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71 pages 2 hours read

Jennifer Niven

All The Bright Places

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2015

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Important Quotes

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“This is day six of being awake again, and my first week back at school since November 14.”


(Page 4)

Finch’s narrative describes what appears to be episodes of debilitating depression. He talks about having been “asleep” for the holidays, but implies that he was experiencing a period of despair during which he simply withdrew from the world. He depicts himself as having felt “dead” and “empty”; the period this quote describes was apparently the most severe of a series of incidents in which he has been unable to function.

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“This is followed by laughter because we’re in high school, which means we’re predictable and almost anything is funny, especially if it’s someone else’s public humiliation.”


(Page 29)

Following their accidental meeting on the bell tower while contemplating suicide, Violet and Finch form an unlikely bond. When she is embarrassed by dropping her books upon entering a shared class, Finch responds by dropping all of his books and crashing his desk on the floor in order to divert attention from the young woman. His comment illustrates the tendency of adolescent groups to find humor in the humiliation of others.

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“I feel ashamed of what I almost put them through.”


(Page 47)

Upon the urging of her parents, Violet attends what she is told will be a girls’ sleepover at the home of her former friend, Amanda Monk; however, she finds the celebration to be an “orgiastic free-for-all” and arrives home early (53). She experiences guilt about her thoughts of suicide on the preceding day. She realizes the depth of loss that her parents would have experienced, combined with the loss of their older daughter several months earlier, would have been catastrophic. She agreed to attend the party in order to assuage her guilt about this issue. 

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“‘I forgive everyone and ask forgiveness of everyone. OK? Not too much gossip, please’”


(Page 57)

Here, Finch quotes Cesare Pavese, an Italian poet who died from an overdose of sleeping pills in 1950. Finch writes the quote in a journal he keeps containing thoughts and observations on suicide. Previously, the poet had expressed the desire to “count for something” (56). He left a suicide note beside his bed in a hotel room in which he forgave and requested forgiveness of others, in addition to a plea that gossip about his death be avoided.

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“I wouldn’t ever sleep if I didn’t have to.”


(Page 63)

As the story progresses, more of Finch’s statements are devoted to a description of his mercurial emotional state. While prior passages indicate that Finch had spent the months of November and December in a seriously depressed state, he is experiencing a swing toward a manic episode during a nighttime visit with Violet. When she announces that she wants to go home to sleep, he notes that he would be happier if he never slept. Later in the narrative, it becomes clear that Finch’s sleep is often punctuated by frightening dreams. 

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“Two matching SUVs are parked in the drive, shining as if their pretentious mechanical lives depend on it.”


(Page 68)

Finch and his two sisters attend a mandatory dinner at the home of their father, who has remarried a young woman named Rosemarie. In contrast to their own household, which is described as comfortably disheveled, their father resides in an expensive, but soulless, new house. The two expensive cars in front of the home epitomize the materialism that pervades the new household.

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“‘When you consider things like the stars, our affairs don’t seem to matter very much, do they?’”


(Page 76)

Violet surprises Finch during an email exchange. When he starts to quote lines from Virginia Woolf, she responds in kind. Although Finch initially feels that he knows the author well enough to conduct his side of the conversation from memory, he realizes that Violet has as much background as he does. She sends him the above Woolf lines in response to his own quote asking the purpose of passion. 

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“Senior Hero Saves Crazy Classmate from Bell Tower Jump.”


(Page 79)

The Bartlett High School maintains a legitimate student newspaper, but the headline above appears in the Bartlett Dirt school gossip website. The front page features a photo of Violet, complete with poorly cut bangs and her sister’s eyeglasses, alongside a photo of Theodore Finch

Violet notices the editor of the school newspaper reading the Dirt column with disapproval of its low journalism standards. Violet realizes that she should be friendly with the girls on the newspaper staff, who are smart and “speak their minds” rather than the shallow, approval seeking Amanda Mock (79). 

