Dirty Little Secrets

Everyone has a secret. But Lucy’s is bigger and dirtier than most. It’s one she’s been hiding for years—that her mom’s out-of-control hoarding has turned their lives into a world of garbage and shame. She’s managed to keep her home life hidden from her best friend and her crush, knowing they’d be disgusted by the truth. So, when her mom dies suddenly in their home, Lucy hesitates to call 911 because revealing their way of life would make her future unbearable—and she begins her two-day plan to set her life right.

Beth says 4.5 Stars...

This was unexpectedly good. It took me into a world that I never even thought about or really known existed. It's impossible to imagine what would make someone hoard, but even more so how you would be able to live with a hoarder while not one yourself. This is what Lucy has to deal with every day. Counting down the days until she can leave the mess and secrets behind we get a glimpse at her world at a pivotal moment. When her mother dies you get to see her thought process about how to make sure that her secret stays safe. The plot was different because there wasn't the normal epic journey forward. Instead, it was reactionary growth and introspection which really deepened my connection with and understanding of Lucy.

Lucy is an interesting character who is acutely aware of people's perceptions. It's interesting to see the world from inside her mind. She goes about normal human interactions in a completely different manner in order to keep her secret hidden. I was absolutely immersed in her perspective and began to see the world through her eyes. The only issue I had was that the supporting characters were underdeveloped. All the focus was on Lucy, and how she viewed everything and everyone, and that detracted from the rest of the characters. I really would have liked to see more of her siblings in order to further my understanding of the family dynamics and how their mother's condition affected them all. I did enjoy the use of flashbacks, because that was the only was that we got to know Lucy's mother.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It's definitely a quick read, but I wouldn't say it's a fun one. The novel is an intense look into a secret world that exists right beside our own. It should make you think about yourself and also people you know, and wonder what type of secrets they're keeping.
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