Review: When We Collided

When We Collided by Emery Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the story of a summer romance between two teens, Vivi and Jonah, but it is really so much more than that as both Vivi and Jonah are dealing with much bigger issues. Vivi has bipolar disorder, but has stopped taking her medication because she doesn't think she needs it anymore. Jonah is unaware of her diagnosis, but is confused, frustrated, and concerned by her increasingly impulsive and outrageous behavior as she begins to enter a manic phase. Jonah shoulders a great deal of responsibility for his 3 younger siblings after the recent and sudden death of his father led to his mother being unable to function due to grief and depression, which the family is trying to hide.

While I found Vivi to be a slightly less sypathetic character, she was the breathe of fresh air that Jonah's family needed, helping them rediscover what it was like to have fun, and to laugh. I loved Jonah's character, stepping up to help take care of his family, and could see why Vivi, and only child of a single parent, was drawn to them. Vivi's mother is a frustrating character at her hands-off parenting style considering Vivi's diagnosis and escalating behavior, and seems partly in denial as well as a bit self-centered. This story is fairly well-paced and has a satisifying ending with some resolution.

I would recommend this to those who enjoy teen romances that are slightly more edgy and also deal with serious issues, such as fans of books by Rainbow Rowell or John Greene, or specifically looking for fiction that has teen characters dealing with mental health issues.

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