I am here to praise the article, Diary of a Hoarder’s Kid by Hailey Moberly in the September 2012 issue of Teen Ink. To generalize the story, a girl (the author), grew up in a cluttered, filthy, hoarder’s house. The disastrous living quarters were to be kept a family secret, although the author was technically being abused. Now let me get into the review. To start with, there were plenty of personal opinions and thoughts given. The author tells us that she was surprised that nobody ever asked about dirt in her hair or flea bites. She also mentions her parents devoting more time to the T.V. than to their children. Hailey’s final remark is that she can make a change. She is “… not defined by decisions that were not her own.” This personal, opinionated aspect of the article adds meaning.
However, here is the main point that I want to talk about. The descriptive imagery writing was extremely effective and strategically placed as to not overpower you with descriptions. Hailey incorporates things like describing her path “… I eased my body around the bookshelf, dodging the football toy bin, and hopped on my brother’s bunk bed ladder to reach the door.” There is also a load of attention to detail. “The front door was never locked- never even fully shut… straight ahead was the kitchen, with a buffet of moldy dishes for feasting roaches…” In short, I really could picture the mess and filth of the place, better than I can imagine the setting of many professional stories. To concluded, the descriptive and personal elements of Diary of a Hoarders Kid made it an engaging read.