All The Bright Places

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven is a book about a boy named Theodore Finch. He finds himself at the ledge of the bell tower who is contemplating whether he should jump or not. What he doesn’t realize that catches him by surprise is finding a girl named Violet Markey who happens to be there too- terrified and suicidal. Theodore manages to help Violet get off the tower safely and thorough this incident they become friends. Later that day, they are placed in a geography assignment together that requires them

All The Bright Places Book Cover ByJennifer Niven

to visit the wonders of their state, Indiana. The two characters are flawed as each are dealing with their own personal issues. Violet lost her sister in a car accident and has not been the same since. She has dropped out of her extra circular activities and does not have a social life anymore. Theodore on the other hand is being bullied at school, has major depression, and an abusive father. Theodore goes through these phases he likes to call staying “awake” which is staying alive. Finch is bi-polar and likes to take on persona’s of different versions of himself. As Theodore and Violet travel around the state together they seem to find the bright places in life and help each other out. Theodore tries to fix Violet and help her get back to normal such as being able to ride in a car again. While Violet is on the road to recovery, she soon realizes that Theodore is just as broken as she is. She grows a major concern after one night, when he overdoses on pills. Will Theodore be able to help Violet live life again? Will Violet be able to save Theodore from falling asleep? Read the book to find out!

Themes

There were many recurring themes that were displayed in this novel. The most dominant themes were mental illness, dealing with loss, the power of love, and hope. Theodore Finch the protagonist, has a bi-polar disorder and is also going through major depression. His mental illness is something he struggles with throughout the entire book as he is suicidal. Finch is always thinking of ways to die and does not realize how toxic his thoughts are. Furthermore, dealing with loss is a major theme as this is the largest struggle for Violet. In the book she slowly learns to accept the past and live life without her sister. Overall, these themes contribute to the mood and atmosphere as it gives a sad and heavy tone that comes with these subjects. On the other hand, a major theme which is the power of love was expressed through Theodore’s actions. Through the novel, Theodore tried to help Violet live again and overcome her grief by bringing joy into her life because he loved her.  Another theme which is hope, was constantly seen in the story as well. With the help of Finch, Violet started off as a vulnerable character who was able to get back up from her traumatizing experience. He gave her hope to live and move on in life without her sister. Moreover, the places Theodore visited with Violet brought him hope and allowed him to try to seek for help by joining a support group after one night when he overdosed on pills. At times, Finch was able to still see the good in the world even when he felt that he could not continue on.

Symbols

Eleanor’s Glasses: When Violet puts her sister's glasses down, it represents that she is 

starting to accept her death and let go of her sadness to recover and move on.

Eleanor's (Violet's sister) Glasses

The Ledge: The ledge is the symbol in the beginning of the book that represents both 

Violet’s and Finch’s suicidal behaviour. Violet goes on the ledge of the bell tower 

due to the grief she was facing from her sister. However, Finch helps her get off the 

ledge which is a symbolic action because it represents him helping her throughout the 

book to recover from her past. As well during the falling action, Violet mentions to her 

parents that Theodore is on the ledge which foreshadows that something terrible is 

going to happen.

Theodore Finch At The Ledge 

Running and Sleep: Running was Theodore’s way of coping with his pain as he hated going to sleep and needed to stay awake. He referred to "sleeping" as being in very severe and dark depression. Theodore occupies himself by running and doing as much as possible to stay alive. On the other hand, Violet loved to sleep as it was a way for her to escape from her reality for awhile. She did not have to worry about her struggles and the loss of her sister. It was interesting to see how both characters coped with their problems and switch roles by the end of the story. Violets learns to chase her dreams by continuing her passion in writing and Finch ultimately commits suicide and enters an eternal sleep.

Theodore Staying Awake

Violet's Escape

Writing Style

They style of writing is narrative and descriptive. The author is telling the events that happen with a lot of interaction and dialogue. As well, the writer is able to be extremely descriptive and can paint a picture for the reader. For example when Finch is swimming in the Blue Hole a lake, he almost drowns himself and thinks “I dive deeper, lungs tight and burning. I feel a distant twinge of panic but I make my mind go quiet…”(Page 224). The audience is able to imagine and feel the same sensations when the author is describing the story. The writing style is in first person where it alternates between the two main character’s points of view. The reader is able to compare the two characters to see how similar and different they are when their views are constantly being alternated. Furthermore, It is very important that the author writes in first person because the readers are able to know everything that the characters are feeling and can see the dramatic development of character. Readers are also given underlying information when the author writes in first person. For example, Violet learns to deal with loss and begins to heal which one can see drastically from her thoughts. Additionally, If the writer did not speak in first person, readers would not understand the entire conflict. A quote which Theodore thinks in his mind is “I’ve learned the hard way that the best thing to do is say nothing about what you’re really thinking. If you say nothing, they’ll assume you’re thinking nothing, only what you let them see.” (Page 144) This is a great example which proves that Finch does not show signs of being depressed or suicidal as he hides his thoughts. The reader is able to understand his constant struggle and conflict with himself to stay alive (man vs. self) due to the first person point of view. I felt that the author did an excellent job capturing the thoughts of a young teen and was able to make connections with the readers. The mood and atmosphere which was often dark was well developed due to the setting of the story, plot of events and great attention to detail.

