Description from and link goes to Goodreads.com
"Everyone has secrets. Some are just bigger and dirtier than others.
For sixteen years, Lucy has kept her mother's hoarding a secret. She's had to -- nobody would understand the stacks of newspapers and mounds of garbage so high they touch the ceiling and the rotting smell that she's always worried would follow her out the house. After years of keeping people at a distance, she finally has a best friend and maybe even a boyfriend if she can play it right. As long as she can make them think she's normal.
When Lucy arrives home from a sleepover to find her mother dead under a stack of National Geographics, she starts to dial 911 in a panic, but pauses before she can connect. She barely notices the filth and trash anymore, but she knows the paramedics will. First the fire trucks, and then news cameras that will surely follow. No longer will they be remembered as the nice oncology nurse with the lovely children -- they'll turn into that garbage-hoarding freak family on Collier Avenue.
With a normal life finally within reach, Lucy has only minutes to make a critical decision. How far will she go to keep the family secrets safe?"
**My rating 4/5**
*My Thoughts*
This was a book that caught my attention, as most books dealing with hard issues do. It sucked me in from the beginning, and I really sympathized with Lucy. Her best friend and her boy interest were very well written and made me want them ;)
Her mom, though a hoarder, is given some redeeming qualities, showing the person that she used to be and a glimpse at how she spiraled down so.
*SPOILERS-highlight to read*
Though the emotions were well written and I certainly can see how the book concluded and why Lucy set her house on fire at the end, something just seems almost anticlimatic. If that makes any sense. She finds her mom dead, struggles with what people would think, and then in the end does not even reach out to her siblings, one of which at least, was her ally and understood. I would like to see how things were for Lucy afterwards, and watch her deal with the guilt. But then again, maybe that is just me.
Though above paragraph only caused me to deduct one star, and I definitely recommend this to anyone who likes emotional, tough books.
Tell me your thoughts, I would love to hear them! If you want to link your review, I will read and comment.
Nice review! I really liked this one, though I agree that it was a bit anticlimactic... and I think that's why I deducted .5 stars, haha. Very interesting topic. :)
ReplyDeleteSince I don't usually read this genre I always love to read the reviews. Yours is great and I actually like the spoiler since I won't be reading it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have never come a cross a book that dealt with such an issue as hoarding - ironic because I was just watching that A&E show on hoarding. I think just the topic atracks my attention.
ReplyDelete