It's a sunny afternoon in Penobscot County--a precious rarity this far into autumn. When I got home not long after noon I just dropped my backpack and my bag of Orono Thrift Shop treasures and sat in an outside chair near my beautiful flowers 💐 😍 and started reading. I dread the thought of going in to cook supper. Gonna put that off as long as I can.
You know how the ancient Greeks had this thing I think called a pantheon where their gods resided? I have my own little pantheon of the absolute BEST published authors. I think we all know that one of them is my daughter, Amber, whose Little White Flowers dropped last summer. Tiffany D. Jackson is for sure up there. And the very talented and versatile Nic Stone, whose work I've been reviewing since her debut novel is another resident. Thanks to the miracle of Minerva and inter library loans I scored her Chaos Theory--a very unusual YA romance.
"But I just like...man, I wish more people would take the time to consider what it would be like to live with a brain that works like mine. To have your own mind tell you you're not worth the air you breathe. Do you have any idea what it's like to feel like you're the queen of the universe one minute, and a waste of molecules the next?"
Co narrator Shelbi is extremely vulnerable and wary of getting hurt. She has physical scars from self injury and a bipolar diagnosis. She's experienced hospitalizations and medication adjustments. Now she doesn't want to let anyone get too close.
Co narrator Andy has a problem with alcohol. Drinking way too much is how he copes with the stresses in his life: the pressures from his up-for-election politician mother to behave in ways that fit her narrative, his parents' strained relationship, and guilt over the death of his beloved three-year-old sister.
At one point as they're getting to know one another Shelbi has Andy sign a friendship agreement with six clauses he has to agree to.The sixth thing he has to promise is not to fall in love with her.
"I'm settled in who I am and how my brain works, but in my experience, people can get weird. Especially when those kind of feelings get involved."
But as their friendship evolves and they have to deal with really difficult crises not going beyond gets pretty hard...and not just for him. Readers who are anything like me will find themselves really rooting for these flawed but fabulous teens.
Stone wrote Chaos Theory to combat the misinformation and stigma surrounding mental illness. In her quite unusual Author's Note she has a really perceptive and comprehensive Mental Health Advocate Agreement for readers to sign. It covers serious misunderstandings and microaggressions and could get some long overdue conversations started.
On a purrrsonal note, now it's Halloween. I'm up on campus where peeps are loving on my one of a kind Squishmallow costumes. I paired up a deer onesie costume onesie costume/pajamas with gold glitter boots and a home made tag. I was tabling this morning. And later I will be handing out candy at the Orono Trunk Or Treat with my besties Catherine and Bailey. However you celebrate, I wish you a safe and happy Halloween!!!
A great big shout out goes out to all who are helping create precious Halloween memories ✨️ for kids and families.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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