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Total Constant Order

by Crissa-Jean Chappell (Goodreads Author)

3.43 of 5 stars 3.43 · rating details · 233 ratings · 42 reviews

Fin can't stop counting. She's always heard a voice inside her head, ordering her to listen, but ever since she's moved to the Sunshine State and her parents split up, numbers thump like a metronome, rhythmically keeping things in control. When a new doctor introduces terms such as "clinical depression" and "OCD" and offers a prescription for medication, the chemical effec...more

Hardcover, 279 pages

Published October 23rd 2007 by Katherine Tegen Books

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Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com

Rhythm is the pulse of life. Everything has rhythm. The waves in the ocean, cars buzzing down the highway, the drip of the rain after a spring shower, the pencil scraping across our paper, even our own pulse in our ears, late at night when all should be quiet.

Fin doesn't know quiet. For her, the rhythm has become more than a beat. It's an obsession. It's good luck to turn a light on three times -- the wrong number could be deadly. The roar of numb...more

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Feb 20, 2009 Ronda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, realistic-fiction

Fin knows that something is wrong, she just doesn’t know what. She can’t stop counting. Some of the teachers at her new school think she just isn’t paying attention, but Fin knows that maybe she’s paying too much attention--to everything. Her dad wants to be buddies with his new girlfriend. Her mother wants her to go to counseling. Her counselor wants her to take Paxil, but her mother doesn’t want her to take meds at all. Fin feels like she’s all alone--until she begins a “conversation” with a t...more

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Jan 05, 2009 edh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fin is a high schooler with problems - beyond the fact that school is a drag and her parents' divorce means an estrangement with her father, Fin has come to recognize that her rituals and requirements for daily life are actually signs of OCD. It doesn't help that her mother (and grandmother, as we discover) also display symptoms of this condition. While at school Fin meets a guy named Thayer, a skater into tagging and pot (not necessarily in that order). But is he someone she can really trust? T...more

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Jul 08, 2009 Emilyz David Ziglinski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, favorites

Total Constant Order allows the reader inside the life of Fin, an outcast teen whose head is not working quite right. Fin ends up seeing a psychiatrist is diagnosed with OCD and put on Paxil. Ironically it's another 'crazy' who helps her find her way. I found the authors descriptions of Fin's compulsions, mental musings and struggles very real. I feel like I have better understanding of what a person suffering from ODC might feel like, what an uncontrollable life might feel like after reading th...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Sara ♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, challenge-spring-2010, realistic-fiction, young-adult

Fin knows that something is wrong, she just doesn't know what. She can't stop counting. Some of the teachers at her new school think she just isn't paying attention, but Fin knows that maybe she's paying too much attention—to everything. Her dad wants her to be buddies with his new girlfriend. Her mother wants her to go to counseling. Her counselor wants her to take Paxil, but her mother doesn't want her to take meds at all, so what's the point of counseling? Fin feels like she's all alone—until...more

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Dec 29, 2009 Courtney added it

Shelves: 2009, ya-fiction

(The first chapter of this book references VOLCANOES!!! What more can I say. Did I tell you all my family and I spent Christmas Day watching SUPERVOLCANO? I know.)

(Maybe I'll watch it again tonight.)

I remember when Total Constant Order first came out--I was interested but wary. I love--probably not the right word--reading about OCD. I'm always interested in furthering my understanding of this totally complex and torturous disorder. But nothing annoys more more than poor portrayals of OCD in the...more (The first chapter of this book references VOLCANOES!!! What more can I say. Did I tell you all my family and I spent Christmas Day watching SUPERVOLCANO? I know.)

(Maybe I'll watch it again tonight.)

I remember when Total Constant Order first came out--I was interested but wary. I love--probably not the right word--reading about OCD. I'm always interested in furthering my understanding of this totally complex and torturous disorder. But nothing annoys more more than poor portrayals of OCD in the mainstream media. Like, NOTHING. Now, I didn't get the impression that TCO would be like this but even the remotest possibility left me hemming and hawing for uhm, well, years, actually. WOW, how embarrassing to admit, but there it is. Don't be like me, everyone.

