Total Constant Order
Posted on | April 16, 2007 | 1 Comment
Total Constant Order by by Crissa-Jean Chappell (amazon.com
Fin moves to Florida from Vermont and her parents split up. She’s having trouble adjusting in her new school, and her habit of compulsive counting isn’t helping her to blend in. She’s told she needs to work harder by her teachers, and she’s a social outcast. Fin’s mother seems to have her own psychological issues as well, so she doesn’t provide much support. Fin starts to change when she meets another outcast at school, a boy named Thayer. She also starts taking medication for her condition behind her mother’s back – she has to deal with the side effects on her own.
The setting of Florida becomes another character in the story, with details like too much sunlight, manatees, land crabs, and neighborhood cafes all contributing to the oppressive atmosphere Fin has trouble with. The book is told in Fin’s point of view, and it is easy to enter her world when reading phrases like “All sunsets are frauds. Don’t tell me otherwise.” The first time I worked in the teen department at a public library, I was quite surprised to see how specific teen patrons were about wanting books with protagonists dealing with certain issues. This would be a great book to recommend to anyone wanting a story about someone dealing with OCD, ADD, or psychiatric treatment. Total Constant Order is going to be published in October 2007.
An advance copy was provided by the author.
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April 20th, 2007 @ 7:15 am
It is a very good book.