Total Constant Order

I was delighted when I received this title in the mail.

Fin's life has changed so much in the last year. Her dad dragged her family from Vermont down to Florida, and to top it off, her folks split. Fin doesn't know how to fit into her Miami highschool, and consequently is ostracized.

To cope, she counts. Count, and counts, and counts. Some numbers are lucky. Whether they are even or odd makes a difference as well.

Her relationship with her mother is strained. Her mom brings her to

see a shrink who thinks that Paxil will be the answer to all the problems. It's not. The drug makes everything worse.

Fin connects with her school's weird kid, Thayer, after seeing him at her shrink's office. Thayer tells her about Ritalin, tagging, manatees...he's the only one that gives Fin the time of day. The problem is, Thayer's not exactly on solid ground himself.

Crissa Jean Chappell has written a sensative account of the lonliness and distress that disorders such as OCD bring to those who suffer. In our society today, too many folks joke about these things. Comments like "What are you? ADD?" fly around lunchrooms and libraries without a second thought. Perhaps Total Constant Order can open some eyes.