All the Bright Places

Bibliography:

Niven, J. (2016). All the bright places: The story of a boy called Finch and a girl named violet. Ember.

Plot Summary:

Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the school bell tower and together they save each other. Finch is constantly thinking about death, but always seems to find something to keep him alive. Violet is dealing with grief from her sister’s death but also looking forward to graduating so she can leave her small town. Being partnered for a school project together, Finch and Violet form a friendship that turns into a romantic relationship. As Violet begins to grow and not remember her grief, Finch deals with things differently. 

Critical Analysis:

All The Bright Places is a story about mental health, grief with a love story intertwined. Finch and Violet are both relatable characters. As a reader, I was rooting for both characters throughout the story. Finch is someone that seems so full of life when he is with violet but inside he isn’t. I think it is so relevant in today’s climate because there are so many teenagers dealing with mental health issues and friends and family aren’t aware. I was hoping throughout the story that Violet would help and change Finch’s thinking, but he is constantly fighting those inner demons. In the author’s note at the end of the book, Niven writes that “In All the Bright Places, Finch worries about labels. There is, unfortunately, a good deal of stigma surrounding suicide and mental illness. Often, mental and emotional illnesses go undiagnosed because the person suffering symptoms is too ashamed to speak up, or because their loved ones either fail to or choose not to recognize the signs.” The ending of the story did bring up emotions, but I did feel a sense of closure. After reading the author’s note, I realized that this story wasn’t written as a love story with a happy ending but made to represent events that can happen.

Review Excerpts:

“Many teen novels touch on similar themes, but few do it so memorably.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The writing in this heartrending novel is fluid, despite the difficult topics…Finch in particular will linger in readers’ minds long after the last page is turned.” – School Library Journal

GoodReads Choice Awards Young Adult Fiction Category Winner

A TIME Top Young Adult Book of the Year

Connections:

Compare and contrast the book to the movie on Netflix.

Read other works by Jennifer Niven: Holding Up the Universe, American Blonde, and Becoming Clementine