This book was difficult to read and is even more difficult to review as an educator in 2023. While I loved the characters of Finch and Violet, all I could dwell on is how inept the adults surrounding them are. Even Finch's older sister, Kate, who obviously cares about him doesn't recognize the magnitude of his struggle. And don't even get me started on his mother (especially her actions/failure to act) at the end of the story.

I feel like this is one of those novels that worked well in a pre-Covid world (and likely would have been a four star read for me based on the principal characters alone), but now the heaviness of the novel along with the state of today's world just doesn't allow it to resonate the way it would have even five short years ago. Even some of the characters biases and insensitive comments (especially those regarding promiscuity, race and mental illness) wouldn't fly with the majority of my Gen Z students. So many reviews mention the reader sobbing at the end of the story, but I felt nothing but frustration and anger as I came to the resolution.

That being said, the language and syntax of the book is beautiful, and I loved the descriptions of setting as Finch and Violet journey beyond their town and discover other parts of Indiana. Those factors alone are more than enough reason to give this book a solid three stars.

Why Did I Listen To All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven?

I listen to All The Bright Places because I had read the advance reader copy in 2015 but, never reviewed it. As my goal for April and May was to catch up on some of my Netgalley reads, I decided that instead of re-reading it, I would listen to it instead. I honestly only remembered bits and pieces from my first read since it was six years ago!

What’s The Story Here?

All The Bright Places is about mental illness. It follows the lives and relationship of Theodore Finch and Violet Markey who are both seniors in high school. Both are reentering life follow unique circumstances and find themselves drawn together as they work on a class project. They appear to be complete opposites but could there be more beneath the surface?

How Did I Like All The Bright Places?

I’m honestly conflicted about how I feel regarding All The Bright Places. This is a book that tackles mental illness straight on which I appreciated but, also felt could be problematic. Finch is not honest with himself or with Violet and that makes it hard for me to fully root for him. He creates whatever illusion he knows that someone wants to see in order to make them happy. Meanwhile, Violet is still struggling with the aftermath of a tragic accident, and is trying to figure out how to fully live life again without just pretending to do so. These two characters are juxtaposed throughout and while this type of set up often times works, it just did not fully work for me in this case.

What I did enjoy about All The Bright Places was the descriptions of the places which Finch and Violet went to visit for the wandering project. I also enjoyed the realistic feel of high school – and how high school could be for someone struggling with mental illness. In her authors note, Jennifer Niven discusses how she wanted to open up discussion about mental illness and the stigma attached to it especially for younger adults. She provides resources and talks about personal experiences which may have influenced her writing of this book. I just wish I could have enjoyed it better.

How’s The Narration?

All The Bright Places is 11 hours and 4 minutes and is narrated by Kirby Heyborne and Ariadne Meyers. As the story alternates perspectives so does the narration. I found both narrators to be easy to listen to and thought that they brought the proper amount of emotion to the story. I think I found myself enjoying the story more with the narration than I did when I originally read it back in 2015. There was just something compelling about listening to the narrators tell the story even if I wasn’t full attached to the characters.

I'm literally still crying.
It's going to take me a long time to review this book. I'm not even sure I CAN review it. All I know is that it needs to be read. In fact this may be one of the most important books I've ever read.
Remember that you are not alone.

Wow! What a well-written powerful book. Don't let the subject matter turn you off of this one. It's unforgettable and definitely worth reading.

Heartbreaking. Real. This book broke me. Too sad for those of us who are living the nightmare of someone close who has died by suicide.

This broke my heart. I knew from the beginning that it would and when I know that, it can delay my reading of a story. But I read this in two days. I loved Theodore Finch and wanted so badly for him to find the help he needed. I’m so glad that teen literature has started talking about mental health.

This was one of my YA book club selections at my school. We loved it. I would say it was probably one of our most successful book club discussions ever. This book evokes so many emotions and so many of our students identified with what these characters were going through. I think word of mouth has made this book one of the top asked-for books in our collection.

This is not an easy book to read, but it's a valuable one. Our library purchased it on the promise of its summary description alone, and within the first month of its circulation it came back to us in the book drop with hateful comments (of a religious nature) inked into the margins by an adult hand. (It had been checked out to a teen.) Whenever that happens, you know it's prompting some interesting conversations, and is worth paying attention to those. Having delved into it myself, I now know that it is a tough book to read--but well worth the attempt, assuming you as a reader are in a good place, mental health-wise. This book should and does come with some significant trigger warnings and caveats, which is to say, any book which takes an unflinching look at matters like depression and suicide may not be the best book for you in a bad moment and unable to emotionally insulate yourself from the characters' experiences ... but it may have some important messages for when you're in a good place, and able to place the triggers at an emotional distance. I am in a good place right now, so this book was beautiful despite being hard to read. It's worth noting, as well, that representing one specific depressive or suicidal experience does not mean the book is a comprehensive look at mental health among teenagers. Just as we need hundreds, or thousands, of books to adequately represent the experience of any other marginalized group, the neurodivergent deserve more stories like and unlike this one. Celebrate our mental differences, and support each other, and read and write more books which tackle these issues!

Unfortunately, I could not get into this story. I think the writing is lovely, but the story was ultimately not the best fit for me.

One of the best books I've ever read. I have recommended it to many students, and I will continue to do so for years. I loved it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the opportunity to read and review All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. All the Bright Places cannot be described with one word. This book is tremendous in heartbreak, coping skills, love, loss and grabbing life and enjoying it while you can! The best line of the book is on page 23, "Some people hate him because they think he's weird and he gets into fights and gets kicked out of school and does what he wants. Some people worship him because he's weird and he gets into fights and gets kicked out of school and does what he wants." This statement sums up the reputation of Theodore Finch. Finch is a mystery to everyone. Finch and Violet share the narrative through alternating points of view. Finch struggles with depression and Violet suffers from survivor's guilt. Violet's sister died in a car accident not long before the story begins. The awkwardness and humor between Finch and Violet pulled me into the story and made me love both of their characters! When the two were paired together for a class project, their lives intermingled in many ways and they helped each other grow and enjoy life. All the Bright Places is a beautiful story of loss, love and what comes after. I appreciate that the author approached the stigma of needing help and the people we all know as fakers. The author's notes were soul bearing for her and she discussed difficult topics that tend to be overlooked in our society; way to face the tough parts of human nature! 5 stars for this highly recommended book.