Lexapros and Cons

Publishers Weekly

Adult author Karo’s (I’m Having More Fun Than You) background as a comedian is evident in his bawdy yet affecting YA debut, about a 17-year-old boy with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Chuck’s rituals include hand-washing and using the color of his Converse high tops as a “little threat level advisory code of my emotions.” His parents push him to see a psychiatrist, but when his doctor prescribes Lexapro, Chuck refuses to take it. He also swears never to tell his crush, Amy, about his OCD, but has to revaluate his choices. Karo offers a solid primer to OCD, including its treatments. Readers may find the book ends too neatly, but Chuck is a funny, honest narrator (his biggest pet peeve: people who claim to “have a little OCD,” which “makes it seems like I’m a drama queen or something. I spent close to two hours last night getting in and out of bed to check the fucking stove and then go pee. That’s the real deal”). Readers will be impressed with Chuck’s bravery in working to solve his problems. Ages 14–up. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Foundry Literary + Media. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

“A madcap coming-of-age first novel . . . Chuck’s agreeably foul-mouthed narrative voice rings totally true: Everything from his laugh-out-loud repartee with Steve to his inner longing and lusting for Amy feels fully fleshed and real. Short chapters and clever pacing help Karo’s plot move quickly. Karo is definitely an author to watch.” —Kirkus Reviews

 

“Adult author Karo’s background as a comedian is evident in his bawdy yet affecting YA debut, about a 17-year-old boy with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Karo offers a solid primer to OCD, including its treatments . . . Chuck is a funny, honest narrator. Readers will be impressed with Chuck’s bravery in working to solve his problems.” —Publishers Weekly

 

“The way Chuck describes the people he meets, situations he finds himself in, and strange thoughts he has will leave you in stitches! You'll love it if you're looking for a book that will make you laugh out loud. Chuck’s one-liners and odd behaviors will make you completely appreciate Aaron Karo's ability to shed a humorous light on a serious issue.” —Seventeen

 

“Aaron Karo, who is best known for his stand-up comedy and for his “Ruminations” series of humorous columns, takes a light-hearted approach to his debut YA novel. Chuck’s first-person narration, not to mention his banter with best friend Steve, is hilariously raunchy, and the situations in which he finds himself are sometimes outright absurd. But as funny as Karo’s writing is, his approach to dealing with an anxiety disorder like OCD is actually pretty serious. Karo talks about OCD candidly and accurately, and Chuck’s psychiatrist leads him through the various options for dealing with his disorder. Even if kids reading Lexapros and Cons don’t suffer from Chuck’s condition, they're likely to relate to his feelings of frustration about not being able to engage with the world in the way he’d like to. Chuck’s story can illustrate how to cope with these disorders with hope, heart, and hilarity.”    —TeenReads.com

 

“Karo’s . . . novel has some interesting high notes: Chuck’s changing relationship with his psychiatrist and the prescription drug she suggests, his romantic dreams sparked—and befuddled—by the beautiful new girl at school, and the well-rendered emotional lives of his friends and enemies. Karo’s use of “real guy” motifs is noteworthy; one of Chuck’s obsessions is making a pencil tally on paper every time he masturbates, and he invents a shoe color code to reflect his moods (the shoes, of course, being Converse Chuck Taylors) . . . Offers a humorous hook for guys who would normally shy away from the romance angle.” —Booklist

 

“The strength here is the easygoing relationship between Chuck and his nerdy best friends, portrayed in honest, credible dialogue that effectively conveys their affectionate closeness. Readers with OCD may find inspiration here to get help . . . and readers without the disorder will develop a greater level of understanding.”  —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

“High school senior Chuck Taylor becomes likable early on. With its satisfying conclusion, the book is suitable for secondary school and public libraries; its absurdities and age-appropriate expletives may appeal to reluctant male readers.” —Voice of Youth Advocates

 

“Karo captures the frustration of someone with OCD and its impact on friends and family . . . Characters such as the bumbling psychiatrist and obnoxious bully provide some targets for humor. The author’s success in making Chuck’s character ‘bizarre and profane,’ plus his celebrity status and previous books for adults, will generate interest in the title.” —School Library Journal

 

 