This was a really really solid, GOOD book that unfolds at a leisurely pace but is a quick read, if that makes sense. I like Chappell's writing style a lot. There was something dreamy and artisty and fantastical about it and made for an interesting juxtaposition against the realities/harshness of Finn's obsessions and compulsions. From page one we are totally thrown into Finn's thought process, the OCD and it's intense. I like that about it. I think I read someone say that it was hard to be that far into the disorder, to read it, to follow it, but to me that's the novel's honesty! That's what makes it critical, especially in the face of so many craptastic looks at OCD out there that only glimpse at the surface of the disorder (or worse) use it for comic relief or a character quirk. If you aren't going to go there, I don't see the point and Chappell really & truly (and I think) fearlessly goes there. That's important.

One thing that I really appreciated was that Chappell didn't skimp on the anxiety, how hard it is and how awful it feels to not follow through on a ritual when you're right in the thick of the thing. For some reason, going into TCO, I was expecting a bigger romantic arch between Thayer and Finn, and even though there was a tenderness and sweetness to their relationship, this isn't a book where dude saves girl from herself--THANK GOODNESS. They helped each other but I think the key to their success was themselves, on their own. I really really liked that about it. I like the way they drifted through the high school scene a pair, trying to make sense of it in the only ways they knew how, with all they had to contend with.

Reading a lot about anti-depressants as "waterwings" (as Jeffrey Schwartz called them) for people with severe OCD, one thing I had to remind myself as I read was that this was Finn's journey--that her decision to not take the anti-depressants in the end was her own. At first that left me a little nervous, because I think when a character makes that kind of decision it's hard for the author not to look like they're coming down one side or the other but I think ultimately, Chappell balanced this nicely and as I got into the story my reservations about that melted away. I didn't feel preached at and it seemed fair, imo. FINALLY, the setting of this book was absolutely delicious. I have never been to Miami, but Chappell's portrayal of it, even from the eyes of less-than-loving it Finn, made me want to go there.

I think lots of people should read this, not only if you have an interest in OCD, but also because it's good stuff.(less)

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Aug 08, 2009 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, realistic-fiction

Fin is the teen who is struggling with her need to constantly count and/or wash her hands. When she asks her parents about it, they don't get it. Fin is an outcast at her school with a group of girls tormenting her and a guy, Thayer, who acts out in school all the time with rants and shouts. When Fin sees a psychiatrist she finds out alot more about herself, her counting, her hand washing, and why she can now understand and cope with this behavior. Thayer also goes to the same doctor and they be...more

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Sep 30, 2008 Nian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

Fin, a girl who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Thayer, a boy who has Attention Deficit Disorder. Fin can’t stop counting and trying to keep things in order, in her control. Thayer can’t stop paying attention to one thing. Shunned by normal society, Fin finds solace in Thayer, who finds nothing wrong with her.

The writing is bearable, but mostly terrible. Just take a look at the sentence structures. The male protagonist gets on my nerves just because he’s not the kind of guy who does things t...more Fin, a girl who has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Thayer, a boy who has Attention Deficit Disorder. Fin can’t stop counting and trying to keep things in order, in her control. Thayer can’t stop paying attention to one thing. Shunned by normal society, Fin finds solace in Thayer, who finds nothing wrong with her.

The writing is bearable, but mostly terrible. Just take a look at the sentence structures. The male protagonist gets on my nerves just because he’s not the kind of guy who does things that I’ll agree with, ADD or not. (I.E. smoking, ditching school, and getting hooked on Ritalin. Not exactly a role model, is he?) The only things worth semi-praising over are the topics and the itsy-bitsy depth. I’m glad authors are really choosing to put themselves out there by writing about above-the-norm subjects. It’s really showing that they would rather educate others than get famous overnight. Now, depth. Here’s a girl who’s actually looking at the world like the other half of teenagers, the ones who couldn’t care less about popularity. Who thinks that what adults tell you about high school is complete bull. Take this passage, for instance:

“'Of course not,’ I said. ‘It’s like people at school. Everybody’s so fake.’

‘How so?’ She asked.

‘From the minute you start school, you’re fed a bunch of lies: Be yourself. Don’t follow the crowd, blah blah. What they really mean is: Follow the crowd. Just make sure that it’s the right one.’

‘And if you don’t?’ Dr. Calaban raised her eyebrows at me.

‘Suffer the consequences,’ I said” (Chappell 208).

Sure, you could get this kind of internal thinking in just about any other book (like Alyson Noel, who’s a pro at catching teen angst and trying to fit in) so that’s why I labeled it as “itsy-bitsy depth”.

