Author: Jennifer Niven
Genre: Romance, Young Adult
Published on: January 6, 2015 by Knopf
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 is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.
I first heard about this book because of its 2020 film adaptation. It sounded interesting, so I bought the book to read first. All the Bright Places is a YA romance set in a small Indiana town. The protagonists are Theodore Finch and Violet Markey. They’re two high schoolers who meet one fateful day. Finch and Violet run into each other at the top of their school’s bell tower. The story is told from their alternating first-person points of view.
Just what were these two doing up there? From the start, we learn that Finch has a strange fascination with death. He went up to the tower to see what it’d be like to kill himself from a fall. The guy's not depressed or hopeless, just curious. One's got to admit someone who has thoughts like these must have some issues. Finch decides not to jump off. He then turns and spots Violet on the other side of the tower. She's not someone Finch expected to ever find there. It looks like Violet really will jump off. Finch manages to talk her down. By this point, several students have realized what’s going on.
It doesn’t take long before the whole school knows about the bell tower incident. Contrary to what happened, they believe Violet saved Finch’s life. He doesn’t bother to correct anyone. Finch and Violet see each other again in their geography class. When Mr. Black gives the class an assignment to go sightseeing around Indiana, Finch enlists Violet as his partner. He feels a certain kinship with her. Violet was hoping to skip the project, though. She was in a car accident with her older sister, Eleanor, almost a year ago. Violet survived, but unfortunately Eleanor didn’t. Later, the book reveals the two sisters were partners on a personal project. Since Eleanor’s death, Violet has lost her love for this project.
For the geography assignment, Finch takes charge of deciding where he and Violet will go. The latter feels a little surprised at his attention. Finch has an eccentric reputation. Several people even call him Theodore Freak. Finch strikes me as a guy with an identity crisis. We’re told he showed up to school one day painted completely red. It wasn’t even Spirit Week. On another occasion, Finch wore a cape to school. While Finch isn’t mentally ill, he isn’t of completely sound mind. Finch has bipolar disorder, but refuses to put any label on himself. He just refers to his (sometimes long) episodes as the Asleep and the Awake.
Even though Finch’s the one who most needs help, he hangs around Violet a lot to make sure she’s okay. Finch wants to keep Violet from trying to kill herself again. He knows what happened with Eleanor. Finch goes out of his way to show Violet the world is still a bright place. He helps her make a few crucial breakthroughs. Finch and Violet also fall for each other the longer they spend together. That was not their intention; it just happened. I think Finch was drawn to Violet’s charm and brightness. He takes to calling her “Ultraviolet Remarkey-able", which I found cute, silly or not. It’s also quite truthful. Violet is a remarkable, anything-but-ordinary kind of girl.
All the Bright Places was a charming and bittersweet story. Violet and Finch are two of the most original characters I’ve read about. Finch is the more unique one. I’ve never read a book in which a main character has bipolar disorder. I was curious about Finch’s view of the world. He’s a guy who needs compelling reasons to stay alive. Death is just too tempting to Finch. Will he end up giving in one day? As for Violet, she isn't fascinated by death. It took her sister, so that was understandable. Violet just needed someone to show her how to live again. I rooted for her. Violet Markey deserves to be happy. Will she and Finch find what they’re looking for? I really enjoyed this book. If you’re a fan of YA romance or finding-yourself stories, All the Bright Places is the book for you. I strongly recommend it.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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