Sixteen-year-old Sophie has essentially been her mother's caregiver for the last five years. Not by her choice. However, Sophie loves the capriciousness carefree nature of her mom, her lovely paintings, and her terrific sense of fun. The mother she can be when not crippled by bipolar disorder.

Sometimes the girl would prefer to have fewer responsibilities and to simply be a kid. Luckily, her Aunt Cynthia and Uncle John agree to take her in after Amy ends up in the hospital. Daily car trips with her cousin Leila keep her entertained, but she still feels like an interloper.

Sophie is also an artist, and part-time work in her uncle's studio intrigues her. There, she also meets Natalie, a girl whose attention is glued to her photography. Talk of James and Zack binds the two. 

Art class with Ms. Triste in school, a guidance counselor who does not know the half of her life, and eating lunch in the hallway, sitting down and leaning against her locker.

Life with her mom's sister and family is much different than surviving in a ramshackle apartment with her mother.

This is How I Find Her by Sara Polsky, 2013

• Sara Polsky's web site
• Books about bipolar disorder