Dirty Little Secrets

Dirty Little Secrets
By C. J. Omololu
Walker & Co, 2010. 212 pp. Young adult fiction.

Lucy's life is in the constant shadow of her mother's overwhelming compulsion, being hoarding. It has taken over her mother's life and has negatively affected all in the family, even causing her parents' divorce. Lucy can't let anyone get too close for fear of having her terrible secret spilled. As the situation gets worse and worse, it finally reaches a point Lucy never expected, and she must decide how far she will go to keep her mother's obsession hidden.

This was a fascinating glimpse inside the life of someone affected by hoarding. Lately, this particular compulsion has been much featured in the media, and this book seems to be appropriately timed in such consideration. I thought it was an interesting decision by the author to take the viewpoint of a child living in the home of a hoarder but one who does not share the parent's obsession. The characters were well done and realistic, although I struggled a bit with the mother's character--she was portrayed in a mostly negative light, and it would have really added to the depth of the novel to give cause for the reader to care more about her. The ending truly surprised me but was also satisfying in a strange way. All in all, I really found this book interesting and appreciated the unique topic it covered.

CW