Dirty Little Secrets

From an emotional, mental and psychological standpoint, this book is astoundingly well done. How much research went into the making of this novel is very clear- from the perspective of Lucy to the way her mother acts and even her siblings. This book casts hoarding into a very raw light, showing how it effects the family and how much of a compulsion it actually is. The entire book is set in Lucy's standpoint, giving the reader a very intimate look at how much of her life has been effected by her mother's habit. From not being able to have any friends come over to eventually not even being able to take a shower in her own home, Lucy has to make huge sacrifices to keep the secret, keep her mother placated, and just get by. What made it even more realistic was the fact that Lucy was not just overreacting and assuming everyone would freak out- one friend did sneak her way in to the house despite Lucy's overexerting efforts to prevent anyone from getting in and everything went downhill from there because outsiders, especially teenage ones, simply do not understand this mental condition. That one instance and everything after- the other students soon driving Lucy to switch schools all together- carries with her, fueling her desire to keep her home life a tightly locked secret. Even her new friends- a best friend that doesn't ask too many questions and a potential boyfriend that takes actual interest in her- hold no guarantee of being understanding and Lucy knows that from experience. The idea of losing them is worse than the idea of letting them know the truth and it was very real and very raw to watch Lucy battle with that. Her motivations throughout the book- despite how horrible some of her actions were- came across very understandably. Yes, she has them as a support system but why would she believe it when her supposed system in the past let her down? Bad situations are a brutal thing because they stick with us far more strongly than any good situation. Yes, a situation could turn out good but our human inclination to avoid pain is far stronger and guides many of us, even in the face of a situation as astoundingly pointless as Lucy's. This book delved deeper as well, even hitting on the psychological and maybe even a genetic aspect. Flashbacks hint that Lucy's grandmother was the same way and it is clear her older sister, Sara, is also headed on that road. If anything, the fact for it to run in a family, afflicting some and not others, makes the entire situation even more heartbreaking and I love that additional element of this book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The premise was very unique and masterfully played out. While holding a small cast of characters, all the characters were strong and left their mark. Lucy is memorable in many ways, both for the good and bad things she did and her desperation to escape but still keep the secret of her family. This is an author to keep an eye on because she most definitely has talent flowing in he

Dirty Little Secrets was one of the most original and emotional reads I've read in a long time. From the first page I was drawn in by Lucy's personal narration and by the end I was at the edge of my seat wanting to know how everything was going to end up. Hoarding is something I've never been aware of or at least never understood the seriousness of. I'd always joked around that my family didn't throw anything out when they saved a few of my kindergarten drawings. Now I realize how serious a disorder compulsive hoarding really is. Omololu pulls in the reader into Lucy's life, living her life hour after hour as she deals with the tremendous hardships of her mother's hoarding and the tragedy that follows. The most amazing thing, to me, about this novel was how it took place over the course of 24 hours. It seems like this would allow barely any time for character or plot development, but instead it allows quite a bit. By the end I felt like Lucy was someone I'd known all my life. There were quite a few flashbacks that helped you to better understand what was going on and to realize how her mother's hoarding began. I had to question Lucy's actions quite a few times while reading, but I could understand why she acted the way she did. If anyone found out about how she lived, chaos would begin. The world is not accustomed to discovering people live in the kind of filth Lucy and her family did. I felt like Kaylie would have understand Lucy's dilemma and even helped her work through it, but after loosing one dishonest best friend, I could understand Lucy's wariness to let anyone else in. The vivid descriptions of the inside of Lucy's home were horrifying and her mother's denial that there was anything wrong was even scarier. You could definitely see there was something psychologically wrong with her and that the hoarding could be genetic, as mentions of Lucy's grandmother also hoarding appeared. Lucy's mother kept worthless garbage, literally pieces of trash, old newspapers, plastic bags, and more. Mold and maggots were even located inside. I really liked Josh, and although Lucy and his relationship didn't have as big a part in the beginning, by the end Josh had a bigger role. The ending was where most of the action happened. Although throughout the book smaller excitements happened, it was the end that really had me on the edge of my seat. I was reading this in the car on the way home from work Saturday and I was gasping and reacting to everything that was happening, my Mom was even getting into it. I had to reread everything to make sure I wasn't missing a single sentence and by the last few pages I knew what Lucy had to do and how Dirty Little Secrets was going to end. It was an ending so...unique and emotional, but it was the only way for it to end. I would have liked a little more closure on Lucy and her family and friends, but I know this is how Lucy's story needed to end. I applaud Ms. Omololu for writing a story so different, so informative,

This book was incredibly interesting to read. CJ Omololu wrote an emotional and stunning book. Some things I liked about Dirty Little Secrets were that you could really feel what Lucy was going through while at the same time, you couldn't know what she was going through. I didn't really agree with some of the choices Lucy made, but I think those choices helped the plot develop. Dirty Little Secrets is the type of book that will interest people of all ages. I strongly recommend this book to everyone, it is really amazing.

I don't want to go into the plot too much because I don't want to spoil anything, but the story centers around a high-school junior, Lucy, who is trying to keep the family secret of hoarding away from her "normal girl" world. From the first sentence I was hooked. Ms. Omololu starts off by letting us know Lucy has a secret. As Lucy's world starts to unravel, the pace quickens and slows - in my opinion - perfectly. At times, Lucy is frustrated, angry, determined, and maybe even cold. At others she is warm, loving, and protective. Loved the character. Loved the pace. Loved the plot. This was a wonderful read for me. And it inspired me to clean my house. Seriously.

I would never want to enter a real world like Lucy's, but I now understand the horror of her home life. I found myself holding my breath in passages, wanting to help her overcome the effects of her mother's hoarding but I was powerless to do so. Instead, I came face to face with Lucy's panic and shame. If ever there was a book that created empathy for such a misunderstood illness, DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS is it.