All the Bright Places// Book Review

Hello Rad Readers!

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven has quickly and doubtlessly made its way onto my 'favorites' shelf. It is absolutely brilliant, and seriously impactful.

Theodore Finch is not well. However, he is living, not just alive, but living. Spontaneous, aloof, and unconstrained by what ties most of us down in life. He lives every day as though it could be his last, because it just might be. That is the other thing about Finch, he intends to die. However, each time something good happens, no matter how small it is, it stops him. He lives for the Now.

Violet Markey lives for the future. She is counting the days until graduation, until she escapes Indiana, until she is done grieving the recent death of her sister, until she is happy again, until, until, until.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of a bell tower, it’s unclear who saves who. A school project unites them again and they are sent out to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, but they both meet more important realizations along the way, to forget about counting the days away and start living them. Following Violet and Finch on their journey, we learn from a boy who intends to die how to live.

This is first a coming of age story, but second, it is a story that sheds light on heavy subject matter like suicide, mental health, anxiety, and depression. They are serious topics that should be talked about and need to be normalized in discussion. I feel like I speak for many people when I say that I am not able to understand these things because I do not experience it myself, however that is why it is so important to read! You see the world from a different lens, from a point of view that you may never know. That is what is so awesome about reading, you can experience so much and learn so much from fictional characters! Crazy!

Even though it deals with serious subject matter, this is not a depressing story. In fact, what I loved about it was how bright and happy it was at times despite the obstacles being faced. After the bell tower, the story turns into a journey that they have together over a school project and focuses on the impact that they have on each others lives. It is a pointed book and written with a strong and honest voice. The author, herself, had opened up, revealing that she experienced some of what happened to these characters when she was younger, which explains the genuine and honest feeling from the book. You can tell that it comes from a good place. That is another reason why I think that it is written in such a respectful light. It does not hold back and it tells the honest and horrifying truths of mental illness, but it is not anything like these other books that have been accused of nearly glorifying or romanticizing illness. (For example, the outcry 13 Reasons Why elicited from the bookish community.) There is plenty of positivity behind the story in spite of the harshness of the big picture. Those I think are where the big take aways in the book come from, the little light moments in periods of suffering. There is tons of lightheartedness and humor, especially from Finch's side. (In the beginning of the story Violet kind of has the personality of a wet paper towel, but it gets better from there!) A lot of story focuses on exploration, and it inspires the reader, or at least in my case it did. It made me want to go out and see more, especially in close proximity because there really are bright places everywhere, even in Indiana where Finch and Violet are exploring, even near me, and even near you. You don't have to backpack across Europe to find a good bench to read on! They found quirky and weird little places to be so extravagant and fun and there is certainly a profound metaphor in there that I have yet to fully unpack... Very inspiring though!

In terms of the technicality of the book, that is where so much of my love for the novel comes from. Jennifer Niven is a PHENOMENAL writer! The book is written in duel points of view, and that was executed seamlessly and exquisitely. Both characters have strong points of view and clear voices. Sometimes when you are reading stories with multiple perspectives you kind of get lost with who you are reading about if the characters aren't distinguished well by the author, so that is usually an issue I have with books written like this, but I didn't find that to be a problem at all with All the Bright Places. I actually thought it was a genius idea to write it in two perspectives becuase both of them take something so different from each of their journeys. For example, as Violet seems to be getting her new lease on life, as her world starts expanding from just hoping for better things tomorrow, Finch's seems to shrink. They are not in tandem, they are taking something entirely different out of their journey. The author's skill really shined through in the concluding chapters, because the way things are headed in the beginning and middle of the book shift entirely in the end. The two grow together, and then as individuals and it was good to see the contrast in how they were changing.

Finch was very interesting to me. I was so captivated by his character. He's clever, witty, creative, spontaneous, easy, and he really just doesn't fear judgement. I love that. Violet was a bit less interesting than Finch in the beginning, so I felt less connected to her throughout most of the story, but her character development at the end was so incredible and admirable, so that was when I started to really like her. I was just so drawn in by Finch because he was so unique and memorable-- as stand out character across ALL of the books that I have read... That is really saying something, because in case you haven't notices... I read a lot...

This was a truly gripping story. It held my heart the entire time and was fully able to crush it in the end. It's the type of book that you will still be thinking about long after you put it down. It has seriously left such an impact on me. It really makes you want to get out there and not waste "the now."

