“Theodore Finch wants to take his own life. Violet Markey is devastated by her sister’s death. They meet on the ledge of the school bell tower, and so their story begins. It’s only together they can be themselves… But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. How far will Violet go to save the boy she has come to love?”
What is the book about?
Theodore Finch wants to take his own life. He spends most of his life worried about the Asleep and the other part experiencing it. Violet Markey has a normal, perfect life until her sister’s death changed everything and made her revisit her thoughts on life. They meet on the ledge of the school bell tower both considering the same thing and wondering what would happen if they jumped. Together, they manage to get down and carry on with their lives, but now they are connected and their story begins. They both feel that life is not what it should be, that they should be able to be happy and feel free all the time, but it’s only when they are together that they can be their true selves. Violet spent the time after her sister’s death being cautions and fading into the background almost as if her life had stopped, but Finch is the opposite and he thrives in making himself seen and showing the world that he is a part of it. Violet has never met anyone like Finch and she begins to see that just because she is alive and her sister isn’t doesn’t mean that she isn’t allowed to live. But as Finch helps Violet’s world grow, his own begins to shrink. He starts to change and it’s almost like he isn’t present at times. Violet must make a choice and she must find a way to save him, but how far will she go and how much is she willing to do for the boy she has come to love? Violet has already lost one person she loved and she doesn’t want to make it two.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
Most books that I liked to read where mystery and adventure, fictional books that bring magic to life. But when I started this blog I wanted to try out as many new genres as I could and I also wanted to read books with more important meanings. All the Bright Places was one of the books that had caught my eye when I was looking for young adult fiction books. I had really enjoyed reading The Fault in Our Stars and All the Bright Places was suggested for readers who liked it, so I thought I would try it out. I have always found that most the books I liked were too unrealistic and made me have rather high and strange expectations for real life, but All the Bright Places was a story that, even though it was fictional, still gave a realistic view on life and how not all stories end happily. The blurb made me even more intrigued and I was very interested in learning how someone who wants to die teaches someone else how to live. The book started really well and I was already hooked from the very first sentence: “Is today a good day to die?” I found that every page was more interesting than the last and I was ready for anything. I quickly found myself at the end of the book, and now I partly wish that it had never finished.
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was definitely Theodore Finch. Violet was also a great character, but Finch was the one who made her life better and, even though she also did this for him, he was able to show her that she didn’t have to stop living just because her sister died. Finch was a rather odd character and he acted kind of crazy at times. One of the best things about him was that he saw the good things in life a lot better than others and was able to see the beauty in the world clearer than Violet did. When Violet visited somewhere that wasn’t relatively nice she told herself to look at it through Finch’s eyes and then everything became beautiful and magical. Although he had suicidal thoughts and always researched and considered different ways to die, he was still a really good and even inspiration character because of how he lived life to the full, as if every day was his last day. The strange thing about him wanting to die was that, despite how horrible his day, he always found something good to use as a reason to stay alive, no matter how small it was. There is one thing that makes me rethink my choice of Finch as my favourite characters, but there was so much good in him, that it is easy to ignore. Finch had his own problems and he struggled to stay present in the world, but he was still able to show Violet that she shouldn’t give up on life just because she is alive and her sister is not. It seems weird that a boy who wants to die is able to show someone how to live, but Finch had a really deep understanding on living and how you have to let go of your fears to be able to enjoy your time on Earth. He gave Violet an experience that she will never forget and he changed lots of people by just being himself. He was present for those he loved even when they barely payed any attention to him and didn’t acknowledge that he had a problem. Finch gave me, as a reader, a realistic view on what it’s like to be a teenager that is bullied, has problems of their own and sometimes thinks that life would be better if they had never existed. He might have been real, but he made some wrong choices and even though it is normal to make mistakes, it is important to see that sometimes a different path is better.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
There were a lot of good parts in All the Bright Places and a few bad, but there was one part that I remember really well and really enjoyed. This is the part when Violet and Finch were on top of Purina Tower and Finch mentions the Jovian – Plutonian effect. At first I was a bit confused at what he was saying and why he was discussing something so strange, but once he explained himself I knew that it was one of the sweetest, nicest things ever. It was like Finch declaring he loved Violet without saying those 3 special but simple words. Although he had already said “I love you”, hearing how he put his thoughts into words and managed to describe what Violet made him feel like so perfectly was one of the most beautiful and romantic things ever. It seems impossible to be able to explain just how much you love someone, but he made the most accurate description ever with just one simple thing. It might have been weird, but it showed Violet the true Finch and how he felt about her. They knew they were in love, but this gave them something special just for them that would explain their feelings without saying the words that so many people use to express themselves. The scene was perfect and, in a book that is meant to be realistic, this showed me that there are times when life is good and when it feels like you are living in a fairy tale, but you have to suffer to get the good or you will never appreciate those moments and you will miss them when they come.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, All the Bright Places was a really incredible book and there was a lot that I loved about it. The number one thing that made me love the book was how realistic it was. The characters were real, the story was real, but it was all fictional. When a fictional book is real, it’s one of the most wonderful things ever. I really liked how some of the things that Finch and Violet said and thought were really relatable and put some of the things that go though most teenagers minds into words. I really enjoyed how it showed both sides of death: what it’s like to want to die, and what it’s like to have someone you love die. All the Bright Places was just such a meaningful and realistic book that showed me that even in fictional stories you have to feel pain to get to the happy parts, and even after that life has a way of making things worse even after you have hit rock bottom. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was the amazing writing. There were so many beautiful quotes that put things that are hard to express into words. Every page there was something wonderful to read, even in the sad parts, and every word made me love the book even more. I have read lots of books with really amazing quotes, and this All the Bright Places is one that I will never forget. One other thing that surprised me about the book was how, even though it was supposedly a very sad book, it made me laugh. So many parts of the book had funny moments and strange thoughts that made me smile. There might have been a lot of sadness but the funny and sweet parts made up for it and showed that sometimes you have to laugh through the pain and see the good things in life rather than just the bad.
Would you recommend this book?
I really enjoyed reading All the Bright Places and I recommend you read it. I think it is best for readers 14 and over, but if you think you are ready to see the truth about life and how it isn’t all good then I definitely suggest you read it.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A story full of love, laughs and tears that will give you a new definition of life and change your world.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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