I Am Heartbroken Over This Story But Not for the Reason I Expected

Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet Vivi and Jonah: A girl and a boy whose love has the power save or destroy them.

Vivi and Jonah couldn't be more different. Vivi craves anything joyful or beautiful that life can offer. Jonah has been burdened by responsibility for his family ever since his father died. As summer begins, Jonah resigns himself to another season of getting by. Then Vivi arrives, and suddenly life seems brighter and better. Jonah is the perfect project for Vivi, and things finally feel right for Jonah. Their love is the answer to everything. But soon Vivi's zest for life falters, as her adventurousness becomes true danger-seeking. Jonah tries to keep her safe, but there's something important Vivi hasn't told him.

It's been a couple of days since I finished this book, and I'm still a bit at a loss for words. I mean, obviously I have words, but I don't know if they're enough to convey how I really felt about this story. On the one hand, I found the depiction of mental illness to be entirely believable and realistic, the story of loss and grief to be completely heartbreaking. Separately, I very much enjoyed both Vivi and Jonah's narratives. But when combined to make a love story? I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

In the beginning of the novel, I was just as swept away by the heady rush of falling in love as the characters, even if it did seem...not immediate, but all-encompassing from the very start. As in, they met and then they were together. No quiet flirtations or shy brushes of the hand. Vivi barged into Jonah's life and she wasn't going anywhere. Which was fine because he -- and his family -- needed a force like Vivi to help escape the grief, if only for a little while.

And Vivi -- lovely, endearing, unstable Vivi -- needed a project to keep her busy and her mind occupied. Not that that's the only reason she took an interest in Jonah, but it was initially her goal to make Jonah exactly that project. Falling in love was just a bonus. And also a side effect. Watching Vivi go off her meds and try to control her mental illness was like watching a train wreck...incredibly scary and so hard to look away from. I don't read many novels that feature mental illness because they do tend to end badly or don't feel true to life, but When We Collided really resonated a genuine understanding of bipolar disorder. I've only read one other book that really made me feel like I was on the downward spiral with the character experiencing it, and that was Wild Awake, which I definitely recommend if you enjoyed this novel.

Whereas I've only suffered mild bouts of depression and could never begin to fully understand what someone suffering from bipolar disorder deals with, I have lost a close loved one and know that sense of loss. I understand the grief, that everyone grieves differently, and that you never truly stop grieving. But it wasn't his grief that drew me more to Jonah's character. It was the crazy, adorable things he said in his head where no one could hear him. I marked so many passages from his point-of-view as favorites. While Vivi was bubbly and spunky and vivacious, Jonah was just real. Their voices were so different, and Jonah's just appealed to me more because it reminded me of my own stream of consciousness. Also, his large family reminded me a bit of the Garretts and their situation a bit, and my heart couldn't help falling for him.

These characters were both well-drawn and full of life, but as I said, I much preferred them separately than together, especially knowing as much as I do now. I thought I needed one thing from this book but the story proved that I needed something else entirely from it. This novel was poignant and messy and altogether beautiful, and I still have a knot in my throat from it. I knew to expect tears from a story like this, but I'm glad that the thing that made me cry was not the thing I expected to make me cry.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

I'm Emery, and I write books about flawed girls who are really trying, complicated families, friends who show up even when everything's going down in flames, the boy who Gets You even when you don't expect it, and the summer that changed everything.

Open Road Summer and The Start of Me and You are out now, and When We Collided releases April 5, 2016.

Find Emory:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: beautiful covers, bloomsbury, contemporary, emery lord, reviews, tough subject, when we collided

Waiting on Wednesday: When We Collided by Emery Lord

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Publication Date: April 5, 2016

Meet Vivi and Jonah: A girl and a boy whose love has the power save or destroy them.

Vivi and Jonah couldn't be more different. Vivi craves anything joyful or beautiful that life can offer. Jonah has been burdened by responsibility for his family ever since his father died. As summer begins, Jonah resigns himself to another season of getting by. Then Vivi arrives, and suddenly life seems brighter and better. Jonah is the perfect project for Vivi, and things finally feel right for Jonah. Their love is the answer to everything. But soon Vivi's zest for life falters, as her adventurousness becomes true danger-seeking. Jonah tries to keep her safe, but there's something important Vivi hasn't told him.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart and Jandy Nelson, When We Collided is a powerful story of two teens whose love is put to the test by forces beyond their control.

