Dirty Little Secrets

Omololu, C.J. Dirty Little Secrets
Bloomsbury see St. Martins 2010 212p 16.99
978-0-8027-8660-9 ms/hs VG-BN
Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. The plot revolves around how Lucy keeps this from her friends and the rest of the world. Two more years until she graduates from high school and can leave the dirty secret. Lucy’s secret is that her mother is a hoarder and the inside of their house looks and smells like a dump. Because no repairmen will enter the house, there is no longer any heat or hot water. Lucy has been able to keep this secret from her neighbors, friends and the rest of the world as well, but it has taken a toll on her self-esteem and on her social life. Her older brother and sister have escaped the problem by moving out. Luckily, Lucy has a best friend whose house she stays at often and is starting to develop a romantic relationship as well. However, one day, when Lucy arrives home, she finds that her mother has died from an asthma attack because she couldn’t reach or find her inhaler in all the mess. Lucy doesn’t want anyone to know her mother has died, because that means that people will see the house and the way they lived, that her personal life will become sensationalized, and that she and her “dirty secret” will be exposed. The story takes place over a few days and the reader will keep the pages turning to find out how Lucy resolves her problem. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. The issue of hoarding is a topic that is currently a part of reality t.v. and the author has written an understanding novel about how this issue affects the children of hoarders. This book would be a very good title for middle and high school libraries; there are not many YA titles about this issue at this time. Weinraub(2), Tina