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. The Boy Who Steals Houses (The Boy Who Steals Houses, #1)
***April 14, 2019***
I'M SORRY WHAT? HOW COULD IT JUST END LIKE THAT?? I HAVE FEELINGS. SO MANY FEELINGS. WHAT DID I DO TOO DESERVE THIS PAIN??? AJGHGFHGGHF THIS BOOK WAS SOOOO GOOD! AND PAINFUL. WAY TOO PAINFUL.
RTC.
***January 25, 2019***
This cover is SO PRETTY. I AM IN LOVE. PREEEEEETTTTTYYYY. I NEED. Also this book is coming so soon ahhhhhhh!
***June 15, 2018***
I made the mistake of reading the sneak peak in the end of ATPN... WHY?!?!?! IT SOUNDS SO GOOD!!!! Honestly, ATPN was amazing, and this sounds way more like the sort of thing I would normally pick up, and ABHGDJDGJAGKFGKFJGKJGJKFGHFMHGHGKFFD CAN I HAVE THIS RIGHT NOW PLEASE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
***March 18, 2018***
Seriously, I need this so badly! I think I screamed when it was announced, and it just sounds so good!!! I am SO excited! Why must April 2019 be so far away?!?!?! Whyyyyyyyyy?!?!?!?!?!?!?! The Boy Who Steals Houses (The Boy Who Steals Houses, #1) Brilliance, sheer brilliance.
Sammy Lou captured my heart. He's so precious and so desperate. Poor little baby. He deserved far better than he got--he deserved a home and a family and parents who loved him and all Moxie's love and aghhhhh my child. <3 I also appreciated the way the autism rep was done--I know Cait is autistic herself and I thought it was wonderfully done in Avery. The fact that he has such real struggles and difficulties but is still such a loving, passionate individual...I don't see that much and I think it's lovely. Well done on that front, Cait <3
Moxie and her sibling struggles was awesome. Also, the twins. Loved them.
The storyline was a little weak--I got a bit confused by the backstory occasionally, although for the most part I thought it was wonderfully done. And the whole De Lainey family and their house and thier chaos...this whole book was written with such love and sweetness and AGH I adored it.
Also, can we just talk about that cover? ALL THE LOVE.
Content for those who will want to know:
There's a lot more cussing in this than in 1000 Perfect Notes. It never gets above the s-word but there are a few of those. Mr. De Lainey does yell about the cussing a lot, though, and it felt pretty realistic xD also, one of the side characters is bisexual and there's some kissing and all that jazz. It never felt too heavy or uncomfortable, though. The biggest concern is the violence (abuse, someone gets hit by a car, punching, fist fights, worse fights...yeah xD)
This was beautiful and I looooved it. 4 stars <3 Paperback “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 wingâ€"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.â€
This sounds SO PRECIOUS ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ also, can we talk about that COVER???! I am sold 100%
I hope it turns out as amazing as it promises to be :))
Expected publication: April 4th 2019 Paperback This is my second book by C.G. Drews and once again I was drawn in by a touching story of overcoming abuse, finding relationships that nurture you, and hope. Fifteen-year-old Sam and his older brother Avery who has autism have been kicked out of their parents’ home, and abandoned by every relative who could have taken them in. Avery has turned to unsavory characters who promise him a way to survive. Sam breaks into houses, just wanting to feel safe for a night. One day he breaks into the house of a large family who all mistake him for the friend of someone else. This examines many hard issues including homelessness, disability, child abuse, the burden that can be placed on older children to provide childcare for younger siblings after the loss of a parent, and others. Another wonderful read by C.G. Drews.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. 347 SO MANY EMOTIONSSSSSSSS
wow what the actual heck, this was so beautiful but I cried literal buckets worth of tears, no joke.
I can barely order my thoughts right now, but here goes my attempt at a review:
ðŸ—ï¸ Sammy and Avery are such precious disasters, I would literally die for them. These poor lil traumatised cinnamon rolls, I LOVE ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜â¤ï¸
ðŸ—ï¸ The Delainey family is EVERYTHING they are so beautiful and precious. They also have their scars, but all SUCH BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ'–
ðŸ—ï¸ The big family dynamic was done SO WELL it was gorgeous and loud and messy and REAL, but I didn't feel overcrowded by characters at all
ðŸ—ï¸ SO MUCH FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD ðŸ˜
ðŸ—ï¸ Boiiii I thought A Thousand Perfect Notes was pain but noooooooooooooooo that book is a field of buttercups and rainbows compared to this ðŸ˜
ðŸ—ï¸ But emotional trauma is worth it 10/10 worth it, please drop everything and read this right now!!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a review copy! All opinions are my own. Paperback
This is a heart-rending novel about family, broken pieces and redemption.
15 year old Sam just wants to take care of his older brother, Avery. Avery is autistic and needs routine, but that's hard to give when the only time Sam feels safe is when he's under a stolen roof.
If you've yet to read the author's debut, A Thousand Perfect Notes, well done you for protecting your heart for so long. If you survived that one, your scarred heart might just be tough enough to get through this one without breaking. Good luck though. I recommend extra bubble wrap for protection.
This is my third beautiful disaster in a row (following Sadie and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine) and honestly my poor lil heart needs a time out. It would be a quivering mess of uselessness if it wasn't for the De Laineys and their chaotic love. I desperately needed the light they brought to Sam's story.
