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.
