Review | All the Bright Places

I can't stop banging on about this book! I don't know whether it's the love story of Finch and Violet, the heart-wrenching and controversial theme of suicide or the use of my favourite thing - words. I just love it, and so I thought I'd write a post about it.

All the Bright Places is a YA contemporary novel by Jennifer Niven. It centers around the relationship of Theodore Finch and Violet Markey. Finch is a 'freak' to a lot of people at school and regularly changes his image (I think I liked him because he does something that I do - he writes down a lot of things on post-it notes and really sees the beauty in words). Finch says violet is cheerleader popular, but beneath it all she is sad and troubled by the recent death of her sister, Eleanor. The novel starts with Finch and Violet both on the ledge of the school bell tower. Finch is contemplating jumping from the ledge and so is Violet, but eventually Finch persuades her to get down. Every time Finch attempts to kill himself, something stops him. The novel follows as they are paired together for a school project where they have to discover the natural wonders of their state. They visit all different places - the beautiful and the ugly - leaving behind little souvenirs as they go. They fall in love and constantly message each other on the internet and talk in Finch's bedroom. It is inferred within the novel that Finch suffers bipolar disorder. Violets world begins to shine brighter with Finch in it, but Finch's world begins to shrink with every turn of the page...

I wouldn't want to give too much away, but this novel does deal predominantly with suicide and suicidal thoughts that may be upsetting to some readers. For me, the novel was enlightening and I personally feel its important to deal with 'mental health issues' as they can be helpful to people suffering from them, and make you understand that you aren't alone.

This is the kind of novel that I will usually pick up at a book store and crack on reading straight away. I am a sucker for a bit of romance, combined with quirky characters and a tearful plot. There is just something about these books that gets me. I wouldn't say I had any exceptions when I picked up this book as I hadn't even heard of it before. Nevertheless, I was very impressed and it will stick with me for a VERY long time. It has made a big impression on me.

I really don't know if I can do this novel justice. All I can say is that if you aren't easily offended, it's a must-read. The story is so beautifully told, shifting between Finch's perspective and Violet's, in an exciting and unique way. I couldn't bear to put it down. 

***** 

"She is oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The same elements that are inside the rest of us, but I can't help thinking she's more than that..."

"I am broken. I am a fraud. I am impossible to love."

"You are all the colors in one, at full brightness."

"Lovely."