"The problem with people is they forget that most of the time it's the small things that count."
The Fault in Our Stars meet 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 way to 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 Forema, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.
This is the sort of book that kind of sneaks up on you. You're not sure what kind of book it is at first. It seems intense and gritty and even a tad confusing. You notice right away that the characters are definitely messed up with deep rooted issues they need to work on. Then there is romance and profound conversations and soul searching and what seems to be light at the end of this dark, dreary tunnel. Then, BAM.
It takes awhile until reality crashes down - almost at the end of the book, but it basically changes the whole meaning of the book. At least it did for me. One thing this book does is open your eyes to the realities of living with a mental disorder. A label. A thing that you can't see or control, but it defines you - if you let it. You're never quite sure what's wrong with Finch but you know there's something, and its unstable. He's had a rough childhood, raised by an abusive father and a mother who seems to not really question his bizzare behaviors. It is incredibly sad. Heartbreaking and eye opening. He is so messed up, and no one cares enough to even realize this is bigger than the simple teenage behavior.
Despite his issues, Finch can be so spontaneous and fun, he sees the good in things, makes life into an adventure. He's definitely a compelling character; intelligent and blunt. His strangeness made me like him even more. He doesn't know who he is so he tries all kinds of styles, from 80's Finch to smart Finch. He doesn't let the side glances and rumors get to him all that much, he takes everyday in stride and that made me respect him. Though I assure you he doesn't take any crap either. He can take care of his own, even if he goes a bit on the extreme at times. Violet is also a very well developed character, but I didn't find her quite as interesting as Finch. I also had a hard time distinguishing her voice from his during POV switches. I had to keep reminding myself which perspective we were reading. I also found it very odd that she was the only one in her family who seemed to be affected by grief. Yes she lost a sister, but her parents last a child mere months ago and you would never have known. For how caring and involved they were it felt unrealistic to me. That's the only part that I would raise an eyebrow at, however. The rest of the Novel is written with such raw power, such realism, that you can truly insert yourself in these character's lives and feel what it feels like to be so... broken.
All The Bright Places made me think, and it made me cry and it made me realize that although everyone feels alone at some point in their lives, we really aren't. Theodore Finch may be a fictional character, but his mental illness and the way he struggles every day just to get out of bed are incredibly real. Even now, there's a huge stigma in mental illness: if you can't see it, then you are not paying enough attention to the world around you. Even now, every forty seconds someone commits suicide because of mental illness or because they felt like they had no other choice.
This book might leave you a little emotionally drained but, it is the realest story I have read in a long time.
I rate this book with 4.5 out of 5 stars rating.