Unlike the previous two books, this is a disaster I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Because the themes of love and devotion and family are so close to my heart and Sam is a dude I can really relate to. I mean, not so much the homelessness and the breaking into houses and looking after an autistic brother and stuff ... more just, like, the dedication. Family first. But he's a 15 year old kid dealing with things he should never have to deal with and I just felt so much for him. He deserved a little sunshine and to be loved and the happy accident of stumbling across the De Laineys was a refreshing blast of joy in a gloomy grey story and the balance was perfect.
This is also a really important book for Autism representation because it continues to remind the reader that Avery is not broken. Autism is not a passing illness, it's not a defect ... this book reps HARD and it was just written so respectfully while still facing the reality of how viciously autism can be viewed by ignorant members of society. Avery is a character you will find it hard not to fall in love with.
As with the author's previous novel, there's violence in here that will break your heart but there's a message within it:
You can do monstrous things and not be a monster.
This is a novel about choices; about good, bad, and all the shades of grey that lie in between. This is a novel not afraid to face ugliness so that you can also appreciate the beauty when it's there. It's about mistakes, and choices, and the lengths we go to for family.
Loved it from start to finish, and highly recommend to anyone brave enough to offer their heart up for a thorough drenching in emotions. Ay mi corazoncito.
No saben lo que lloré con este libro, jajajaja. No fueron llantos largos, era más bien que de repente en una escena random se me salÃan las lágrimas. PORQUE POBRE SAMMY Y QUÉ HERMOSA ES LA FAMILIA DE LAINY.
Siento que al final le faltó un epÃlogo, o sea, me gustó pero me lo dejaron medio abrupto y medio abierto.
1408349922 I won't have anywhere decent to live. Or sleep. Or eat. I'll...I'll steal. I'll steal houses.
3.5 âï¸
Ok, so for me this wasn't up there with A Thousand Perfect Notes. Don't get me wrong, this was a good book and the characters were on point.
I just found this one a lot harder to relate to, I guess. I can't honestly put my finger on why this one didn't connect as strongly with me but there we are.... onto the review!
Sammy Lou and his brother Avery have been on the run for some time now. Sammy 'steals' houses, AKA he breaks into houses where families have gone on holiday or are similarly empty, before moving onto another. We know there is a history with their relatives, but we don't know what it is they are running from, or why.
Avery has autism, and Sam has been his rock for years. Protecting him from those who don't understand, from those who would hurt him. When Avery falls in with a bad crowd Sam finds himself alone. When hiding in an abandoned home, Sam soon finds it isn't abandoned at all, and he becomes swept up in a large family gathering, with food, drink and friends. Sam has never experienced anything like it, and when each family member believes he is someone else's friend, Sam manages to get by unseen.
His time with the De Lainey family is Sam's idea of heaven, but he knows it can't last. He has too many secrets to hide. When eventually these secrets comes to light, Sam finds himself in deeper water than ever.
I really didn't like the treatment of Sam by the authorities - the social worker was awful, and he was in constant fear of the police. Like honestly the kid was 14?! I guess it serves to show how horrible adults can be and how black and white some views are, I just found I was so angry while reading rather than enjoying it.
Overall, the De Lainey family made this for me. Grady, Jeremy, Jack, Moxie, Dash, Toby and the baby, with of course Mr De Lainey running the ship. Their family just sprouted so much love, and they were so open to share it with everyone. C.G. Drews hello yes I wrote this small book and it absolutely has stolen (pun! ha!) my heart. I can't wait for you to meet Sam and Avery and the De Lainey family! This is an #ownvoices story for autism and anxiety. And feel free to reach out to me via social media or DMs.
Buy - Book Depository | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Booktopia
content warnings (not necessarily spoilers, but you can choose whether to view them)
if you like...
✨ super dark contemporaries
✨ big loud messy families
✨ soft autistic boys everywhere
✨ romance based on giving each other delicious food
✨ basically 300 pages of bad decisions made by soft™ people
✨ are half these scenes set in the kitchen??? maybe
✨ thieves and stolen keys
✨ feminist love interest who takes no nonsense and will smite you
✨ anxiety and snark
...then you're going to love this ok. You will. 1408349922 This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription
“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.â€
🌟 I consider miss Drews a role model for me and I am sure that extends to many other writers/ readers and bloggers. I mean she is one of us and she is a living proof that our dreams are possible when we work hard.
🌟 There are some “authors†who got a contract because they were just famous people and it shows in their less than average books! Miss Drews, despite being a famous blogger deserves her place in the publishing world. I loved her debut “A Thousand Perfect Notes†and now she blesses us with a gender-bent Goldilocks retelling.
🌟 This book is easy to go through in 1 or 2 sittings. This is probably because it is directed toward younger readers but it was still enjoyable for me. The first thought I had after finishing both of her books is that this is the kind of books I want my children to read in the future. This books delves into darker topics as abuse and abandonment. There are more themes throughout the book but if I was going to choose one major theme then I would say it is definitely about families!
🌟 Sam and Avery, our main characters were both fleshed out. Avery has autism and I think the representation was very good, I also just finished another book with an autistic rep by an own-voice author and it was similar to this one so I think miss Drews did her research. I am always happy to read accurate medical representations for my future!
Sam reminds me of my uncle, or at least the stories my mother tells me about him when he was younger. I don’t know if it was deliberate but Sam came to me as someone who has a intermittent explosive disorder which is so befitting given his background.
“No, please. It’s â€" you’re allowed to hurt. It’s not a contest.â€
🌟 I have seen some reviews saying that this is a sad book but I think it is more than that and it is about finding hope in the strangest of places. The book may be dark but it has a realistic satisfying ending. Definitely reading the author’s future works :D. 1408349922
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