Beat the Backlist Book Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord
When We Collided by Emery Lord Also by this author: The Names They Gave Us, The Map from Here to There
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on April 5th 2016
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 352
Amazon
Goodreads
Goodreads Synopsis: 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 is not. With a mother lost in a deep bout of depression, Jonah and his five siblings struggle to keep up their home and the restaurant their dad left behind. But at the start of summer, a second change rolls in: Vivi Alexander, the new girl in town.
Vivi is in love with life. Charming and unfiltered, she refuses to be held down by the medicine she’s told should make her feel better. After meeting Jonah, she slides into the Daniels’ household seamlessly, winning over each sibling with her imagination and gameness. But it’s not long before Vivi’s zest for life begins to falter. Soon her adventurousness becomes all-out danger-seeking.
Through each high and low, Vivi and Jonah’s love is put to the test . . . but what happens when love simply isn’t enough?
MY REVIEW
Emery Lord’s When We Collided is a beautiful and moving story that follows teenagers Jonah Daniels and Vivi Alexander as they meet and fall in love in Verona Beach while on summer vacation. What makes When We Collided such a standout novel for me, however, is that it’s so much more than just a contemporary romance. It also offers up fully fleshed out, flawed and therefore realistic characters that I immediately connected with and wanted to know more about, has a strong focus on family, and most importantly, it gives the readers an honest and poignant look at what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder and depression.
LIKES
Emery Lord does an incredible job of crafting a dual point-of-view story where each point of view is distinct and equally compelling. From the moment we meet them, we learn that each character has a secret they’re trying to hide – Vivi is trying to hide the fact that she has a mental illness while Jonah and his siblings are hiding the fact that their mother has been practically catatonic since their dad passed away seven months ago. It’s easy to see that Vivi and Jonah’s decision to keep these facts hidden probably isn’t the best course of action in the long run, but at the same time, I can see where they’re coming from and why they’re not ready to let anyone know what they’re going through.
Jonah Daniels – I fell in love with his character from the first moment we encounter him as he’s walking his little sister down to the pottery shop so that she can paint a mug. He’s such a sweet and devoted brother and son and he’s incredibly mature and responsible for his age, almost too responsible honestly. His father’s death and his mother’s subsequent depression has forced Jonah to become an adult and the head of their household even though he’s only 17 and the third of six children. It should be his summer vacation, but instead of enjoying his summer like his classmates are doing, Jonah spends every waking moment juggling work and taking care of his three younger siblings.
Vivi Alexander – Vivi has this vibrant, larger than life personality and so she blows into Verona Beach like a whirlwind and makes it her mission to spread her love of life all over the town. She is a free spirit who wants to see and experience everything that life has to offer. As light and buoyant as Vivi seems, we do learn early on that there was some drama back at home and she and her mom are spending their summer at Verona Beach as a way to basically give Vivi a fresh start. We also learn, when we witness Vivi make a production about tossing a pill out into the ocean, that she is supposed to be taking medication for something and has clearly chosen not to do so. Seeing her do this so early on let me know right away that there’s way more to Vivi than meets the eye and I felt that things would not be all sunshine and rainbows for her during the course of the story.
Exploration of Mental Health – One of the things I really liked about When We Collided was that even though on the surface it looked like it was going to be summer romance story, it’s really so much more than that. Emery Lord explores many aspects of mental health, including bipolar disorder, grief, and depression. Her exploration is thorough in that it not only allows us to see what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder and/or depression, but it also shows us what it’s like to live with and/or love someone who has either bipolar or depression.
In my mind, Vivi and Jonah aren’t so much in love with each other in this story as they “collided” at a time when each had a void in their lives that they needed filled. For Jonah who has barely been living his own life since his dad died and his mom got too depressed to really function, Vivi arrives and brings much needed excitement, fun, spontaneity, and romance, giving Jonah somewhat of an escape from his all too serious life. For Vivi, Jonah is someone she can focus her attention on this summer – she can have a fun summer fling with someone who isn’t watching her like a hawk for signs of mental illness and who knows nothing of the drama that her illness apparently created back home for her. Since no one in Verona Beach knows of her history, everyone just assumes that her over-the-top enthusiastic personality is just that – her personality. They don’t see it as a sign of untreated mental illness and so Vivi can live her life with a clean slate… well, as long as she can keep her disorder in check anyway.
Focus on Family – I loved Jonah’s whole family just as much as I loved Jonah. Each sibling is well drawn and even though the story is mostly about Jonah and Vivi, Jonah’s family members don’t just function as a backdrop. Lord really does a wonderful job of fleshing out the complexities of the Daniels family dynamic and I especially loved seeing Jonah’s relationship with each of his siblings. He really does have a special bond with each of them, especially the older siblings that share the burden of trying to keep their family together. While it was a little frustrating that they didn’t just go to someone to get help for their mom, I did admire how they all banded together to take care of each other.
