All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a hard book to review. It definitely took me on a roller coaster ride! I was a bit skeptical when I started reading this book because of all the comparisons to The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. I sometimes caught myself comparing the aforementioned books to All the Bright Places as I was reading. These comparisons are a disservice to the book. It is a riveting story about friendship, mental health, and suicide.
Title: All The Bright PlacesAuthor: Jennifer Niven
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult Fiction
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Rating:
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.
❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃
Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
One of the things that I really enjoyed about All the Bright Places was the post-its of positivity. The main characters, Violet and Finch wrote positive things on post-it notes, like warmth, for example, and stuck them on the wall. They also wrote negative things, like label, and shredded them. This is a really inspirational thing to do, to rid yourself of all the negativity in the world and surround yourself with only positive thoughts.
❀ Virginia Woolf Quotes
Another fascinating aspect about All the Bright Places are the use of various Virginia Woolf quotes. Just to name one, “I am rooted, but I flow.” These quotes really make the story interesting to read. I love when other authors’ quotes are mentioned in another book. It’s really intriguing when there are quotes that relate to the plot of a book that was written by a different author. It makes the story more thought-provoking.
❀ Alternating Perspectives
All the Bright Places is one of those books with alternating perspectives. I love when I get to read the two completely different characters’ opinions on what is happening in the book. What is really unique about this book though, is that Finch and Violet have totally different takes on life. Finch likes to think about death and how he can die, and Violet awaits graduation day, her freedom to live her life and leave the lingering thoughts of her dead sister behind. This is so cool, because this book shows the reader that opposites attract. Two opposite characters fall in love. This is really interesting to me.
❀ Informative and Thoughtful
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is definitely a book to read while a box of tissues is available to you. It is a very informative thoughtfully written narrative about the importance of friends and those who care. There is also some useful information in the back of the book about mental health and suicide, that can be an important tool for those needing more details on the subject. This is a very touching book that anyone looking for a deep, thoughtful book should read.
About Jennifer Niven
Jennifer Niven is the author of two narrative non-fiction books, The Ice Master and Ada Blackjack; a high school memoir, The Aqua Net Diaries; and four historical novels for adults: Velva Jean Learns to Drive (based on her Emmy Award-winning film of the same name), Velva Jean Learns to Fly, Becoming Clementine, and the forthcoming American Blonde. Jennifer lives in Los Angeles . All the Bright Places is her first book for young adults.
About The Candid Cover
Olivia ❀ YA book blogger, Starbucks lover, novice New Yorker, & professional bibliophile.
Ahh this is one of my most anticipated reads for next month! I can’t wait to get to it!
I’ve never read a book that made me cry before, maybe this book will change that?
Btw, great review 🙂
I completely forgot I had this book on my TBR and after reading your review I think I’ll definitely read it as soon as possible!