"ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES" - JENNIFER NIVEN, BOOK REVIEW X

I'd heard so many good things about this book before I got it for Christmas and I was so intrigued to find out what was so good about it.

The book itself is written back and forth from the viewpoints of Finch and Violet which I loved. I loved reading it from both points of view because I felt like I could understand both of them whilst understanding them both together as one person at the same time.

I'm the type of person who gets very emotionally invested in a book and it's characters and that might be one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. I'm not going to give away the story or the ending (in case anyone is considering reading this) but I'll tell you about the main storyline.

Theodore Finch and Violet Markey meet on the ledge of their school's bell tower - Finch is a troubled character, one who could be seen as careless or reckless about his own life but I don't think his reason for being on the bell tower was to actually jump off at that moment. 

Violet, on the other hand, finds herself on the bell tower after struggling with the death of her sister but standing on the ledge, she's scared and panicked and Finch encourages her to come back. Throughout the book, Finch tries to show Violet all the good things in life that she's lost sight of but at the same time, he is spiralling downwards into his own black hole. 

"The story of a girl who learns to live from a boy who wants to die"

Honestly, I think this is my favourite book. Although I will warn you that you have such a mixture of emotions throughout and one point had me crying like the characters were real and I, myself, was Violet Markey - I felt strangely enlightened and uplifted at the end. 

"Even when we weren't wandering, you showed the world to me"

When reading this, don't read it as if it is about the facts - look deeper. It wants you to look at the lighter things and at the brighter places. It's about Finch showing Violet what there is to live for even if he can't see it himself and that she needs to live for everyone that she loses because the memories of a person is what keeps them alive. 

Above everything, it teaches you to speak up if you feel something's wrong. It includes various different countries and their suicide helplines in the back of the book in the 'Authors Notes' where Jennifer Niven explains her experience with losing those she loves - both to fatal disease and suicide. She has done such a wonderful job with this book which can be read in so many different ways - some people may not like it and they may not be able to read between the lines and see past the facts, but that's fine, because however you read it you will still get something out of this book. Don't be scared to read about mental health and suicide because it's definitely something that needs to be read about and understood more - a fictional book can be a good way to start.

I'll be re-reading this book in no time, I highly recommend it. It's gave me a lot to think about for the next year ahead of me - I'm going to start looking for all the bright places too.

Theodore Finch, April 3. "Today is your day. You're off to great places! You're off and away!... Your mountain is waiting, so... get on your way!"