Title: ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES
Author: Jennifer Niven
ISBN: 0385755880
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 378
Source: Private Copy
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.
This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.
Official Summary
05 December 2022
This book follows the characters, Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. The two characters meet at the top of the school’s bell tower both thinking about jumping. Later they are grouped into a school Geography project. The two soon grow close and must both learn to deal with the ups and downs of their lives.
This book was recommended to me by a friend and it has been sitting on my shelf for a couple of months but I decided it was finally time to pick it up. I am super glad I made that decision because I think this book will easily be in the top ten books I have read for the year. It is a very sad book and there is mention of suicide so maybe read trigger warnings before reading this book just in case.
The two characters for their geography project must find the wonders in their state, Indiana
This book will have you feeling a rollercoaster of different emotions. This book will honestly change the way you view certain things in your life. I think this is the closest I have gotten to crying in a book, ever. I read this book in less than twenty-four hours as I just could not put it down.
Theodore Finch is considered the weird guy in school, the guy who doesn’t dress or act like everyone else and therefore gets the nickname Theodore Freak. He was probably my favourite character just because he was never afraid to be who he was and do whatever it is he wanted despite all the mental struggles he had.
Violet Markey was a very complex character, she is dealing with her sister’s death and is trying her best to cope with it all. There were times when I just want to hug her and tell her everything is going to be okay.
Overall I one hundred per cent would recommend this book to everyone. I feel like it is a good representation of mental illness and I think everyone could learn a thing or two from reading this book. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
Also by Jennifer Niven
Holding Up the Universe
Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for every possibility life has to offer. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.
Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.
Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.
About The Author
Author Bio from the Author’s Site
Jennifer Niven is the Emmy Award-winning #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of eleven books, including YA novels All the Bright Places, Holding up the Universe, Breathless, and Take Me With You When You Go (with David Levithan). Her books have been translated in over 75 languages, and All the Bright Places has won literary awards around the world, including the GoodReads Choice Award for Best Young Adult Fiction of 2015. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Time Magazine, NPR, the Guardian, Publisher’s Weekly, YALSA, Barnes & Noble, BuzzFeed, the New York Public Library, and others, and was the #1 Kids’ Indie Next Book for Winter ’14-’15. The film starring Elle Fanning, Justice Smith, Luke Wilson, and Keegan-Michael Key, is currently streaming on Netflix, with a script by Jennifer and Liz Hannah (The Post).
Jennifer is currently writing the screenplay for the movie version of Holding Up the Universe and working on her fifth novel for young adults. She also oversees Germ, a literary and lifestyle web magazine for age high school and beyond that celebrates beginnings, futures, and all the amazing and agonizing moments in between. Her previous works include four novels for adults, as well as three nonfiction books. She divides her time between coastal Georgia and Paris, France, with her husband and literary cats.
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