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Cover of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places

  • 402 pages · about 7 hours
  • First published 2014
  • 26 editions

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1 About this book

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.

  • Family relationships
  • Romance
  • Young adult fiction, social themes
  • Young adult fiction, romance
  • Suicide
  • Friendship
  • Emotional problems
  • Children's fiction

2 What to expect

A young adult novel about two Indiana teenagers who meet on the ledge of their school's bell tower: Violet, grieving for her sister, and Finch, who is fascinated by death and struggles with depression. Told in alternating voices, it follows their school project of visiting the state's odd landmarks and their growing love. It is warm and funny in places and then very sad, and it deals directly with suicide, mental illness and grief.

Good for readers who want: an emotional young adult love story, mental health, and a moving read.

3 About Jennifer Niven

Born 1968

Jennifer Niven is a New York Times and international best selling American author who is best known for the 2015 young adult book All the Bright Places.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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