Reviews with content warning for Suicide - All the Bright Places

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

989 reviews

dyagan's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

strawberrycookies's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

evelynyle_88's review against another edition

5.0

emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

eleanorjane_17's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I first read this book as a teenager and I remember it was the most impactful book for me as someone who struggles with mental health this was the first time I felt understood and seen.
Through reading this book I learnt so much and really felt like I was on a similar journey as Violet who is learning to live again after her sisters death. It is beautifully sad and heart wrenching but also hopeful and needed as a voice for people.
It's probably been 8 years since I read this for the first time and it has a very special place in my heart.

Content Warnings

perksofbeingtheantihero's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

joybookish's review against another edition

2.0

slow-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

pianoplayer279's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

An amazing emotional book that will make you cry. Age 14+

Content Warnings

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

2.5

dark reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Starting off with what I disliked.

While I appreciate the author’s note and how personal this book is to the author, and how there was a lot of research into mental health and suicide, I could not see much past how badly certain topics were portrayed. Not in the way of “everyone grieves differently” or “this is real life” because all of that is true- this book did not need a happy ending and it was important to include a lot of the stuff we wish did not happen- but in how some things that were very inappropriate or not recommended were not even touched upon.

For example, when Violet tells her parents about her suicide attempt while also at the same time revealing she still was seeing Finch , all the parents mentioned aside from working to make sure Finch was okay is their disappointment. Yeah that probably was in relation to Violet’s disobedience but she literally mentioned she almost took her life and that is never addressed again by her parents.

One thing I wish there was more of in the book was that suicide support group. Although that was not really a realistic portrayal of a group (at least one that is run well) as they literally had everyone share their diagnoses and method of previous suicide attempt (which today goes against safe suicide messaging) introducing another part of who Amanda was was really nice even if she did horribly out Finch to Violet despite her knowing how much she would hate of anyone knew she herself was there.Although it was all nice when Ryan and Amanda joined Violet and Finch’s other friends for a tribute to Finch, we did not have enough character development of Amanda and especially Ryan to justify them being any different from the other mourners at the school who at best never paid any attention to Finch and at worst tormented him.

Also, Finch was pretty coercive and pushy towards Violet such as when he ripped up her note twice when she did not have a direct “yes” … like cool, you are looking for direct consent but you did not except anything but that.

And now, what I appreciated!

I did like Finch’s counselor - he was genuine and even though he started out kind of “eh” for me, he was actually direct with Finch and tried so much to help him beyond actually making him get additional help, which he acknowledges he could have done more anyway. And also, people need to want to get help and Finch did, multiple times. But even the people who fight most against suicide- for themselves and others- end up dying by suicide. And even though people say this book romanticized suicide (which I can see, especially with Violet going on the journey to visit the remaining wandering spots), I think having seen Finch in so many different states of mind- the backs and forths of what his illness does to him, and how he KNEW he wanted to live at so many points, and appreciated life and being awake- he still ended up taking his life. And that happens… a lot. Some of the best advocates for suicide prevention die by suicide even with years of saying “there is always help” and “I am here for you”. I am a suicide prevention advocate myself but also know that a lot of messaging around suicide prevention can make it seem like loved ones did something wrong or did not try hard enough. This books gets that right- how that is in no way true and suicide prevention is not about you as one person preventing a suicide but it is a collective effort across the lifespan for people to recognize the signs, and have the resources to help both themselves and others.

Closing thoughts:
While I clearly disliked this book overall, I am so glad I read it. As a suicide prevention advocate it is interesting to me to read and watch different portrayals of mental health and suicide over time. Even since this was written in 2015, so much has changed to where I know the movie addressed some things that this book did not (although I need to watch it still). I feel like if I read it around when it came out, I would have loved this as I did Thirteen Reasons Why.

Content Warnings

karin_cc's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad

I think it was remarkable! (😉)

I really liked Finch💙 and Violet💜
I wish the book didn't end like that, because I want more moments between the two, BUT I wouldn't want it any other way - makes it realistic. Since I discussed the book with my friend Keitlyn, I realized that the story showed us how love can't fix everything. No matter how much I wished for Finch to stay, (~~he didn't~~) the situation had already gone too far and that's why I liked the book. It might've been romance, but I think that for the first time I focused on other aspects of the story more than the romance - and I really loved it. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adored Finch's and Violet's relationship, but the way the story ended was perfect.

The book kinda hit me hard.. I laughed and cried, while going through all kinds of emotions. I will carry All the Bright Places in my heart for a long time. I feel like I learned, or rather understood, a little bit more about the world and how different people experience it. I also feel like I left a piece of me in the book, something inside me has changed either way. I was practically bawling my eyes out at the end because of the overwhelming emotions. Also, the author's note... all I can say is Thank You, Jennifer Niven! <3

"Stay," I say, "stay."

Content Warnings

florence_06's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

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