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leahegood's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Summary
Sammy Lou is 15 and on his way to jail if the police ever catch up to him. He never meant to be this way--punching people and breaking into houses--but how else is he supposed to prevent people from hurting his older, autistic brother and how else is he supposed to get the tiny tastes of home that he so desperately, secretly craves?
And then, one day, his house stealing goes terribly wrong in the most terrifyingly perfect way. He wakes up in a stolen house to find the family home, and they catch him sneaking out. To his astounded shock, though, they all think he belongs, assuming he's one sibling or another's friend. The stolen sense of being wanted is more than Sammy Lou can resist, but it's only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. He knows that. And he still can't force himself to turn away.
My Thoughts
After I got over the inital surprise of third person, present tense narration this story sucked me in right away. You can't help but feel sympathy for Sam's situation--his desperation to protect his brother, his efforts to ignore his wish for someone to protect him, his dream for a home and all the wrong ways he goes about trying to acheive that dream because there really aren't any other options available to him.
There's some typical MG/YA "lets keep the parents out of the picture as long as possible" storytelling that was both a slight need to suspend disbelief and also, as an older reader, a sense of "please, kids, don't do this at home." If I had read this in my early teens, this element would have been total wish fulfillment, though, even if I knew it wasn't realistic. And I appreciated the depiction of healthy fatherhood and compassionate manhood in Mr. De Lainey, even if he was a bit overly oblivious for the sake of the YA genre.
The word selection in this book was delicious. "He thinks of Moxie and her sewing needles and thimbles and her lemony frown."
I also appreciated that, while the story (rightly so) cast Sam in a sympathetic light and dwelled in the "honeymoon phase" of his introduction to the De Lainey family, it avoided acting like a friendly family and a high school romance could heal a lifetime of abuse and neglect. The ending was textbook for a hope-infused ending that didn't unrealistically solve every probelm.
Content
Romance: Sam finds Moxie attractive (his mental admiration is PG and generally respectful) and, as their friendship progresses, his reactions to her physical proximity are sometimes described. For example, as she's giving him a haircut: "...she goes on, unaware of the explosions happening under her fingertips every time she touches him." Later on in the story, the two cuddle (again, not descriptive) and kiss (not descriptive but frequent). One of Moxie's older brothers is also dating and one brother's ex-boyfriend is mentioned in passing. Her brother's collectively give Sam the "protective big brother" speech.
Language: Some minor swearing is spelled out and more swearing is implied. The De Lainey father routinely disciplines his children for swearing.
Violence: Sam's childhood memories are filled with neglect and abuse. He sometimes lashes out in frantic defense of others and is injured multiple times throughout the story. Though nothing is graphic, the poetic descriptions may invoke more vivid imagery for readers with good imaginations and sensitive hearts.ima
Religion: The De Lainey's mother was catholic and the children still attend a Catholic school. None of the characters in the story seem to be religious and religion is not discussed outside of the De Lainey's explaining certain family rules that exist out of respect for their mother's faith.
Sammy Lou is 15 and on his way to jail if the police ever catch up to him. He never meant to be this way--punching people and breaking into houses--but how else is he supposed to prevent people from hurting his older, autistic brother and how else is he supposed to get the tiny tastes of home that he so desperately, secretly craves?
And then, one day, his house stealing goes terribly wrong in the most terrifyingly perfect way. He wakes up in a stolen house to find the family home, and they catch him sneaking out. To his astounded shock, though, they all think he belongs, assuming he's one sibling or another's friend. The stolen sense of being wanted is more than Sammy Lou can resist, but it's only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. He knows that. And he still can't force himself to turn away.
My Thoughts
After I got over the inital surprise of third person, present tense narration this story sucked me in right away. You can't help but feel sympathy for Sam's situation--his desperation to protect his brother, his efforts to ignore his wish for someone to protect him, his dream for a home and all the wrong ways he goes about trying to acheive that dream because there really aren't any other options available to him.
There's some typical MG/YA "lets keep the parents out of the picture as long as possible" storytelling that was both a slight need to suspend disbelief and also, as an older reader, a sense of "please, kids, don't do this at home." If I had read this in my early teens, this element would have been total wish fulfillment, though, even if I knew it wasn't realistic. And I appreciated the depiction of healthy fatherhood and compassionate manhood in Mr. De Lainey, even if he was a bit overly oblivious for the sake of the YA genre.
The word selection in this book was delicious. "He thinks of Moxie and her sewing needles and thimbles and her lemony frown."
I also appreciated that, while the story (rightly so) cast Sam in a sympathetic light and dwelled in the "honeymoon phase" of his introduction to the De Lainey family, it avoided acting like a friendly family and a high school romance could heal a lifetime of abuse and neglect. The ending was textbook for a hope-infused ending that didn't unrealistically solve every probelm.
Content
Romance: Sam finds Moxie attractive (his mental admiration is PG and generally respectful) and, as their friendship progresses, his reactions to her physical proximity are sometimes described. For example, as she's giving him a haircut: "...she goes on, unaware of the explosions happening under her fingertips every time she touches him." Later on in the story, the two cuddle (again, not descriptive) and kiss (not descriptive but frequent). One of Moxie's older brothers is also dating and one brother's ex-boyfriend is mentioned in passing. Her brother's collectively give Sam the "protective big brother" speech.
Language: Some minor swearing is spelled out and more swearing is implied. The De Lainey father routinely disciplines his children for swearing.
