Seventeen-year-old Cesar Flores is finally ready to win back his ex-boyfriend. Since breaking up with Jamal in a last-ditch effort to stay in the closet, he's come out to Mami, his sister, Yami, and their friends, taken his meds faithfully, and gotten his therapist's blessing to reunite with Jamal.

Everything would be perfect if it weren't for The Thoughts-the ones that won't let all his Catholic guilt and internalizations stay buried where he wants them. The louder they become, the more Cesar is once again convinced that he doesn't deserve someone like Jamal-or anyone really.

Cesar can hide a fair amount of shame behind jokes and his "gifted" reputation, but when a manic episode makes his inner turmoil impossible to hide, he's faced with a stark choice: burn every bridge he has left or, worse-ask for help. But is the mortifying vulnerability of being loved by the people he's hurt the most a risk he's willing to take?

In The Golden Boy's Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes, what stands out is how authentic and real the story is. As soon as you connect with Cesar, you realize that much of what he is writing is unreliable and messy but that is what makes it so real and emotional. Cesar struggles with his guilt, love and religion, especially when there are those around him who reinforce the negative, like his own father. The reality is that many people struggle with the issues that Cesar does and so many cannot cope with the negativity around them.

As the story progresses, Cesar learns to deal better with his struggles and issues in an emotional and beautiful way. I love the way friendship and family help support him and that he doesn't want his own issues to prevent his sister from living her best life. The ending is perfect, showing how much Cesar has grown and how much he embraces more of who he is while still continuing to grow.

If you like young adult novels that show us complex characters, real mental health issues, and characters who are lgbtqia who struggle with being queer, this is the novel for you. It is authentic and real, with believable characters and a story that is about growing emotionally, not necessarily solving every problem. I love the family support and friendship in this emotional story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 journals. ~~ Andrea Rittschof