The Golden Boy’s Guide to Bipolar
Written by Sonora Reyes
Published by HarperCollins
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?
Primary ISBN: 9780063358409
Publication Date: September 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older
Community Represented: Mexican/Mexican American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Accolades & Awards: Youth Media Awards, Detention & Deportation, Discrimination: Gender and Sexual, Discrimination: Microaggression, Family Relationship: Parents, Family Relationship: Siblings, Family Separation: Different Immigration Status, Generation: 1st, LGBTQIA+, Mental Health, Own Voices/Lived Experience, Religious Background: Christian, Trauma & Healing, Trauma & Healing: Self-Harm
Setting: United States
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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