All the Bright Places is a heartbreaking story about two teenagers who are both struggling with mental illnesses, which causes them both to question life's worth. Finch and Violet meet on top of the school's bell tower, and both of them are considering suicide. Finch talks Violet down off of the tower because he knows that she has more to live for. He ends up talking himself off of the bell tower, too. The next day in US Geography, the class is assigned a project. Wander Indiana. Their teacher believes that they should see the sights of their state before they graduate. Finch calls Violet out and requests her as a partner, and her teacher says that her once 'extenuating circumstances' won't save her. He's doing her a favor by pushing her out of her comfort zone. Finch falls in love with Violet, and as their friendship starts, Violet finds herself becoming, well, herself again. After her sister died in a car accident the year before, she hadn't allowed herself into a vehicle since, and had given up her biggest passion: writing. However, after she became closer to Finch, she finally allowed herself into a vehicle, and even drove, as well as found her ability to write again. They explore Indiana leaving little things behind for other people to find when they explore the areas they choose for their project. Finch teaches Violet how to live, even though he wants to die. They form a great bond, and are a couple to envy. However, in the end, after Finch finds that he has helped give Violet the will to live, and helped her to find her voice and be able to write again, she finds him dead in a lake after leaving clues to where he would be. This drives her to realize that maybe things aren't always as they seem. Maybe people who have mental illness can hid it for so long that it is forgotten. After she came to these conclusions, she continued to pursue her passions in memory of Finch, wanting to keep him alive.