Sometimes my subconscious warns me as I’m entering a funk.  These warnings usually revolve around my reading, writing, and eating habits.  Last October, when I checked out The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati, I was on the verge of a funk.  A bad funk.  I didn’t start reading the book until the last week of December, and I’m glad about that.  Reading The Weight of Zero would’ve more than likely effected me in a similar way The Perks of Being a Wallflower had effected the lead character at the beginning of this book.  But enough of my ramblings.  Onward!

Catherine Puaski was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after her first suicide attempt two years previous.  Determined not to become a victim of the devastating depression, ‘Zero,’ or to drag her family down even further, Catherine stockpiles medications.  She plans to take her life the next time Zero strikes, but, as she forms new friendships and does a new course of treatment, pushing her out of her isolation, she begins to see a glimpse of hope.  The problem is that she’s been planning to kill herself for so long that she struggles to see a future beyond it.

Full of loss, hope, and grief, Karen Fortunati weaves a story of a young woman living with mental illness, bullying, and how love of all sorts affects her.

I fell in love with Catherine and her companions from the moment I read about them.  If I had to describe The Weight of Zero in three words, they’d be raw, relatable, realistic.  I would recommend this to anyone and everyone, and I rate it a glittering five out of five stars.