The Setting: Verona Beach is this charming small town on the California coast. I fell in love with the town because it reminded me so much of my own hometown. It’s one of those places where everyone knows everyone else and there’s just a real sense of community. There are also lots of quaint little shops all over town, like the pottery studio where main character Vivi ends up working and the diner where the waitress calls everyone nicknames like sugar and honeybun. Everything about Verona Beach is just picture perfect.
DISLIKES
Because I saw this novel as more of an exploration of mental illness, I kind of wish it didn’t have a romance in it. What Jonah and Vivi each really needed was a good friend to confide in more so than they needed someone to flirt with and date. Their relationship was still cute at times, but I think the story could have been even more powerful and memorable than it already is if it had been more about friendship. Just a personal preference though and the romance didn’t diminish my love of the story.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re looking for a fun summer read, I’d honestly say that this probably isn’t the best choice. Even though that romance is there, it’s definitely not the focus of When We Collided. If you’re looking for a thoughtful read that gives an honest look into what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder and/or depression, then When We Collided would be a great choice.
RATING: 4 STARS
About Emery Lord
“Hi! I’m Emery. I’m the author of four novels about teenage girls: OPEN ROAD SUMMER, THE START OF ME & YOU, WHEN WE COLLIDED, and THE NAMES THEY GAVE US. I was born near a harbor on the East coast and raised near a beach, an ocean, a great lake, and the Ohio River. I’m a longtime Cincinnatian, where we love good beer, good music, and our public library. I’m married to a scientist who shuts down every wedding dance floor, and we are owned by two rescue dogs. I believe in the magic of storytelling, Ferris wheels, and you.” – Emery Load, in her own words
Drift Away: My Top Ten Favorite Water-Themed Book Covers
Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Cover Theme Freebie: “literally anyyyything about covers….top ten covers that scream Spring, ten books with ice cream on the cover, ten books with blue covers, etc.” I decided to go with covers that feature water imagery. I don’t know what it is about covers with water on them, maybe it’s because I grew up with a waterfront view and so they remind me of home or maybe it’s just all of those vibrant blue and green hues, but whatever the reason, I’m always drawn to them. Below are some of my favorites – some are simply beautiful and serene, some are more surreal, and some are even just plain creepy, but I find them all equally enchanting.
My Top Ten Favorite Water-Themed Book Covers
1. LIFE OF PI by Yann Martel
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2. THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE by Neil Gaiman
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3. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr
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4. SALT TO THE SEA by Ruth Septys
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5. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain
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6. BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter
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7. DREAMLAND by Sarah Dessen
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8. FEAR THE DROWNING DEEP by Sarah Glenn Marsh
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9. SHE’S COME UNDONE by Wally Lamb
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10. BEACH MUSIC by Pat Conroy
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Question: Are you attracted to covers that feature water imagery? What are some of your favorites?
ARC Review: How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake
How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake Also by this author: Girl Made of Stars, Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls, #3)
Published by HMH Books for Young Readers on May 2nd 2017
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 336
Source: the Publisher
Amazon
Goodreads
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via the Publisher. All opinions are my own.
Goodreads Synopsis: All seventeen year-old Grace Glasser wants is her own life. A normal life in which she sleeps in the same bed for longer than three months and doesn’t have to scrounge for spare change to make sure the electric bill is paid. Emotionally trapped by her unreliable mother, Maggie, and the tiny cape on which she lives, she focuses on her best friend, her upcoming audition for a top music school in New York, and surviving Maggie’s latest boyfriend—who happens to be Grace’s own ex-boyfriend’s father.
Her attempts to lay low until she graduates are disrupted when she meets Eva, a girl with her own share of ghosts she’s trying to outrun. Grief-stricken and lonely, Eva pulls Grace into midnight adventures and feelings Grace never planned on. When Eva tells Grace she likes girls, both of their worlds open up. But, united by loss, Eva also shares a connection with Maggie. As Grace’s mother spirals downward, both girls must figure out how to love and how to move on.
MY REVIEW
How to Make a Wish is a beautifully written heartfelt story that follows the journey of seventeen year old Grace Glasser as she tries to follow her dreams in spite of the many obstacles placed in her path. Grace’s dream is to move to New York City after graduation and study piano at the Manhattan School of Music. Cost is, of course, an obstacle, so Grace is counting on performing well enough at her upcoming audition to not only be accepted to the school but also to secure a scholarship. Grace is a gifted pianist so this is well within the realm of possibility. The biggest obstacle standing in Grace’s way, however, is actually her mother. Grace’s mother, Maggie, lost her husband when Grace was just a toddler and has never been able to put the pieces of her life back together. She has no sense of responsibility whatsoever and basically flits from man to man, moving in with them at the drop of a hat, and dragging Grace along with her. Because Maggie is so unreliable, the roles in the Glasser household have ultimately become reversed, with Grace acting more like the parent and Maggie acting like the boy crazy irresponsible teen.
