I recently read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven - completed it yesterday actually.
The book really had an impact and I thought I would share my thoughts about it on my blog. If you have not read it, then do not read any further (spoiler alert) unless you want an insight before reading it.
I found death, moving on and mental health to be the main themes of the book. The main characters do fall in love but I personally would not categorise the book as romantic.
It is rather the struggle of Finch - the main protagonist and how he tries to be a better version of himself because he really likes Violet. Yet, the trying to be better part is not as overpowering for me to characterise it as an act out of sheer love. I felt that Finch genuinely wanted to feel better - not just for Violet but for himself and as well as the rest of his family - his mother and his sisters. However, the fact that no one really paid attention to his mental health and that he did not get the adequate support made it really hard for him. He was alone really - even when he began to go out with Violet. No one really knew what was happening in his mind. This character gives you a sort of education on how one should never be judgemental towards people who do not fit in. You never know what may be happening to them and they might not be able to share it with anybody.
The counsellor seemed to try his best but was not of much help to Finch - not that he did not want any help, just somewhere he seems to have felt that he deserved none. Anyhow, Finch is a beautiful character - very well portrayed & written.
Violet on the other hand is dealing with the recent death of her sister. Somehow that tragedy changed her and gave a deeper facet to her character. She genuinely wanted to help Finch. Although, she was probably the only one who actually tried to do something about it - even if it backfired. Her approach was too invasive maybe and as a reader, you really learn a lot through her character.
The characters are very well structured and the ending of the book was overwhelmingly heart breaking. I tried imagining myself in Violet's shoes - I could not. I really hope no one has to go through that ever. Also, I love how the book is not all lovey-dovey as most Young Adult fiction. On top of that, the story is somewhat inspired by true events - as told by Jennifer in the end of the book, makes it even more special. There is a certain kind of uniqueness to books that have a personal touch to them and you can really feel it in this one.
I have read online that the book is similar to The Fault in Our Stars and I beg to differ. I completely disagree because the plot is different, the characters are different and the book portrays another aspect of illness altogether. You do get reminded of TFIOS and maybe even The Perks of being a Wallflower. The book is completely genuine though & it's definitely worth a read, if not a couple of reads :p
Penning off,
BusLady
No comments:
Post a Comment