Do you ever go into a book expecting to love it but end up disappointed? That’s EXACTLY what All The Bright Places was for more. I was so excited to get to this book since everyone seems to love it, and I being the contemporary lover I am was expecting the same feelings. But nope.
All The Bright Places follows Violet and Finch. Violet is living everyday with survivor’s guilt that eats her away after her sister died. Finch has an diagnosed mental disorder that he struggles through everyday. When they meet on top of the school roof, of all places, they begin an unlikely friendship that turns into something more. But as Violet begins to heal Finch only seems to get worse….
What was supposed to be a book about two people saving each other it became a romance book where Finch’s issues were just “quirks”. I’ve never read a book that romanticizes mental illness more.
I actually really enjoyed Violet in this book, she seemed like a very real character. I felt like she could really exist today. It was like Violet and I could go to the same high school. Something about her just felt so real. Her healing process throughout this book was touching and devastating. I loved her character arc, but I unfortunately had more mixed feelings about her love interest. Finch.
Finch was a walking mental illness. It felt like the author googled up different mental illnesses, took some of the characteristics and symptoms and made a character. People are more than their mental health problems but that wasn’t close to how Finch was. He felt so inorganic and forced that it upset me that he was even considered a character.
It should be pretty clear by this part of the review that my opinions are very different than most… and that carries on to the romance part of this book too. I didn’t like Finch and Violet together much at all. I thought their friendship was well written and they pushed each other to better themselves but their romance wasn’t interesting or necessary to me.
Since characters are a pretty big issue for me here, it should come as no shocker that the parents were TERRIBLE. Neither set of patterns felt there at all. If I’m remembering correctly; Finch’s dad isn’t around and his mom never pays attention to him. How could you not notice your child painting his entire room (FLOOR AND CEILING) blue? How could you not help him with his issues? How could you not care about his just DISAPPEARING without hearing from him for days? How could you not care that he’s constantly getting suspended from school? I just didn’t get it! It bothered me so much throughout the book. When Violet’s parents confronted his mother at the end of the book and called her out on her bad parenting I almost lost it because finally FINALLY someone said it. Ugh.
My last issue with this book was the ending was pretty predictable which really took away from it being impacting for me. I don’t know, this book was just a huge disappointment to me. Overall I gave it two stars but that even feels like stretch to me.
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