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| Image from RRHS Catalog |
Violet Markey and Theodore Finch meet on the ledge of the bell tower of their school, both contemplating suicide, in the novel All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. Finch, who has long been labeled a freak by his classmates, recognizes Violet’s pain as she tries to deal with the loss of her sister in a car accident. Finch, meanwhile, struggles against a mental illness where he is one moment on top of the world and the next in a depression so deep he can’t even leave his house. Themes of dealing with death and loss, the stigma of mental illness, bullying, and the power of love are all addressed through the course of the novel in which these two teens try to help one another through problems bigger than they are. A person with a mental illness or who has overcome a mental illness would find a beautiful connection to this book.
- Emily, RRHS Student