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A review by brittany_tellefsen
When We Collided by Emery Lord
3.0
From the moment she stepped foot in Verona Cova for the Summer, Vivi's love affair with the town began. From it's small-town coastal vibes, to the friendly people, to her part-time job at a pottery shop, she is happy, trying to look forward instead of backward.
This increases when she meets Jonah, a local, who is just one of six kids in the Daniels Clan. She envies their big family, full of wonderful personalities. But she comes to learn that a heaviness haunts them. After the death of his Dad, Jonah, and his two older siblings, have stepped in to care for the three "Littles" as their Mom is despondent. She has barely left her room for six months and cannot seem to cope with her loss.
Vivi seems to be the light that Jonah needed. She is energetic, hyper, loving, and adores his little sisters and brother. But he too starts to learn that Vivi has a darkness in her as well. And maybe they can help each other through it together
I first want to acknowledge that I appreciate the message this book was trying to convey. I appreciate the depiction of mental illness and how it can manifest itself. I also love Emery Lord's writing, which is both approachable and modern at the same time that it is clever and wise. I also appreciated the realistic ending, how this was not a cheesy happily ever after.
However, I did not really like the main character of this story, which really affected my overall enjoyment
Vivi is, quite literally, The Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She is chaotic energy, talking a mile a minute, barely sleeping, always in movement. She constantly indulges in whimsical thoughts and notions, her head up in the clouds. And when she meets Jonah, he becomes the next focus of her attention, determined to bring a smile to the face of the sad boy.
Jonah, on the other hand, has his feet firmly planted on the earth. He is the teen who was forced to grow up too soon, grieving the loss of his father while trying to hold his family together. A very "Party of Five" situation. He loves Vivi because she is a star shining through the darkness that has become his family. Because she is not afraid of his pain or his responsibilities.
But I did not feel the chemistry between Jonah and Vivi. While Jonah is a precious cinnamon role just trying to hold it together, Vivi sweeps through like a hurricane, all restless energy dying to let loose. She is inherently selfish, not willing to deal with or acknowledge her struggles with mental illness. In fact, she almost snubs her nose at it by throwing away her pills thinking she is "healed."
There was something unlikeable about Vivi. I cannot put my finger on it, but it caused me to truly not like her or route for her as a character. And I certainly didn't buy her relationship with Jonah, which was supposed to be the whole crux of the story.
I also feel we should acknowledge that though selfishness is a part of mental illness, that doesn't make it okay or acceptable. We are allowed to be upset and frustrated by those who exhibit this behavior. Mental illness is a reason, not an excuse, and we can hold people accountable for how they treat us. I feel that this should have been broached more thoroughly in the story. Jonah did not have to take Vivi's outbursts. Or her seemingly casual treatment of their relationship.
Ultimately, this one just did not work for me the way that I was hoping it would. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord was such an amazing, beautiful story, I was hoping this would be the same. I am interestd to see how her other two works hold up. I am hoping this one will be the dud, and the rest will amazing.
This increases when she meets Jonah, a local, who is just one of six kids in the Daniels Clan. She envies their big family, full of wonderful personalities. But she comes to learn that a heaviness haunts them. After the death of his Dad, Jonah, and his two older siblings, have stepped in to care for the three "Littles" as their Mom is despondent. She has barely left her room for six months and cannot seem to cope with her loss.
Vivi seems to be the light that Jonah needed. She is energetic, hyper, loving, and adores his little sisters and brother. But he too starts to learn that Vivi has a darkness in her as well. And maybe they can help each other through it together
I first want to acknowledge that I appreciate the message this book was trying to convey. I appreciate the depiction of mental illness and how it can manifest itself. I also love Emery Lord's writing, which is both approachable and modern at the same time that it is clever and wise. I also appreciated the realistic ending, how this was not a cheesy happily ever after.
However, I did not really like the main character of this story, which really affected my overall enjoyment
Vivi is, quite literally, The Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She is chaotic energy, talking a mile a minute, barely sleeping, always in movement. She constantly indulges in whimsical thoughts and notions, her head up in the clouds. And when she meets Jonah, he becomes the next focus of her attention, determined to bring a smile to the face of the sad boy.
Jonah, on the other hand, has his feet firmly planted on the earth. He is the teen who was forced to grow up too soon, grieving the loss of his father while trying to hold his family together. A very "Party of Five" situation. He loves Vivi because she is a star shining through the darkness that has become his family. Because she is not afraid of his pain or his responsibilities.
But I did not feel the chemistry between Jonah and Vivi. While Jonah is a precious cinnamon role just trying to hold it together, Vivi sweeps through like a hurricane, all restless energy dying to let loose. She is inherently selfish, not willing to deal with or acknowledge her struggles with mental illness. In fact, she almost snubs her nose at it by throwing away her pills thinking she is "healed."
There was something unlikeable about Vivi. I cannot put my finger on it, but it caused me to truly not like her or route for her as a character. And I certainly didn't buy her relationship with Jonah, which was supposed to be the whole crux of the story.
I also feel we should acknowledge that though selfishness is a part of mental illness, that doesn't make it okay or acceptable. We are allowed to be upset and frustrated by those who exhibit this behavior. Mental illness is a reason, not an excuse, and we can hold people accountable for how they treat us. I feel that this should have been broached more thoroughly in the story. Jonah did not have to take Vivi's outbursts. Or her seemingly casual treatment of their relationship.
Ultimately, this one just did not work for me the way that I was hoping it would. The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord was such an amazing, beautiful story, I was hoping this would be the same. I am interestd to see how her other two works hold up. I am hoping this one will be the dud, and the rest will amazing.