All the Bright Places: The intense, gripping YA romance from the bestselling author

Wow. Wow. WOW. I mean it. Wow. It's been a while since I read this. I fell behind on my reviews, and so even though I read this back in January, I'm only just getting around to writing the review. I'm glad that I had time to reflect on this book, though. Because sometimes my initial reactions to a book, don't hold up, and when I look back at a review, I think maybe I was a little too gushing over it, or a little too harsh. However, time has passed, and I've been thinking about what to say in this review and the word that pops into my head when I think of this book, is wow. Beautiful. Emotional. Engaging. Engrossing. Stunning. Breathtaking. All of those words are also ideal to describe this book. If you've read some of my reviews before, then you'll know that I tend to love books that have the ability to make me laugh and cry. I love the books that grab me and pull me in, and have a lot of emotions written into them. For a long time, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has been my favorite book, and when I read Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson, I told my sister, as a way of describing what I thought of it, that it was on par with The Fault in Our Stars. When I finished this book and she asked me what I thought, I said, this book just beat The Fault in Our Stars. From start to finish this book was a page turner. It had me holding my breath, sitting on the edge of my seat. Crying until I had to stop reading because I couldn't see the page. It made me smile and laugh, and want more. It made me want to read it again the moment I put it down. The story is beautifully and emotionally written. The characters pull you into their world because they feel so real. The pacing was spot on. There wasn't one scene that I felt was slow, or uninteresting. Everything had its place and everything fit perfectly with everything else. If you haven't read this book yet, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Jenifer Niven’s 'All the Bright Places' starts off with its two main characters meeting, by chance, at the top of the bell tower of their school, from which each was contemplating jumping. They don’t, and that’s the mainspring of the story. Niven tells it powerfully, through the voice of each of the two in turn, not always in strict alternation, but always one or the other taking the narrative on or commenting on the same events from another point of view. They frequently use the present tense, giving the events they describe a powerful immediacy. It’s a tribute to Niven’s skill that she was able to create two distinct and believable voices in this way, and let them interplay so effectively. The first voice we hear is that of Theodore Finch, known as Finch, but by the many who dislike him in his high school as Theodore the Freak. There is a hint of why he’s viewed as freaky when he tells us ‘I don’t remember climbing up here. In fact, I don’t remember much of anything before Sunday, at least not anything so far this winter. This happens every time – the blanking out, the waking up… I can’t tell you what was different this time around, only that when I woke up, I felt deader than usual. Awake, yeah, but completely empty, like someone had been feasting on my blood.” Finding out just what he means by being asleep or awake is the main discovery we make about Finch as we work our way through the book. Violet Markey, on the other hand, is popular with everyone. She had, indeed, been a cheerleader until her life was blighted by a single, stark, shocking event for which she blames herself and with which she can’t come to terms. It is her pain that drives her, too, up to the top of the bell tower where she will find Finch, starting the relationship in which they learn so much about and from each other. At first, I was concerned about what kind of book I was going to read, not least because it was recommended to me by my thirteen-year old granddaughter. I wasn’t sure we had the same taste. Was this merely another of those cookie-cutter high-school kid stories? Young people at the end of their school days coming to terms with the urges that overtake adolescents, with the responsibilities of entering the adult world, with the hopes and disappointments around them? Were we going to get lots about makeup and baseball and love and sex in long conversations in coffee shops? But 'All the Bright Places' only shares its background with those boilerplate tales. It is something far deeper and far more compelling: an account of two young people trying to deal, in completely different ways, with two different types of suffering; of their finding joy and hope and disappointment and despair; of handling them with humour and wit and insight. It’s an immensely funny, deeply poignant and strongly inspiring book which tells us a great deal about much we need to understand, while both entertaining and moving us as it does so. Above all, it’s well worth reading. My granddaughter was right.

Having read The Fault in Our Stars, this book was recommended to me and it was worth it! This is a difficult subject to write about and it’s done brilliantly and sensitively. Mental health is so hard to understand, unless you or someone you love experiences it and this story shows how cruel the world can be to people who don’t fit their ideas of normal and also how easy it is to hide issues. The relationship of Violet & Finch has so many elements, with humour, romance, tragedy and ultimately hope. Definitely a tear jerker for me and I expect the film to be equally emotional.

