The Weight of Zero

September 5, 2016
Debut novelist Fortunati tackles social stigma and mental health realistically and honestly through the candid voice of Catherine Pulaski, a 17-year-old with bipolar disorder. Cath knows that Zero (“mania’s flip side”) will come for her—it always does—but she has a plan. She has been stockpiling and hiding pills so that when the debilitating depression of Zero finally returns, this suicide attempt will be successful, unlike her last one. Before that eventuality, Cath has a bucket list, one that includes losing her virginity and maybe finding a real friend. Cath is required to take part in group therapy after school, and although she initially resists it, she finds a few kindred spirits there; a blossoming romance with a classmate, Michael, also helps provide a sense of normalcy. Fearful of the stigma associated with bipolarity, Cath lies about her diagnosis to her new friends, which leads to complications. Fortunati doesn’t shy away from detailing Cath’s despair but is very clear that with treatment, there is hope. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.

July 15, 2016
A young woman with bipolar disorder struggles with the ever present specter of crushing depression in this contemporary fiction debut. Incisive, smart, white, 17-year-old Catherine hides whatever spare prescription meds she can get her hands on--no easy feat since her exhausted but dedicated mother carries the whole of their medicine chest around with her at all times after a previous suicide attempt landed Catherine in the hospital. Consumed by guilt over the stress she causes her mom and by hopelessness about the permanence of her disorder, Catherine plans to kill herself once her emotional "zero" returns. However, as she begins a new drug regimen and a therapy group, she finds a kindred spirit in Kristal, a black girl who attends for a binge-eating disorder, and a new romance with Michael, a kind, intelligent, white boy at her school, and hope slowly returns. Catherine's acerbically witty narrative voice is razor sharp and often raw, and the confessional tone of her present-tense narration makes clear how overwhelming her pain is. Secondary characters--particularly her mother, Kristal, and Michael--are also painted with a detailed brush. Michael's loving Italian-American family has its own problems, and Kristal feels immense pressure from her highly successful but also caring parents. An honest, informative, and ultimately optimistic novel about living with mental illness. (Fiction. 14-18)

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August 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year old Catherine was diagnosed with bipolar disorder soon after her grandmother passed away two years ago. She's struggled with the diagnosis and treatment since then, swinging from manic episodes to deep depressions, which led to her first suicide attempt. Now, her life appears to be more stable, but Catherine knows it is just a matter of time before the depression, or Zero, takes over. She knows what answers to give to her therapist and her mother so they don't suspect, but Dr. McCallum suggests Catherine take part in group therapy, called Intensive Outpatient Program. She meets with the group every week to talk about issues. Catherine goes but feels like Zero could strike at any moment. She doesn't want to end her life without experiencing anything, however, so she starts a list of things she needs to do before Zero takes over. Readers have a front-row seat to the teen's moods, thoughts, and fears. There is talk about sex, drinking, and drugs throughout, along with cutting, bulimia, anorexia, obsessive compulsive disorders, and other possible triggers. Catherine is a believable protagonist surrounded by fleshed-out secondary characters. The pace picks up as Catherine gets more involved in her history project and makes connections at school and in therapy. The author stresses how bipolar disorder can manifest and includes background and resources at the end of the book. VERDICT Recommend to readers who enjoy realistic fiction, want to learn more about bipolar disorder, or have a similar disorder.-Natalie Struecker, Atlantic Public Library, IA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2016
Grades 9-12 Catherine knows her emotional level will zero out again and that she'll need to kill herself to ease the pain from her depression. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she feels a nagging hopelessness knowing she'll have to live with the illness all her life, and worries she'll never have friends again. Things gradually begin to improve when a new doctor revises her treatment plan and sends her to an intensive after-school therapy program. There she bonds with Kristal, a lively African American girl with an eating disorder. At school, a history project teams Catherine with Michael, a kind and quiet boy who falls for her. Through these new friendships, hope slowly blossoms for Catherine, whose steady, raw, and smart voice reveals her desire to be well again. Readers will experience small but meaningful victories and epiphanies alongside Catherine and be drawn to the characters of Kristal and Michael. Fans of Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999) and J. J. Johnson's Believarexic (2015) will want to read this debut novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)