Book Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

When We Collided
Emery Lord
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Amazon | Amazon Kindle

Price: Rs 350 

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

Seventeen year old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life, and only one thing has ever changed: his father used to be alive, and now he's not. Now Jonah must numbly take care of his family as they reel from their tragedy. Cue next change: Vivi Alexander, new girl in town. Vivi is in love with life. A gorgeous and unfiltered hurricane of thoughts and feelings. She seems like she's from another planet as she transforms Jonah's family and changes his life. But there are always consequences when worlds collide ...A fierce and beautiful love story with a difference, When We Collided will thrill fans of All the Bright Places and I'll Give You the Sun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Emery Lord is the author of Open Road Summer and The Start of Me and You. She lives in a pink row house in Cincinnati, with a husband, two rescue dogs, and a closet full of impractical shoes. www.emerylord.com Twitter: @emerylord

THE REVIEW:

I bought this book a long time ago but I didn’t start reading it until this Sunday morning. It’s literally been minutes since I finished the book and I decided that I had to write a review for it right away! Because this book deserves ALL the attention it has been getting and then some more.

Emery Lord has created a brilliant world in Verona Cove where the lives of Vivi Alexanders and Jonah Daniels collides. I loved the tagline for the novel, right from the start, ‘Can you fall in love when you’re falling apart?’

Emery takes the issue of mental health head on, and leaves no stone unturned as she tried to tell a simple story without leaving out all the difficult parts. It’s pretty obvious from the start that Vivi has bipolar disorder even though it’s spelled out much later into the story. At the onset, it would seem that Jonah is the one who is grieving.

But depression and grief often borrow each other’s masks and you will never know which is which, until someone comes along and helps you. Sometimes, it’s important to ask for the help yourself.

This story was heartwarming and it doesn’t really hurt you and cut you up like other realistically depicted stories. What it does it give you hope. Hope for a better life, for a new tomorrow. Hope that this isn’t how good as it gets. There’s more, there’s always more – only if you’re willing to fight for it.

Favourite Quote 

The I loved the vibrant characters in Emery Lord’s novel. Especially the six Daniels siblings, who are in their own right, amazing and do not feel like borrowed characters. They all fit their purpose, and in the middle is Jonah, trying his very best to make it all work. To survive one fucking, god awful, never ending year. I have been through some pretty rough days and I know how dark the darkest of places can get. But one thing I’ve learned, no one can help you unless you help yourself.

Maybe that’s why some days when we don’t have the energy to jump out of bed, we should roll out and hit the floor really hard. Maybe taking that leap would hurt us. But not taking that leap of faith will hurt us even more. You know?

I love how people are finally talking about mental health and the YA community especially, has taken it upon themselves to spread more awareness about the matter. I’m just so glad that When We Collided is a wonderful addition to the ever growing collection, and also to my ever growing collection of books as well.

Don’t miss out on this book. I promise, you won’t regret it.