Perspective: 1st Person (divided between 2 main characters)
In-short: a boy and a girl meet through extraordinary circumstances and wander from there…
Moral of the story: Not all places are bright…
General Review:
I discovered geocaching recently so imagine my excitement when I realized this book was all about it. All the Bright Places was the first book I’ve read by Jennifer Niven and it did NOT disappoint. The way Niven so intricately writes about mental illness (suicide), is baffling. From someone who suffers from suicidal thoughts and anxiety, I actually had to keep putting the book down because it was too triggering for me to read in one sitting. It just goes to show that this is real. Mental illness is real. The stigma is real. And it affects more people in this world than you would think.
Theodore Finch has made it into my “favorite fictional characters” list. He’s spontaneous, he’s adventurous, he knows just what to say at the right time. He views the world and life from such a poetic perspective even after everything he’s been through. He’s clever and witty. He’s everything right in this world regardless of what he thinks of himself.
Violet Markey is head-strong. She’s lost and at a stand-still in her life before Finch comes along. She doesn’t know what she necessarily wants, but she’s creative & she’s magic in Finch’s eyes. She lives for the future but later learns to live in the moment. Pay attention to her character development throughout the story.
All the Bright Places was the first book I’ve ever read that spoke about suicide in such a detailed manner and I’m so grateful towards Jennifer Niven for creating such art. Jennifer Niven, if you ever stumble upon this small blog just know that you’ve touched my soul and many others. Thank you for your courage and art. It’s an amazing feat to write from different perspectives. It’s like having to climb into the characters’ heads and being them. (Also, I’ve read your Author’s Note, thank you for opening up.)
**Note: the following section will contain spoilers from the book! I just HAD to mention this but skip to “END” if you haven’t read the book yet!
In-depth notes:
When *character’s name* died, I was in shock. Although many of my friends said that this book would break me down and make me cry. It didn’t, I didn’t. And I think it’s because I know what it feels like. And so I understood. Although it did make me upset, I don’t blame him? Along with finding this new world past the Blue Hole, he took a small piece of me with him. I had faith that he would make it through because I saw characteristics of him within myself. And I was hoping that he would make it through to continue wandering, doing spontaneous things, and talking about fun facts that strangely related to the moment. But now he’s gone. The characters said that he did find his own world and that he’s still wandering. So that’s what I want to believe. But I can’t help but relate this to real life. It’s so hard, sometimes, for people to stay. It truly is.
END:
So if you haven’t thought about it yet, read the book. It will open your eyes to a whole new world of stigmatized mental illnesses. Finch and Violet’s relationship will leave you wanting to explore and find your own perfect days. Their story will make you feel alive but it will rip you apart at the same time. But this is the reality of it, this is All the Bright Places.
