All The Bright Places

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Overall, I enjoyed this novel more than I anticipated. Some books draw you in right away while others are impossible to get into. This book was unique in that my appreciation for it seemed to "sneak up" on me. The more I read the more I enjoyed the novel. However, I didn't really realize how much I was sucked in until the climax of the novel and by then I was surprised and sad it was ending. After I finished the book I realized I had read it all in just 3 sittings. 
I think this novel brings something to the table that adolescents may value and appreciate. However, I don't necessarily think the novel was the most authentic portrayal of adolescence, first love, or mental illness. I think it relies on stereotypes a little too much and at times it feels like a reworked The Fault in Our Stars. For one thing, it tells the story of two outcast teens with a common problem (depression) and it features a pretentious novel which guides their interactions (The Waves-Virginia Woolf). I normally shy away from YA lit because it mainly deals with cheesy love and dystopian societies. That being said, I've found that adolescents never seem to mind overdependence on stereotypes in literature. I think I'm coming to see that adolescents identify with stereotypes and generalizations because it helps them organize their perspective on the world and compartmentalize concepts and even people. Of course, cheesy first love stories speak to them too (I still view my high school relationship with rose-colored glasses). 
The real value of this novel, I feel, is in its portrayal of mental illness. I like that Violet's reason for her depressed state is acute and logical while Finch's condition (bipolar disorder) is an actual mental illness. I think the differences in their two "brands" of depression helps add depth to the novel. It allows the author to show two different journeys of growth/healing. I think that mental illness is an issue that is still stigmatized in society today. Teens deal with this through their experiences with relatives, friends, and themselves everyday. Mental illness needs to be de-stigmatized and discussed. One quote in the novel that really speaks to me is, "It's my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also on them" (Niven). Finch says this when discussing his illness. He speaks to the invisible nature of mental illness and how this quality makes it easier to "sweep under the rug" (as his mom treats him) or dehumanize him and characterize him as a "freak" (as his classmates do). One thing I wish the novel did was show Finch's depressive state. By the end of the novel, Niven seems to be pointing the novel in that way. However, Finch still seems to be acting "manic" even when he commits suicide. 
I do think she did a very good job painting an authentic portrait of the grief process with Violet's character. You get to see her go through a months long process of doing things she was afraid of (riding in a car again/eventually driving again), you see her rediscover her identity with Finch and by creating a new Web zine, and you get to see her find closure after Finch's death which helps her deal with Eleanor's as well. I think this quote of Violet's best characterizes her journey to recovery, "The thing I realize is, that it's not what you take, it's what you leave" (Niven). This is in reference to her and Finch's "wanderings" to local wonders in their state. Violet and Finch have a tradition of taking something from each place and leaving something. On a larger scale this quote shows that Violet is not only taking tangible objects from these places but she's learning more about herself. Her rediscovery of her identity is a big part of her being able to move past Eleanor's death. 
Overall, I think this book would be valuable for students to read. It may not be my first pick of a YA book to teach in the classroom. However, I actually felt that it had more teaching value than a book like "The Fault in Our Stars," simply because I feel mental illness is a more controversial and pressing adolescent issue than something like cancer. 

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