Review: "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

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.
 
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.

Find it on Goodreads.

Trigger warning: This review (and the novel in question) discusses sensitive topics that some may find upsetting, including mental illness and suicide.

This novel is a beautiful example of contemporary YA fiction. The characters are poignant and deep, without seeming contrived or unrealistic. Indeed, as the novel progresses both Violet and Finch pull away from the constrictions of their initial archetypal characterisations. At first, Violet was tragic but bland, and Finch just another version of the manic tortured soul, eccentric and misunderstood. But Violet is not bland, and it becomes increasingly apparent just how strong she is as she struggles to come to terms with devastating loss and the guilt of being a survivor. Finch, on the other hand, just made me sad. Sad because instead of romanticising the archetypal tortured artist Niven reminds us that for Finch, his eccentricities were a marker that he needed help. And he never got it. 

Whilst trawling the reviews for this novel on Goodreads it becomes apparent that this novel is quite polarising. And to be honest, I'm not surprised. When dealing with topics such as depression and suicide, things get very personal very quickly. As such, I can completely understand how someone may find Finch's character, a young man intent on taking his own life, completely repulsive. But I do not for one second think that Niven is in any way glorifying or romanticising Finch. Quite the opposite actually, Niven draws us in with the heart-aching, beautiful prose, before ripping it out from under us, reminding us that Finch is not to be revered. As one of the narrative perspectives Finch comprises an important part of this novel. But, for me, the hero of this novel is actually Violet. Her strength is inspiring, a reminder of the importance of living.

All The Bright Places is raw and devastating. This is not the novel for those seeking out a quick fix of quirky insta-love. The romance of this novel comes second to the important spotlight it shines on the topics of mental illness, bullying, abuse and suicide.

I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.