When We Collided - Emery Lord
Book Synopsis: We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…
Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.
Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.
Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.
In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.
I've never read a story about a girl who has bipolar disorder before I stumbled across this book through Instagram. Honestly, when I read this book the first time, I didn't like it at all. But then when I re-read it I found out that I actually liked the book and that I could relate to Vivi on a personal level. When I picked up this book, I didn't know what to expect, it switches and alternates perspectives from Vivi to Jonah. I thought that it was really well written. Emery Lord seems to have done a lot of research about bipolar disorder and how mania can do a lot of damage in a young girl's life.
Since I have bipolar disorder too, I know exactly what it's like to be in mania, the highs and lows of this mental illness can be a lot all at once to deal with. Most people I know can relate to Vivi, she had mood-swings, and fell in love just like normal teenage girls. I can't even begin to describe how mad this book made me because I wanted a good ending, and the first time that I read it through I definitely wanted to quit and put it in my do not read pile.
Something changed for me though, when I read the book a second time, I felt that I finally understood Vivi and why she did what she did. She had no control, and it's just like that when you're going through a manic episode. Excessive spending, lying, sneaking out, moving too fast, making drastic changes, and much more that's only scratching the surface of the attitude and behavioral changes that you can go through during mania. Going through mania is almost like being on autopilot, suddenly you're not in control of your life and it's a scary roller coaster ride.
Through the ups and downs, it's important to have support from family and friends. Vivi did the worst thing that she could have done possible, she isolated herself from her friends and stopped taking her medication because she did not want to feel mellowed out. Her mother was very supportive of Vivi, but she should have noticed the signs and symptoms much earlier.
When We Collided touched on so many different issues: heartbreak, bipolar, young love, death, fatherless, and depression. Emery Lord did a very good job with this book, I felt that it was very real and I would recommend this author and her books to anyone.
Rating: ★★★★★