When the story opens, Grace has just come back from a two-week music camp and learns that in just those couple of weeks she was gone, Maggie has met yet another man and has packed up everything they own and moved in with him. As if that wasn’t awkward enough, the man has a teenage son – a teenage son who happens to also be one of Grace’s ex-boyfriends. Her mother is completely oblivious as to how awkward that’s going to be and pretty much tells Grace that she needs to suck it up because this guy could be “the one.” As much as Grace wants nothing more than to move out and start living her own life, she’s also terrified of what’s going to happen to her mother if she leaves her alone.
One afternoon Grace is out walking on the beach, thinking about how complicated and messed up her relationship with her mother is, and she comes across Eva, a teenage girl about her own age crying on the beach. Eva is grieving over the loss of her mother, who has just recently passed away. She has come to Grace’s town to live with her legal guardian and is feeling lost and alone. She and Grace connect immediately and a beautiful friendship and maybe even a little something more develops between them. The rest of the novel explores their growing relationship, while at the same time, highlighting the messy relationship between Grace and her mom and how it truly infiltrates every aspect of Grace’s life. Can Grace break free from her mom’s hold on her so that she can follow her dreams?
LIKES
Grace: Grace is such a complex character and I loved following her as she navigates her way through the obstacles that she encounters throughout the novel. She’s strong and she’s mature beyond her years because of the situation with her mother, but she’s also simultaneously vulnerable for the same reason. It’s almost like she has grown up without a mom or a dad even though her mom is right there. My heart broke for Grace so many times along the way, especially early on when she learns that her mother sold her piano. As a mother, I seriously wanted to grab Maggie and shake her. I mean, seriously, you know your daughter’s main passion in life is music and you also know she has a major audition coming up to get into the school of her dreams and you decide that selling her piano while she’s out of town is a good choice? What kind of parent does that?
That said, there were moments when Grace frustrated me too though. Most of the time I just wanted Grace to pack her bags and move out because the vibe I was getting from Maggie was that even if Grace didn’t pursue her musical dreams and instead stayed home to play the responsible one and keep her mom out of trouble for the rest of her life, Maggie wouldn’t even appreciate Grace’s sacrifice. As frustrated as I was, however, I understood why Grace was so conflicted about it. Maggie is all Grace has in terms of family, so if she walks out on her, she has no one left. It’s an impossible situation.
Grace’s Relationship with Eva: This relationship was my favorite part of How to Make a Wish. Their moments together are just so lovely, sweet, and pure in comparison to the drama that makes up the rest of their lives. They are the calm in each other’s storm. I loved their quiet adventures sneaking out late at night and climbing up the local lighthouse together, the stolen moments when Eva would sneak into Grace’s room through the bedroom window whenever she couldn’t sleep, and even their silly moments together snacking on peanut butter straight out of the jar. As messed up as Grace’s life is because of her mother and as sad as Eva is because of her loss, this relationship cuts through all of that heartache and brings hope for a happy ending with it.
Luca: Luca is Grace’s best friend and he is seriously the most precious friend a person could have. He’s loyal to a fault, funny as hell, and just so supportive when it comes to Grace. He and his mom, Emmy, are really the closest thing to a family Grace has ever had and they would take her into their home in a heartbeat if she ever decided to leave her mom and the drama behind.
Diversity: Author Ashley Herring Blake does a wonderful job with diversity in How to Make a Wish. Eva is biracial and she also likes girls, while Grace is bisexual. Blake’s characters are realistically portrayed and do not feel like stereotypes at all. Not only is the growing relationship between Grace and Eva beautifully portrayed, but I also loved how everyone around them readily accepted their attraction to one another and supported them wholeheartedly, no questions asked. Grace’s mother was completely clueless that her daughter was bisexual, even though Grace had told her before, but this was more a case of Maggie being too wrapped up in Maggie to pay attention to what Grace was saying than her being negative about it. Once she took a moment to focus on her daughter instead of herself, she got right on board with it too.
DISLIKES
Maggie: I guess it’s obvious that I didn’t care for Maggie for much of the novel, but even though I didn’t like her, I still think Blake did a marvelous job of realistically conveying just how complicated a mother-daughter relationship can be. She captures Grace’s conflicted feelings towards her mom in a way that I think we can all relate to. No matter how bad things get – how many of Grace’s birthdays Maggie forgets, no matter how many strange guys she brings home, no matter what — Grace still remembers little moments when things were good between her and her mom, like painting their nails together and sitting and talking about wishes. There’s always that hope in the back of Grace’s mind that things will get better and so she gives her mom chance after chance after chance to step up and act like a mother.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I think How to Make a Wish would make the perfect summer read for someone who is looking for a romance but who also likes a story with some layers to it. The relationship between Grace and Eva by itself made this book worth reading, but I really loved the depth that the mother-daughter relationship added to the overall story. That dynamic really made the story resonate with me all the more.
RATING: 4 stars
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacts my opinion of the book.
About Ashley Herring Blake
Ashley Herring Blake is a reader, writer, and mom to two boisterous boys. She holds a Master’s degree in teaching and loves coffee, arranging her books by color, and watching Buffy over and over again on Netflix with her friends. She’s the author of the young adult novels SUFFER LOVE and HOW TO MAKE A WISH.