3 Reasons You Should Read “All the Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven.
Written by Casey Wilson
I love reading. It doesn't take much to get me to like a book, but it does take a lot to make me want to shout on mountaintops to every person who enjoys reading Young Adult Literature to pick up a copy of the book.
Normally it is John Green's books such as Turtles All the Way Down, Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, and Paper Towns that put me in my daydreaming state where all I can think about are the characters and the events that unraveled with each page turn. However, this time it was Jennifer Niven's characters, Violet and Finch, that stole my heart in All the Bright Places.
Without spoiling too much of the book, I simply want to call attention to the big ideas within the novel that I think are so incredible and worth sharing. Plus, I want to give credit to an amazing author that brought her characters to life in a completely unique and relatable way, so here are 3 Reasons Why You Should Read “All the Bright Places” by Jennifer Niven.
1. The idea of “Labels” in our society.
One of the reoccurring ideas throughout the novel is the idea of labels. Violet is labeled by others as the girl with "extenuating circumstances" and she labels herself as a writer, until a life-altering event. Finch is labeled by others as "freak" and is too afraid to accept the label of "bipolar."
Much like the characters in the book, people are labeled every day. Those labels originate from friends, enemies, parents, siblings, strangers--everywhere... we even create our own labels for ourselves. Sometimes we try to live up to labels, and sometimes we try to outrun them. Regardless of how we perceive the label, it lingers.
So what happens when we let that label consume us, eat us up, tear us town, or we aren't fast enough to outrun them? We have to be bigger than our labels, and that is sometimes really hard to do, especially when there is a negative stigma attached. Labels have a way of making us feel isolated and alone, like no-one else has that same label. However, a label is just a broad category to which people believe we fall, but what we fail to recognize is that it is not about the label, it is about the ingredients inside.
Though I thoroughly wish I could be made up of chocolate, mint, peanut butter and all the other delicious ingredients, I'm not talking about those. I'm talking about the ingredients of love, friendship, leadership, etc. (whatever makes you unique and who you are.) It is so important we don't let labels define use, especially when it comes to mental health, which leads me to my next subject.
2. A beautiful, and very real portrayal of mental health struggles.
I think authors are doing a really great job of stepping into the mind of a person who struggles daily with mental health, bringing it to light, and presenting it in a way that is relatable to people who might not know what it is like. John Green did this in my favorite book, Turtles All the Way Down- Aza has OCD-, and now Jennifer Niven does it beautifully in All the Bright Places with Finch being bipolar.
Going back to what I stated earlier about labels, Finch states, "Labels like 'bipolar' say This is why you are the way you are. This is who you are. They explain people away as illnesses." There is such a negative stigma associated with mental health. However, what I believe books like this can do is call to light what it looks like, feel like, and sounds like to a person struggling with it.
One of my very favorite quotes is, "A book is a door into another place and another heart and another world." I'm hoping that more teens (or anyone, really) can get a book like this in their hands so that they can simply open the door to another heart and know that mental illness does not define who people are.
3. Real-life connection.
I think this might be my absolute favorite aspect the book/experience All the Bright Places brings readers.
In the novel, Violet struggles to write again until she meets Finch. Finch rekindles a fire in her that she lost when her sister died. She dreams of creating an online platform where writers can contribute their ideas. This online magazine in called, Germ. A Germ [noun] is defined by the origin of something; a thing that may serve as the basis of further growth and development." The coolest part? This magazine actually exists!
Jennifer Niven created this magazine in real life "to celebrate beginnings, futures, and all the amazing and agonizing moments in-between." There are categories for Bright Places, Wander, Be Lovely, and so much more. What an incredible platform for high school students to share their writing as well as read about things that matter to them in a tactful manner! The website does not promote bullying, racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, or homophobia. EVEN BETTER. Jennifer Niven makes her character, Violet, come to life in such an extraordinary way through this website. Often when I close a book I wish I had something tangible to hold onto from the story, and this website does just that.
So why do I love this book? Besides being beautifully written about content that matters, I truly believe in the power of words and empathy. If we can get more books into the hands of teenagers that talk about things that matter, then they are able to develop a sense of empathy and understanding for people that either are or are not like them. Being that this was a very personal story for Jennifer Niven, I thank her for writing her hurt on the pages of a book that has quickly landed its way into my "favorites" category.
Stand up for someone else's pain.
Don't be afraid to get help.
ALL people are important.
