High schooler Natalie Cordova has just been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Her mom insists
she keep it secret. Putting up a front and hiding her mental illness from her classmates is
going to be the hardest thing Natalie s ever done. It s her senior year and she s just been
selected to present her artwork at a prestigious show. With the stress of performing building
it doesn t help when Natalie notices a boy who makes her heart leap. And then there s fellow
student Ella who confronts Natalie about her summer car accident and pressures her into caring
for the world s ugliest dog. Now Natalie finds herself juggling all kinds of feels and
responsibilities. Surely her newly prescribed medication is to blame for the funk in which she
finds herself. But as Natalie s plan to self-treat unravels so does the perfect façade she s
been painting for everyone else. Written from experience this contemporary YA is a heartfelt
and candid exploration into the shame surrounding mental illness and offers an uplifting
narrative where the protagonist doesn t die at the end.
