All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might 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.

Books don't make me cry, I'm not a crying reader.

But this book.... Made. Me. Cry.

 I wasn't expecting much out of this Young Adult fiction love-story, not because it's YA, but because from it's cover it seemed far too cliche for my liking. In the end, yes it was a bit cliche but it was uniquely cliche.

Paradox, right? Let me explain; this novel is about two teenagers, Finch (unpopular boy) and Violet (popular girl). "When they meet at the ledge of a bell tower at school - six stories above the ground - it's unclear who saved whom." - synopsis.

Finch is fascinated by death and spends his days wondering when or how he'll die, searching for a reason to stay alive every day.
Violet, on the other hand, is counting down her days when she can escape her small-town life behind.

Sounds cliche, doesn't it?

Well when they are later paired for a school project to wander the seemingly boring state of Indiana, that is when they begin to fall in love.

Jennifer Niven manages to turn a cliche young adult romance into a beautifully heart-wrenching novel following issues of mental illness and suicide.

I feel that this novel encompasses the true difficulties of life and the experiences of teenagers that are told they don't fully understand how to live it.


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