The Quick Cut: A high school girl struggles with her bipolar diagnosis after the breakup with her boyfriend and attempting suicide. A Real Review: Mental health is one of those areas of life that doesn't get the attention it should. Doctors tell us how to keep our bodies healthy, but what good does that do if our mind falters? What path do you take if you believe that there is something going on with your mental health that you don't understand? This is the struggle for high school girl Journey. Journey has always been labeled as mercurial by her parents. However, when her boyfriend breaks up with her unexpectedly, she is left reeling and in a moment of overwhelming emotion she tries to commit suicide. After getting her stomach pumped and spending a few days in the hospital, she ends up voluntarily spending time in a psych ward and gets diagnosed as bipolar. The discovery leaves her frustrated and confused about her life - especially her direction. Will her diagnosis help her better understand where she's going in life? Or will it lead to more confusion instead? First and foremost, the trigger warnings: suicide plays a prominent role. If you struggle with depression or suicidal ideation, please avoid this one. That being said, I feel very conflicted after finishing this book. There are some aspects that I truly enjoy about the story and others that infuriate me. While I am giving this an average rating, I can't say I would ever read this one again. The aspects that didn't ring very true to me are too frustrating to go through again. The parts that were written very well tend to lean more towards the clinical side. I love that in this portrayal of bipolar, Journey does the common response of taking herself off her meds and telling no one because she's convinced she doesn't need them. I may not have bipolar, but having spent time with others who struggle with it and even dated a few with it - this is an extremely common reaction. It typically ends in a meltdown and everyone in their lives feeling ripped apart by it. It's very realistic though. The myriad of medication and struggle to find the right balance is also very realistic. They also did a good job of reflecting how finding a psychologist or therapist isn't as simple as calling one. You need the right personality fit so that you feel you can truly open up to them. It's not always that straight forward. Now for the pieces that did not work well. I feel for what Journey is going through, but she has almost no character progression throughout the story. She struggles with her relationships (both romantic and friendly) and she seems to end up alone and betrayed by those in her life a lot. Yet somehow she also keeps ending up in those same situations over and over again. You would think with the struggles she endures and the therapists she sees, she would take the time to understand herself and grow at least a little. It doesn't happen here and for the plot the way it's written, it feels a bit like a lie. As a reader, it left me feeling sad and more than a little depressed that it didn't add up to more. The other aspect that was frustrating is the fact that Journey did not have one person in her life who she could trust. Her parents, siblings, best friend, and boyfriend all leave her feeling hollow when they don't take the time to understand what she's going through. I mean, seriously?!?! Not one person who has stood by her is willing to put their own egos aside to be there when she needs someone? This particular plot point had no payoff for the story or for Journey. It was just sad to see her go through that. A story with as many high and low points as its lead heroine. My rating: 3 out of 5