Book Review: All The Bright Places

“Is today a good day to die?”

I believe that perfect opening lines don’t just begin a novel. It somehow manage to compact the entire story into a single sentence. And it was true. In “All The Bright Places”, the first sentence bring comprehension to the whole story.

First, I read “All The Bright Places” because the blurb and endorsement was interesting. How could I resist “The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die?”? I, basically, loved “TFiOS” (book not movie, and yes sorry not sorry) and loved “Eleanor and Park” even more. I grab this book from my digital bookshelf and start reading it within a week. Initially, I had only planned on skimming a few pages because in the other hand, I had several interesting book to read. But before long, I realized that I was reaching the last page. Soon after I finished “All The Bright Places”, I drown my feeling in 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.

God. Theodore Finch… You were such a heart-ripping boy. Not in oh-god-i’m-so-good-so-I-wanna-break-your-heart way, but in another way. I seriously don’t know how to explain my current feelings and I cried (like a lot). I wanna give you a BIG SPOILER here (so brace your self, close this tab if you haven’t read this book), yes Finch died in the end of this book. He drown himself in a lake and it was Violet who found him. *cried*

As always, I’ve contemplated for many days about how I will actually write this review. I finished this book earlier this week (at Monday, actually) and I didn’t know how to describe this book. “All The Bright Places” is slowly tore my heart into a thousand pieces and everything feels to real between Violet and Finch. From the first page, I know Finch was going to die and Violet will end up in grief but I can’t stop reading because it was clever, and rich, and I love it! There were a lot of good quotes, and if you were literature addict, you will fascinate yourself because Violet and Finch often talking about literature figures, poet, and anything in between. And yes, they even flirting with Virgina Woolf’s quotes!

Violet Markey and Theodore Finch met at the bell tower for a same aim but different reason. It was unclear who saves whom because the two of them intended to die. But at least, it was Finch who try to saved Violet. He guided her back, steer clear of the edge even if it means he can’t died today. And soon after the other friends come to the bell tower, Finch keep it as a secret. He told everyone that it was him who try to die and Violet was the one who save him.

Finch constantly counting a day until he died and on the other hand, Violet keep searching  the reason why she was still alive. The two of them had different characters, they were misfit, and not belong to each other. They didn’t know each other except by name and outer appearance. Violet was a popular girl, date a popular boy, and a perfect student. She lost her sister in car crash and still feeling a grief until this very day. Finch was an awkward boy, he was trouble maker, and never give a damn about what other people think about him. He kept doing whatever he liked, his family was broken (mother who lost in her thought so much, father who dump his family and married with other woman), and he was suffering from mental illness (bipolar). There is no way for them to start dating each other since they were so different.

After the incident in bell tower, they pair up as a group in “Natural Wonder Project” where they need to search ‘all the bright places’ in their state. In their discovery project, Violet begin to know Finch, he was weird, funny, awkward, and live-out-loud guy. Finch guide her to all the places he loved and visit every time his mind racing. Violet begin to realize that she was falling for Finch. And Finch was trying so hard to not falling to Violet because he was a mess and Violet deserved someone better than him. But in the other side, their relationship become stronger and stronger. For Violet, Finch was the reason to start living life and for Finch, Violet was his reason to stay alive.

“No more winter at all. Finch, you brought me spring.”

But you know, love just wasn’t enough for someone who suffer mental illness. In the end, Finch drown himself in a lake because he can’t handle his depression.

I’m so glad this book was written. Suicide and mental illness needs to be discussed. It doesn’t need to be that dirty little secret that is pushed into the black hole of a closet. And from what I read in several news site, this book soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning. How about you? It is “yeay” or “nah”? Let me know!

Read this. It was a heartbreaking story and will make you cried in the end. You won’t regret it I promise.

“You have to live your life like you’ll never be sorry.”