Mess: One Man’s Struggle to Clean Up His House and His Act

Yourgrau explores the world of hoarding, in this confessional memoir about his experience as a recovering hoarder. After being confronted by his girlfriend about his overstuffed apartment, he sets out on a path to clean up his mess. Using many examples, he provides a panoramic view of the challenges, anxieties, and resources available for people with hoarding tendencies. Voice actor Brooke captures Yourgrau’s proses quite effectively and translates his inner voice into a meaningful experience for listeners. Brooke masters the tone of each passage well, balancing reflections, confrontations, psychological jargon, anecdotes, and the tender moments, and the light rasp in his voices adds character to the narrative. He uses the right amount of emphasis to convey the more emotional aspects of Yourgrau’s quest to understand and overcome this disease. A Norton hardcover. (Aug.)