Have you heard of: "The Opposite of Tidy" by Carrie Mac?

Not quite a review but my thoughts on how "The Opposite of Tidy" is going to deliver a never before view into how teenagers lives are not always their own. That sometime's their lives are controlled by outside sources, and that lying is the only way to have any control in the chaos of their life.

"The Opposite of Tidy" by Carrie Mac

Publication Date: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Penguin Group

Coming out April 10, 2012 by Penguin “The Opposite of Tidy” by the award-winning author Carrie Mac will enlighten readers of all ages to the world of hoarding and how it not only affects the parents but their children as well. I have yet to read “The Opposite of Tidy” but have been hearing nothing but good things from fellow bloggers & book lovers. I wanted to do a little write up about what I think about the subject material before I read & review the book, and also the cover love I have for this book!

One of the subjects that are touched within the book is that of Junie’s mother’s hoarding, and also her father’s absence due to his relationship with another women. Both are huge topics with today’s generation although hoarding has become something reality TV has publicized with shows such as “Hoarders” on TLC. I can speak from experience that hoarding can be an embarrassment & toll on teenagers especially keeping them from a social life. One of my stepparents has OCD & causes them to save every scrap of paper they get – we have newspapers in our basement from 1985 … although that being said, they do manage it … sometimes. I feel that a lot more teenagers go through things similar to that of Junie nowadays as well, not just Hoarding or OCD. Sometimes our living situation can be different, and trying to fit in at school can be hard – when mixing the two you get a situation such as Junie’s where she needs to end up lying to make sure she can keep her home life a secret. When that starts to happen of course the lies start to pile up, and when is enough enough?

“The Opposite of Tidy” tackles this question and many other situations as Junie, her mother, and her friends start to come to terms with everything that has happened, and the lies that are told. I personally think this book will be extremely enlightening to the average teen about what problems some teens face, and that not everyone is just “shy” or “weird” or a “loner” - that perhaps “judging a book by its cover” is never the route to go when in High School no matter how popular, but also lying is never the route to take as well. Both very valuable lessons when in high school but also when you grow up as well!

On that topic, THE COVER! I am such a sucker for a beautiful flowing dress, or attractive men on my covers, but this time around “The Opposite of Tidy” delivers the reality of what the book is going to discuss! I love the bright bold lettering, and the cowboy boots on top of the giant mess. The catch phrase as well “How do you come clean when your life is a mess?” I find to be absolutely perfect! The cover is simplistic yet eye catching with the mess, and bright colours, perfect for the cover collector like myself.

So there you have it! My thoughts on “The Opposite of Tidy” and how Carrie Mac will be delivering a thought provoking young adult contemporary read that will open your eyes to hoarding, and how it not only affects the individual but also those around them.

Originally posted on: RazOrbill.ca