All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

Niven, Jennifer. All the Bright Places. New York, NY: Random House Childrens, 2016. Print.


2. PLOT SUMMARY

Niven's website describes the book as: An exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book has two main characters that narrate the story, Violet and Finch. The view point switches between the two characters. The book begins grimly with both characters connecting over sharing similar suicidal thoughts. Violet is struggling over the loss of her older sister, Eleana, in a car accident. Finch struggles with depression and has behavior issues in school. The unlikely pair become partners in a class project and grow closer as the school year progresses. Finch's joy in living present each day is infectious for Violet as well as the reader. I envisioned myself wandering around Texas with someone and experiencing all that the state has to offer. Everyone has experienced moments of darkness and depression, especially as a teenager. Young adults will sympathize with the struggles of the characters as they battle depression and learn to live through love. The novel gives equal attention to the happy times as well as the bad. Jennifer novel is very honest about the struggles that teens go through. I felt like the subject was too dark for me, but this book is going to speak to many young adults for years to come.


4. CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Penguin Random House gives a great PDF file with a lesson plan for All the Bright Places. Wandering, the act of traveling without forethought,  is a very important part of the book. Violet and Finch have to visit many of the unique places in their home state and write a project about it. I really like the pre-reading discussions about what the student's would do if they were given the same assignment. This file is filled with many great activities, check it out!

• "All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven." PenguinRandomhouse.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2017. <http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/237456/all-the-bright-places-by-jennifer-niven/9780385755917/>.

5. RELATED RESOURCES

The book is being made into a movie with Elle Fanning. The video contains spoilers for the story, so do not watch it if you have not read the book yet, unless you don't mind knowing before you read the book.

• "All The Bright Places Trailer #1 2017 Elle Fanning Movie HD [SPOILER]." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 July 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6VXNwe5LXs>. CONTAINS SPOILERS!

This interview talks about how Jennifer Niven created the story and what inspired. Don't miss this in-depth interview with the author.

• TheABSCBNNews. "All the Bright Places: Author recalls inspiration for writing story." YouTube. YouTube, 26 May 2016. Web. 10 July 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GUDTnHzjjk>.

6. PUBLISHED REVIEW

This is a Kirkus Review over All the Bright Places. Find it here.

• "ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven." Kirkus Reviews. N.p., 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 July 2017. <https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-niven/all-the-bright-places/>.