Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Intense novel about teens struggling with mental health.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When CHAOS THEORY begins, 18-year-old Andy reaches 16-year-old Shelbi when he texts a wrong number while he is drunk. She provides a listening ear and warns him not to drive. On the same evening, Shelbi witnesses a car accident and retrieves the driver's lost wallet at the scene. The wallet is from a boy at her school; when she returns it, she realizes he's the one who texted her. He immediately becomes infatuated. When they meet again while volunteering for a charity, Shelbi reveals that she was the person receiving the texts. The two begin a friendship and a tentative romance.
Is It Any Good?
Thus is an important book -- for mature readers only. In Chaos Theory, author Nic Stone gives readers a deep look at the inner lives of teens coping with mental illness (bipolar disorder), addiction, and complicated grief. Their parents, too, are coping with those kinds of issues, plus infidelity and career issues. Some readers may find this content very disturbing. There are descriptions of "cutting" and mentions of suicide, as well as a tragic accidental death.
Two minor weaknesses of the book: First, informational content is sometimes delivered through long monologues that feel forced. Second, on occasion, it's confusing to follow the transition from one character's point of view to the other's.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the theme of getting support in Chaos Theory. Who do you turn to when your parents and individual friends aren't enough? What are resources you would share with a friend who needed help?
How do you negotiate boundaries with people you're close to? Do you discuss your needs directly? Are there other ways you let people know what to expect from you, and what you expect from them?
Chaos Theory is told from the two different perspectives of the two main characters. How did this choice by the author help you make sense of the sequence of events?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : February 28, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 288
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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