Author(s): Mary-anne Scott

Children & Young Adult | Children's Reading Guide | NZCYA 2025 Finalists

‘It’s not one cobweb; it’s everything. There’s no food and nowhere to cook, it’s filthy and cold and we can’t walk or sit in our own goddamn house. We go sideways like crabs through narrow spaces. You see treasures – we see papers and crap, mice droppings and cockroaches.’ 

Jordan Baxter, a talented songwriter and musician is determined to keep his home life a secret. His mother has a hoarding disorder which means he and his sister, Tabitha, must live in a dirty, cluttered environment. Jordan sleeps in an old caravan on the property to avoid the filth.

When Tabitha is injured, the family is thrown into the spotlight making Jordan even more determined to be free of the mess.

At the heart of this novel for teenagers and adults are big questions concerning mental health and creative ownership, but this is also a story about love and honesty. Sometimes acceptance is at the heart of freedom.