her own and also "in love" with a confusing boy. It makes sense that she wasn't fully able to understand the seriousness of what was going on with Finn.
While sad and hard to read, Finn's struggle was intriguing to me. His attempts to stay "here", his refusal to seek help or be labelled, his continued thoughts of death even after meeting Violet, who made him so happy. I appreciated seeing things from his perspective even though I was so very sad for him and the loneliness of his struggle. I wanted Violet to be able to "fix" him but his struggles here were far deeper than the ability to be solved by simply falling in love with a girl.
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books is a fair comparison. All The Bright Places does have a lot in common with the plots of Fault in our Stars and Eleanor and Park (and a little bit of Papertowns by John Green too), and it is written with the same wit and sharp dialogue found in the writing of John Green and Rainbow Rowell. Like Eleanor and Park, Finch and Violet don't quite fit in with the rest of the kids at their school. Like Gus and Hazel, Finch and Violet both are plagued by a similar affliction. In The Fault in our Stars it is cancer; in All the Bright Places it is mental illness/suicide.There are definitely similarities between these stories, but even though it may not be wholly original, I still loved the story found in All the Bright Places. I read the entire book in almost one setting, even with a horrible migraine. I could barely keep my eyes open but I did not want to stop until the story was over. Jennifer Niven said in the notes at the end of the book that she wanted to write a story that was edgy, tough and sad but still funny. And I think she succeeded. She also said that this story was based on an experience she had in real life, which I think makes it more touching and real.
The story begins when Finch and Violet first meet. Both are standing on the ledge of the school bell tower, and both are considering whether or not to jump and end their life. Finch talks Violet off the ledge (literally) spouting off witty, sharp dialogue that is unexpected given the seriousness of the situation. Immediately it had my attention. I am such a sucker for fun, smart dialogue. Even if teens don't talk this way in real life, I just love reading about them in fiction. (Reason #1 why I am such a big John Green fan). I've read other reviews (of both this novel and John Green) that call this pretentious, but I find it fun to read.
Violet is grieving over the death of her sister, feeling responsible for her sister's death and unable to move on with life. Finch is forever an outcast, plagued by mood swings that range from high to low and obsessed with death and the possibility of taking his own life. When these two meet, Violet finds a reason for living again while Finch continues to struggle.
I feel like maybe I should include a spoiler alert for the rest of this review. Although I think it is pretty obvious what is going to happen just from reading the summary on the back cover of this book. So I'm not sure that I am really spoiling anything that anyone doesn't already know, but if you want to go into this story blind, then stop reading now!
I was not sure what to think about Finch at first. He is a bit over the top and all over the place. However, as the story progressed, I grew more sympathetic towards him. And by the end, I wanted to scream, "Why doesn't someone help this kid??!!" It was frustrating to read about the people in Finch's life who seemed either ignorant or unwilling to help him...his family, his guidance counselor, even Violet. But at the same time, I think it's probably realistic too. For many people, especially family, it is probably easier to ignore the problem and just hope it goes away than to deal with it head on. I felt like the guidance counselor was more interested in protecting himself legally than in truly helping Finn. In the case of Violet, she is a 17 year old girl with problems of her own and also "in love" with a confusing boy. It makes sense that she wasn't fully able to understand the seriousness of what was going on with Finn.
While sad and hard to read, Finn's struggle was intriguing to me. His attempts to stay "here", his refusal to seek help or be labelled, his continued thoughts of death even after meeting Violet, who made him so happy. I appreciated seeing things from his perspective even though I was so very sad for him and the loneliness of his struggle. I wanted Violet to be able to "fix" him but his struggles here were far deeper than the ability to be solved by simply falling in love with a girl.
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LibraryThing member lyssacle
I hate to call this book harrowing, because it's not really by any means, but after finishing it, that's the only word that comes to mind (without spoiling it). Beautifully written, this book will appeal to the precocious teen and college aged readers. Each narrator has a distinct voice, and the
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points of view are unique. Show Less
LibraryThing member mariannelee_0902
I always thought that crying because of a book was lame. I thought that one or two tears were acceptable but all out crying because of a book and something that didn't actually happen was stupid.
So, here I am, wiping my tears away and trying not to wake up my whole house with my angry, heartbroken
The fact of the matter is that this book needs to be read. Regardless of the hype and the comparisons between TFIOS and E&P. This book is so unbearably real.
