All the Bright Places

Realistic Fiction

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Justification: I chose this book based on it's high ratings for young adult realistic fiction. It was recently made into a movie on Netflix, which I haven't seen as I am not keen on film adaptations of books. The truth is, I'm always left disappointed with modifications to books; I'm a purist at heart. I also received a surprise when I found my library catalogs this book in Adult Fiction and not YA. This intrigued me and propelled me further to read this book.

Reader's Response: I have personal experience with mental illness and so I was struck by how poignantly Niven writes about bipolar disorder. She addresses suicidal ideation and depression in a realistic manner. Niven doesn't romanticize the mercurial moods or erratic behavior Finch exhibits. He could easily have been written a caricature depicting the high school loner-misfit-freak. Instead, Finch is fleshed out as an intelligent, complex character. He's nuanced as he is whimsical. Niven writes with compassion and great humor. At times, however, I found the Violet character to be superficial. A popular, pretty girl mired in grief after the death of her older sister, Violet's character seems flat in comparison to Finch. Although they find commonality in their profound sadness, Finch stands out more in this text as the reader learns more about his undiagnosed illness.

I found Finch's suicide attempt, and ultimately, his suicide to be a realistic portrayal of someone mired in intractable depression. Although he received counseling at school, Finch refused to be labeled and went undiagnosed and without interventions. The

stigmatization of mental illness is great and Niven handles both Violet's survivor guilt depression and Finch's more clinical depression with accuracy and sensitivity. The two characters cling to one another as the drowning would a life preserver, each hoping to heal the other. However, as Violet begins to heal, Finch dives deeper and deeper into darker moods, becoming progressively worse. Ultimately, they cannot make each other well.

Conclusion: I loved Jennifer Niven's conversational writing style. The narration has such an easy flow as the chapters vacillate between Finch and Violet. I enjoyed the book so much I will be exploring other books by Niven. I would not shelve this book in adult fiction, as my library has done. I believe it belongs in the young adult canon and is suitable for teenagers to read. Suicide is greatly stigmatized. Niven's depiction is thoughtful and more importantly, plausible. Exposure to books that write about mental illness is critical to understanding that a person is not a diagnosis.

APA Reference: Niven, J. (2015). All the Bright Places. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.