Overview
All The Bright Places is a teen romance novel about Violet and Theodore whose story portrays struggles of mental health, grief, and young love. Author Jennifer Niven has written several young adult novels that explore deeply emotional experiences and hardships. All The Bright Places was even adapted into a Netflix film in 2020.
Since the book contains some mature topics, we did a deep dive into the story so you can decide if it’s suitable to give to your young reader. Let’s take a look!
Harmful Content ❗️
Parents should know this book deals with heavy topics that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Violet grieves the death of her sister through most of the book, and the book opens with her contemplating suicide by jumping from a bell tower. Theodore severely struggles with mental health issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, and suicidal ideation.
Spoiler and trigger warning: The book ends with Theodore ultimately dying by suicide by drowning himself while Violet is present. The scene is handled with heavy emotion and some graphic detail, which may be unsettling for audiences who have had similar struggles.
Language
The language is typical of high schoolers, including uses of “hell,” “damn,” and “sh*t.”
Sex
Violet and Theodore engage in kissing and implied sexual activity, but it is not graphic or described in too much detail. The focus is much more on the emotional connection between the two of them, but parents should know that sex and romance are discussed in a mature tone.
Violence
The book contains mostly psychological distress and emotional violence, mostly in the form of themes of suicide. Additionally, Theodore’s home life involves a verbally abusive father. Violet’s sister died in a car crash and this is discussed frequently throughout the story.
Positive Value 💫
Despite the heavy themes, the book highlights important themes of mental health awareness, friendship, healing, and finding beauty in unexpected places. One thing that is evident in Theodore and Violet’s relationship is how comforting it is to know you’re not alone in difficult circumstances.
So, should my kid read this?
Due to the mature content, we would not recommend this book to young readers, or those struggling with similar mental health issues. Otherwise, we’d say this book is appropriate for readers around ages 15 and up.