It talks about depression and grief and guilt and loneliness in such a poignant way that you sometimes forget this is a work of fiction.
Finch is certainly an amazing character. He's so multi-faceted. Even when you're reading the book from his perspective you realize he's so difficult to read. He's like a Prism, taking light and reflecting it to make things more beautiful than it was before.
Violet is a broken girl. And yet she's not. Violet is the girl who keeps moving because she has to. I loved reading from her point of view because I sometimes believed I was her.
I don't think I've ever related so much with a book as I do right now. I saw myself in Finch, I saw myself in Violet, even in Violet's parents, and Finch's mom.
I think what I also liked about this book is the fact that it featured family relationships. It featured so many different types of it. From the perfect, storybook family, to the angry, broken one.
This book is so precious. It feels like a living thing. Like I need to go back into the story and give it all the attention it deserves.
I don't know what else I can say about this book because I think any pretense of 'normalcy' in my review went out the window a long time ago. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
So, here I am, wiping my tears away and trying not to wake up my whole house with my angry, heartbroken
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sobs.The fact of the matter is that this book needs to be read. Regardless of the hype and the comparisons between TFIOS and E&P. This book is so unbearably real.
It talks about depression and grief and guilt and loneliness in such a poignant way that you sometimes forget this is a work of fiction.
Finch is certainly an amazing character. He's so multi-faceted. Even when you're reading the book from his perspective you realize he's so difficult to read. He's like a Prism, taking light and reflecting it to make things more beautiful than it was before.
Violet is a broken girl. And yet she's not. Violet is the girl who keeps moving because she has to. I loved reading from her point of view because I sometimes believed I was her.
I don't think I've ever related so much with a book as I do right now. I saw myself in Finch, I saw myself in Violet, even in Violet's parents, and Finch's mom.
I think what I also liked about this book is the fact that it featured family relationships. It featured so many different types of it. From the perfect, storybook family, to the angry, broken one.
This book is so precious. It feels like a living thing. Like I need to go back into the story and give it all the attention it deserves.
I don't know what else I can say about this book because I think any pretense of 'normalcy' in my review went out the window a long time ago. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
A very sensitive, well-written book about a difficult subject--teen suicide is for grades 10 up. Excellent reading for adults who care about teens. An unlikely friendship develops between Violet, whose sister died in a car accident and Theodore the Freak, who has suffered depression since
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childhood. Theodore is the kind of guy I'd like to know--as an adult but like the other kids in his senior class I probably would have shunned him. This book made me think about how as adults we miss the signs that are there when kids need help. I pitied Theodore's mother who had so many struggles of her own she failed to even be aware of her children. I admired Violet's parents. This book creates strong memories just like THE FAULT OF OUR STARS. I'll alway remember the boy who could save his girlfriend, but wasn't strong enough to save himself. Show Less
LibraryThing member dkgarner95
That was so beautiful. But it hurt. A lot. I'm going to need a few minutes, mkay.
LibraryThing member dkgarner95
That was so beautiful. But it hurt. A lot. I'm going to need a few minutes, mkay.
LibraryThing member laurenreads
I read this book after my boyfriend brought it for me on valentines day, at first, I just let it lie around on my shelve, not giving it much attention, but when I read it I felt my life beginning to change. This book is phenomenally written, I was instantly hooked. It isn't your usual, suicidal boy
You follow Theodore as he tries on different personalities as if they are clothes, just to find something to keep him in "awake mode". And Violet as she deals with the loss of her sister. They meet on a ledge, as you are told on the blurb, where they are both contemplating suicide. It is in this moment that they connect.
The book, like most mental illness based books does not look down upon teens as too young to understand the seriousness of the illnesses, but Niven writes in a natural way, that does not at all condesend teens.
The cover is so pretty and captures the eye, this is one of the main reasons in which I picked the book up at the store, I did not at one point have to put the book down to take a break as it is such a easy and satisfying read.
The ending of the book to some people was predictable, however for me, it suited the way the book was written, it was the perfect way to end the journey that you go on with Violet and Theodore and I would not change the ending one bit.
