Dirty Little Secrets Review

Title: Dirty Little Secrets

Author: C.J. Omololu

Release Date: February 2010

Summary (from www.barnesandnoble.com ):

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.With details that are as fascinating as they are disturbing, C. J. Omololu weaves an hour-by-hour account of Lucy’s desperate attempt at normalcy. Her fear and isolation are palpable as readers are pulled down a path from which there is no return, and the impact of hoarding on one teen’s life will have readers completely hooked.

Rating:
Character Development: 10/10pts
Originality: 10/10pts
Plot/Story Line: 6/10pts
Ending: 6/10pts
Voice: 8/10pts
Recommendation: 8/10pts
Total Score: 48/60

Grade: B

Age Appropriate Rating:
Cussing: 6/10
Drugs, alcohol, etc.: 5/10
Sexual Content: 5/10

Violence/Disturbing Images: 8/10

Written Review:

This review is different. I didn’t take the time to organize my thoughts out of their bullet points like I normally do. I’ve edited it some but mainly these are my notes I took while reading this novel. I’ll be back to my normal reviewing style once I am back from my “Vacation”. Thanks for understanding and please enjoy the review J

·        Dirty Little Secrets was a novel I didn’t fall in love with, but I didn’t come close to hating it either. It was definitely a unique story but I think that it would have been better if it took place over a longer period of time. I did enjoy this novel though. Quite a lot actually.

·        My only real complaints were that even though the hatred Lucy felt for the life her mother created for her seemed real; the idea that she would hide her mother’s death just so her friends wouldn’t find out about her mom’s hoarding seemed a little unrealistic. But I could also see how someone who is used to lying over every fact or her life can blur the lines between right and wrong, truth and fiction. Also Lucy was already used to living her life independently and taking responsibility for all problems that happened to fall around her.

·        The fact that her absent father and 2 older siblings completely checked out of the situation and left Lucy to fend for herself instead of seeking help was also something that bugged me, but again, I could see the thought process  behind it too

·        Most of this story took place at Lucy’s home by herself which made Lucy’s personality and voice really stand out

·        Lucy was a wonderful  character who faced all the typical teen problems (friends/boys/popularity) while also dealing with a massive family secret

·         Her strong emotions and compelling story kept me reading. Lucy’s voice and intricate descriptions made it easy to get sucked into the tragic world of a hoarder.

·        Very fast paced. The whole book takes place in a little over 24 hours.

·        And though the ending concluded things in a very thought provoking way, I wanted to spend more time with the characters and see how her decision affected her and her siblings. (maybe a sequel???)

·        Lucy’s memories as she attempts to clean up her house really make you sympathize for how hard her life has been and what the world of a hoarder is really like

·        Overall, With a sympathetic protagonist and a very addicting yet haunting theme,  Dirty Little Secrets is a unique and intriguing story about a secret illness that is hidden among the boxes, garbage, and extravagant lies which safely conceas this dirty little secret.

·        I will definitely be looking for more novels by C.J. Omololu in the future.