I’ve just learned C. J. Omololu lost her long and valiant battle with cancer. Thank you, Cynthia, for what you taught me about being brave with my own writing. This post originally ran in September 2010.
I’ve been thinking a lot about writing that is hard. Not difficult process-wise, but challenging because of the subject matter.
Here’s the question I keep coming back to: How is an author to write about difficult characters and ugly circumstances without losing a reader’s compassion?
Last night, I finished C. J. Omololu’s DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS, a young adult novel about a girl who must cope with her mentally ill mother.
Here’s the description from Amazon:
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.
Sounds touching. How did you find out about this book?
Ah, the million dollar question!! Such a tough one! That book sounds like the author knows the answer. Great post, Caroline. Happy Friday!
Great topic. And interesting book. I’ll be sure to pick it up.
I really loved the book too. I’ve seen some people with this problem in my job as an attorney, but had no idea it affected families. I’ve only seen it in elderly or single people. I found it fascinating how she dealt with the issue.
And you’re right. Some YA characters are too self absorbed or whiny to be sympathetic.
Thanks for the review. That’s not a book I would normally pick up, but you’ve got me intrigued. 🙂
Sounds like some very powerful writing. I’ll have to check it out.
Caroline,
I LOVE the bookbag your friend made! My writing book pointed out that it’s reversible!
And even when it didn’t match my outfit at all during my back-to-school inservice, I carried it along, anyway, I sure did!
Am rapidly finishing up the novel I was reading before LOSING FAITH came. But I’ll get to it; can’t wait.
THANK you! Thank you! Thank you!
This is a book I will be adding to my TBR list. I love the premise of the story.
I’ve been dying to read this book since I heard about it last year. Thanks for the review, now I know I’ll love it.
I haven’t heard about this book, but it sounds like something I’d like to read.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Yes, thanks to your 2k10 site, I’m set to receive a critique by your agent! Thanks so much for this opportunity. I truly appreciate it.
Sounds like this one is worth picking up. I love that this author tackled not only a difficult subject, but difficult characters, and yet still managed to write them in a way as to elicit compassion from the reader. Not an easy thing to do. That’s a really evocative cover too!
Books like this can go either way – raw and powerful; or, get us to the point we don’t care. I think it’s a balancing act, like much of fiction. Sounds like a book worth studying to shee how it’s done!
I am so sorry to hear this. A lovely person and talent lost to the world. I own the book on my Kindle but am about 2 years behind on much of my reading, unfortunately. I still plan on remedying that! Condolences to C. J.’s family and to you, Caroline. xoxo
I think we’ve talked about this book before. Really incredibly done.
Yes, we did talk about this book – in light of one of my MG ideas, which Tracey loves but I need to flesh out the proposal more. (Harper currently has the synopsis in its old form and expressed interest but wanted more details – that’s on my list to finish, too!) Happy New Year my sweet friend.
We must meet up to discuss this further!!! Happy New Year. Smooches to you.