Being that this is my first read from Jennifer Niven, I would compare her writing to other contemporary legends. She is certainly along the lines of John Green and Rainbow Rowell. The writing is just so intelligent, but still entertaining. It has some beautiful quotes, obviously poetic writing, and very metaphorical moments which is something that I really tend to enjoy in contemporary, realistic fiction. I sometimes take issue to some of these incredibly heavy-on-the-soul books, because sometimes the levity of what is being said is lost in a brain dump of pretty metaphors, complicated syntax, and pretentious vocabulary. However, the levity of the topic in this book is done so much justice by its profound writing, still without being boring and preachy. It is still casual and natural sounding. Ultimately, this was a beautiful, heart wrenching, and exhilarating story!

This is easily one of my all time favorite books!

Jennifer Niven is The Real Deal!

- C8 ;)

P.S.

It has been adapted into a film and it was actually very good! A few discrepancies, but that is to be expected, you cannot unfortunately make a book entirely adaptable to the screen, eh-- it is what it is! Regardless, after you are done reading this brilliant book, I would definitely watch the movie. I really liked it!

A Court of Thorns and Roses// Series Review

Hello Rad Readers!

This will be a review on all three books in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Mass. These books are: A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, and A Court of Wings and Ruin.

I know what you are thinking, C8, didn't you just finish read SJM's 8 part series, Throne of Glass? Shouldn't you probably have given it some time before you went back into her work? Wasn't her last book that you read 950+ pages but likely could have been 500? So as to avoid a reading slump of boredom due to repetition, shouldn't you have maybe waited a while before you started reading her other books? Yes. Yes you are right. That is perhaps the measures I should have taken, but I did not.

So, perhaps my less than stellar feelings about this book are due to my own foolishness in sort of over doing it with her writing style and this world and her sorts of characters, but also, I never really got tired of the ToG series and I read those basically back to back, so I think that this series just wasn't really it for me.

I did find the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses to be good, but the others just fell short for me. I was not into it. The first book was mystery and magic, it was entertaining and interesting, nothing fantastic, but it was a solid 3.5 stars. There was definitely a plot to follow, but as the series progressed it sort of just felt like Feyre was just following everyone around, she would have these random moments of courage and power or whatever you want to call it, and then go right back to her just super lame self. It made kind of no sense. She would be the picture of a damsel in distress (which is actually the worst thing in the entire world, and my least favorite character trait/trope ever, but I do not have enough time to get into thatttt...) and then randomly say something super cliche, a monologue on frustration perhaps, about needing to be strong-- she would then proceed to do maybe one kind of cool thing, everyone would make a really big deal out of it despite its rather unextraordinary reality, and then she would do nothing for ten chapters, and then repeat. It just was not good.

Getting through the third book felt like clocking in and out hours for a job. I found myself picking it up and then putting it down and feeling like I had just accomplished something becuase I just didn't really care to finish it. I put ACOWAR down, started reading a new book, didn't pick ACOWAR up for four days, finished the other book I was reading, and then after completely forgetting about ACOWAR, started reading it again... That is just messed up. ACOWAR was supposed to be the finale! The big deal! The grand slam! But... it just wasn't. I just didn't care or really understand a lot of what was happening. I felt like a lot went unexplained and the author kind of just hoped that we would understand along the way. I got the general gist of things, but the tiny details, I was completely lost on. Perhaps that was due to my over all lack of interest in it and thus that made me pick up less or remember less of the little things, but I also think it has a bit to do with a lack of explanation.

My main problem with this series was that I thought a lot of themes and little details that I did pick up on were a little problematic. To name a few, racism or at least a lack of representation... the lack of diversity in the cast of characters is an issue. The author said that the reason for this was becuase the setting was in Europe... but... wait... this is set in Prythian... which is literally a made up magical realm... where literal witches and Fae creatures exist. So... I'm just sayinggggg, if you can make up the existence of shape shifting creatures, you can include some multicultural representation.

Then you know, there was a sprinkle of sexism and misogyny here and there. I personally was not the biggest fan of that. I'm sorry-- actually, I am not sorry-- there is nothing endearing about describing women as some sort of object for men to gawk at. I did NOT miss the fact that it seemed that all of them men in this series were the ones that had the big life saving ideas or called the final shots. I didn't miss that every time Feyre tried to do something important she would just nearly get there and then some man would appear and save the day. I just do not rock with that at all. Let's also not forget about the romanticism of... oh, ya know, ABUSE! Uhmmmm OOPS, don't like that at all!