I will read anything with Emery Lord's name on it, but comparing this book to the likes of Jandy Nelson means I'll be all over this one as soon as I can get my hands on it. I've loved her other two books, and I'm sure the same will be true of When We Collided. Also, I love that simple cover. It, too, reminds me of a Jandy Nelson novel. Squeeee!


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: bloomsbury, contemporary, emery lord, favorite authors, grabby hands, tough subject, waiting on wednesday (wow), when we collided

Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Title: The Start of Me and You
Author: Emery Lord
Series: n/a
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

After loving Open Road Summer when I read it with April last year, I knew I'd have to read everything else Emery Lord writes. She just writes these amazing stories about real girls, with real friendships and real issues, and they're completely relatable. That said, I'm having a really difficult time deciding which of her books I liked better.

"I used to think rewatching and rereading were embarrassingly boring pastimes. But there is something to be said for how comforting it is to already know what happens. There is no such luxury in real life."

I think the biggest difference for me was that Open Road Summer was full of swoons and country music, whereas The Start of Me and You was more about the main character opening herself up to the experiences she'd shut herself away from after the death of her boyfriend. Paige is kind of a nerdy shut-in, and so it was a lot easier to identify with her character than with Reagan from ORS. It was also easier to see myself in Paige as she pined away for a total hottie while remaining totally oblivious to the fact that his cute, nerdy cousin was into her. And that's why there were fewer swoons, though the swoons we got were very, very nice.

My favorite aspect of both books, though, was definitely the friendships. Paige has this amazing, supportive group of girlfriends who've helped her survive the last year without completely breaking down. Do friends like this really exist in real life? Because I've never had a group of friends that were THIS good to each other. Every time I started to suspect that one of Paige's friends was up to something or was about to show disloyalty to one of the others, the author made it right again, proving I had no reason to doubt these girls and their affection for one another.

"They were normal when I wanted to be normal, and they held me when I wanted to cry. When it all closes in, there are only two kinds of people: best friends and everyone else."

I applaud the author for showing young women that this is what we should expect, from our friendships to our romances. We deserve boys who will listen and respect us and will share their stash of Girl Scout cookies with us. And we deserve friends who are honest and will be there no matter what and who we can trust not to stab us in the back. I adore that the author includes these types of relationships in her books, and I can't wait to read more of them. We need more uplifting stories like this!

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

I'm Emery, and I write books about flawed girls who are really trying, complicated families, friends who show up even when everything's going down in flames, the boy who Gets You even when you don't expect it, and the summer that changed everything.

Open Road Summer is out now, and The Start of Me & You releases March 31st, 2015.

Find Emory:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: beautiful covers, bloomsbury, contemporary, emery lord, favorites, must-read, reviews, The Start of me and You

Waiting on Wednesday: The Start of Me and You & The Secrets We Keep

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: The Start of Me and You
Author: Emery Lord
Series: n/a
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: March 31st, 2015

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances

Jen and I read Open Road Summer around the same time and we reviewed it HERE. In a nutshell, we both loved it and can't wait for her next one. We plan on reading this one together for sure!

's Pick:



Title: The Secrets We Keep
Author: Trisha Leaver
Series: n/a at this time
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: April 28, 2015

Seventeen-year-old Ella Lawton spent her entire life living in the shadows of her identical twin sister's popularity, but she never dreamed of having Maddy’s life; never wanted it. In fact, she’s spent the last three years trying to separate herself from the group at school Maddy has chosen, preferring the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook and the company of her best friend, Josh, to the constant battle for attention and popularity that has defined her sister’s life.

When a heated argument and a tragic accident leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by friends and loved ones who believe she is Maddy. She is overwhelmed by their joy when they realize she will live - a joy Ella is sure she would not see if they knew the truth, that it is Ella who survived, not her lovable, popular sister. After what she has done, she cannot bring herself to cause even more heartache and in that moment she makes the gut wrenching decision to assume her sister’s life. Navigating her sister’s popularity and boyfriend are hard enough, but Ella soon realizes that Maddy’s life is full of secrets that have kept her popularity intact while slowly destroying her from the inside out. Caught in a web of lies and with no escape in sight, Ella is faced with two options - confess her deception and risk the hatred and betrayal of those around her, or give up all of her own dreams and continue down the destructive path her sister's life has mapped out for her.

