My Heart Just Broke: All the Bright Places

Name: All the bright places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Published: 2015

Song: All These Things That I’ve Done by The Killers

Theadore Finch: a boy fascinated by death. Struggling against the demons in his mind, he climbs to the top of the school’s bell tower one Monday morning.
Violet Markey: a girl who lives for the future. She counts down the days until she can escape her hometown and her haunting memories of her sister’s death. 

But when they meet at the edge of the bell tower ledge, it is unclear who saves who. But one thing is certain – their lives have been intertwined in more ways than one. And when Violet and Finch are partnered for a school project, they discover things about each other they never knew. However, as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. Will they find balance or will one of them fall off the edge?

Jennifer Niven’s heart-wrenching and exhilarating newest book is a must read for fans of  Elanor and Park and The Fault in Our Stars. Its a beautiful, unique novel written from the point of view of both Violet and Finch and is very relatable for teens their age in modern society. This isn’t a trashy romance though. Both characters have been through some really hard times and its all about finding hope in the darkness. There is also serious themes such as suicide and mental health. It seems pretty realistic about what young people with bipolar and anxiety are going through – ‘All the Bright Places’ doesn’t just sugar coat these issues and pretend all stories have happy endings.
And finally, the pictures in this book is very quirky and unique. From the post-it note front cover to the individual sketches throughout the book, it really adds a whole new level to it.

“I have this feeling, like I’m waiting for something. But I have no idea what.”
– Finch

I loved this book so much there was hardly anything I could fault! My only point would be that the ending was slightly predictable… but no spoilers! I just felt that it has been done before and could have had a more inspirational ending that was less bittersweet; however it worked for the style and genre of the book. ‘All the Bright Places’ isn’t a particularly light summer read, but judging by this weather, summer is long over!

There is a possibility of ‘All the Bright Places’ being turned into a film with Ellie Fanning and Justice Smith. And while that would give the book a whole new publicity, some of the details in the book can’t really be conveyed onto a cinema screen – such as how the book is written from both Violet and Finch’s perspective. There’s a danger it might loose its individuality and turn into something generic like ‘A Fault in Our Stars’ (not that theres anything wrong with that) but with people becoming obsessed with the film without even thinking of reading the book. However, I would be interested to see a director’s take on the book, and the actors are supposed to be quite good.

The world breaks everyone, and afterward, many are strong at the broken places
– All the Bright Places

Overall, I really liked this book because the storyline is original and interesting, despite the ending. I thought it was insightful and quite sad; would recommend it for fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green and Stephanie Perkins.

MATURE CHEESES ONLY! As the characters are a bit older, I would recommend ‘All the Bright Places’ to anyone over 12’s, because there is some more mature language and references.

Have you read this book? Did you also cry your heart out? Or have you got any recommendations? (songs also excitedly accepted) Please like and tell me what you thought!