Lord, E. (2016). When we collided. New York: Bloomsbury.
When We Collided is a first-person narrative, but with a twist. Its told from the point of view of two characters in a dual-narrative format. Jonah is a boy from Corona Cove, California with a large family and a mother. He struggles with the sudden death of his father and his mother suffers from a deep depression, so he tries desperately to hold onto his family’s restaurant, by being the adult in the family. Through cooking, Jonah works through his emotions regarding his father’s death.
Vivi is the new girl in Corona Cove and is bubbly, energetic, and a happy person, although on the inside she is conflicted. Vivi tries to find a way to live with bipolar disorder, but she struggles throughout the book, no matter how hard she tries. She meets Jonah by luck, after she scores a new job at a pottery shop in her new town, and he comes in as a customer with his little sister. Their story is one of unconditional love. While Vivi spends much of the book building up to or in a manic phase of her bipolar disorder, the unlikely romance begins and flourishes. Vivi helps Jonah to come out of his shell and let go of much of the burden he carries. Their love is the one good thing in their lives, but sometimes love can’t conquer all.
This story centers around mental illness and its effects on those the sufferer and their families. This topic is quickly gaining momentum in YA lit. It is not your standard happy ending, and at times, you feel somewhat sad yourself while reading it. The ending doesn’t really resolve anything, but rather focuses on the strength of the characters to endure. Lord did a masterful job showing the readers the inner turmoil of Vivi. The reader can’t help but be caught up in the constant ups and downs throughout this story.
I think this tale is a solid pick for middle school. This book would be very valuable for a reader experiencing these issues and developing empathy for those without personal experience. My own personal connection is that I have a sister that is bi-polar and I have witnessed the roller coaster ride that happens during these episodes. The book was a little too real for me, but I think it is phenomenal.
**Quick Picks Top Ten
Books with similar themes:
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
One Would Think the Deep by: Clair Zorn
Interview with Emery Lord:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/teen/emery-lord-on-when-we-collided-mental-health-and-her-top-choice-vespa/
Book Trailer
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