I remember reading a Caroline B. Cooney novel that had a very similar plot back when I was in middle school, and while I liked that one back then, I think The Secrets We Keep sounds even better...and even creepier. :) Also, someone was talking about Point Horror novels from Scholastic the other day, and I was clueless as to what they were referring to...until I just looked up Twins and discovered that I was already familiar with Point Horror. I just didn't know it. :P Oh, well...c'est la vie.


What are you desperately waiting for on this fine Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: beautiful covers, contemporary, emery lord, macmillan, the secrets we keep, The Start of me and You, trisha leaver, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Joint} Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Title: Open Road Summer
Author: Emery Lord
Series: n/a
Publisher: Walker Children's
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Source: from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

So, April and I both read this book at the same time and both ended up adoring it, and since we read the story sorta together, we figured we'd review it together. We've never attempted a joint review like this before, so we may ramble and we might digress, but I think our love for this book will shine through regardless. =)

What drew us to the book in the first place:

Jen:  Before being sent the invitation to read this title via Netgalley, I'd already had every intention of reading Open Road Summer. I'd read Jennifer Echols' Dirty Little Secret last year, which was about a rising country star, and I liked it well enough, but I kept hoping for more of a connection with those characters. From everything I'd read in early reviews for Emory Lord's debut, there was no question I'd find that connection with Reagan, Dee, and even Matt. Also, I'm sort of a recent convert to country music, thanks to my husband and daughter -- whose favorite artists are Eric Church and Carrie Underwood, respectively -- so I was intrigued by that aspect, as well.

April:  I saw it on Goodreads. A few bloggers I follow were reading it, and all of their status updates were positive. Then I saw it was on Netgalley and requested it right away. I knew this was something I would like based on the description. Plus, it has the word Summer in the title. This Winter has sucked, so I crave any story with warmth.

The Story:

Jen:  Open Road Summer is the kind of book that won me over to contemporary. The writing is solid and flows as well as the songs being sung on Lilah's tour, and it's touching in a way that isn't overly sentimental. It's fun and light-hearted, while at the same time delving into some deeper subject matter, including physical abuse and the effects of becoming a celebrity as a teenager. But the book isn't preachy, nor does it attempt to be an "issues" book; it's just a genuine story of how one summer on a country music tour can change your whole perspective, and I enjoyed it immensely...if that wasn't already clear. =)

April: I loved the story. I mean, how can you not? It's summertime and she's spending it on tour with her best friend. The whole set up is full of win. But it's not all fun and games, there are issues that arise, and issues that they've both already been working through. Have no fear though, Emery Lord tackles all of that while keeping Open Road Summer light and enjoyable. These kind of contemporaries make for the best summer reads.

The Characters:

Jen:  Connecting with the characters in a story is probably the most important aspect of the reading experience for me. I'm not a country music artist on my very first headlining tour and I don't come from a somewhat broken home, but even so, I felt a genuine connection to both Dee and Reagan. (Lilah Montgomery is Dee's stage name, in case you were wondering.) And Matt was just about the sweetest love interest I've ever come across -- I do like boys with Southern charm! -- but I'll get to him in a bit. I liked the group dynamic early on between these three friends on tour, and I liked how their relationships progressed over the course of the book, despite some tricky circumstances.

April:  Reagan is a tough cookie, and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like her, but I warmed up to her character pretty quickly. Her friendship with Dee/Lilah is what thawed me. I adored Dee. I could not stop thinking of Taylor Swift while reading this though. She has this Taylor Swift vibe, but like if Taylor Swift wasn't annoying. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, and belt her music in the car often, but I can see how she gets on some peoples nerves. Dee is the cute, country sweet heart girl, blonde hair, blue eyes, sings about her life experiences. But doesn't date every celebrity that walks by. She's awesome and I loved her. lol Matt, I really liked him, even though he was a bit cheesy at times with his songs.

Jen:  I totally got a Taylor Swift-vibe from Dee, too! Or maybe a younger version of Carrie Underwood. Or a mix of those two. But definitely a country cutie all the way. :D

The Friendship:

Jen:  Reagan and Dee are the kind of best friends you envy: they've been through thick and thin together and even the worst fight won't keep them apart for long. They'd do anything for each other, which is why Dee invited Reagan along on her tour when she saw that Reagan needed a break from what had become of her life. Reagan helps Dee attempt to get over a bad but amicable break-up and Dee gives Reagan the space she needs while also trying to help her cope with the fall-out of her own break-up, which includes the physical and mental effects of some physical abuse. These girls are thick as thieves, and watching the further evolution of their friendship during the cross-country tour was one of my favorite aspects of the story, especially when they were depicted just as two girls, hanging out and doing normal friend things.

