'All the Bright Places' by Jennifer Niven

Amazon / Goodreads

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!
 
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.

Includes a PDF Help Line Resource Guide and a Note Read by the Author.

I really liked the characters. Finch and Violet were interesting, three-dimensional characters. They had personality and past. 

Violet was similar to me in one aspect. Writing. But that's where the similarities end. I don't know how I could cope if I lost a sister as close to me as Violet and Eleanor were. (But I don't have siblings...) She went through a lot of trauma.  I can't imagine the pain. And she couldn't cope. Not without experiencing life with Finch. I liked that, though. She experienced life all over again. Or...she experienced life...in general. We saw her change. She broke out of the shell that was left after Eleanor's death. She became Violet. A smiling Violet. A creative Violet. 

Finch. Wow. I liked his character. A lot. He was interesting. He had a past. And a great personality. He kept reinventing himself. Which is what I would love to do. Become someone new every few days. And he was very gungho. He kept seizing the day. (Carpe diem!) He was interesting. He kept living every day like it was his last. But I don't feel like he had bipolar disorder. Unless the Asleep is a metaphor for depression... Hm. Interesting. I'm not sure about that, though. I'm also wondering what the Asleep is. A medical condition? Or depression? I'm not sure. I also am wondering why he wanted to kill himself. I can't figure it out. He didn't seem that suicidal. But you can't always tell. Which is the hard part. 

The wandering was pretty cool. I liked that a lot. I like traveling. So I enjoyed when they traveled and left something behind. (I should do that... That is actually a really good idea. You enjoy the area and give something in return.) It's a trade of sorts. 

They bonded over these areas. And while I didn't enjoy the romance, their friendship was great. The places they visited...they had meaning. The Blue Hole had meaning to Finch. (And that would be unveiled later.) Swimming to the bottom...and finding the portal to another world? Amazing. (Anyways...are these holes real? Did the TV guy really disappear? Was he even real?) 

And the wanderings Violet had left? The five other ones? The paintball? The movie screen? They were fascinating. A last imprint. A shout into the void, saying 'I was here!' That was definitely amazing. 

The romance was...eh. I didn't particularly feel for the romance. I don't really like the two as a couple. They were great characters on their own, though.

And we got both sides, so I expected Mr. Finch to show why he even started talking to Ms. Violet. I'm not sure why he did that. I assume it's part of the mystery. I didn't see why Violet even gave Finch a chance. Since she had broken it off with amazing Ryan Cross, I would assume that there had to be something to explain what made her talk to him. And I don't think being called out in the middle of class really counts. There was no reason for her to even acknowledge his presence.

I didn't see too much history or reason. But I'll admit they had chemistry, though. They did go along well. And Violet did end up coming out of her shell for Finch. (Which is definitely a good thing.) And Finch had a great Awake with Violet. (Still wondering about the Asleep thing...) They did have this connection that most people don't have. A connection that you can't deny. 

Why did Finch kiss her? Why did he like her? I do feel like this book is where Violet is the narrator and not Finch. Which is bad because Finch is more interesting than Violet, and his reasons for doing things are less clear. 

The ending was okay. I didn't particularly love it. It doesn't seem satisfying. We are left without questions. (Except the Asleep one...and the why for the suicide.) But I felt like the ending didn't suit the story. It started out as a dark story but migrated to being more lighthearted. I liked that. It shows that the world isn't always death and destruction but also happiness and good times and perfect days. 

But the finality of death? And the ending of a young person? I didn't like that. I don't like suicide in general. I don't. I felt like the ending didn't suit the story. The story was lighthearted. Happy, even. But the ending? Not so much.

I do like the wanderings Violet did alone. That have the book a good closing. Closure, really. And I think she really needed closure. 

Weather:

Sunny with a few clouds

4/5