Puzzled by Pan Cooke is a graphic memoir about the author’s struggle with OCD, which started at age 10. Highly recommended for middle and high school libraries.
Author: Pan Cooke
Illustrator: Pan Cooke
Publication date: April 16, 2024
Genre: graphic memoir
Recommended for: Grades 5-8
Setting: Ireland
Themes: mental health, anxiety, OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy, repetitive counting, peer pressure, trouble at school, eating disorders, changing friendships
Protagonist: male (the author), white, Irish, starts at age 10 and goes into high school, then an "Afterward" as an adult
Starred reviews: Booklist
Pages: 224
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY
Pan Cooke is ten years old when anxious thoughts begin to take over his brain like pieces of an impossible puzzle.
What if he blurts out a swear word while in church? What if he accidentally writes something mean in his classmate’s get-well card? What if his friend’s racy photo of a supermodel ends up in his own homework and is discovered by his teacher?
More and more, he becomes hijacked by fears that can only be calmed through exhausting, time-consuming rituals.
Pan has no way of knowing that this anxiety puzzle and the stressful attempts to solve it are evidence of a condition called Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This is his story of living with and eventually learning about OCD.
AWARDS AND KUDOS
- Booklist starred review (1-Feb-2024)
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT PUZZLED
The graphic novel format is easy to read, and the colorful, clean illustrations will certainly draw students into Pan’s story.
This is perfect for middle school, where most students will know little about OCD, even if they themselves suffer from it. This book could help a student identify their own OCD struggle and help them talk about it and get the help they need.
Even the simple act of identifying the OCD and recognizing that other people also have it will be a huge relief for readers, just as it is for Pan when he learns about OCD.
There are a few laugh-out-loud funny scenes! I love the “if only he had run up the stairs” moment – I bet many can relate to this scene! And Pamela Anderson’s watchful eyes – truly quite funny!
I also like how others in the story say they are “OCD” simply because they like things neat or organized in a certain way. He gives the example of Monica’s cleaning in the TV show Friends. This part could help people be more sensitive about not calling their own cleaning or organizational preferences “OCD.” This minimizes the suffering Pan and others go through and should not be said, yet it is quite common.
When we know better, we do better, right?
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT PUZZLED
I really enjoyed this entire graphic novel. It’s pretty short, but I think it covers the topic nicely and without a bunch of extraneous plot points. It’s a simple book, with a simple plot and dialogue, but it works well for the topic and way it is presented.
DIVERSITY
Pan is white and Irish. Though the author grew up in Ireland, this story could be set in any middle school or town. Secondary characters are also Irish, and most are white.
ARTWORK/ILLUSTRATIONS
Love the illustrations! Brightly colored on clean white or simply-designed backgrounds. The puzzle metaphor pops up throughout the illustrations, and it fits Pan’s story well.
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? YES; this is a great way to learn about OCD directly from a person who suffers from it.
Would I buy this for my high school library? YES! Though it starts with Pan at age 10, the story goes into his high school and adult years. Pan didn’t identify his OCD until he did a random internet search in high school. There will be high school students in the same situation, and some might find their way to a diagnosis through this book.
Would I buy this for my middle school library? 100% YES! This book is so perfect for middle school students! The same reasons apply to why I’d buy it for high school. I’d also add that students without OCD can learn to stop saying they are “OCD” about their clean room or whatever. This book can help middle school students see the difference between organization and actual OCD.
Would I buy this for my elementary school library? I’d say 5th grade is probably okay, but there are a few somewhat mature situations. For example, Pan and his best friend gossip about a classmate that got into trouble at school for having a computer print-out photo of Pamela Anderson at school. Only parts of the photo are shown, but it’s definitely a sexy photo. Also, Pan and his friend watch The Exorcist, another classmate vandalizes a wall, and the boys meet girls and kiss (not shown, but told about later). Pan also develops an eating disorder.
MATURE CONTENT
Language: no profanity
Sexuality: very mild; photo of Pamela Anderson includes a bikini top; some bare male chests in PE locker room and at swimming pool
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: none
Other: Pan develops an eating disorder; in the vandalism scene, Pan imagines an angry police officer pointing a gun at him
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