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“He looks unnervingly wholesome—I suspect he’s a goody-good, what with all the not smoking and vegetarianism and turned-up collars.”


(Page 80)

Finch decides to discard the “80s Finch” personality that he has experimented with lately. Although the young man admires aspects of this character (e.g., refusal to eat meat), he suspects that this persona may be unsuccessful with girls. In view of his new obsession with Violet Markey, Finch seeks to express himself as a unique character. He trades in the ‘80s outfits for a used leather jacket and black Beatles boots. 

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“By the time I get to U.S. Geography, I’ve almost convinced myself this world exists. Until I see Ryan Cross, all gold, flowing, his hand on the back of Violet’s chair as if he’s the host at the Macaroni Grill.”


(Page 85)

Buoyed up by the apparent success of his relationship with Violet to date, Finch allows himself to imagine a more compassionate environment within his community. Theodore changes his persona to “Badass British Finch,” adapts a British accent, and imitates a Beatles wardrobe. His hopes are dashed when he enters geography class and sees Ryan Cross, Violet’s former boyfriend, standing close to her and conversing in a proprietary way. Finch tries to catch Violet’s attention, but a group of popular classmates surrounding her prevents them from making eye contact. 

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“I’d go to Hoosier Hill with a beautiful girl.”


(Page 95)

Finch finally convinces Violet to start their survey of interesting sites in Indiana. As they begin their trip, he becomes aware that Violet has not driven in a car, or ridden in one as a passenger, since her sister’s death in a crash the preceding April. He asks Violet a number of questions about herself and finally prompts her to ask him where he would most like to go; he responds that he would go to Hoosier Hill with a beautiful girl.

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“As we clear the plates, my mother looks as dazed and disconcerted as she always does, only more so because she doesn’t have the first clue what to do with my sisters and me.”


(Page 105)

Finch is a softhearted young man who has compassion for his mother, whose self-esteem was shattered when her husband divorced her. Various sections of the text indicate that her 18-year-old daughter, Kate, has assumed many of Mrs. Finch’s parental responsibilities; for example, Kate called the high school explaining that Theodore was suffering from a bad case of flu during his most recent bout with depression. Nonetheless, Mrs. Finch attempts to relate to her children, as when she asks Decca and Theodore what they learned that day each night at dinner. 

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“‘It sounds great,’ I say, but we all know I don’t mean it.”


(Page 113)

Violet’s parents praise her bravery when a reporter tells them Violet saved Finch from jumping off a bell tower and suggest that the three of them travel to New York during the spring break; her mother mentions the possibility of a side trip to NYU. Violet has been accepted to the prestigious writing program at the school, but she does not want to live in a location where it might snow. Icy weather reminds her of the circumstances of Eleanor’s death.

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“You have to live your life like you’ll never be sorry.”


(Page 129)

Finch talks to Violet’s parents about her life prior to the accident and ultimately persuades her to ride in his car as a passenger. She agrees to do so; this represents the first time that she has entered a car since her accident with Eleanor. She apologizes to Finch about Roamer, who had assaulted him in the gym locker room the preceding week. Finch explains that it is always better to avoid behavior that will necessitate apologies.

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“Maybe if [our father] hadn’t used your head as a punching bag.”


(Page 139)

Finch experiences severe mood swings that are usually preceded by headaches. He feels that his brain is “firing so fast that it can’t keep up with itself” (139), and he senses that he can actually see the headache. It is composed of a million, blinding colors. When he describes this sensation to his older sister, Kate, she attributes it to neurological damage that Finch may have sustained due to severe physical abuse by their father. 

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“‘Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!’”


(Page 154)

This line is a quote from the Dr. Seuss book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Finch wakes Violet at 2:00 am one morning by throwing rocks at her bedroom window. He brings her on an impromptu ride through their hometown. They visit the bookstore where Mrs. Finch has a part-time job and read Dr. Seuss books aloud from the children’s section. They dance through the store singing the last lines of the Dr. Seuss book.

