All the Bright Places Review

All the Bright Places- Jennifer Niven
Published: 2015
3.5 out of 5 Stars

 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 wasn’t my first time reading All the Bright Places. I read it about 4 or 5 years ago and I remember loving it. This time reading the novel, I still very much enjoyed it, just maybe not as much. Niven’s writing style was very easy to read, however, it just didn’t seem very mature or advanced. It was just very simple language and maybe that it because very heavy topics were discussed like mental illness, death, suicide, etc. It was nice to see two different types of depression with Violet and Finch. Being able to see inside their mind interchangeable allows readers to see not only a mind of someone with a mental illness, but also someone on the outside of their life. A book dealing with Bi-Polar Disorder is also not very common. I feel like most are often depression and anxiety, so I’m always interested in reading about other mental illnesses that aren’t so common. I’m so interested in psychology, I love reading books on the mind.

There were subtle details throughout the book that definitely elevated the novel. Little things like the post notes between sections and the subtitles of each chapter changing. These little details had meanings that added to the story.

I definitely thought this book was enjoyable, but maybe not the best book dealing with mental illness. I do think it was more realistic with the book ending in a not so happily ever after for both characters. I think there needs to be more books with disappointing endings because it feels more honest.

Have you read All the Bright Places? What were your thoughts? What are some other books you recommend that deal with mental illness?