Nic Stone crafts a beautiful love story interwoven with a powerful exploration of mental health. She tackles the important topic of bipolar disorder with sensitivity and authenticity, offering readers a unique perspective on the challenges and realities of living with this condition. This thought-provoking novel will leave a lasting impression, fostering empathy and understanding for those affected by bipolar disorder.

Note: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tackles several different topics that no young person should ever have to endure during their lifetime, but in fact the majority of them do. There is alcoholism, cheating, sibling death, and self harm mentioned during the course of the book. With all of these serious topics included in the book, it was written beautifully and I felt as if I knew these characters personally. One of the main characters deals with a broken family and the friendship between the two main characters we are following blossomed great! I also loved that they both helped each other overcome their obstacles that most people are defeated by. Nic Stone writes amazing books for her target audience and this one is no different!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

The characters in "Chaos Theory" are beautifully nuanced, each bearing scars of their own yet resilient in their pursuit of healing and acceptance. Shelbi and Andy's romance unfolds with authenticity and tenderness, serving as a beacon of hope amidst the chaos of their lives.

Nic Stone's narrative not only entertains but educates, instilling in readers a deeper understanding of the importance of prioritizing mental wellness. From the classroom to personal reflection, this book resonates on multiple levels, challenging societal norms and fostering empathy for those battling their innermost struggles.

Nic Stone wrote a beautiful romance while interweaving it with such important topics. I like that this book dealt with a topic I haven't read many books actually cover: bipolar disorder, and she dealt with it with sensitivity. I think readers will come away from this book with a better understanding of what it can be like for a person living with it.

I knew this was the book Nic Stone was working on when she published Dear Martin as her debut novel. I knew this was the book that Nic always said she needed when she was in high school. I knew this was the book that dealt with mental health and it was heavy. But even knowing all of this, it didn't prepare me for how much I was going to love this book.

Shelbi and Andy are both relatable characters even at (especially at?) their lowest and darkest moments. I appreciated that they both had mental health struggles, but one of them chose to use alcohol to cope. How many teens do we see make similar decisions but it's never, ever talked about? Thank you, Nic. I also appreciated that we have a character who knows what will trigger her and does her best to set boundaries. Yet, in the face of life, those boundaries can't always be kept and we see her struggle in the darkness that is mental illness. Again, thank you, Nic.

This book will undoubtedly resonate with young adult readers and save lives. The format of this book is accessible (talking to you, text message threads) and it's short. Short chapters, short book. Yet, as Nic's books so often go, incredibly powerful. Chaos Theory is not to be missed and should be on your must read list.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

A powerful young adult novel about mental health and addiction. Nic Stone is a tour de force of ya literature. Recommend for 9th grade and up.

3.5 stars rounded up.

It was a great read if you are looking for YA mental health representation. The key to the great book part being stressed that it is YA. The characters were a little flat and the conversations felt flat as well. The pacing was also very quick, so it felt like the characters never fully evolved.

I debated for a bit between 3 and 4 on this one. Ultimately, the important impact of this one for the YA representation of bipolar and alcoholism made me give it the 4. I appreciated the adults in the book being positive role models (for the most part) and encouraging the need for open lines of communication and seeking help when needed.

I need a sequel! I love Nic Stone and everything thing she writes so I knew that I was going to love this! While it was informative, it was very fun and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this DRC.
Shelbi and Andy are teens dealing with mental health issues. It was a very challenging book, emotionally, but completely needed. It deals with tough topics in a factual and graceful way that is realistic and heartfelt.
#ChaosTheory #NetGalley

As always, Nic Stone tackles hard issues with compassion and reality and a bit of humor. I appreciated the way she presented mental health and shared herself in the author’s note, and I heard her reflected in Shelbi’s voice. However, I wasn’t as invested in the relationship and felt the plot wasn’t as tight as Stone’s other novels.

I have to read everything that Nic Stone writes, but wow, this one was a punch in the gut. Her warning in the beginning should not be taken lightly, but if you are in a head space to read this book you NEED to. It should be read by both those looking for others who have the same thoughts and feelings but also those who might not have any experience with these types of mental health illnesses and want to know more.

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.


The best thing about this book is the character development. Shelbi and Andy are some of the most realistic characters I have ever read. Every secondary character is also developed with such intricacy. I can’t say enough about how well these characters are written.

Shelbi has a lot going on for such a young age, she has been diagnosed with bipolar and has had a history with bullying and humiliation that led to self harm. Because of this, she doesn’t want to open her heart again. Andy or Walter, as Shelbi calls him is dealing with the loss of his sister, the verbal abuse of his mother, grief, and his own alcoholism. While, it doesn’t seem like the best idea for them to be friends, at least from an outside perspective, they also can’t help but be drawn to each other.

Shelbi’s relationship with her family (parents, grandmother, and cousin) is one of my favorite aspects of this book. The example set should be the standard that all families with members who have mental health issues strive to meet. They love her fiercely, and are always there for her but try to provide her enough freedom to take care of her mental health on her own. As a parent, it is terrifying to let your child do anything that you fear will cause them pain, and this is only amplified when there is a mental illness like Bipolar in the mix. Her parents deserve all of the praise.

So many tough issues are discussed in this book including mental health, alcoholism, abortion, parental abuse, self harm, suicidal thoughts and more. Nic Stone handles it in such an honest way, setting the tone from the start with her own stories about mental health. I found this book inspirational, educational and emotional.

