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.

Emery Lord is one of my favorite authors of all time. There’s absolutely no arguing that. Every time she has a new release coming out, I’m clamoring to get my hands on it. She’s one of the few authors who is able to impress me over and over again with every new title. I will admit to being nervous for When We Collided because I was told that it was different from her previous books, but even with the different tone of the book, I fell hopelessly in love with the story because it still had that quintessential Emery Lord spark.

Why When We Collided Is One of My Favorite Books of the Year

Because it has all these:

One reason I connect so well with Emery Lord’s books and her female characters are because of how flawed they are. She writes girls that are, to me, authentic. They make mistakes, they aren’t perfect and all that makes them real. The best part is you understand why they are flawed and gain an appreciation for their imperfections, and in the process Emery Lord reassures readers that it’s perfectly normal to be imperfect. Isn’t that a fantastic message to send out to teens and other readers? When We Collided‘s heroine, Vivi, was EXACTLY that kind of flawed heroine that I love reading in her books. She was a vibrant character, outspoken, lively and full of happiness and positivity. She saw the world through a very rosy lens it appeared at the beginning of the book, and I found her eagerness for life to be very endearing. As I mentioned, Vivi is an Emery Lord heroine, so she made quite a bit of mistakes, often times hurting others though not intentionally, but I still felt for her and I rooted for her. Her character was so well-developed that by the end, I felt like I knew her like I knew a close friend. She’s not going to be the kind of character that every reader loves because of her enthusiasm and zeal for everything in her life, but she’s also a character I think is going to resonate with a lot of readers.

Ah, Jonah! He was a boy totally after my own heart! Having recently lost his beloved father, he and his family were dealing with the grief of their heartbreaking loss. Through it all, Jonah was the glue that held his family and his father’s restaurant together. He was a sweet, kind and loyal boy that I fell hard for. He was the sort of love interest I love in my books with his caring personality and his hardworking attitude. Jonah was also an aspiring chef, and he was able to whip up yummy-sounding recipes. How can  you not fall for a boy who is sweet AND who can cook like a pro? Not me! To me though, what appealed the most was how supportive he was and how he held it together for his family without ever mumbling a complaint. Boys who care for and love their families as deeply as Jonah did are my favorite boys.

I have a confession to make; I’m very afraid to read books about mental health because I’m nervous that I’m not going to sympathize with the characters’ situation and that I’ll end up feeling like a cold heartless reader. It’s hard for me to connect with individuals in situations that I have never encountered or faced myself. What made When We Collided special for me was that Emery Lord was able to help me gain an understanding on bipolar disorder, a mental health illness that I have a very flimsy knowledge of. She made me understand why Vivi was the way she was, how the illness affected her – the ups and downs -, how she dealt with it and how it made her who she was. It was a raw, real and truly knowledgeable portrayal.

Did you love the Garretts in Huntley Fitzpatrick’s My Life Next Door? If yes, you’re going to adore the Daniels, Jonah’s brood. This family was so endearing and made me smile every time they were in a scene. It was very easy for me to form an attachment to them. They were all dealing with their father’s passing and their mother’s fall into depression, but they tried not to let that get to them. They were supportive of each other, loving and held each others’ hands throughout it all. The way Vivi was able to fit right in with them and bring out their fun and playful side made for some entertaining scenes. I couldn’t get enough of the Daniels!

With any Emery Lord book, you can expect a cute romance that curls your toes. Of course, When We Collided was no different although I will come outright and warn readers that this isn’t the typical Emery Lord romance. Vivi and Jonah fell fast and hard for each other, but their romance was really cute. There’s more I want to say about the romance that I can’t really talk about because it veers into major spoiler territory. All I have to say is that I loved how Vivi helped Jonah deal with the mess his life had taken in a subtle way and vice versa. Their relationship wasn’t smooth sailing and it probably won’t be what you expect, but even through their down moments, I thought they helped each other in various ways.

When We Collided is a book I’m glad Emery Lord wrote, because this is one I see helping teens on many levels. It’s a beautiful penned story, with an even lovelier, important and positive message. It’s definitely not a book that I will hesitate to recommend!

Collage for When We Collided:

All images courtesy of Pinterest

What are your thoughts on books with mental health illness? Let me know in the comments below!

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