Friday, November 6, 2015

Book Review #598 - All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven


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My Rating: 4/5


Source: Bought


Buy: The Book Depository


Goodreads




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.


I had heard nothing but good things about this book prior to reading it so I had relatively high expectations. It was for this reason that I had put off reading it for so long. 


This book has quite a dark tone to it throughout. I found there always seemed to be a sense of impending doom. 


Violet and Finch are two broken, lonely, heavily flawed characters who meet when they both finally hit rock bottom. 


Family is a big theme in this book and Finch's family made me grateful my own family is more like Violet's than his. It also angered and annoyed me to think that families like his do exist in real life. 


The relationship between Finch and Violet was short but meaningful. 


I have read some reviews of this book that feel like the book glamorized mental illness due to Finch's personality. I felt however that the book showed that mental illness does not discriminate and that some sufferers get very, very good at concealing their symptoms. 


SPOILER BELOW


Before reading this book I believed that suicide was selfish but this book has opened my eyes to the truth and that it clear sign of a remarkable book. 

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