A book with the topics of bipolar disorder, alcoholism and grief would rarely be considered cheesy. Nic Stone’s newest novel, “Chaos Theory” is — and charmingly so.
Right off the bat, the reader is thrown into the midst of a love story. High school seniors Andrew “Andy” Criddle and Shelbi Crenshaw, the main characters, have immediate chemistry. It opens with the first of several unique uses of perspective; a stream of messages as the result of Shelbi receiving Andy’s drunken wrong number text. Even anonymous to each other, Andy and Shelbi click together and get the reader excited for the development of their relationship.
Both main characters feel incredibly realistic; for all their struggles, they rarely manage to take themselves completely seriously. Their histories are bared to each other and they find a unique bond in past pain without letting that overwhelm their relationship; making it easy for readers to understand why they would gravitate toward each other.
Amid being utterly endearing, the characters are deeply honest. As Stone mentions in her preface, she’s had to deal with her own diagnosis, and it shows. There is no sense that readers are being shielded from the ugly sides of mental health. Andy and Shelbi struggle, and hurt and support each other in a way that feels nothing less than human.
This is where most of the “cheesiness” comes from. Human as they are, the main characters are heartfelt and care about each other deeply. Affectionate nicknames, soft touches and tender admiration make this a love story to warm the heart.
As their relationship progresses, “like” becomes confessed love, and the reader really believes it. Regardless of how young they are, there is no denying that they perfectly fit together as a couple, flaws and all.
After hitting some of their lowest points at the climax of the book, recovery is a gradual process. They take their own paths, taking time for introspection and growth.
The only thing to break the reader out of their investment in the story is a single scene. Andy confronts his mother following a revelation and she responds with emotional intelligence previously completely unseen from her. It’s, admittedly, a little jarring, and feels out of character.
The moment is recovered by an outstanding ending that grants Andy and Shelbi maturity and independence. The final ending, a second epilogue, is almost saccharine, but leaves one grinning for the future of the main characters.
“Chaos Theory,” short, sweet and honest, is a great afternoon read. It’s a novel to hold onto and think about, both as a tale of mental health and a tender love story.
