I’m usually very wary of a book that claims to be “The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park” (I’ve been burned before) so I was a little apprehensive about this one. Maybe the tagline was the least of my problems.
To be honest, this novel is extremely difficult to read. You might be thinking, “But you gave it four stars! So you loved it, right?” And I did. Kind of. I think your experience with it will vary depending on your familiarity with mental illness. The biggest division among reviewers is that some people feel like Niven didn’t convey mental illness in the best way possible while others agree and/or relate with the way she approached her characters’ issues. While I can’t tell you if everything in the novel is an accurate representation of mental illness, I do think the overall message is important.
All the Bright Places is anything but bright. Instead, dark and freaking depressing come to mind. I knew that the novel wasn’t cheery but I wasn’t expecting such a downer. I felt anxious throughout and it put me in a weird mood. I was uncomfortable, sad, and a little mad to boot. I could argue that reading this is like stepping inside the minds of two people struggling with every aspect of life and that’s why I felt so disconnected from my life but I think it was more than that. I felt part of the story, like I was the one with the terrible parents and voices in my head. I hated that feeling. I went through every happy thing I could think of (Tangled and Pitch Perfect followed by a baking marathon) after I finished the novel because I wanted to get out of that mindset. However, this made me realize that some people can’t get out of that dark hole. It helped me understand that mental illness is very complex and that maybe it shouldn’t be represented in an easy-to-read way. Instead, the author took something that happened to her and made it so that you would feel the emptiness that you didn’t know you could feel. Again, I’m not sure if everything is correct and it definitely doesn’t apply to everyone but at least it tries to get the message across.
Even though I think the book is well-written and a very important read, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. Like I said before, this novel is really dark. Keep this in mind before you pick it up.
Georgette
I am SO glad to read I am NOT the only one who didn’t get this book. I tried- because the rep for the publisher was hyping the hell out of it to our kid’s expert, and having seen comparisons to John Green, I had to read it. It was so dark, and again, I normally LOVE dark books, but this, wow, I just wanted to warn everyone away from it! I think we’ve sold maybe one… I just did NOT like it at all. Glad to hear it wasn’t just me!
Paola Carolina
This one is a tough one to like! I had no idea it was going to be so depressing D:
looloolooweez
I’m glad you shared your perspective on this book. I had a really hard time reviewing it and in the end decided not to assign a star rating at all. The subject is just too close to home… for well over a week after reading it I kept having to pull myself away from that edge (special thanks to happy pills, hot tea, and good friends for help with that). Even though this is wonderfully written and not a bad book in any way, I can’t in good conscience recommend it to my library teens, who have enough problems to deal with in real life right now, thanks.
Paola Carolina
Right! I think you have to know someone really well before you recommend it because it triggers a lot of emotions. It took me to a dark place for sure.
Natasha
I appear to be in the minority, but I really liked this book. I can’t say I loved it because it did make me very sad, but I felt gripped by the characters, uneasily sure of what was going to happen, but intrigued enough with the atmosphere and the writing to go along for the ride. Not having dealt with clinical depression or suicidal ideation, I can’t say whether those parts are “real to life” but as a youth librarian, I would definitely recommend this to teens who are fans of “sad” books that hit you in the feels.