Violence: Sam's childhood memories are filled with neglect and abuse. He sometimes lashes out in frantic defense of others and is injured multiple times throughout the story. Though nothing is graphic, the poetic descriptions may invoke more vivid imagery for readers with good imaginations and sensitive hearts.ima
Religion: The De Lainey's mother was catholic and the children still attend a Catholic school. None of the characters in the story seem to be religious and religion is not discussed outside of the De Lainey's explaining certain family rules that exist out of respect for their mother's faith.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Abandonment
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, and Sexual content
wjb11's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
While I did enjoy this book, it gives (especially the beginning) a very much big vibe of I hate my autistic sibling they are the cause of all my problems, and as an autistic person that made me angry and anxious that my siblings hated me for that
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
“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 finally read The Boy Who Steals Houses and really enjoyed it! I loved the author's blog and still remember when she talked about writing this project, so I was excited that it ended up getting published! It still took me a while to get around to reading it, as I knew this would be super sad and heartbreaking 😢 The premise is so intriguing, as it follows 15-year-old Sam who 'steals' houses as he dreams of having a real home one day. Abandoned by his abusive father and hated by his aunt, Sam doesn't have anywhere to stay. He breaks into empty houses when people are away on vacation or have moved out. Sam doesn't have anyone left except for his older brother Avery, who is autistic and struggling to hold onto his mechanic job. Both of them are underage, but had to leave their aunt's home, as she didn't want them and was horribly ableist to Avery.
➽ I really felt for Sam. He's always had to take care of his brother, as most adults just tried to 'fix' Avery instead of helping him. Sam's always worried someone will take advantage of his brother because he often misses social cues and can be too kind-hearted. There was a lot of love between the brothers, but also so much pain. It is a complicated relationship, as Sam feels responsible for fixing Avery's messes and often acts like the older brother. Meanwhile, Avery struggles with Sam starting fights for him, as it triggers bad memories. Throughout the book, Sam and Avery have very different ideas of what their future might look like, especially once Sam grows closer to the De Lainey family. I have to admit that I struggled with Avery sometimes as I felt like he took his brother's support for granted.
➽ I also loved the De Lainey family! Sam messes up and ends up sleeping in a house that's very much inhabiated, though very chaotic. Through sheer luck, he ends up growing closer to the other kids, as it's a big family and everyone assumes someone else invited him. Sam feels guilty, but it's so nice to enjoy a normal day and be part of a family. Without them, he's practically homeless and no one knows his past, so it feels like he has friends for the first time. The De Lainey family is messy and not perfect, but there is so much love there that draws in Sam like a beacon. I didn't really feel the romance between him and Moxie, but I liked their friendship! I was afraid Moxie would be too 'quirky' for me, but I liked that the story focused on her struggles with her family and grief for her mother. I felt for her conflicting emotions and frustration with always being delegated as the babysitter, just because she's the oldest girl.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Ableism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent
elenabluenette's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Ableism, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Medical content
Minor: Vomit
auteaandtales's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Self harm, Cancer, Car accident, Drug use, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny
tintendrache's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Ich durfte das Buch im Zuge der Lovelybooks-Leserunde lesen und habe da das Exemplar gewonnen - das beeinflusst meine Meinung aber natürlich nicht.
Ich bin schon lange ein großer Fan der Autorin und wollte das Buch auch unbedingt lesen, wenn es auf Deutsch erscheint. Und das hat sich definitiv gelohnt.
Das Buch erzählt die berührende Geschichte zweier Brüder, die schon viel zu früh auf sich selbst aufpassen mussten. Vor allem Sammy übernimmt seit frühster Kindheit wahnsinnig viel Verantwortung für seinen älteren, autistischen Bruder Avery, denn niemand in Averys Umfeld nimmt auch nur irgendwie Rücksicht darauf, dass er eben kein neurotypisches Kind ist. Das sind einige sehr bedrückende Szenen und Rückblicke, die geschildert werden, ich musste beim Lesen manchmal Pause machen. Emotional hat mich das Buch also absolut mitgenommen. Im starken Kontrast dazu stehen die Szenen mit der Familie, deren Haus Sammy stiehlt. Die Szenen dort sind wahre Atemholer, um nicht von all dem Negativen überwältigt zu werden.
Die Handlung konnte bei der emotionalen Seite für mich nicht zu 100% mithalten. Vielleicht ist das Genre auch nicht zu 100% meins, aber ich fand manche Handlungsstränge etwas "too much" bzw. sie erschienen mir nicht ganz logisch, waren für mich nicht ganz perfekt eingebettet in den Rest.
Trotzdem würde ich das Buch absolut empfehlen!
Ich bin schon lange ein großer Fan der Autorin und wollte das Buch auch unbedingt lesen, wenn es auf Deutsch erscheint. Und das hat sich definitiv gelohnt.
Das Buch erzählt die berührende Geschichte zweier Brüder, die schon viel zu früh auf sich selbst aufpassen mussten. Vor allem Sammy übernimmt seit frühster Kindheit wahnsinnig viel Verantwortung für seinen älteren, autistischen Bruder Avery, denn niemand in Averys Umfeld nimmt auch nur irgendwie Rücksicht darauf, dass er eben kein neurotypisches Kind ist. Das sind einige sehr bedrückende Szenen und Rückblicke, die geschildert werden, ich musste beim Lesen manchmal Pause machen. Emotional hat mich das Buch also absolut mitgenommen. Im starken Kontrast dazu stehen die Szenen mit der Familie, deren Haus Sammy stiehlt. Die Szenen dort sind wahre Atemholer, um nicht von all dem Negativen überwältigt zu werden.
Die Handlung konnte bei der emotionalen Seite für mich nicht zu 100% mithalten. Vielleicht ist das Genre auch nicht zu 100% meins, aber ich fand manche Handlungsstränge etwas "too much" bzw. sie erschienen mir nicht ganz logisch, waren für mich nicht ganz perfekt eingebettet in den Rest.
Trotzdem würde ich das Buch absolut empfehlen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Injury/Injury detail
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