All The Bright Places Review by Jenny Niven (Spoilers!)

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kyratopiabooks
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All The Bright Places Review by Jenny Niven (Spoilers!)

Post by kyratopiabooks »

Recently, I read All The Bright Places by Jenny Niven. The story is about a boy named Theodore Finch who is albeit weird, but the most interesting character in the story. He comes forma troubled family and befriends a girl named Violet Markey, the popular, smart, innocent, good-two-shoes. The story is told from alternating points of view between Finch and Violet as they travel Indiana in search of anything worth wandering for a school project that, like all stories, grows into something much, much more. But as Violet's life grows brighter with Finch, Finch's life seems to shrink. This contemporary novel covers heavy topics such as suicide and self-harm and is a great read for anyone looking for a not-so-fluffy contemporary.

(Spoilers!)
My first problem with the story was Finch and Violet's relationship. Finch was obviously in love with Violet and he showed her such as well. He says all of these sweet lines and really takes Violet out of her shell after Eleanor's death, but Violet is still hesitant befriend him. It takes more than half the story for her to accept that Finch truly is the right guy and even then it isn't enough. She is always worried and cautious, and I felt bad reading as Finch tried so hard to open her up. He really was a gentleman. I really disliked how Violet couldn't stand up for Finch in front of her friends or even her parents. She continued to let them rag on and on about this tendencies and how bad he was for Violet. Everything was just too little too late. Finch's death really surprised me-I was not at all expecting it. Even when Violet went to the Blue Hole to find him, I didn't believe he was dead. The ending after that was very anticlimactic and honestly, very TFIOS. How she receives the map of their wanderings much like how Hazel receives the letter Augustus wrote to Peter. I would give this story a 3.8/5 stars just because of the lack of character development and the anticlimactic climax. Nevertheless the book was a very nice and well written stand alone.
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Post by lennon_fontaine14 »

All The Bright Places is a mix of The Fault in Our Stars and Thirteen Reasons Why in my opinion. Both characters are smart just like Gus and Hazel and I remember Clay Jensen in the persona of Violet Markey and Hannah Baker in Theo Finch’s character.

It was unremarkey-bly beautiful and life-altering book that I’ve read. I am not saying that this the one-of-a-kind-i-need-book-two novel that I’ve read, more like this serve as an eye-opener to me and I do hope that you guys felt the same way. This book serve as a way for me to understand Finch- all the Finch that have been and are still in my life. The story of Violet and Markey have been close to my heart for I finally understood that I should not give up with my very own Finch. I never want him to feel so alone although I knew he felt like that every single day of his life.

It felt like there is something gnawing at my heart everytime I remember Theodore Finch. I was always render speechless every time it dawned on me that there are teenagers out there feeling like this- an empty feeling though you are alive, the anxiety like everything all around them is too much- the sound, colors, and people.

Jennifer Niven, I want to hug you right now.
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Laurawrites33
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Post by Laurawrites33 »

I was particularly impressed with Jennifer Niven's book. The story is heartfelt and heart wrenching, and explores the very real and sobering issue of teenage suicide. I listened to the book on audible and loved that the author provided an explanation of the reason why she wrote the novel. If you liked "Eleanor and park" and "the fault in our stars" you are likely to enjoy "all the bright places."
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Post by jk385506 »

This was a tough book for me to get through. For some reason, I did not enjoy it as much as everyone else seems too! It took me a long time to finish because it just didn't keep me interested.
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Post by bettiannasbookcrush »

Wow.. this book is truly a work of art. It was so captivating, I finished the entire book in a single day.. It's been awhile since I've found a book that's done that to me, if that has ever happened before. I was hooked instantly.

Finch is constantly thinking about death and ways to die and asking himself, "Will today be the day?" However, he always finds one thing that keeps him awake and alive. Violet, on the other hand, is always thinking about the future and counts the days until she graduates, and is mourning the death of her sister, Eleanor, who died in a car crash and is always asking herself if she could have done something differently that would have saved her.

They find out only that when the both of them save each other on the bell tower and team up for a class project, that they can finally be themselves around each other. Violet stop counting the days and starts to live more in the moment.

Violet and Finch were such lovely characters. Finch's humor and sarcasm made me fall instantly. But he was so mysterious - I usually HATE the fact that I don't fully understand a character, because it leaves me unsatisfied. However, I made an exception for Finch. He was just so amazing that I had to.

This book had me smiling, laughing, and crying throughout the whole story. And when I say crying, I don't mean a tear or two. I'm talking full-on SOBBING. I had to stop and put the book down a few times and recollect myself because it just broke my heart. I absolutely love when books do that to a person. But then again... THE PAIN.

*SPOILER ALERT*
This book is heavily based on suicide. I understand it's not a topic that is for everyone, but this book opened my eyes in unimaginable ways. It strips you down raw, straight to the core. Even if something like this bothers you, I recommend you give it a try because it's such an eye-opener.

*SPOILER ALERT*
I thought it was really sad how both of the protagonists couldn't share their feelings with an authority figure - mainly because they believed so strongly that no one would understand them. But there is always help out there for everyone.

I could go on and on all day about how great this book is, but I'll leave the rest for you to discover. You will definitely take something great from this book and put it into your life.
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Post by philianeo »

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I read it when I was 15, young. immature. finding myself. Looking at the cover, I thought that the book was very innocent, joy-filled, happy. Little did I know, it was as much about death as much as it was about joy. I had a great time reading this book. Every single moment that the characters went through, I felt that I went through. The joy that they felt, I kinda felt like I felt too, on a whole new level as compared to when I usually read book. The ending broke me. But, I do know, it was necessary. This book brings reality, and in reality, people die, and things don't go your way. As a teenager, I feel that these are one of the books that built my character, that taught me things about life that experiences usually would.
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Post by NikelKing »

I really loved this book - don't get me wrong - but I feel it was just a little too similar to "A Fault in our Stars". When I started the book and read all of Theodore's comments insisting that they were not going to date, I was really looking forward to a story exploring how they became the best of friends. That would have been a really new direction to take a YA book in my opinion, and I feel like the love angle did not add anything that a platonic story line did not.

Overall, I did really love the book but I feel a bit cheated out of a new story.
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Post by Marni Edmonds »

I cried.. and cried.. and cried.. it was a little too like TFIOS, but being such a loving John Green reader, I didn't mind the similarities. I believe the story is beautiful but Theodore's private moments didn't keep with the character all the time. He was always determined to put on a front in the presence of other people, but when the POV was switched to him, it would have been nice to see some more internal vulnerability. Overall, this is a great read for lovers of TFIOS, Paper Towns, Looking for Alaska... anything like John Green's books!
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Post by jessica_alese »

I am less than 100 pages away from finishing this book and so far, i think it is great! I stayed up for hours and read most of the book in one night and i was having such a hard time putting it down. I really love the way that the books flows and how whenever finch is at his lowest points violet is always there to pick him right back up. The main part i'm not so happy with is how how quickly he changes from one version of himself to another, I feel like i'm getting whip flash from thinking he's one version and in less than a chapter he's a completely different person.

Oveall though, i love it! i'l update this once I finish the book :)
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Post by Eya briki »

So this book is about a boy Theodore Finch who 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.
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