All the bright places is a Contemporary Young Adult Novel. So there! Young Adult. Hmm.. so a girl, a boy, a school, project, and you might think it is yet another book full of the unmindful cockiness, edginess that has been fed in most of these. But Jennifer Niven slowly unravels a boy who is different.
A fluorescent, electric, shining-bright boy, Finch, who finds love in a melancholy girl, Violet. And in bringing her out of her grief, he finds a little more meaning to his life. I could go on and give you more on the story and let you hanging on the edge, but I don't want to. Because this is a book that needs to be read and absorbed.
There is a lot of depth that Jennifer Niven has given to her characters and her story. The narrative is simple and shifts us back and forth among Finch and Violet. But we can feel their emotions. We start as observers and are slowly led into their changing equation. When the twist comes, we are forever changed too.While we all the time knew what was going to happen, we hope it doesn't and like all fairy tales this will be one too. She has taken a very serious subject and done justice to it and never let us feel the pressure of the subject too. It is a very unique book.
It shows you a whole new world in just a closet. It shows you a world that is bright yet painfully dark. Then it also shows you how to brighten that dark place and let yourself stay and breathe. It shows you pain, happiness, helplessness, and takes you on a journey to discover what you are looking for. This journey is unique and it is up to you to leave something behind, and mark your presence. Jennifer Niven sure has!
'Unremarkably' light. 'Unremarkably' unnerving. To quote from the book -
"It is rooted..but it flows".
I personally would recommend to all readers of young adult fiction who are stuck with werewolves, futuristic games and what-not, and just check this unremarkable tale that can happen anywhere. Mind you! That is what makes it stand out too.
I loved it so much that I could go on and on. In short all I say is this.
Go. For. It.
Rating: 4.5/5
Picture Courtesy: www.goodreads.com
