Review: When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided
Author: Emery Lord
Publication Date: April 5th 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 3 stars

Synopsis: Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.
Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.
Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.
In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

Book was provided by publisher, but in no way affects my personal views on this book.

"I feel like I know him a little, like if I collect fragments of the six of you and tape them together; there he is: a mosaic of your pieces."

I'll be the first to admit that contemporary isn't my favorite genre, which is why I haven't been reading much of that of particular genre, but When We Collided seems to be on the better half for me.

This novel is told in dual POVs, which I'm always wary of. When reading a dual pov novel, the different points of views can begin to seem like the same person is speaking, until you correct yourself when you finally notice the different pronouns. My least favorite example being Allegiant by Veronica Roth and my favorite example being Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. But Emery Lord writes these characters so distinctly that you are able to tell who is speaking in the rotating chapters.

You are first introduced to Vivi. A very vibrant and eccentric character. I wasn't the hugest fan of Vivi for a majority of the novel. Emery Lord has distinct way of writing where she creates an unapologetically brash female character and you either love or hate them. In this case I was in the middle with Vivi. There were parts where I did like her, but at times she could be so blatantly selfish it began to rub me the wrong way. I will give her credit that I really did begin to like her character by the end of the novel.

We then meet Jonah. Who is almost a complete opposite of Vivi. Jonah is more reserved and refined. A majority of this due to the fact that after the death of his father, his mother has essentially turned into a recluse who can barely leave her room without breaking down. Leaving Jonah to raise his three younger siblings, with his older brother and sister. The latter who is in college and barely is home to begin with.

A main point of this novel I really enjoyed were Jonah and his family. The six Daniel siblings are individually unique. I appreciate the way Emery Lord, developed them with their own mannerisms and how they interacted with each other was fun to read.

Vivi and Jonah eventually meet and soon become entagled in each others lives. Each of them initially holding secrets. Jonah not wanting Vivi to know how he and his older brother are basically raising their younger siblings. Vivi not wanting Jonah to know the real reason why she moved to Verona Cove for the summer.

At first I enjoyed the conversations that happened between Vivi and Jonah, but soon the inevitable insta-love began to creep up, even though I really hope it wouldn't. And you all know how I feel about insta-love. Even knowing how short this novel is, I felt like the romance could have been drawn out longer, due to the fact that this book takes place practically over an entire summer. Honestly if it didn't feel so rushed I may have loved this book more.

When We Collided is encompasses all the different types of love. Those familial, friendship, and romantic. You watch these characters develop and come to realizations that soon turn to important actions later on in this book.

What I really loved about this book was the ending. I am really glad that a contemporary novel ending has satisfied me in such way that this had. It had the realistic element that I couldn't help but appreciate.

I definitely recommend checking this out if you're a fan of any of Emery Lord's previous novels, or I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. Though they are distinctly different, I believe fans of either novels would enjoy the other.