Do you tend to keep old things to preserve memories of the past? Do you know that it can be classified as a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a mental illness? Award-winning Canadian author Carrie Mac sets her story in this barely touched upon field in her novel The Opposite of Tidy. Junie, a normal 16-year-old girl in high school, appears to be no different from the others. However, no one knows how difficult her life has been: Junie's mother is a compulsive hoarder, and her hoarding drives her husband away. Junie, in an attempt to hide her embarrassing family from Wade, her new boyfriend, tells lies one after another. That's why Junie panics when the TV show Kendra comes to her house, because all her secrets, her mother's lies and hoarding are about to be revealed to the whole world. What will happen to Junie? Will Wade leave her? More importantly, “how can you be honest when your life is a mess?” Carrie Mac uses a well-chosen title, conversational writing style, and thought-provoking themes in The Opposite of Tidy to reflect people's desires and struggles to gain control of their lives. The first thing readers see in a novel is the title; therefore, its significance cannot be overlooked. First of all, it immediately grabs readers' attention. Why does Carrie Mac use "the opposite of tidy" instead of "messy"? Messy means dirty and messy, while “the opposite of tidy” gives readers room for imagination. It can be interpreted as dirty, chaotic, disorganized, both physically and mentally. Since the original title covers a much broader topic, it is obviously better than the single word “messy”. Furthermore, this title foreshadows the importance of self-control: it decides your life. If you make the same mistake as… half of the card… the best way to cure her accumulation and she will get rid of the disease. Furthermore, both Junie and her mother are victims of a lack of self-control. However, they support each other and manage to fight against their disordered life and regain control. The theme is intended to convey the author's message behind the novel: the importance of self-control. To sum up, The Opposite of Tidy is an unusual novel about the process and importance of gaining control, both physical and mental. The effective use of title, writing style and theme make it enjoyable but also challenging. After finishing the novel and returning to answer the question “how do you know when life is a mess?”, it's clear that anything is possible if you have enough control. Since “speaking the truth” doesn't kill you, and “what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?”