All The Bright Places: a book review
Just imagine: two suicidal17-year-olds forever changed by friendship, love and exploration. That (and a million other themes) makes up All The Bright Places exactly. You can't help but fall in love with both Finch, a strange gangly senior, and Violet, a quiet girl with the perfect boyfriend and exclusive invitation to the popular squad.
What could possibily make these two utterly different teenagers cross paths? The belltower.
Violet Markey is preparing for college, counting down the days until she gets to walk across the stage and graduate. She is ready to leave their small town in Indiana, and even more ready to get away from the constant grief over her sister's death 9 months ago. But she can't stop thinking that Eleanor's death was somehow her fault. If only she hadn't suggested driving home THAT way, maybe she would still be here. Violet picks the lock, climbs the stairs to the belltower and climbs over the edge to look down. Frozen in fear at how close to death she is, she sees Theodore Finch in her perphieral vision, also over the edge of the tower.
Theodore Finch, the class clown, the "weirdo," the one who is always disappearing from school weeks at a time. This isn't the first time Finch has been up on the belltower's ledge, but it is the first that he has had a companion. Finch has grown up with an moody father, less-than-present mother, older troublesome sister and younger curious sister. Oh, and he is fascinated by death. Finch knows all the suicide statistics, what methods work, what methods are favored in different countries and what famous poets and artists have killed themselves. Much of his dialogue in this book is him thinking of ways he may end his life. Pills, jumping, drowning? What will be his method of choice? No matter what he chooses, something always stops him from going all the way.
On this particular day, it's Violet Markey.
The two students clinging to the high school's belltower attracts an audience below. After Finch safely talks Violet off the ledge, the news that Violet Markey is the hero spreads. Apparently, SHE talked the suicidal loser Finch out of ending his life. But, Finch is awe-struck by Violet. He wants to know more about her and more importantly what she was doing on the ledge. Luckily, they have class together and when their teacher announces their final project, one that orders them to discover the "natural wonders" of the state of Indiana, Finch claims Violet as his partner.
Violet and Finch soon realize they have more in common than they think (including their failed attempts to sleep at night). They travel through the state of Indiana creating a friendship along the way. The story takes on twists and turns and will take you for quite the rollercoaster ride, emotionally and literally.
Finch is trying his hardest not to let depression take him under again. He counts the days that he is "awake" and alive. Meanwhile, Violet counts down the days until graduation but casually forgets to mark them off her calendar the more time she spends with Finch.
Jennifer Niven's book is heavy with loss and deals with mental illness and suicide. While reading, you will explore the broken lives of Theodore Finch and Violet Markey and effortlessly fall in love with the two main characters. At least, my mom, Allie and I all did! It is hard not to. As our summer comes to an end, I am thankful that all three of us read this masterpiece and allowed ourselves to converse about some difficult topics.
WARNING: This book will forever change you. Have tissues nearby because you are destined to cry.