Love Objects by Emily Maguire is a heartwarming and enjoyable book about flawed and complicated people. 

We follow Nic, who loves her house and everything in it. The only problem (although Nic doesn't see it as one) is all her stuff has filled her house to the brim and this leads to a fall and hospital stay. Her niece Lena deals with the aftermath of the fall, while also struggling to cope with a scandal of her own.

To an outsider hoarding just looks like someone has way too much junk. But this book shows us what hoarding is like from an insider's perspective. Hoarding, to Nic, isn't so much about the stuff itself but the memories, emotions and ideas that are attached to the items.

Emily Maguire did a huge amount of research into hoarding disorders while writing this book. She's taken all the research and data, and given it a personal touch. It doesn't feel like we're reading a guide to hoarding or like Nic is ticking off the boxes of what defines hoarding. Instead we see what it's like for someone who hoards and how it affects their immediate family.

While most of the marketing is around Nic's storyline, I also really enjoyed reading about Lena and Will. They're all dealing with their own problems, and I found it really interesting to see their family dynamics and how they interact and intersect with each other. 

Love Objects is an unassuming and touching look at hoarding, shame and trying to find stability when life feels out of control. It's also an examination of family dynamics where the relationships are complicated but there's still a lot of love.

It's an Aussie fiction where the characters, dialogue and setting feel uniquely Australian. It realistically portrays a lower socio-economic family and their struggles without using caricatures. Love Objects examines mental health, shame, class and consent gently and with so much dignity.