Hello! I finished reading this book a while ago, but I’ve been meaning to write a review since then. I recently read the other book by the author, A Thousand Perfect Notes, and I loved it! C. G. Drews has become one of my favorite authors, and without further ado, here is my review of The Boy Who Steals Houses, by C. G. Drews.
The Boy Who Steals Houses
Author: C. G. Drews
Release Date: April 4th 2019
Publisher: Orchard Books
Genre: Young adult, contemporary
Series? Standalone
*this review is spoiler free*
Synopsis:
Can two broken boys find their perfect home?
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he’s ever known. Now Sam’s trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he’s caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing – each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie.
But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.
When I first saw the title of this book, I had one question. How do you steal houses? Stealing houses, a main concept in the book is a very interesting thing. Sam steals houses, staying in them for a day or two when the families are on vacation. One day, that goes wrong when he is caught in the chaotic home of the Delaineys. Each sibling assumes that he’s a friend of another sibling, and he sort of melts into their family.
Sam and his brother Avery have been abandoned by every relative, and they want a home of their own. The two brothers take very different paths, however I loved how in the end, Sam wants to protect and care for his brother.
The story takes the reader on a long journey that is full of surprises. The book made me cry more than once, but it also made me laugh out loud. The plot was interesting, fun, intense, and exciting.
The dialogue in this book was fantastic. The banter and conversations between the Delainey siblings made me fall in love with the family, and the descriptions of the chaotic household brought it to life.
“He’s officially taken house burglary to the next level. Forget stealing a bed, a key, a home for the night. He’s stealing families and their Sunday lunches.”
I love books with wonderful sibling relationships, and this book has many. First off, the Delaineys. I really felt like the siblings were portrayed realistically. They didn’t always get along perfectly, however, they all really cared for each other.
“Jeremy sounds reflective. ‘Ah, How could I forget? All our friends thought we’d died’
Jack looks like murder. ‘I hate you Moxie.’
She batters her eyelashes. ‘Love you too, sweetcakes.”
Sam and Avery have a very complicated yet sweet relationship. They’ve definitely not had an easy life, but they’ve been together through all of it.
C.G. Drews lives in Australia with her piano and the goal of reading every book in existence. Consequently, her brain has overflowed with words and she spends her days writing novels to make you laugh or cry (or both). She never sleeps and believes in cake for breakfast.
She blogs at paperfury.com.
I was really looking forward to reading this book after reading A Thousand Perfect Notes, and The Boy Who Steals Houses definitely lived up to my expectations. The sibling relationships were realistic and charming, and the plot was very interesting.
My rating: 5/5 stars
Recommendable: Yes
To who? Those in search of an intense but endearing YA contemporary with strong family and sibling themes.
Have you read The Boy Who Steals Houses? What did you think of this review? Chat with me in the comments below!
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