"You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be."
~Virginia Woolf in her suicide letter to her husband, Leonard
Theodore Finch has been alive six days when we meet him. Okay, so he is not a six-day-old infant, but he has survived six days since the last attempt. Six days of being awake, of waking up, of breathing.
Violet Markey is 154 days away from graduation when we meet her. She cannot wait to escape the suffocating quiet that her home is since her sister, Eleanor, died in a car crash. She needs a refuge away from being "Eleanor Markey's sister" or the other half of "Eleanor and Violet."
When Finch and Violet are paired up -- er, rather, Finch insists in front of the entire class that he wants Violet to be his partner for the project, but Violet doesn't think it's a good idea. After all, the class is already talking about them. The two kids up on the roof, legs dangling, tempting fate.
After the first "Wander" of the project, Violet soon realizes that she has to move forward to keep from going backward.
But, as Violet moves forward and breaks through life, Finch's world slowly disintegrates beneath him until all that's left are words on sticky notes that cover his bedroom wall...and a girl who would stop at nothing to save him.
When I say this book ripped me apart...that is putting it lightly. For anyone who enjoyed "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene or even "Fangirl" or "Eleanor and Park" by Rainbow Rowell, Niven's "All the Bright Places" helps you remember that life has bright spots, you just have to wait a little longer.
I give "All the Bright Places" 5/5 stars. I can't say I will read it again anytime soon, but I will continue to remember Finch and Violet's story because somewhere, in a different world, there is a different ending to their story.
Favorite Quotes
"I'm still here, and I'm grateful, because otherwise I would be missing this. Sometimes, it's good to be awake. 'So not today,' I sing. 'Because she smiled at me.'" (Pg. 42)
"You have to live your life like you'll never be sorry. It's easier just to do the right thing from the start so there's nothing to apologize for." (Pg. 129)
"Just be careful with that heart of yours." (Pg. 165)
"Better to keep the unhappy, mad, bad, unpleasant words separate, where you can watch them and make sure they don't surprise you when you're not expecting them." (Pg. 166)
"You are all the colors in one, at full brightness." (Pg. 172)
*NOTE*
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is out there and help is available. You are not alone. It is not your fault.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
1-800-273-TALK
imalive.org
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