He is a real and complex character who could live off the page, and will continue to live in the memory of Niven’s readers long after they finish the book. However his darkness keeps him from fully opening up to people, and as frustrating as it is for Violet, I too felt frustrated that I couldn’t break through his walls either. Having been raised in a fractured and abusive home and bullied throughout childhood, Finch builds a wall of labels and mystery around himself, contrary to his sensitive and intelligent nature his close friends and family know. However, Niven’s use of a dual narrative structure allows readers to peel back Finch’s labels, and understand him beyond the limits of the archetype. Young adult novel All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven has every ingredient for an engaging read: complex characters, relatable conflicts, and empowering messages.Īt first glance, Theodore Finch may seem like the typical YA bad boy: enigmatic, dark, and clever. Bound by their secret of what really happened in the bell tower, Finch convinces Violet to do their US Geography Wander Indiana project together, which takes both characters to places-physically and mentally-they would have never known without the other. When students see them in the tower, Finch helps Violet from the ledge, but his “freak” label makes the entire student body believe it was the other way around. The two meet on the ledge of the bell tower at their school while Finch uses the thrill to feel alive and Violet contemplates jumping. Violet Markey blames herself for her older sister’s death.

Theodore Finch fears living life “asleep.”

All the bright places cover