Book: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven | My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
TRIGGER WARNINGS: depression, suicide
Synopsis: 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.
My Review:
This book is now one of my all time favourite books, and the only contemporary novel on that list. I LOVED this book so much, I know it’s one of those books that I’m going to hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.
For me to like a contemporary novel, it has to be REALLY good or else I tend to get bored. For me to say a contemporary is one of my favourite books I’ve ever read? I’m genuinely shocked and over the moon. This book is better than I had hoped for, and I already had high expectations for it.
The characters felt SO real, I adored Finch and Violet both together and as separate characters. I believed they were in love; it didn’t feel forced or like insta-love, which I always hate, this was genuine love for each other and it was paced perfectly. Finch is one of those characters that is never going to leave me, he has such a memorable voice and I love him.
The writing and the story was, as Finch would put it, lovely. I felt myself relating to both Finch and Violet, they were both amazing, distinct characters. I was concerned at first because this book is in two perspectives written in the first person and I was worried I might mix them up, but Niven did a fantastic job of making them sound different from each other, I always knew who was speaking even if I forgot to look at whose perspective the chapter was in. Their relationship reminded me at times of a relationship I had, so their story together feels quite personal and relatable to me.
I think this book is an important read, it looks at mental health issues and the stigma surrounding it. It discusses how physical diseases/problems are more socially acceptable than mental illnesses such as depression, and does this by actually STATING it, not even just a metaphor or anything. Niven didn’t romanticize mental illness, and shows us that loving someone cannot “cure” their illness, which is something so many authors do, especially when discussing depression and I’m SO thankful that she kept this real.
I would highly recommend this book, but be ready to bawl your eyes out! I know I certainly did and when I rered it in the future I’m sure I’ll sob all over again. But that’s how you know a book is great; when it makes you feel.
“When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don’t seem to matter very much, do they?”
