Total Constant Order

Chappell attempts to explore the foggy territory of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other little understood psychiatric problems in her debut novel, with mixed results. When high school freshman Fin's parents get divorced soon after the family's move from Vermont to Miami, Fin starts counting numbers in her head to calm herself. Eventually, however, her desire for “order” interferes with her ability to sleep and to concentrate in school, and Fin becomes increasingly concerned about her well-being. From the start, Chappell's portrayal of Fin's mental state is on target: made to clean a classroom as punishment for drawing on her desk, she feels compelled to spray the desktops twice, then wipe each three times, and count again, and then “something made me go around the room and touch all the corners. It was like being trapped in a box.” Fin's virtually involuntary habits can be so repetitive and persistent that readers might feel as uncomfortable as if they were witnessing them in person. The author also delves into Fin's negative experience with Paxil. Again, Chappell accurately depicts Fin's longing to be “cured” as she consults as a therapist and fills a prescription over her mother's objections, and then despairs at the debilitating side effects. What seems to be missing from the story is Fin's heart. While OCD somewhat reflects the impact of her parents' divorce and the loss associated with the move, it can only go so far in conveying the whole of her personality and the range of her emotions. Ages 12-up. (Nov .)