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“His bedroom is blue now—walls, ceiling, floor—and all the furniture has been moved to one corner so that the room is divided in two.”


(Page 229)

As Finch experiences a downward shift in his mood, he attributes part of his discomfort to the physical condition of his bedroom. He comes to dislike the red walls and the fact that it is a large space. Always attracted to water, he repaints the walls and ceilings the color of a swimming pool and feels comforted by the change. Additionally, he moves all the furniture to one side of the room so that it will feel less cavernous and threatening. Eventually, he is unable to tolerate open space and moves into his bedroom closet.

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“My dad got them for me.”


(Page 258)

Finch and his sisters endure unhappy weekly dinners at their father’s house with his wife and their seven-year-old stepbrother, Josh Raymond. Finch notices two stick horses in Josh’s room that belonged to him as a child. He remembers that their names were Midnight and Scout, and he used to ride them around the house for hours. In a moment of irrationality, he is angered that his father has given these old toys to the child. Eventually, Finch calms himself and holds Josh’s hand as they go to the dining room.

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“It’s snowing again.”


(Page 264)

Snow and icy conditions led to the auto accident that killed Eleanor Markey. Violet has a very emotional reaction to snow and refuses to consider attending any college in a cold area of the country. Finch brings her a huge bouquet of flowers in order to dispel her sadness and anxiety over the weather. She is delighted and tells him that he has brought her spring.

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“[Amanda] puts one leg in the car and says, ‘I guess now you know you’re not the only freak.’”


(Page 286)

As his emotional state deteriorates, Finch researches methods of finding support. He attends a suicide prevention support group called “Life is Life” and meets other teenagers who suffer from the same impulses. He is surprised when Amanda Monk, who is very popular and has always referred to his as a “freak,” attends the meeting under an assumed name. She reveals that she has attempted suicide and suffers from bulimia. 

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“I’m worried about you, and I want you to be okay, but I don’t know what to do for you.”


(Page 306)

After Amanda Monk tells Violet that she met Finch at the suicide support group and that he had taken an overdose of pills, Violet wants to offer Finch assistance but is unsure as to what to do. Previously warm and affectionate, Finch’s attitude becomes cold and withdrawn when she tries to talk to him about his emotional state. He tells her that he is more than “a compilation of symptoms” and essentially suggests that she end the visit to his room (307). 

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“You’re one of the best there is.”


(Page 327)

Although the Finch family maintains that Theodore did not leave a suicide note, he sent his mother and sisters an email that resonated finality on the morning of his death. He recalled some happy moments from his childhood and tells them that happy times are coming back. He gives each of them advice and ends the note by telling Kate that she is better than some guy, a reference to her disloyal boyfriend.

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“‘I am arrayed. I am prepared.’”


(Page 328)

Finch and Violet are fans of Virginia Woolf, a writer who drowned herself. They often quote to each other from the text of one of her works, The Waves, from which this quote is taken. Finch sends an email to Violet that includes these lines immediately before his death. Violet is frightened by the sense of finality conveyed in this message and responds, “Stay.” 

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“You can’t be responsible for everyone—not your sister, not Finch.”


(Page 348)

After Finch’s death, Violet attends a session with the school counselor, Mr. Embry. He encourages her to avoid any feelings of responsibility for Finch’s suicide. The counselor acknowledges that perhaps Finch had felt that he had no alternative, although this was not the case. Nonetheless, he emphasizes that Violet must now concentrate on her own emotional survival.

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“You saved my life.”


(Page 353)

Throughout their relationship, Finch encouraged Violet to return to writing. She had stopped after Eleanor’s death. Subsequent to Finch’s death, Violet writes “A Letter to Someone Who Committed Suicide” in the notebook where the couple kept a record of their wanderings in Indiana. She thanks Finch for having brought her back to life when she was grieving for her sister and wonders why she was unable to save him, in return.

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