Children's Literature - Annie Laura Smith

How does a teen with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) stop being an outcast and fit in with his peers? Chuck Taylor faces this challenge as he tries to stop his compulsive tendencies. Although his name is the same as the icon of the coolest shoes in the world (Chucks or Cons), this recognition does little to help Chuck's problem. His bizarre system of wearing different color "Cons" adds to his classmates' view of him as weird. He does not relate well to his psychiatrist, does not take his medication, and finds that she provides little help for his problem. And for heaven's sake, she wears sneakers! The title has significance since Lexapro is an approved antidepressant drug for safe and effective treatment for MDD (Major Depressive Disorder) in adults and adolescents (ages twelve to seventeen). Chuck must face his inner demons, and stop his repetitive behavior to win back his best friend, and hopefully get favorable attention from the new girl in town. Although OCD is a serious problem, Karo provides humorous insight into Chuck's plight as the story progresses. This book is not recommended for younger readers, especially since the first chapter opens with the statement, "The past year, I masturbated exactly 573 times...." Reviewer: Annie Laura Smith

VOYA - Cynthia Winfield

As difficult as it is to like a narrator who opens with, "[i]n the past year, I masturbated exactly 573 times...an average of 11 times a week and 1.57 per day," high school senior Chuck Taylor becomes likable early on. A social outcast with two friends—a buddy forever tormented by a school bully and a "scrawny Indian kid" who "talks like a rapper"—Chuck suffers with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). A standard counter-and-checker, Chuck hand-washes habitually, must twirl the lock on his locker exactly fourteen times, and checks the family's electric stove to make sure all burners are off and no gas is leaking. Although aware of the absurdity fueling his behaviors, Chuck resists when his parents pack him off to a shrink—a pear-shaped Indian child and adolescent psychiatrist who wears sneakers and concludes her statements and questions alike, with an upward inflection implying a question. Karo's stock characters interact predictably as readers vicariously experience Chuck's senior year. The psychiatrist pushes medication (Lexapro) as a precursor to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Chuck resists, until a thoroughly humiliating incident convinces him to change and he gradually improves until the climax allows him to brave a muddy campground and handle a dog. Cursory mentions of pornography—photographs and "Skinemax" flicks—and visions of busty classmates' bouncing bosoms fuel Chuck's masturbation without becoming explicit. With its satisfying conclusion, the book is suitable for secondary school and public libraries; its absurdities and age-appropriate expletives may appeal to reluctant male readers. Reviewer: Cynthia Winfield

Kirkus Reviews

Senior goofball Chuck Taylor has struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder all his life, and his crush on the new girl in school pushes him to deal with it. Finally. When Amy Huntington walks into his calculus class, Chuck's jaw drops in pure teenage-boy lust. When she asks him to tutor him for her calculus AP exam, he knows something's up. Add his hilarious BFF Steve, who pines after Chuck's bitchy younger sister, a couple of douchey school bullies and a psychiatrist who speaks using only questions, and Karo has all the beginnings of a madcap coming-of-age first novel. For the most part Chuck's agreeably foul-mouthed narrative voice rings totally true: Everything from his laugh-out-loud repartee with Steve to his inner longing and lusting for Amy feels fully fleshed and real. There are moments when he seems too observant or too full of wisdom for his own good, but those times are few and far between. Short chapters and clever pacing help Karo's plot move quickly. Strangely enough, the only piece of this debut that feels forced is Chuck's OCD. While his instincts and reactions to triggers seem authentic, at times the descriptions of his illness feel like they're coming more from a textbook than a teenage boy. Still, Karo is definitely an author to watch. (Fiction. 14 & up)

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up—Chuck Taylor recounts the trials and triumphs of his last semester in high school. He has concerned parents and a popular but annoying sophomore sister, Beth. He also has OCD. In addition to predictable manifestations, such as frequent hand washing and fear of touching doorknobs, Chuck meticulously tallies how many times he masturbates. He owns an extensive collection of shoes that sport his name and decides which pair of Cons to wear each day by matching color to mood. When transfer student Amy asks him for help studying for the calculus AP exam, he decides to follow his psychiatrist's advice to implement cognitive behavior therapy techniques and take Lexapro. His improvement ends abruptly after disastrous incidents alienate him from both Amy and his only friend, Steve. Determined to overcome OCD on his own, he braves dirt and germs on the Senior Weekend camping trip. Using ideas from a porn flick, plus Wii boxing techniques, Steve and Chuck defeat the bully who has tormented Steve all year. Chuck finds Amy's missing dog, and Beth decides that Steve might be worth dating. Karo captures the frustration of someone with OCD and its impact on friends and family. Stock characters such as the bumbling psychiatrist and obnoxious bully provide some targets for humor. The author's success in making Chuck's character "bizarre and profane," plus his celebrity status and previous books for adults, will generate interest in the title. However, under the relentlessly raunchy language lies a fairly conventional story with all the plotlines converging in an unrealistically tidy ending. There's not much to recommend on its value as a novel.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato