All the Bright Places

Such an amazing and heart-touching book. I literally cried my heart out after reading this. The story beautifully shows love, pain, healing, and the silent suffering people carry inside. The characters feel so real that you emotionally connect with them from the very beginning. This book stays with you long after you finish it. Highly recommended for anyone who loves emotional, meaningful stories.

Very emotional and takes u places. The writing is so good.

But in the end one needs more courage to live than to kill himself.” ----Albert Camus Jennifer Niven, an American author, has penned a heart-breaking love story about two teenagers in her book, All the Bright Places that weaves a beautiful yet devastating tale of young love where both the primary characters are suffering from their own trauma yet their strange encounter brings them closer in a weird way but destiny has other and sad plans for these two innocent souls. Synopsis: 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. After reading this book, honestly speaking, I did not understand all those hype surrounding this book and the story. I mean, yeah, this book is going to break millions of hearts and is extremely emotional, but somehow the author could not portray her primary characters in a way they should have been, as they could have made the book much more brighter than its title or its book cover image. On my recent trip to Kashmir, I read this 400 pages long book, and felt so many hues of emotions that I've never ever felt before, after reading a contemporary fiction. Hence for that a huge round of applause goes to the author, Jennifer Niven, for depicting it so captivatingly. Theodore Finch is a kind of guy who is weird and thinks about strange things like death and ways of achieving it. And every time his plan of achieving his final goal is disrupted or rather say interrupted by something brighter, likewise, when he tries to jump from the ledge of his school's bell tower, he finds himself face-to-face with the most beautiful and popular girl of his school- Violet. Violet Markey is the kind of girl who would make her female peers jealous of her looks and popularity and the boys would go ga-ga over her cuteness, sweetness and brightness. Bu Violet can't wait to be done with high school and give wings to her dreams away from her hometown, Indiana, as this place haunts her of her sister's death because of which she can't stop blaming herself for her best-friend-cum-elder-sister's tragic death. Although her plans to get interrupted when she finds herself face-to-face with the crazy boy of her school, Theodore and somehow destiny saves them from their plans thus bringing them closer in the backdrop of their US geography class project to discover unknown and hidden wonders of their home state. But does always destiny ensure that happiness too come along with its way of events? The author's writing style is magnificent that is layered properly and cleverly with myriad of emotions that will pull the readers into the ocean filled with hear-felt fondness that will range from happiness to sadness to humor. The narrative is equally engaging and genuine that will make the readers feel the reality through them. The pacing of this book differs from something being too slow to too fast to moderate, but the smooth flow of the story will keep the readers glued to the pages of this book. The scenes of this book are wonderfully portrayed which will let the readers visualize them right before their minds' eyes. The characters in this book are honest and are drawn from realism, who will capture the hearts of the readers with their shortcomings and their grief. Finch is a teenager with a complex mindset and through out the course of this story, the readers might find it difficult to penetrate his labyrinthine of thoughts and emotions. Finch is not a regular guy, he is traumatized by the events of his life, thus making him obsessed about the idea of death and also to research about the whole idea of death. Yes, he is friendly but in a weird way and the conversations he have are equally strange but that doesn't make his boring or uninteresting, his real pain will push the readers towards him. Violet, on the other hand, is very clear about the way she wants to feel about things and the way she expresses her grief towards her sister's death is striking, but often, at times, she will confuse the readers with her real feelings. Well, the protagonists may be hard to penetrate through their minds but they will make the readers fall for them with their agony with life. Through the characters, the author tries to instill a strong message about appreciation of life to her readers and she has successfully delivered that as the readers are bound to think about the value of their lives. What can I say about Indiana as the glittering and vivid landscape of this state provides as a bright shelter to the sweet love story. The author has painted the backdrop strikingly which will make the readers feel like hopping from one wonderful destination in Indiana to another along with the protagonists. The romance is cheesy in the beginning, which is passionately and innocently arrested by the author with proper emotions. Most of the story is centered around this predictable teenage love story but thank god, near the end, the author diverts this love story towards something highly meaningful and even life-altering. In a nutshell, this unique story will not let the readers let go of the feelings that came along with it, even long after the end of this intriguing book and also this is the kind of story which you can return back to every single time. So when there is a downpour, I'm talking about the emotional one, not the natural kind, then this book will be your sole best friend to brighten up your day.

