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wjb11's review
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
4.0
βHe'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.β
β½ 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 π’ 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.
β½ 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.
β½ 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.
Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Blood, Ableism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent
maryam16080208's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
sameeha_r05's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Cancer, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
elenabluenette's review
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Ableism, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Medical content
Minor: Vomit
emeryyy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i think the best way to describe this book is "full of emotions." Sam and Avery deserved so much better π i absolutely loved the relationships between the De Laineys - there was so much chaos and warmth, messiness and brightness. i haven't read very many books with autism rep (something i'm trying to fix), but i thought this was really well written
Graphic: Child abuse, Ableism, and Violence
Moderate: Grief and Blood
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
inkyinsanity's review
Graphic: Ableism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Blood
Homelessnesstheblondebird's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Ableism
Moderate: Car accident
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
cabeswaren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Car accident, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Vomit, and Medical content
novacaine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Blood