All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Published on January 6, 2015 by Knopf
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 378
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Find on Goodreads
Get it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3eZ3LUB

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.

Review

This book really surprised me because it made me divert my attention and just focus only on it. It may not be one of those books that will make me stay awake at night until I was able to finish it, but it sure caught my attention and made me cry. Yeah, you read it right, this story did make me cry, and thinking about it still makes me teary-eyed.

I can’t say that this story started boring, but I can’t also say it wasn’t, but one thing is for sure, this story is so well written. I was also surprised because it started with a male POV. In its first few chapters, all I could think of is that it made me feel refreshed and reminded me of Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl. Eventhough I still don’t know if it’s going to be a romance story, I still feel refreshed reading it for it’s quite different to the previous “intense” Adult Romance books I’ve been reading lately. But as I continue, I noticed this grave topic that most of us really avoids, and that is death. I’ve read about the male lead talking about some ways to die but I just brushed it off because I thought it’s just a passing thought on his part, but deym! I was so wrong. So those refreshed feelings that I’ve felt while reading those first few chapters instantly disappeared and I became cautious because I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I really don’t want to spoil you guys but I need to release this hollow thing that I am feeling right now, so please bear with me 🙂

When I was already on the part where the two main leads were introduced, Violet and Theodore (or also known as Finch) then they became girlfriend and boyfriend, I was really happy so I put my guard down. I’ve made some assumptions that maybe this time Finch will change his mind and finally change himself for Violet, but deym! I was attacked by this sudden change of events which left me heartbroken, which until now I can’t will myself to put myself back and pick up the pieces. It even reminded me on what I felt when I read Jojo Moye’s Me Before You. Deym!

This story made me understand some of the reasons why some people chose to end their lives, when someone didn’t even get the chance to live long enough because of an accident or because of illness. I have to say that I’ve got really no clue about this Bipolar Disorder that is being mentioned in this story, though I know it somewhat exists, I just plainly don’t know what it’ll do to a person, so I was so narrow minded about this suicidal thing. But reading this book made me understand about it and value others and my life more.

This book only has a handful of characters so you’ll absolutely be able to keep track of them easily. I don’t have any issues with the characters, no violent reactions and no hated characters. All of them portrayed their roles so well. For Finch, I really didn’t think that he has some disorder, I thought he’s just plainly weird. Half of the book he acted weird but normal to me, until the issue about his disorder came to question. I love that even if he is struggling with his disorder, he’s witty, funny and full of humor. I really love his character. I love that even though I find it really creepy and quite hilarious when he mentioned some of those ways to die, he was still able to influence Violet and let her be alive again after her sister’s death. Even if he’s struggling with his “illness” he was still able to make something for someone special to him. Oh my, I think I’m gonna cry again huhu.

Violet on the other hand, even if she doesn’t know it, is a tough girl. Even after what happens, her sister’s death and her boyfriend’s death, he chose to see the good sides and even if it’s too hard, he chose to live. I really can’t imagine what I would do if I were in her position, so I really salute Violet’s determination.

This story is not your typical love story, most people compare it to The Fault In Our Stars by John Green because of its tragic ending, but for me, there’s no other book I could ever compare it with (well, that’s based on those books that I’ve read so far *wink). You might be wondering where the remaining star is? Well, my reason is quite petty so please don’t make my ratings above change your mind about reading this book. My reason why I only gave 4-stars rating is plainly because of how it started; I felt neutral about it so I’m not really sure if I love it, or if it bore me. The ending was quite sad, but I can’t think of anything on how it’s gonna be so I guess it was fine.

This story might not be able to get my five-star rating, but it’s sure one of those books that I will forever remember. Read this book and find out why, and if you do, please come back and let’s cry together, huhuhu.

Favorite Lines

• I learned that there is good in this world, if you look hard enough for it. I learned that not everyone is disappointing, including me, and that a 1,257-foot bump in the ground can feel higher than a bell tower if you’re standing next to the right person.
• She is oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. The same elements that are inside the rest of us, but I can’t help thinking she’s more than that and she’s got other elements going on that no one’s ever heard of, ones that make her stand apart from everybody else.
• You make me love you. And that could be the greatest thing my heart was ever fit to do..
• You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.
• It’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.

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