My favourite part of this book is how it paints a picture of love amongst pain, but not in a cliche way that most books do, she doesn't hide the problems that arise with love, like most authors do, throughout the book the issues are just as raw and clear as the beginning which is a new style for the YA genre.
Although this book is compared to The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both books which I love, this book is unique. It has the ability to spark awareness about many serious problems without sugar coating it.
What Im trying to say is that you need to go out and buy this book for yourself, because it is an amazing read which has the ability to change your life.
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meets girl and then wow his life is completely happy. It is so real and raw. You follow Theodore as he tries on different personalities as if they are clothes, just to find something to keep him in "awake mode". And Violet as she deals with the loss of her sister. They meet on a ledge, as you are told on the blurb, where they are both contemplating suicide. It is in this moment that they connect.
The book, like most mental illness based books does not look down upon teens as too young to understand the seriousness of the illnesses, but Niven writes in a natural way, that does not at all condesend teens.
The cover is so pretty and captures the eye, this is one of the main reasons in which I picked the book up at the store, I did not at one point have to put the book down to take a break as it is such a easy and satisfying read.
The ending of the book to some people was predictable, however for me, it suited the way the book was written, it was the perfect way to end the journey that you go on with Violet and Theodore and I would not change the ending one bit.
My favourite part of this book is how it paints a picture of love amongst pain, but not in a cliche way that most books do, she doesn't hide the problems that arise with love, like most authors do, throughout the book the issues are just as raw and clear as the beginning which is a new style for the YA genre.
Although this book is compared to The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both books which I love, this book is unique. It has the ability to spark awareness about many serious problems without sugar coating it.
What Im trying to say is that you need to go out and buy this book for yourself, because it is an amazing read which has the ability to change your life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jessicaevelyn
All the Bright Places is an alright novel, but good for the right sort of people. If you're a high fantasy, sci-fi person maybe this isn't the book for you. It whirlwind of emotions and human nature for the people we don't really know, the outcasts in high school society, not the popular kids but
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the ones that are left to the side and it explores the grief of losing someone dear. It's also a book about quotes and suicide. An overall good book with a tragic ending. Definitely an Eleanor and Park and Fault in our Stars novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member laurenreads
I read this book after my boyfriend brought it for me on valentines day, at first, I just let it lie around on my shelve, not giving it much attention, but when I read it I felt my life beginning to change. This book is phenomenally written, I was instantly hooked. It isn't your usual, suicidal boy
You follow Theodore as he tries on different personalities as if they are clothes, just to find something to keep him in "awake mode". And Violet as she deals with the loss of her sister. They meet on a ledge, as you are told on the blurb, where they are both contemplating suicide. It is in this moment that they connect.
The book, like most mental illness based books does not look down upon teens as too young to understand the seriousness of the illnesses, but Niven writes in a natural way, that does not at all condesend teens.
The cover is so pretty and captures the eye, this is one of the main reasons in which I picked the book up at the store, I did not at one point have to put the book down to take a break as it is such a easy and satisfying read.
The ending of the book to some people was predictable, however for me, it suited the way the book was written, it was the perfect way to end the journey that you go on with Violet and Theodore and I would not change the ending one bit.
My favourite part of this book is how it paints a picture of love amongst pain, but not in a cliche way that most books do, she doesn't hide the problems that arise with love, like most authors do, throughout the book the issues are just as raw and clear as the beginning which is a new style for the YA genre.
Although this book is compared to The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both books which I love, this book is unique. It has the ability to spark awareness about many serious problems without sugar coating it.
What Im trying to say is that you need to go out and buy this book for yourself, because it is an amazing read which has the ability to change your life.
Show More
meets girl and then wow his life is completely happy. It is so real and raw. You follow Theodore as he tries on different personalities as if they are clothes, just to find something to keep him in "awake mode". And Violet as she deals with the loss of her sister. They meet on a ledge, as you are told on the blurb, where they are both contemplating suicide. It is in this moment that they connect.
The book, like most mental illness based books does not look down upon teens as too young to understand the seriousness of the illnesses, but Niven writes in a natural way, that does not at all condesend teens.
The cover is so pretty and captures the eye, this is one of the main reasons in which I picked the book up at the store, I did not at one point have to put the book down to take a break as it is such a easy and satisfying read.
