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Hoarders
4 Reviews
(2)
4-6
Ten-year-old Annie Bianchi, the youngest in a large Catholic family in 1980s Massachusetts, is upfront about her siblings' bullying but makes excuses for her mostly absentee parents. Angelini cleverly hides the hoarding and physical abuse by Mom in plain sight, yet it still feels unexpected once revealed. Annie's loyal nature, naiveté, and struggle with dyslexia are sympathetically portrayed in this painfully vivid portrait of a dysfunctional family.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2018
(3)
4-6
This year, twelve-year-old Shayne's annual idyllic Maine vacation devolves into disaster: she realizes that her grandmother's quirky "collecting" may have become hoarding; her summer-BFF Poppy is spending all her time working and otherwise preoccupied with boys; and Linc, the new neighbor, is oddly obsessed with the Civil War. Told with sensitivity and insight, this summertime coming-of-age story touches on loss and true friendship.
Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee
(4)
YA
Fifteen-year-old Josie and her classmate Tasha both keep their home lives secret: no one knows that Josie's mom is a hoarder or that Tasha feels unsafe around her mother's boyfriend. Then these secrets become unsustainable. Told in alternating narratives, certain turning points in the plot come too abruptly. Still, it's a nuanced portrayal of both girls' dueling desires to escape and rebuild their lives.
Reviewer: Rebecca Fox
(2)
4-6
Annabelle's mother is a hoarder. When an enormous pile of old newspapers comes crashing down on her sister, the repercussions force Annabelle to confront the ways in which her family is psychologically "broken." This accessible novel taps into common themes (uncertain friendships, impatience with parents and younger sister), but it most particularly explores the psychology of hoarding and its toll on a family.
Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
July, 2017
4 reviews