All the Bright Places is a novel by Jennifer Niven. Theodore Finch is captivated by the idea of death, while Violet Markey yearns to graduate high school and begin college in order to get away from her sister’s death. Finch and Violet first cross each other’s paths on a bell tower at school. Finch saves Violet’s life, which sparks an unexpected friendship. The two become partners for their history project, which asks the students to explore their home state of Indiana. Although the project only requires visiting two places, Finch suggests exploring it all. As the two explore, they grow closer and learn more about life. This book contains themes of friendship, anger, loneliness, and love.
I really enjoyed reading this book. The author did a nice job of incorporating heavy topics, such as mental illness and suicide, into the story. There were light hearted and humorous parts, along with more serious discussion throughout the book. Niven did a wonderful job of being informative and caring. I absolutely loved the characters. They were relatable and I felt very connected to them by the end of the book. It was as if I could feel Finch and Violet’s emotions as they experienced them. I also liked how the author wrote from both perspectives because I got to understand how each character felt and processed through emotions in their own way. I would definitely recommend this book to other teens. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.