Love this book, so good would recommend it (and the film)

Where, oh where, do I begin with this beautifully written, think-about-it-for-days novel? I won't cover the plot, nor will I go into much detail. It's not necessary. What I can tell you, as someone who sometimes enjoys a light YA read (at 29yrs old), has a long and continued history with mental health problems and who - much to my regret - rarely find books which pull me in and take me down with them, this one took me by surprise and ended up drawing me into a world which felt familiar and yet so wonderfully created to seem new. The novel covers mental health, that much is obvious, and the intricacies some sufferers find themselves tangled within; it offers to the reader two young people with very different lives who connect and create a deep (and beautifully cultured by Ms. Niven) bond through difficult and sometimes dark circumstances, likeable characters who I came to love deeply by the end (particularly Finch, whom I could identify with on almost every level); it also brings a sense of hope amidst all of the gritty, complicated corners, even when you don't expect it to. I was charmed, to the point where I bought it yesterday, finished it last night and am going to read it again after I finish this review. What can I say? Ms. Niven's easy, flowing prose and the exquisite twisting of this story have me sold entirely. Take a risk if you're looking for an easy read with a lot of bite. Go into it with no expectations, and come out of it wishing for so much more, in so many ways. A final word: take care reading if you've experienced bereavement of a close family member, mental health issues or suicide ideation. It can cut a little close to the bone at times, even for a YA novel.

I don't even know where to begin reviewing this book. This is one of the most beautiful, heart wrenching stories I have ever read. I don't often cry while reading a book, but I made the mistake of reading this one on the train. By the end, I had to keep looking out the window so people wouldn't see me wipe away tears. Finch and Violet are the `freak' and the `popular girl' in this story, but not in any way comparable to other young adult novels. They are both dealing with issues that no one else seems to really understand. I liked how the book showed that the adults were trying to understand, but could never really get it. Jennifer Niven wrote a, to me, very accurate, realistic representation of how the world deals with mental illness. The story is very dark at times, and light and funny at others. (The book in itself was, at least to me, a terribly great metaphor for depression and other mental illnesses.) Both Finch and Violet were very complex, intriguing characters, and the character development throughout the book was amazing. Jennifer Niven writes well, and the story seemed to flow very naturally. Everything about the characters, their pain and suffering, was genuine and real. I loved this book so much that when I finished it, I went on to read the Author's Note (something I hardly ever do). If you do read this book, and you should, don't skip Jennifer Niven's Author Note! My heart took a massive beating while reading this book, but I don't regret reading a single word.

I never ever ever usually review anything on here - i just make my purchases and never think twice. But honestly now i feel that this book has left me in such a speechless and awed state that i need to tell everyone to go buy it immediately. Firstly, i am crying right now. As in sobbing. As in a wet face from a mixture of tears and snot because of this book and i have been that way for a good 40 minutes. But thats okay because everyone needs to get a cry out every oncein a while and honestly im not sure whether they're happy or sad tears - happy for having gotten to know the characters or devastated at what happened to them? Yes this all seems very melodramatic but this is what this book has done to me and i beg you to let it do it to you too. I found myself rooting for Violet Markey and Theodore Finch from the get-go, mostly because of Niven's charming writing style that makes you fall in love with her characters. There were so many twists and turns and the parallels between the two teenagers lives is intriguing to read. This book has honestly changed my perception of the world and i think Finch's song for Ultraviolet is one of the most beautiful and devastating pieces of literature i've read. Its one of the best books i've read in a long time and i implore anyone whose into romantic YA novels to get on this one imediately.

Violet Markey contemplates throwing herself off the bell tower of her school. Theodore Finch, himself about to do the same, talks her down and they continue with their lives. This chance encounter develops into a dynamic friendship with Finch, based on his insistence that they work together on a school project to profile some of Indiana’s lesser-known sights. So far, so John Green. But the main hook of this story is the character of Finch. Through swapping narratives, Finch and Violet, we see that Finch is a troubled soul, and one that is always looking for more, for the next thrill, or a meaning to life. He is well-read and can seemingly change his personality or manner depending on the people or his mood. Mostly he just doesn’t care, playing up to the ‘freak’ tag at school, which seems to matter more to other people than Finch himself. Violet herself has become a little lost since the tragic death of a family member, and is on the countdown to leaving school and the state and going to college as far away as possible. Finch provides some inspiration and motivation to the girl that thought of throwing herself off the bell tower. For a book with this title, All the Bright Places is incredibly dark at times, Finch’s facts about suicide a constant feature of his narrative. The author’s main objective in writing this book, apart from writing a compelling story, was to talk about the stigma of suicide, which is close to her life, and how it affects not only the people who die or have suicidal thoughts, but also the families. Both Violet and Finch’s families are to the fore here, explaining a lot of their contrasting outlooks on life. All the Bright Places is a great read, and one that stays with you for a long time after.