PLOT The plot was not the most unique plots that have ever amused the people on Earth but still it connected. It connected to the level I can’t possibly explain. I know it has something to do with my brain and the hormones it produced when I read this book but believe me they were good hormones. Two people accidently meet on the top of the Bell Tower, both trying to attempt suicide. Both of them don’t and then pair up for a school project which required the students to go to the major attractions of the town and note whatever they saw. The book survived only on this story and as I ‘m typing this I realize that this is the simplest plot I’ve heard of. Two people meet for a project and they fall in love. There was a single and tiny thing that I wanted to point out. ~THE TEXT IN RED IS A SPOILER TO THE BOOK ~ I didn’t like that in the end the author lets suicide win. It meant that anyone should end their life and just gain that peace that they’ve been searching for. It’s just a little thing that made me think about. ~ END OF SPOILERS ~ CHARACTERS Theodore Finch is one of the most complex characters in the fictional world. He does what he thinks is right and most of the time it isn’t close to right but his intentions are right, just the way he does what he does is a bit too loud, I guess. He is sure intelligent and knows what to do. (I’m talking about the book’s last part. The ones who have red this know what I mean!) Violet Markey is a girl who is still in the stage of grieving after 9 months of her sister’s death. She tries to commit suicide, unsure of really how to do it. She is talked through it by Finch and it saves her. She is a writer but she left writing anything after her sister’s death but after she meets Finch she starts writing again. I love the fact that they both complement each other and inspire each other to do something good. WRITING STYLE The writing style is so smooth that I never thought about it after the books starts; and it’s a good sign. A good writer’s story is the one you flow by reading and don’t really concentrate while reading. I read the book in almost 5-6 hours and that’s when I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted to know the end of the book and I wasn’t going to sleep and waste time so instead I stayed up late and read the whole book! And it was a blessing that all of the people in my house were sleeping and I was the one only awake because what came next couldn’t be seen by anyone. I ugly cried. Yes, I did. And you will too; unless you a) you have a heart of rock, or b) your tear glands don’t work. MY REVIEW This is one of the best books I’ve read in this year and I’m glad I picked though it being a contemporary novel (I don’t usually read those, but I’m GLAD I read this) YOU’LL LIKE IT IF:- You like contemporary reads. You like a short, sweet and romantic book You are okay of the fact that this book’s main plot contains suicide You are okay with the fact that you’d be ending your read with ugly crying You are okay with the fact that you probably have to read this book in some little corner of your room where nobody visits but you YOU’LL NOT LIKE IT IF:- You are not okay of the fact that this book’s main plot contains suicide You don’t like short and sweet books, you need something deep and thoughtful like a sci-fi read maybe. You are not okay with the fact that you’d be ending your read with ugly crying You are not okay knowing that you have to sit in privacy I give it 4.5/5 stars just because of that small problem.

All the Bright Places is a deeply emotional and beautifully written story about love, loss, and mental health. Jennifer Niven captures the raw, messy reality of two teenagers, Finch and Violet who find solace and understanding in each other. The book is equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful, and it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics like depression and grief. Finch's character, especially, stays with you long after the final page. This book made me cry, think, and appreciate the people in my life more. Highly recommend if you're looking for a powerful, poignant read that truly matters.

For quite some time I debated with myself before picking up this book. This title seems to be one of those which elicited extreme reactions. People either loved it or hated it and very few had the mid-point view on this. But I am glad that I did pick this up because I am one of those people who freaking loved it. Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are two most unlikely people who would meet and become friends. Theo is the school freak who assumes different personalities to sport each day and is fascinated by death. Violet Markey is the absolute opposite – or at least she was till her sister dies in a car crash and she is left feeling the survivor’s guilt. Yet one day they connect with each other on the ledge of the bell tower at school as they each end up there while contemplating suicide. Slowly they form a one of a kind friendship that is endearing. Then to spice things up, they partner up for a school project that takes them places. The plot is fun and emotional and intriguing and just wonderful - as are the protagonists. Finch’s life has been a tough one – he comes from a broken home with a father who couldn’t care less about him. And he is one of those people who care a little too much. He is a troubled teenager who may get on your nerves at times, but you cannot help but feel for him. Violet on the other hand doesn’t have the same background as Finch and is just going through a phase having survived a car crash that killed her sister. She is as different from Finch as she possibly could be both in nature and background. The author’s strength lies in making these ordinary yet quirky characters come alive in the book. She has made them feel real with the way she has developed them and the plot. Her narration style is beautiful and full of real and raw emotions. I can see why this book was compared to John Green’s books. Yes, it is quirky, it feels real, it oozes emotions of a wide range and they do go on adventures. It was all good for most of the part and then the water works started for me right towards the end – just like Fault in Our Stars. Yet there is something different about the way Jennifer Niven narrates her story and I would not want anyone to pick up with certain expectations from the book. She is very much her own person and this is her book. And Oh My! Even the author’s note in the end is just so touching! I absolutely loved this book.

