All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

 

 

Goodreads summary: Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

Holy cow, I am still thinking about this book; it gave me some serious “feels” for many of the characters.

    hate--for Finch’s father

    bitterness--for Finch’s mother

    affection--for Violet

    anguish--for Finch

    dissatisfaction--for Mr. Embry, the counselor

    humiliation--for Amber

    justification--for Roamer

And many all over the map feelings, as I read though the plot.

    hopelessness

    weariness

    watchfulness

    hopefulness

    energy

    wonder

    joy

    relief

    panic

This is a definite school buy for me, and a potential Gateway.