Was All the Bright Places a Best Seller?

By Alice Nichols

All the Bright Places, is a novel by Jennifer Niven, published in 2015. The story follows two teenagers, Violet Markey and Theodore Finch, who struggle with mental illness and find solace in each other. It quickly became a New York Times bestseller, topping the young adult fiction list for weeks.

The book has been praised for its honest portrayal of mental health issues and its exploration of the complexities of grief and depression. It has also been commended for its open discussion of suicide and its sensitive treatment of suicide prevention.

The novel follows Violet and Finch as they explore the beauty of their home state of Indiana while also dealing with their own personal issues. Violet is grieving her sister’s recent death, while Finch struggles with depression and bipolar disorder.

As they get to know each other better, they inspire each other to live life to the fullest despite their battles with mental illness. They form an unlikely bond that helps them both confront their inner demons and come to terms with their losses.

The novel was met with positive reviews from critics and fans alike. The New York Times called it “a beautiful reminder that even in our darkest moments we can find hope” while Publishers Weekly praised it for being “an affecting story about finding joy in life’s unexpected gifts”. It was also nominated for several awards including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults Award, and the Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production.

In addition to being a critical success, All The Bright Places was also a commercial success. It spent weeks at the top of the New York Times Young Adult Fiction Best Seller List and was featured on several lists of best-selling books by Barnes & Noble and Amazon UK as well as being adapted into a Netflix film starring Elle Fanning in 2020.

All The Bright Places was not only a critical success but also a commercial one as well: it topped numerous bestseller lists around the world and even inspired a Netflix adaptation starring Elle Fanning in 2020. Thus it is safe to say that All The Bright Places was indeed a best seller!