All the Bright Places by Jennifer NivenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jennifer Niven’s All the Bright Places is one of those books that sat on my to-read list for quite some time. Despite purchasing the book, I was a wee bit worried about diving into it. You see, I find young adult books dealing with heavy issues can be rather hit or miss. Some pack the emotional punch that ensures the book will stay with you long after you finish reading, others completely miss the mark. Thus, despite my interest, I was worried.
It turns out, such feels were unnecessary with this one.
From the very start, All the Bright Places sucked me in. In no time at all, I was addicted to the story. I fell in love with the characters and the events, I found myself unable to take a step away from the book. To show how bad my addiction was, let me explain the moment of the power cut. I was deep in the story – about sixty pages in and hooked – when the power cut out. I needed more, I needed to continue, so the torch on my phone became the method of light. We were without power for over four hours, and I was happy to use the battery left on my phone to light up the book for as long as it was able to last. To say I was addicted is to put it mildly.
It wasn’t just a case of the characters and the story being addictive, it’s the fact this book dealt with the heavy topics well. It’s not the best one out there, but it’s certainly better than a lot I have read. I know there will be people who will have things they will not be happy with, but I feel as though many of those aspects are intentional things. People like books to be wrapped up nicely, for everything to have a tidy bow. Life is not like that, and All the Bright Places shows how true that is.
It may not have had me crying like many people, but it certainly caused a lump in my throat.
There is no doubt in my mind that I’ll be reading more Jennifer Niven in the future.
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