One Big Mess

Book excerpt: Fourteen-year-old Gracie Taylor lives in a messy house, but it’s not her mess. Her mother has been a compulsive hoarder for the last six years, and it’s only getting worse. Their kitchen is covered with towers of Tupperware. The dining room table is buried under clutter. And in the living room, clothing fills every available space. Her back-at-home sister promises to help, but all she seems to do is argue with their mother. Her best friend Jilly is no help either. She’s too concerned about her new boyfriend at her new school to listen to Gracie’s problems. Meanwhile, her mother continues to fill the house with junk. If Gracie can’t get her mother’s hoarding under control, she can kiss her dreams of film school goodbye. Gracie is the one who takes out the trash. Gracie is the one who keeps the toilets functional. Gracie is the one who clears the clutter blocking the exits. If left to her own devices, her mother would become a level five hoarder in no time. Her only hope is to get her mother on Clean It Up!, a show that helps compulsive hoarders. But getting her on the show won’t be easy. Fortunately, with the help and support of her film club friends, Gracie forms a plan. It might just take filming the biggest documentary of her life to make it happen.