So, in general, not a brilliant book, but it’s kind of serious. This certainly doesn’t fit my to re-read criteria, but it’ll at least teach you about OCD and its struggles.
(less)

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Nov 08, 2007 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of "problem" YA fiction, psych disorders, poetic prose

Recommended to Susan by: harper teen

Shelves: youngadult, 2007read, mycollection

Refreshing to see this kind of poetic prose in YA literature. It's something that's sorely lacking, especially these days.

However, the book tries too hard to be "cool" and to hit an emotional chord with the reader.

From the review I wrote of the ARC in 2007:

With her first novel, Crissa-Jean Chappell joins a long tradition of young adult novelists writing about the experience of growing up with OCD. In my opinion, she handles it well. The language is wonderfully poetic and a delight to see in any...more Refreshing to see this kind of poetic prose in YA literature. It's something that's sorely lacking, especially these days.

However, the book tries too hard to be "cool" and to hit an emotional chord with the reader.

From the review I wrote of the ARC in 2007:

With her first novel, Crissa-Jean Chappell joins a long tradition of young adult novelists writing about the experience of growing up with OCD. In my opinion, she handles it well. The language is wonderfully poetic and a delight to see in any YA novel, the narrative structured in chapters that often seem as if they could stand on their own. I especially liked this free flow of ideas as they counterbalanced the rigidity that is often associated with OCD.

Fin (I love the significance of her name throughout the novel) is a fully realized character who I felt I could connect to on a number of levels. However, at times, I felt Chappell was trying too hard to reach the teen audience. I found Thayer, Fin's new friend, to be somewhat two-dimensional. His character was inconsistent at times, not in an unpredictable way that I would expect of ADDers, but in an unbelievable way. Fin's mother presented a different problem. I often felt that Fin's scenes with her mother were overreaching for an emotional impact that was already there in Fin's narration, in the metaphors that were created. No more was needed.

Ultimately, the novel is less about a young girl growing up with OCD than about a young girl growing up, period. For me, that is the most successful part. It is true that Chappell doesn't really experiment enough to set herself apart from previous clusters of OCD novels, but that doesn't matter here. Despite some problems with the execution, there is truth to Fin's story, truth that I think many people could recognize and relate to. At the end of the novel, Fin realizes that "counting stars was like wishing on nothing [...] I could never count them all." I could never count all the lines in this novel that resonated with me. They are the beauty of this book.(less)

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Sep 18, 2008 Deanna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychology, family-life

I read this book to understand more about OCD. It's a fictional book about a girl who has OCD and what she thinks/feels. I left feeling like I understood people with OCD a lot more and I also felt more sympathy for people who suffer from mental illness. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up to me in this area.

That said I didn't like the story at all. The one that saves her is a boy that has ADD and is always out there. He teaches her how to do graffiti and introduces her to pot to hel...more

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Nov 30, 2009 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I found it by accident and I'm glad I did. You actually feel like you are Fin, this book actually makes you remember what it was like in high school and you felt like you just didn't belong or you were the one kid that everyone thought was different and strange. From the first page I was captivated. Its just one of those books that you want to read over and over and you never tire of it.

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Jul 21, 2009 Meredith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I feel like I've read this before (by which I mean, I know I haven't). I am not saying this to be mean, but it's one of those ones that reads like an adult writing to sound like a teen. It's useful to have a novel about OCD for this age group, and I will keep it on my radar, but I was never not conscious of the fact that it felt like it was written *for* that reason.

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May 25, 2010 Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: drama, ya

Fin has OCD - she can't stop counting, it's the only thing that keeps her calm. Her parents have separated and she's moved to Florida from Vermont. Then she meets Thayer - a rule-bending boy who might help Fin as much as the therapist she starts to see.
Authentic voice. Somewhat tidy ending, but pretty realistic.

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Jul 13, 2009 Bethany rated it 5 of 5 stars

this was a great book! i loved that it did have information on her disease but it was in perspective on the info and how she took it she meets a good friend and lover and he understands her more than herslef this was an amazing book it really showed character

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Jul 20, 2012 Stephanie A. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like OCD stories a lot, but this one dragged as result of her befriending the stoner outcast with ADD. Not horrible, just inferior to "Multiple Choice." I need more details about her compulsions!

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May 16, 2013 Raksha Singh rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is good. It has an amazing beginning, but for me at least, it sort of becomes too dramatic towards the end. However, characterization is spot-on. Its a good read!

