All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

“Let me ask you something. Do you think there’s such a thing as a perfect day?”

For her first ever young adult novel, Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places is a masterpiece that would totally blow you away from start to finish. It’s the kind of story that stays with you for a long time, even forever.

So the story is about two teenagers, Theodore Finch and Violet Markey, both going through different struggles and ended up meeting on a ledge. They wander through the state of Indiana for a school project as partners and found each other a bright place in the long run.

The book was perfectly written by Jennifer in a way she would want her readers to feel as she did while writing it. The story will touch you in the way you don’t expect it. What makes it more amazing is that she wrote this based on her own story, of how she lost a boy whom she once loved. The characters, Theodore Finch and Violet Markey somehow, represent real people in the society, who are going through different struggles in life. Theodore, being that quirky, funny and bold boy, while Violet, the reserved, but longs-not-to-be-ordinary girl, resonate to some people who think it’s hopeless being alive until that one person makes you realize it’s still worth living. There could be times that some would find themselves in Theodore Finch’s shoes, and in Violet Markey’s at times, which makes reading it more personal.

The story really gave me a roller coaster of emotions. It’s witty and heart-gripping at the same time. Jennifer did a really good job in writing both POVs of Theodore and Violet, and the transitions to every chapter. She takes you to the world of the characters as if you were there, and makes you want to be there too, especially when they started wandering.

I felt torn between finishing and not finishing it. But I ended finishing it nonetheless. Prior to that, I stalled reading just so I wouldn’t have to end the story fast. When I got back to it, there was this tiny little voice at the back of my head of what was going to happen, while being denial. When I finished it, I was crying nonstop that I read the last few chapters again up to the acknowledgements. It was like I was expecting some twist or epilogue or just something. But no, none of that happened haha. It even took me weeks, months before I could move on with this book.

ATBP is kind of personal to me, just as how personal it is to Jennifer Niven. When I was going through something, this made me aware of my own emotions, of acknowledging them. That I was depressed, and I shouldn’t keep it all to myself. It was really hard to reach out for help and say I was not okay. That I wasn’t just sad. When Theodore Finch said this line,” I am broken. I am a fraud, I’m impossible to love,” I really felt that.

It took me 3 years to reread the book, as how it took years for Jennifer to find the perfect Finch of the film adaptation. Every time I opened its cover, I always felt a gush of emotions. That’s how big of an impact it gave me. Weeks before the movie came out, I had the courage to reread it. And it is true that rereading a book after so many years gives you a different perspective, but the emotions you’ve felt stay the same. It made me inspired to do what I can and want to do while I’m alive. It made me see a better perspective on life, and on mental health.

What made this book a real masterpiece, is that it talks about mental health and suicide openly and not provocatively. Rather it reminds you to reach out for help when you need one, and it takes courage to really seek help. But at the same time, you make a great step to healing yourself no matter how much time it takes. That you are not alone and no matter what happens, you are important. 

“You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”

So if you’re the type to read contemporary young adult books, then this is a must read. However, I would really recommend this to everyone especially to whoever is going through something. It’s the kind of book that is heart-wrenching, but you would love torturing yourself to read again and again. It really stays with you forever and is definitely a life-changing book. I hope this book will touch you in the way it did to me.

If you’d ask me to rate this book, it’s definitely more than 5.

Writer,

Thin Girl