Violet Markey was finding it very hard to act normally like before especially when the situation has changed altogether. After the death of her sister in a car accident, she has gone through a complete transformation, from being a vivacious girl who operates a writing blog along with her sister to a reclusive and isolated one who hasn't even enter into a car since then. Violet was the kind of person who loves to scribble down the finest of details. However penning down a single sentence has now become a torture for the seventeen-year old girl. Now after the demise of her beloved sister-cum-companion, she found herself trapped into an enclosed path, having no possible way out. Fixed in the cycle of mourning and loathing, she was trying to escape from her own past. Viciously stuck in her self-berating notions, one day, when she found herself standing on the ledge of the bell tower, it turned out to be the most dreadful dream of hers. Having found herself being saved by a boy, who was also there for some reason, was both shocking as well as astonishing for her. Theodore Finch, popularly known as Theodore Freak, was studying in the same Bartlett high school of Violet's. Because of all the notorious tasks he had constantly done, the high school authorities had kept him on detention and make sure to keep a constant vigil on his activities. The day he met Violet, standing on the other side of the ledge, looking lost and unconsciously deep in her thoughts, he felt an eerie urge to dive into her life. When given the project of visiting new and different places in Indiana, he deliberately selected Violet as his project-partner. Little did she know, that this project is going to completely shake her life. At first reluctantly but later with delight, she embarked on a new journey with this seemingly different boy. This is the story about the healing of a broken girl-one who was emotionally shattered and damaged- by a boy who succumb to his dreadful nightmare and couldn't save himself from drowning into the vast ocean of emptiness. This is the story of a boy and a girl who, with respect to the personal traumas, both of them have faced in their lives, were fiercely fighting with the mental instability and disturbance. Author has eloquently described the horrific thoughts and dilemmas they have gone through. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a boy, who in the process of struggling with his own troubles has beautifully made the girl embraced the bright side of life. Also this story would surely help the readers realised that it's not the mental problem but the absurd and unwanted situations one has to face in personal lives, that marked an everlasting effect on the mind of a person. The character of Theodore showed us how the disturbance in the family and social life has made one suffer to a great extent. On the other hand, Violet's story undeniably taught us the method of seeking positive vibes at the time of utter negativity. My Rating- 4.7/5

⭐ 3.5/5 I had put this book on hold for a long time. I didn't want to go back to YA, it can get a little addictive :) Reading high school romances with its cute dialogues, moments and stuff. I love to get lost in it sometimes, but then I get really lazy to get back to some serious reading. When I heard the Netflix movie is releasing, I knew that I HAD to read it before I watch it.⠀ ⠀ The story is about a girl named Violet, who recently lost her sister in an accident and has difficulty moving on with her life. She finds herself at the ledge of the school bell tower, almost ready to jump. And there she finds Theodore Finch, who helps her to get off the ledge. What follows is how Finch tries to get Violet back upon her feet, back to how she was again. And just as the novel states - 'As Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink'. As the book progresses, we see how Violet starts healing and Finch getting more mentally ill day by day.⠀⠀ ⠀ And just like everyone, I fell in love with Theodore Finch. He was witty, deep and romantic. And yes, I cried reading the book. I have heard mixed reviews on this book, saying how it romanticized mental illness. But I'll tell you what I did understand. It's not a book that deals with exactly what happens in the minds of people who go through mental illness or is suicidal. To me it felt like it kinda dealt with how to cope with the pain of losing someone, who you didn't expect to lose so soon and then moving forward in your life.⠀ ⠀ All in all, its a very quick read, with some beautiful lines and phrases. It did look like it was designed to be a movie, I think it will be a good one. If you loved 'The Fault in Our Stars', then this one is for you.