Ever since Fin moved to Miami, she can’t stop counting. Numbers help her make sense of the world, but the constant rituals also make her an outcast at school and put extra strain on her relationship with her mother. Fed up with the stress of maintaining total constant order, Fin tells her mother about her obsessive thoughts and agrees to visit a doctor.
The doctor immediately puts Fin on Paxil. The antidepressant makes her sick, and she fears that the drug will turn her into someone else. Around this time, she meets Thayer, a dreadlocked stoner with issues of his own. Hooked on Ritalin since he was a kid, Thayer provides a level of understanding and acceptance Fin has yet to find with her doctor or her mother.
Sick of the side effects, she stops taking Paxil cold turkey, a bad decision that sends her into painful withdrawals. Rather than give up, Fin continues to talk with her mother and doctor about her obsessions. Little by little, she begins to understand ocd, obsessive-compulsive disorder. This understanding, paired with her experiences with Thayer, helps her find the inner strength to continue living.
Overall, a well-realized first novel. Chappell provides an informed and subtle exploration of a complicated problem. Readers, especially those dealing with their own obsessions, will relate to the author’s likeable, realistic characters.
DweebMeter: 3.5/5
Check out Crissa-Jean Chappell’s Website