An absolute must read.

Thank you to net galley for providing an e-galley for review. Yes there are a lot of triggers in this book, but Nic
Stone puts not one, but 2 author's notes in the text for this reason.
This is a look at some of the destructive ways people deal with loss,
depression and the importance of mental health, but set in a very
relatable context. At times heavy and light ( kind of like grape nuts
and lucky charms marshmallows), this was such an emotional, important
book.

This was a beautiful book and probably one of my favorites of Stone’s. I love Andy and Shelbi as friends and characters as a whole. They way they communicate with each other was realistic and important. I really appreciated the conversations around mental health and setting boundaries. This story is important and necessary and enjoyable. I read this very quickly because I was highly invested in the relationship at the core of the story.

Not all illnesses are visible, but that doesn’t make them any less difficult to manage. Stone begins with a letter to readers about her own struggles with mental illness and a content warning (self-harm and suicide). Shelbi mostly keeps to herself to protect her fragile psyche and the safety she’s managed to build. Andy lives in the shadow of his younger sister’s unexpected death and the way his family has fallen apart since. While his mom loses herself in a political campaign, Andy drowns his grief and guilt in a bottle. A drunken text with a mixed up number leads Shelbi and Andy to a text exchange in which he promises not to drive home drunk then proceeds to do just that. When Shelbi passes a car accident on her way home, she thinks she sees Andy. Upon later inspection Shelbi, who has a scientific interest in car crashes, finds Andy’s wallet at the scene. Told in alternating chapters a tentative friendship begins, with a contract to help both teens understand the rules, one of which is “Do not, under any circumstances, fall in love with Shelbi.” Due to past trauma, Shelbi is cautious, and with his drinking out of control Andy isn’t really able to commit to a true friendship where one has to think of others. But there are beautiful moments where the two are drawn together and tragic moments where they aren’t there for the other in times of need.

THOUGHTS: Sure to be popular among fans of Stone’s writing, Chaos Theory is an emotional, character driven novel that will have readers rooting for Shelbi and Andy to find what they need. Highly recommended for high school collections.

I have read all of the books by the author leading up to now and each time I am blown away by her writing style and her skill with characterization. The story is alternately told from Shelbi and Andrew/Walter's point-of-view, and while this is also a love story, it's much more a story about their mental health struggles, bipolar disorder for her, and alcoholism for him.

The story opens with a letter from the author that talks about mental illness, and the stigma that is associated with it. While this story is written for those who struggle with having neurotransmitter atypicality (yes, this is her term), it is addressed to those of us who probably don't "get" how mental illness works and make assumptions or statements about it without really understanding it. When the story begins, it starts out as texting between Shelbi and Andy, but it's an accidental dial. The conversation drew me in right away and I loved that the author continued to have them talk this way throughout the rest of the book when things needed to be said. I also liked that although they didn't initially know who each other were, as soon as Shelbi figured it out, she didn't let too much time pass before she told him. Too many authors take this opportunity to milk the whole misunderstanding thing. I like that Stone didn't create unnecessary drama. She focused on the story of their mental health struggles and I really appreciated that.

As for the story, once I started, I didn't want to stop. She really hit this one out of the park. After reading this book, I have only just an inkling of how exhausting it must be to live with this kind of illness. Physical illnesses are one thing (and yes, I know it's awful living with physical illnesses), but with all the misinformation about mental illness that is out there, there is serious stigma attached to being labeled mentally ill, and as such, many folks struggle in secret.

I loved Shelbi and Andy's characters, and I loved finding out who their real people were. Shelbi's parents, her Bibi, and her cousin were awesome, and I loved Andy's father as well, even if he made his own mistakes. I will be recommending this book to many folks, although I will include the same trigger warning the author did--this book confronts Shelbi's struggles with bipolar disorder and Andy's struggles with alcoholism, and it talks about self-harm and suicide, so just be aware if these are triggers for you.

As always, Nic Stone provides us all with a thought provoking novel just like he did with Dear Martin.
Stone is not one to shy away from tough topics and has outdone himself this time!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC

I loved this book! As a therapist the description and way bipolar disorder was depicted was very accurate.

4.5/5 Stars

After a few mishaps in life, alcohol has become Andy Criddle's coping mechanism. He's drunk more often then not when a certain time of the day hits. Then he meets Shelbi, who seems to understand him like no one else. Shelbi has avoided making friends at school, as she was burned in the past, but something about Andy calls to her. They become quick friends, and soon become each other's shoulder to lean on when times get tough.

I flew through this book so quickly, the writing style was so easy to read and the character's felt like real people. This story covers some tough topics, such as mental health, grief, suicidal ideation, alcoholism and addiction in an honest and does not shy away. I really liked both Andy and Shelbi's characters. I found them both to be very real and raw. They were fully developed, fleshed out characters that you couldn't help but feel a connection to. I loved the dual POV, and being able to see inside both of these characters minds. I like how this not only talked about mental health and the negative stigma surrounding it, but also discussed how it affects the individual who may be struggling, as well as those around them. The author's note at the beginning also dives deeper into Nic Stone's own thoughts and experience with mental health, which I think was a great way to introduce this story and these characters to the reader. Shelbi and Andy are so different from one another, personality and lifestyle wise, but I loved how much they understood one another.

I highly recommend this on audiobook, I think the narrators did a great job with both these voices, and the raw emotions they were feeling through out the story.