We have changed our privacy policy. In addition, we use cookies on our website for various purposes. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. You can learn about our practices by reading our privacy policy.

All the Bright Places Chapter 1 Summary

Finch

  • Meet Finch, who starts each day by asking himself if it's a good day to die. In fact, it's a question that comes up throughout his day.
  • At this particular moment Finch is asking himself that question on a high ledge. He's thinking about jumping.
  • Finch has been recently "woken up" from what he describes as a long sleep. Sounds like depression.
  • Finch gives us his coordinates: He's at his high school, in the bell tower.
  • He's shouting down to students on the ground. They aren't paying him much mind. Sounds like this has happened before.
  • Suddenly Finch realizes he's not alone. There's a girl on the ledge on the other side of the tower, and presumably she's thinking about jumping, too.
  • Finch tells her not to look down. He's trying to keep her calm.
  • He realizes the girl is Violet, a cheerleader. He's surprised to see her up here.
  • Finch is still talking, inching toward Violet on the ledge.
  • The kids on the ground notice that Violet's up there. She's freaking out about it a little.
  • Finch shouts (so the crowd can hear) to make it sound as though Violet's there trying to save him…even though she was there to kill herself.
  • More quietly, so the crowd can't hear, he tells her to get back over the ledge to safety. His calm words guide her to the ground.
  • While he's still on the ledge, Finch contemplates jumping one last time. Now it's Violet's turn to talk him back to safety.
  • Finch's friend Charlie has come up to the bell tower. He tells Finch there's pizza in the caf today.
  • Finch shouts his thanks to Violet for "saving" him. Also, he notices his guidance counselor on the ground. Busted.
  • Violet tells Finch she wasn't trying to kill herself. He knows better. She thanks him and leaves.
  • Finch tells us he's on probation this year. He's been in trouble with the school for destroying property a few times. If he messes up, he'll be expelled.
  • He's about to meet with his guidance counselor…who's understandably mad about the whole ledge thing.
  • The counselor wants to know if that was a serious suicide attempt. Finch laughs it off. He asks the counselor not to call his mom.
  • The counselor tells Finch he has to take a drug test and meet with him twice a week. Also he wants to know why Finch was out of school for more than a month.
  • Finch had his "mother" (well, his sister posing as his mother) call in an excuse about flu. He wasn't physically ill, though. He was depressed.
  • Finch explains to us (not the counselor) that he doesn't really want to die. He's fighting the urge as best he can.
  • Finch leaves the counselor's office with a sense of relief.