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Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Kira McCloud sells herself as a brilliant and successful decluttering guru with her “sunshine test” in Jenny Hogan's How to Clean Your Life with Sunshine, but her personal life and spaces are far from organized. On her plate are an unfinished book deal, a threatening lawsuit from Michelle Yamata, once her idol, now a nemesis, and a budding streaming show. While she sells the perfect idea for organizing a home, her “perfect” home is actually a condo belonging to her friend, Paul, while her own apartment is a messy place with takeout containers and unpacked boxes. Kira is still grieving the death of her father, Big Sammy, and she has complicated friendships at Sammy's Tavern and a complex relationship with her handyman, Brian. When her carefully constructed façade threatens to fall apart, she must determine whether she can truly help people organize their lives when hers is in tatters.
How to Clean Your Life with Sunshine is a rollicking ride, a carefully plotted story that is as character-driven as it is psychologically rich. The characters are drawn from diverse backgrounds, and each of them stands beautifully alone. Kira is a sophisticated character who mirrors the lies we tell ourselves just to impress the world around us. I found myself rooting for her and feeling angry at her; she is so flawed that it is hard to ignore her. Her friends, like Elle, Nikki the bartender, and lawyer Lester, represent the strength of community, and they provide the wit that makes the dialogues even more engaging. Jenny Hogan's writing is superb, blending terrific descriptions with humor and drama to deliver the kind of entertainment I look for in literary fiction. The pathos and the laugh-out-loud comedy ground this story in realism.