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Oct 05, 2011 M rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: mental-illness, young-adult

Really stupid book. Highly unlikable main character, drug-addict and basically delinquent love interest, and supporting characters who are little more than caricatures. I find it unlikely that the author has any first-hand knowledge of mental illness.

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Dec 09, 2010 Arissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Interesting point of view, didn't really understand the end too much, but I liked Fin and Thayer's friendship, so, I would read this as a quick read on a road trip.

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Oct 30, 2011 Ronni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yal

I could question the accuracy of the depiction of emerging OCD, but that would distract from my actual opinion of the book. Which is that it's a good one.

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Dec 18, 2009 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: people-who-are-not-like-me, teen-fiction

about a girl with OCD, but it turns out her mom does too, so they're both a little warped. I thought the ending was wayyyyyyy too tidy and happy.

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Sep 09, 2008 Cheryl rated it 1 of 5 stars

I initially heard about this book from the author via Myspace. (Good marketing technique!) The subject matter piqued my interest, though the novel itself did not sustain my curiosity. I found Chappell's writing to be rushed and both teenage and adult characters to be inauthentic. (The dialogue between Fin and her mother bothered me, and Thayer's too-cool-for-school lingo grated on my nerves.) Even the chapter titles, I thought were forced. As for the resolution, it wasn't believable. Deep issues...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Tracie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young_adult_fiction, ocd

Following her parents' divorce, a teen girl must confront the clinical depression and OCD that are taking over her life.

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Jan 28, 2008 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This ya novel takes you right into the mind of a teen girl with OCD as she struggles to ignore the compulsions that drive her and survive the halls of her unforgiving high school.

I found the details of Frances' disorder both fascinating and tedious...a fitting description of OCD itself. Worth reading if you like the "odd girl out" type of story as I also liked the fact that her friendship with an equally strange and afflicted classmate, Thayer, blossomed into a deep friendship and not a romantic...more

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Oct 31, 2008 Scott rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-books, older-teens

Why do so many YA authors feel the need to be clever. Crissa-Jean Chappell shoves so much cleverness down the readers throat, seemingly for no reason because her character isn't clever at all. I was so excited to see a book about on OCD teen and how that would make an already rough time rougher. Instead I got Wah! Wah! Wah! People don't like me cause I'm wierd. I found a boy a like. Swoon! Wah! Gag! I can't believe I acutally finished it. Jesus. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.

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Apr 06, 2010 WCPL Teens rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: shelly-reads, realistic-fiction

Fin can't stop counting. Voices in her head tell her if she doesn't, something terrible will happen. Although counting didn't stop her parents from getting a divorce. Now her dad has a new girlfriend and Fin is stuck with her mom, who seems to have some OCD tendencies as well. To top it all off, Fin is forced to go to therapy. But her life starts to change when she befriends Thayer, a boy in her class who sees the same therapist. Soon she is able to calm the voices and ignore teh need to count.

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Dec 01, 2007 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Meh. I felt underwhelmed by this book, especially reading it in conjunction with Not as Crazy as I Seem (by George Harrar). The stories were far too similar. Total Constant Order does differentiate itself by inserting a pointed message about Paxil and other pharmacological outcomes.

For anyone seeking similar YA books about compulsive behavior, I recommend Multiple Choice (Janet Tashjian) or Kissing Doorknobs (Terry Spencer Hesser).

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Jun 17, 2010 KayLee rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this more then I expected to :D

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Dec 28, 2008 JustWorkAlready rated it 2 of 5 stars

the main character is a retard!!!

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Apr 30, 2008 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ooooo, I really like this one. At first I couldn't decide if the author was writing a disjointed, flighty thing, or if she was being sort of brilliant by making the actual book OCD-like. By the end, I'm convinced that author was intentionally invoking the discomfort and awkwardness of OCD, so that it's affecting on lots of different levels. Very well done.

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Jul 22, 2011 Julie_ian_curtis rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, heavy-issues

i was really looking forward to reading this and i have to say that i felt a little dissapointed with this one. the OCD and side effects from medication were very well written but i didnt like the way it was all 'resolved' when the girl got the guy. i much prefer cut by Patricia McCormick, if you are after real life teen issue type stuff.

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About Crissa-Jean Chappell

Crissa-Jean Chappell's debut YA novel, TOTAL CONSTANT ORDER (HarperTeen) is a Florida Book Award medalist, a VOYA "Perfect Ten," (starred review) and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Next up is NARC (Flux Books, summer 2012).

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