Violet's Point Of  View

Finch's Point Of  View

Famous Lines

Quote By Theodore Finch

“The thing I don’t say is: I want to stay alive. The reason I don’t say it is because, given that fat folder in front of him, he’d never believe it. And here’s something else he’d never believe—I’m fighting to be here in this shitty, messed-up world. Standing on the ledge of the bell tower isn’t about dying. It’s about having control. It’s about never going to sleep again.” (Page 16)

Theodore thinks this thought at the beginning of the book when he is on the bell tower. This is a significant quote because it reveals Theodore’s thoughts on his depression and how he never wants to go back there again, which is what he refers to as "sleeping". He would rather take his life away to escape from his reality. Readers are able to acknowledge that he does want to live life but can not stand being in the state of depression.

Quote By Theodore Finch

“I learned that there is good in this world, if you look hard enough for it. I learned that not everyone is disappointing, including me, and that a 1,257-foot bump in the ground can feel higher than a bell tower if you’re standing next to the right person.”  (Page 104)

This quote is significant because it shows the major theme of hope as Theodore still sees the good in the world. This thought occurs to him while he is wandering with Violet to different places. He also realizes the she gives him hope to continue fighting and to live. This is my favourite quote because it shows that there is always hope even in darkest times.

All The Bright Places

“Then I think: You can’t do this to me. You were the one who lectured me about living. You were the one who said I had to get out and see what was right in front of me and make the most of it and not wish my time away and find my mountain because my mountain was waiting, and all that adds up to life. But then you leave. You can’t just do that.”  (Page 341)

At this point in the book, Violet is angry at Finch for being a hypocrite and taking his life away when he told her to keep hers. This shows that Finch was able to help Violet heal and slowly start living again. He truly cared about her and the theme "the power of love" is shown as Violet was able to recover from the past.

Meet Theodore and Violet

Theodore Finch:

I’m 17 years old and from the small state known as Indiana. I live with my two sisters and a single mother who is trying to cope with her divorce. I really hate my father, I have this scar on my stomach because I don't know when to move out of the way when he becomes angry. I have many alter egos and I like to pretend to be different people; whichever seems the most intriguing to me at that point in time. I love to wander and see where my car will take me, one of my most favourite places is the Blue Hole, a lake that seems to be bottomless. At school, everyone calls me a freak because one time I asked my friend if I should jump in front of the oncoming car. I was hoping that my headache would disappear. I am also suffering from a mental illness, commonly known as depression. Life is always a constant battle as I go through phases of staying awake and trying not to fall asleep. I do this by running, painting my room, and anything else that would keep me occupied. Staying awake is my hardest challenge.

Theodore Finch

Violet Markey:

I’m Violet Markey. I was once the popular girl you would see in movies. I had everything, a loving family, a great group of friends, and amazing grades. However, I felt that I lost everything the day my sister died. We were in a terrible car accident and I was the one who survived. I still think why me? I don't deserve this. I wear her glasses even though they are way too thick. I only do it because I'm living for both of us. I count down the days that go by as I get through each one without her. I'm emotionally unstable, I can't even ride in a car anymore. My sister and I use to have a website EleanorandViolet.com but it expired and I deleted everything. I’ve lost my passion as a writer and I have never felt more alone in my life.

Violet Markey

A Good Read

                                                                 Quotes From All The Bright Places

 
Besides the fact that this book was found on the library shelf with a large “NEW” label on it. I was intrigued and captured by its optimistic title, cover, and colour combinations. This book had many great reviews online so I thought I would try it out. I really enjoyed this novel because it was something different compared to my usual preference of books which are fantasy and action adventure stories. This is not my typical read as it takes places in the reality of the world we face. I found that the title of the book is very ironic because it does not have the brightest atmosphere. It deals with everyday issues such as mental illness, depression, bullying, divorce and loss. I grew to enjoy this novel because of how relatable the character’s experiences are. One can understand their situations and see how they deal with their personal issues. I also learned to love the characters and was fascinated by their thought process. Contrasting the characters throughout the book was very insightful and I was able to make connections. Furthermore, while following the character's journey throughout the novel I was always on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what would happen next. I enjoyed witnessing the growing romance between the characters and seeing them help each other out to overcome their fears. I thought that the author did a great job being able to connect with the reader by showing how relatable the book is.

My Thoughts

This book means a lot to me because of how relatable it is. For example, Violet Markey suffers from dealing with the loss of her sister. Similarly I have loss several people in my life so I can relate with her trying to deal with her grief. This book is inspirational as it gives me hope and taught me how even someone who may be broken from their past experiences can still overcome their struggles in life. This book displays that those who have dealt with loss can recover and still live their life as seen with the character development of Violet throughout the story. Another reason why I can relate to this novel is because the author is spot on when displaying how young teenagers deal with their pain. For example sleep, a large symbol in the novel represents how Violet tries to avoid her problems and leave reality. This is very similar to the people I know in my everyday life that use sleep a temporary pain reliever and escape.

This book contains many elements that teaches the readers valuable lessons.  The most negative character Finch, teaches the audience an important lesson of seeing the good even in the most unpleasant situations. Moreover, the audience is able to understand that everyone is dealing with their own problems. The novel did a great job unfolding the imperfect lives of the characters. Finch has problems of his own such as: being bullied, having depression, and dealing with an abusive father; while Violet has to deal with the loss of her sister.

It is very admirable to see that the author chose to write about such a delicate topic that is not spoken about often in society. People that do read this book have a deeper understanding of mental illness. Nowadays, mental illness is a growing issue and is not something that should be taken lightly. I thought that this novel was a great eye opener to what reality is and is a fantastic example that shows how everyone is facing their own battles. To conclude, you should read this book because it is relatable, has many enjoyable aspects; such as an intriguing plot, and teaches many valuable lessons.