April:  This was my favorite part of the whole book. There are not enough stories out there with friendships like Reagan and Dee's. I think that every girl should grow up with a friendship like theirs. I loved how Reagan was there for Dee when things got crazy. Like Jen says above, the evolution of their friendship was great to watch.

The Music & the Tour:

Jen:  The musical portions of the story were probably the weakest for me, and that's mostly due to Matt's writing songs for Reagan, which sometimes felt trite and a little cheesy. But it was also sweet. Reading about all of the behind-the-scenes stuff on tour was infinitely more fun. Except when Dee as Lilah was being harassed by paparazzi or found herself the subject of tabloid gossip. The way Dee handled it all seemed realistic, as did the actual interactions with the media, especially considering what you can read in gossip magazines or see on TMZ. It was unsettling and had my blood boiling at times, but I appreciated that this aspect of life as a country music darling was highlighted in the story, rather than being glossed over.

April: I normally don't like music written in books. When a whole song is written out, lyrics and such, it annoys me. Especially if it's often, because what do the songs actually sound like? Lyrics are never enough for me. Is that lame? lol. Maybe. I did love the tour stuff, the concerts and all that jazz. The paparazzi stuff had me pissed off too, but it's a real thing. If I ever had a chance to be rich and famous, I would turn it down because it's just not worth all that. I also think Open Road Summer covered that aspect well.

The Romance:

Jen:  If the friendship between Dee and Reagan was my favorite part of Open Road Summer, then the romance between Reagan and Matt was my second. Reagan just got out of a terrible relationship with an older guy who treated her badly. She's not looking for love while on tour with her best friend. But she wasn't expecting Matt to join them on the tour, nor did she expect him to be just the sort of nice guy she needed in her life. To complicate matters, because of gossip surrounding Lilah's newest album and her source of inspiration, Lilah's people are allowing speculation that Matt joined the tour as Lilah's boyfriend. Matt and Dee don't exactly pretend to be dating, but they don't deny the rumors either. Reagan's determination not to fall for Matt and let him in because of the potential heartbreak of dating a famous country crooner and Matt's resolve to win her over battle it out for much of the book, but it was fun rather than aggravating. And then there's that thing between Dee and Jimmy. *sigh* This book was just like reading a freaking country song. :D

April: The romance was cute. I loved that Reagan was hesitant at first. Coming out of a bad relationship, you aren't looking for a new one. That's realistic. I've been there, personally, so I connected with her in that way. But then Matt comes along, and some things you just can't fight. Like my husband for instance. I almost didn't date him because I just got out of a bad relationship, but here we are. Their romance was adorable and real to me. Also all the stuff Jen says above. She got to this section before I did and puts it into words so much better and I'm lazy so Ditto! lol.

Jen:  Haha, April...ditto works. :) OH! And I almost didn't date my husband because I was actually still in my bad relationship when we met. But I totally related to Reagan in that respect, as well. I think it's hard not to relate with her on some level.

Overall:

Jen:  Open Road Summer is the quintessential summer read, full of ups and downs, love and loss, and I know I'll be picking it up for a quick read again this summer. Everything about this novel makes me smile, even when less than pleasant things were happening in the story, simply because it was so genuine and heartfelt. This book is definitely going at the top of my Top Summer Reads Recommendations list...whenever April and I get around to putting that thing together. =)

April: I loved Open Road Summer. It had everything I was looking for. It's one of those books that reminds me why I love contemporary so much. This was such a great debut and I look forward to reading more of Emory Lords stuff in the future.

*All of those cute little quotes you see came from the author's Tumblr.

GIF it to me straight:

After this book, we're both ready for summer & a good road trip! =D

About the author:

I write books about complicated families and the friends who save your life just by showing up and your worst mistakes and that boy who gets you like no one else ever has and the summer that changed everything.

Find Emory:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: beautiful covers, bloomsbury, book trailers, contemporary, emery lord, favorites, joint reviews, music, must-read, open road summer, reviews, road trips, summer