I was honestly very surprised at the issue that I took with this story, because I found the author's other works to be extremely progressive. For example, the main character in Throne of Glass is an extremely strong and smart female. She is the one that saves the day, she is not objectified, and she is not bossed around. So my distaste for these books really took me by surprise.

I know that I basically talked nothing of the plot, or any sort of character analysis, but I just simply do not think that such analysis is a necessity when I do not recommend this book.

Ultimately, after the first book it is just boring and problematic. 2/5 stars. :/

- C8 ;)

Mosquitoland is Elegant, Hilarious, and Heartbreaking!!// Book Review

Hello Rad Readers!

Mim describes herself as a "--Collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange."

Clearly-- she could not be more correct.

After her parent's messy divorce, Mim is taken to Mississippi where she is in the company of mosquitos, her medication, her less that stellar father, and her new stepmom.

When she finds out that her mother is sick however, she gets just the reason she has been needing to ditch Mosquitoland and hop on a Greyhound bus to Cleveland. It becomes tough to determine if she is running away or running home.

As we previously established though, Mim is a collection of oddities. Nothing ever goes as it should, and on her way to Cleveland she meets some other travelers and her thousand-mile journey must take a few unplanned turns. These detours force Mim to confront what she is actually doing, and to reconsider her previously steadfast and unrelenting mindset.

Mosquitoland is a hilarious and heart wrenching story that is well worth the read!

I loved nearly everything about Mosquitoland. Mim really reminded me of Finch from All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. (That is another fantastic book well worth the read! Go check out my other blog post on it!) I say nearly because though the clear purpose of this novel is to not only entertain, but to bring about internal reflection for the reader, I still felt that there was just a bit too much of this reaching-for-depth at times. I understand that Mim is the sort of character that would actually stop for a minute to muse on the many metaphors and symbols about her life. I like that a lot about her, because that is something I, myself, do often. Oh, how art imitates life! But still, though I see the intention behind it, I felt like sometimes the constant ruminating felt like a bit too much. There was a bit too much pondering, a bit too much reaching, and a bit too much inner monologue that I felt like I was supposed to feel profoundly that I just simply did not. This of course isn't to say that every profound moment was a swing and a miss. I actually felt like more often then not it was a hit, but there is just something so cringey when they do miss that I just felt like I had to mention it. It was teetering on John Green levels of immensity. There were times where it felt like everything that happened to her needed to have a message behind it.

Anyways, that is my only real complaint, so let's just get on to the point-- this book was SO good. This felt a lot more real than a lot of other contemporaries I have read which is pretty crazy considering the absurdity of Mim's journey. It really felt like we were just listening in on her thoughts and conversations. The author's writing was so natural and seamless I felt like I was completely lost in the story every time I picked it up.

I love how intelligent and witty Mim is. She very much knows what's up. The perfect mix of rational and crazy I would like to aim for. She is also hilarious and any book that can make me crack a smile is an automatic 3 stars. The latter 2 stars came from the incredible writing and emphasis on characterization and human conflict. Mim is shamelessly flawed. She hates her medicated mind but recognizes the hot mess that she is. The people that she meets along the way are so real too. Shamelessly flawed just like herself. They help her grow, but they are not just there for the sake of the main character. They serve a purpose of their own and aren't just plot progression. Honestly, fantastic writing, showing us through characterization, through Mim, that there are more things to this world than just what is going on with you. Mim assumes this is her big journey, and hers alone, but then we meet Arlene, and Beck, and Walt, and it makes a self centered character a little more conscious of other's battles. This is certainly a theme that is extremely applicable to today's society.

I thought the conclusion was very fitting. In other reviews, I have seen people claim that the ending was too anticlimactic, and where I can understant why some people felt that way, I do strongly disagree. Sure, the conclusion in comparison to the insanity of the rest of Mim's journey is much more chill --for lack of a better word-- but that is what the pacing of the story required, as well as what the development of Mim's character needed. She was so exhausted of the chaos and the running, that she needed things to slow down. I thought the fact that the pacing slowed down also benefited the levity of what she was finding out at the end of the "road," if you get what I mean.

Ultimately, I loved the message behind this book, "have a vision, unclouded by fear." It is a fantastic idea.

This book is seriously well written and deals with tough subject matter in a flawless way. Clearly, a 5/5 star read!

Boom,

- C8 ;)