The ending of the book to some people was predictable, however for me, it suited the way the book was written, it was the perfect way to end the journey that you go on with Violet and Theodore and I would not change the ending one bit.
My favourite part of this book is how it paints a picture of love amongst pain, but not in a cliche way that most books do, she doesn't hide the problems that arise with love, like most authors do, throughout the book the issues are just as raw and clear as the beginning which is a new style for the YA genre.
Although this book is compared to The Fault in Our Stars and Eleanor & Park, both books which I love, this book is unique. It has the ability to spark awareness about many serious problems without sugar coating it.
What Im trying to say is that you need to go out and buy this book for yourself, because it is an amazing read which has the ability to change your life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member klack128
EDIT: After writing this review, I went back and saw the blurb that comes up when you search for this book, and the comparisons to Eleanor and Park and TFIOS. And while I loved both of those books and their authors, I think it's an unfair comparison to make. All the Bright Places has a love story,
While having just finished the book, I'm so tempted to talk about the ending and how it made me feel, I also don't want to give anything away. So...
So, I'll just say this: This is a remarkable book. Finch and Violet are both remarkable characters, struggling in their own remarkable ways. This is a story about so many things: Love, family, high school, mental illness, labels, stigma---but it doesn't beat you over the head with those things. Instead, it makes you think about them in a real and meaningful way, and how they apply to so many of us. It reminds you how hard high school was (and is), and how so often people don't choose kindness, because to do so would make them stand out. And nothing is worse when you're a teenager than being different and standing out for sticking up for someone who is different.
Again, without giving anything away, I don't know what to say about this book other than it is beautiful, thought-provoking, and incredibly honest. I loved Violet, and I really loved Finch. There were so many times I wanted to reach into the book and change things for them, comfort them, yell at people who weren't there for them.
Just...read this. Especially if you or anyone you know has struggled with mental illness or depression, and the judgment and stigma that are all too often associated with invisible disease. This book gets it.
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and yes it drives the book, but there's so much more to this than that. It's not just a sappy tear-jerker....it's so much more than that. (end mini-rant).While having just finished the book, I'm so tempted to talk about the ending and how it made me feel, I also don't want to give anything away. So...
So, I'll just say this: This is a remarkable book. Finch and Violet are both remarkable characters, struggling in their own remarkable ways. This is a story about so many things: Love, family, high school, mental illness, labels, stigma---but it doesn't beat you over the head with those things. Instead, it makes you think about them in a real and meaningful way, and how they apply to so many of us. It reminds you how hard high school was (and is), and how so often people don't choose kindness, because to do so would make them stand out. And nothing is worse when you're a teenager than being different and standing out for sticking up for someone who is different.
Again, without giving anything away, I don't know what to say about this book other than it is beautiful, thought-provoking, and incredibly honest. I loved Violet, and I really loved Finch. There were so many times I wanted to reach into the book and change things for them, comfort them, yell at people who weren't there for them.
Just...read this. Especially if you or anyone you know has struggled with mental illness or depression, and the judgment and stigma that are all too often associated with invisible disease. This book gets it.
Show Less
Awards
Soaring Eagle Book Award (Nominee — 2018)
Audie Award (Finalist — Young Adult — 2016)
Sequoyah Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2017)
Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 9-12 — 2017)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2016)
Gateway Readers Award (Nominee — 2nd Place — 2018)
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (Longlist — 2015)
Lincoln Award: Illinois Teen Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2017)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Teen — 2018)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2016)
Colorado Blue Spruce Award (Nominee — 2018)
Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature (Nominee — 2015)
Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award (Finalist — 2016)
Virginia Readers' Choice (Nominee — High School — 2018)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — 2016)
UKLA Book Award (Shortlist — 2016)
Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2016)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2017)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2017)
Beste Boek voor Jongeren (2016)
NPR: Books We Love (2015)
Best Fiction for Young Adults (Selection — 2016)
Read Aloud Indiana Book Award (High School — 2016)
Tayshas High School Reading List (Top Ten — 2016)
Nerdy Book Award (Young Adult Literature — 2015)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Teens (Fiction — 2015)
Young Adult Favorites Award (2016)
New York Public Library Best Books: For Teens (Fiction — 2015)
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (Fiction)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-01-06
Physical description
8.5 inches
ISBN
0385755880 / 9780385755887