The Quick Cut: A bipolar teen girl struggles with the balance of her emotions and pursuing connections. A Real Review: Emotions are a powerful force in all our lives. It makes us feel on top of the world when things are going well and low when things don't go according to plan. For those with bipolar disorder, it's a force they don't always have control over - meaning they can feel in the extremes. How do those with the condition manage? This is the balance for Mel. Mel was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but her friends don't know about it. Her life has been carefully compartmentalized to keep those closest to her from looking at her differently. Except when someone she was previously in a relationship with starts asking questions, things start to fall apart. Can she keep her truth a secret? Or will it come out with plenty of consequences? Bipolar disorder is so complex. Although we are told that it's good to feel our feelings, those with bipolar feel it in such an intense way. It can be overwhelming on your best day. I may not know what it's like to struggle with it, but I've had enough people in my life with it to have a concept of what the headspace can be like. This book does not do that struggle justice. I went into this one hoping for a solid bipolar representation and instead what I got was a stereotype. That cliched image of someone out of control and needing to be put on a psychiatric hold is what you're given in this story. It's so disappointing because plenty of that representation already exists. We need more bipolar representation where the positive aspect of the condition is shown. Mel is written as a girl who knows how her brain functions. She has broken down her feelings into categories and charts what that looks like on a regular basis. Yet, she's painted in an out of control light. You can't have it both ways. Either she's oblivious to the consequences of her condition or she's smart enough to know how to manage it. You can't have both. A stereotypical representation of bipolar disorder. My rating: 2 out of 5