Chaos Theory

'Chaos Theory' is an incredibly powerful new novel from Nic Stone. I am pleased to continue my trend of awarding everything I read from Stone 5 stars as I was taken in by the pacey, heavy and important narrative, brought to life by a well-drawn cast of characters. 'Chaos Theory' primarily delves into the stigma which continues to surround diagnosis with a mental illness and how this can impact one's self-worth and journey through life.

Shelbi has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. After being forced to transfer schools following unpleasant previous experiences linked to 'friendships' and her diagnosis, she meets and has an instant connection with Andy (or Walter). She sees some of her own grapple with emotions in Andy as he is shown to regularly turn to alcohol, haunted by events in his past.

Despite moments of humour, you can probably tell that the novel does not hold back on a truthful portrayal of trauma and its effects on families, but particularly the lives and minds of the central teenagers. Their dual narrative perspective is broken up by a free-form string of text messages between the two. We see the blossoming link between Shelbi and Andy whilst they are also allowed to have their own distinctive voice. Their growing connection and trust in each other is beautiful to read as they realise that understanding and insight can indeed come from a close peer or perhaps even a romantic relationship. Mental illness by no means means broken and Stone draws this out so tenderly through the narrative arc and character development.

Overall, this is an important read I will be recommending to my students and school libraries. Stone's writing never fails to hit the mark. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.