Initial Impressions 4/10/16: Emery Lord is such an amazing writer and she has given us a beautiful and realistic story with WHEN WE COLLIDED. Jonah and Vivi's story is so important in so many ways and I'm so thankful that this book is out in the world. It was such an emotional journey and I feel so much for these two main characters, both individually and together. I was completely invested from the start and it was such a roller coaster of emotions in so many ways. I absolutely loved the book and think it's such a must-read. 
 Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 5/2/16: Emery Lord is an auto-buy author for me. I fell in love with her debut, OPEN ROAD SUMMER, and every book I read from her is a wonderful and thoughtful experience full of growth, friendship, and a little bit of romance. After finishing WHEN WE COLLIDED, one of the things that I'm really starting to appreciate is how incredibly individual each book feels from is predecessor. Emery Lord's writing is deep and powerful but still allows each character to let their silly side show and really tells a very realistic story without getting caught up in the dramatics that some young adult books tend to overemphasize. Each book has had a very different story to tell and WHEN WE COLLIDED may be the most powerful one yet. 
 WHEN WE COLLIDED is the story of Vivi and Jonah but it's also a story for anyone who's dealt with grief, depression, mental illness, or really any hard times in their life. The reader learns that Vivi has recently been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that Jonah's father has recently passed away and his family is still grieving. WHEN WE COLLIDED chronicles the journey of these two characters throughout one summer as they crash into each other's lives when they're both at their very bottom and how they're able to help each other grow and heal. The book is incredibly powerful. There's so much emotion as Vivi and Jonah sift through their struggles individually and how once they start to open up, they're really able to help and support each other by sharing their own personal hurdles. 
 What I loved the most about WHEN WE COLLIDED was how realistic everything truly felt. Sometimes I have a hard time connecting to big families like Jonah's (especially young children for some reason) but just like Vivi, I easily fell in love with each and every one of them. Emery Lord is able to bring even minor characters into full color and share their dazzling personalities with the reader. I also really appreciated all of the personal experience as well as research that went into Vivi's character. I haven't personally seen the effects of bipolar disorder in any of my friends or family members (that I know of) but I felt like this was an incredibly realistic and thorough view of what someone with this disorder might be going through. Experiencing Vivi's emotional highs and escalation as she went through her manic period was truly an emotional roller coaster and as an observer, I was incredibly nervous for her throughout the book. I was afraid of what might happen when that mania finally came back down and feared for when depression might hit. Vivi has a naturally spirited and unique personality so there was also this blur and question of whether her actions were simply because she was such a sizzling personality or whether some of her decisions were affected by her disorder. 
 I adored the relationship between Vivi and Jonah. It was such a sweet romance full of highs and lows and it was exactly what these two characters needed. Jonah needed someone who would break down the door and push themself into his life in order to really accept help and start to talk about what his family was going through. She opened Jonah up to acting a little silly sometimes and allowing himself to really act his age when there was so much weighing on his shoulders. Vivi needed someone a little grounded to reel her back in at times but still love her for exactly who she was. Jonah was able to offer her a peek into a big family and the loss of a loving father and these two really learned a lot from each other that they never set out to find. 
 I could really go on gushing about WHEN WE COLLIDED but it's a book that really must be experienced. It was so incredibly well-written and I love how it shares some similar elements of Emery Lord's previous books (strong female characters, great friendships, tons of growth) and yet it truly stands on its own. It was such an emotional ride for me and one that I will absolutely continue to recommend. If you haven't read any of Emery Lord's books yet, start anywhere but make sure you do read WHEN WE COLLIDED as soon as possible!