Chaos Theory follows Shelbi, a certified genius living with a diagnosed mental illness and Andi, a politician’s son who is running from his own grief and addiction. After a traumatic incident at her old school, Shelbi is determined not to let anyone too close to her. Andy, meanwhile, is drowning his grief at the bottom of a barrel. When an accidentally sent text brings the two of them together, they recognise their own struggles and fears in each other. But what starts as a beautiful friendship turns rocky as their respective lives begin to unravel.
What a powerful novel. From the author’s note all the way to the final pages of Chaos Theory, you can tell how much care Nic Stone put into Shelbi and Andy’s story. The discussions surrounding mental health and learning how to create boundaries in your life and with the people you spend your time with are sure to hit the mark with both individuals who have experienced mental health issues themselves and those who are tired of seeing overdramatised depictions in the media landscape.
The stigma associated with mental illness (side note: though the author prefers other times and explains why in the author’s note, I choose here to use the ones readers may already be familiar with) is constantly perpetuated in media and it’s incredible to think that we’ve taken such strides to challenge stereotypes, yet they still continue to shape minds all over the world. Stone gives voice to those who cannot articulate what they’re feeling and what goes on in their heads in a way that feels both inviting and normalising which I would love to see more of in the future.
I really enjoyed how balanced Andy and Shelbi’s individual stories were. Though one of the biggest draws of Chaos Theory is of course their unlikely yet wholesome friendship, their individual inner conflicts are what create such an easily readable narrative. Stone has that kind of writing style that makes you fly through the pages and Chaos Theory was no different—I couldn’t believe how fast the story was moving yet it perfectly fit the turmoil that both Andy and Shelbi go through. While Andy struggles with accepting his drinking problem, Shelbi is slow to open up to others, especially Andy. Burned by friendly faces once before, she thinks people are destined to betray her. Watching both of them blossom through their friendship was a lovely thing to experience. A personal highlight is how, when push comes to shove, both Andy and Shelbi realise that their own worth is not dependent on never making mistakes, which is a reminder we could all use sometimes.
Overall, Chaos Theory is a moving story of what it means to live—and love—with mental health struggles, facing your demons and discovering you’ve been worthy of love, especially self-love, all along.
Chaos Theory is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 28th 2023.
Will you be picking up Chaos Theory? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin, delivers a gripping romance about two teens: a certified genius living with bipolar disorder and a politician’s son who is running from his own addiction and grief. Don’t miss this gut punch of a novel about mental illness, loss, and discovering you are worthy of love.
Scars exist to remind us of what we’ve survived.
DETACHED
Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won’t be there very long, she hasn’t bothered making friends. What her classmates don’t know about her can’t be used to hurt her–you know, like it did at her last school.
WASTED
Andy Criddle is not okay. At all.
He’s had far too much to drink.
Again. Which is bad.
And things are about to get worse.
When Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, she can relate. So she doesn’t resist reaching out. And there’s no doubt their connection has them both seeing stars . . . but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone delivers a tour de force about living with grief, prioritizing mental health, and finding love amid the chaos.
