REVIEW:

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Rating: 5/5

All the Bright Places follows two characters, Violet Markey and Theodore Finch. They both find themselves on top of the bell tower at their school contemplating death and kind of "save" each other. They then become partners on a school project that requires them to see different wonders of their state. The novel focuses on their adventures as they discover each other and battle their inner thoughts.

The novel deals with serious issues such as bipolar, loss of a love one, depression and suicide. It portrays these illnesses in an extremely realistic way, it doesn't glorify or romanticize them. It's blunt. It's powerful. It's heart breaking.

However, the story also had humor and romance. It had me laughing and smiling like a goon on one page and crying my eyes out on the next.

That's the best part. All the Bright Places makes you feel. It makes you think. It's raw and brilliant and I'm completely in love with it. I will recommend this novel to anyone and everyone because it quickly became one of my favorite books of all time.

I read this book in less than a day, I could not put it down. So bravo Jennifer Niven. You, my dear, are an excellent author.

Another reason I love this book is that it takes place in the state that I live in, Indiana. So I felt a connection to it. I know these places they visit. And while I've never been to any of them I've always wanted to. I grew up hating Indiana. The only thing I wanted was to get out of this state, this book changed that. While I still am desperate to leave and see the world, I now appreciate the beauty this state brings to the world. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this novel, do you agree or disagree? If you haven't read it yet, I recommend that you pick it up sometime.

REVIEW: Southern Perfection by Casey Peeler

Life is full of choices: good, bad, and ones you can’t control.

Raegan strives to be perfect in every way. Varsity cheerleader, honor student, and proud granddaughter of Dover Lowery. By day, Raegan is an over-achieving high school student, but at three o’clock, her real work begins.

What happens when appearances are not what they seem? Will Raegan be able to hold on to her life as she knows it, or will she be left all alone? 

 All of these questions are answered with one night, one song, one story, and one boy.

Honestly, I expected this novel to be some ditsy, light hearted teen romance. Boy, was I surprised! Southern Perfection is a shoutout to the bond of family and the strength of love through the good and the bad.

There were some parts, mainly with Raegan and Em, that I thought were a little too cheesy but I still enjoyed this read and towards the end I had tears running down my face. Peeler did an amazing job of making the characters seem real and I felt every emotion that Raegan felt. 

This was the first I have read by Casey Peeler but I'll definitely be purchasing more from her in the future.

I rate this book 4/5 stars.