The Clarke Central High School media center hosted a meet and greet with author Jennifer Nivel on Wed., Jan. 14. Jennifer Nivel is the author of All the Bright Places, the book they will be talking about. The meet and greet was arranged through a partnership between CCHS and Avid Bookshop.
By KAYA POLLACK – Staff Writer
On Wed. Jan. 14 at 10 am. the Clarke Central High School media center hosted a meet and greet with Jennifer Niven, author of All The Bright Places.
“We have been very lucky to have two well known authors visit and also have Skype sessions with two other authors,” media specialist Lindy Weaver said. “The problem is finding the time in students’ schedules for people to come. We would love to be able to have more (author meet-and-greets).”
Niven’s book has been compared to The Fault in Our Stars written by John Green and will soon be a movie produced by Paula Mazur and Mitchell Kaplan, who acquired the film rights before Places was published, and will star Elle Fanning.
“I love the opportunity to work with Avid to bring authors to our schools because I think its important to expose students to different people that they may not have known or heard about,” Weaver said.
A review from Publishers Weekly on Jan. 6 praised Niven’s work.
“In her (young adult) debut, adult author Niven creates a romance so fresh and funny….The journey to, through, and past tragedy is romantic and heartbreaking, as characters and readers confront darkness, joy, and the possibilities—and limits—of love in the face of mental illness,” the review said.
Reviews such as these have started rumors that the book will be one of the most important and bestselling YA books of 2015. The media center will have forms for students and teachers to buy Niven’s book with a discount offer.
“ I would love (the meet and greet) to spark (students) interest in reading, to understand when they meet a real life author, that they understand where the stories come from.” Weaver said, ”(For them to realize) that its not some kind of otherworldly thing that happens, but thats its just a real person writing real stories and that (students) too are capable to attain greatness like them.”
