binge-read this book, and I'm still not over it

This book.

Read it.

That is all.

...

Okay, not quite. Of course that's not all. You need more reason to pick it up. Just know that if one of your areas of interest is abnormal psychology, then this book will move you to tears while giving you an honest insight of bipolar disorder.

Isabel and Connor are friends who met at summer camp, where they served as counselors to teach children art. Connor fell for the eccentric, irreverent, out-of-this-world Isabel, and even though they've gone back to their own lives in different states after camp has ended they remain in touch via email and instant messaging. They talk about everything, share every detail of their lives with each other, including Isabel's negligent boyfriend Trevor, Connor's new gay friend Jeremy, and their families.

However, Connor soon realises that the brilliant, smart, and funny girl he met at camp experiences extreme emotional highs and lows that are making her more and more self-destructive.

Many times, the book hit very close to home. It's upon reading books like this that you feel you're not so alone in your emotions. It's like it sneaked into you and listened to all your thoughts. I cried several times throughout the story, and swooned many more times at passages like these:

“Maybe there's a galaxy with a planet that's just a little more tilted, with a sun that shines just a little bit darker, and that's where I'm supposed to be, where it somehow makes sense to feel this broken.” 

“Your memories of me are part trees and part ocean and part magic, and I don't know if I will ever be that girl again. She was the best version of me.”  

Connor to Izzy:

“You never heard me tell you that I want everything, not just the perfect pieces, not just the sparkling, charming snapshots of you. You never let me tell you that I want every piece of you, even the broken ones, even the dark places where scary things hide.” 

“Even though I was crying harder than I ever remember crying, even though I was sick with fear that I lost you, something about being held like that made it bearable. Somehow just knowing that there was that space for my pain, I don't know, maybe it didn't hurt so much. 

Isabel. Come home. Someone needs to hold you like that. We all need to hold you like that. You don't have to carry all your pain alone.”

And my absolute favourite:

Seriously, if you're into abnormal psych, and are a sucker for whimsical prose and some romance, drop everything and read this book now.