“The thing I realize is, that it's not what you take, it's what you leave." This is one of those books that is difficult to review because it's so utterly beautiful and gut-wrenching that no amount of words will do the book justice. Every single line in this novel is quote-worthy, and is life-changing. Seriously, when you read this book (and you should be reading it right this second), your eyes will be opened and you'll realize how breathtaking the writing is. Ms. Niven knows her way with words, and the story she has created will sweep you off of your feet. You might not realize at first how much you are enjoying the story, and then suddenly...BAM! It hits you. You might need to put it down for a second to do something, but you'll find that you can't because you need to find out what will happen to these characters and make sure things turn out okay (even though you know deep down that the conclusion won't be that okay). Honestly, this book will give you an experience like no other, and it is an experience everyone needs to have. “The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.” This novel follows Finch and Violet. Finch lives between states of the Asleep and the Awake, while Violet lives between states of Before and After. You can find out what exactly that means when you read, but they are just what the other needs. These characters are suffering in their own unique ways, and it reminds you that just because a person might look alright on the surface, you don't truly know what is going on beneath the mask they put on in their daily life. Finch and Violet go through many hardships, some of which they go through together, while others they must go through alone, but it is a beautiful thing to read and witness. Both characters had so much depth, a depth that takes many authors to establish over an entire series. But, Ms. Niven does it in one book. And that is something to admire. “You know what I like about you, Finch? You’re interesting. You’re different. And I can talk to you. Don’t let that go to your head.” … “You know what I like about you, Ultraviolet Remarkey-able? Everything.” The romance between Violet and Finch shines off the pages, and is beautiful. I don't even know how to express how much I loved them as a couple. Violet and Finch were destined to meet, and they were meant for each other. They brought things out in each other that no one else could, and isn't that the point behind a solid relationship? “You have been in every way all that anyone could be.… If anybody could have saved me it would have been you.” Now onto the ending. It broke me, plain and simple. I knew what was going to happen. Deep down, I really knew. But, did it make it any less heartbreaking...no. That being said, it was amazing. I don't usually cry during books, but the entire ending of this novel brought tears to my eyes. I was simply in awe of how meaningful and deep the ending was. There really are no words to describe what you experience, you just have to read and find out. “Sometimes there’s beauty in the tough words—it’s all in how you read them.” This book deals with very difficult subjects, but Ms. Niven handles everything with a grace and gentle hand. She doesn't shy away from things, or make things lighter. But she does give the reader something to think about by the time they are finished reading. This to me is the hallmark of an amazing book. I am so grateful that I read this book, as it reminded me the importance of living our lives to the fullest and to always appreciate the small things. So go forth and wander...whether it's to the bookstore to get this book, or just someplace you've never been. You'll get why I said that after you read this book. And most importantly: “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 bump in the ground can feel higher than a bell tower if you’re standing next to the right person.” Happy reading :)

Omslaget till boken kom trasigt, som om någon klippt i det högst upp

My book came damaged and had a big rip from The side

It is very rare for a book to make me cry, but this one brought me to tears. It is a devastatingly beautiful story about two teenagers who suffer from depression who find each other and fall in love. As Violet and Finch fell in love with each other, I came to love the both of them, as I'm sure you will too. They are such real characters that you can't help but care about. They feel so real and alive on the page, and their story becomes your story as well. All The Bright Places is not a book to read if you want something happy. It is educational and hopeful and powerful, but it is also incredibly heart-breaking. Violet and Finch will stay with you long after you finish the book, and you will feel the loss. I am both grateful and regretful that I read this book. On one hand, it is an amazing story. On the other hand, I feel like I just lost a friend. Jennifer Niven is an incredibly talented author and I hope she pursues more YA books in the future. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more on depression and mental disabilities, or anyone who is suicidal and/or has lost someone to suicide.

um dos melhores livros que ja li em toda minha vida, um romance que aborda importantes assuntos socias como depressão, suicidio e bipolaridade. Sua historia te prende do começo até o final, impossivel não se emocionar! Recomendo para todos aqueles a procura daquele livro que vc não consegue parar de ler nem por um segundo.