A review by anikaslibrary
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

This book had me sobbing buckets, depressed and yet I still couldn't put it down. I was excited to keep reading every time. It's such a heartfelt story, you really grow attached to the characters.  It is truly a beautiful story and made me feel everything. I felt like I was highlighting every 2 seconds because there are so many lines in this book that are pure art and many times where I couldn't help but praise the author for her incredible imagery and humor amidst the dark themes. I have never read books with an autistic character but I have met many people in my life that are autistic and to see the inner-workings of their brains and the issues they go through were incredibly heartbreaking to hear. And Sammy's love for his brother makes me want to bundle him up and haul him away so he can be safe and protected.
The De Laineys are wonderful people and
the fact that the social worker was trying to keep Sammy away from Avery just goes to show that the system doesn’t care about kids, just about trying to set them right.

I love that the story ended beautifully with not a resolution to everything but everything that Sammy cares about. It's an ending that promotes the fact that cycles can be broken, and it starts with listening and caring about people. It’s a real ending, albeit a sad one. 
This just makes me so excited to read more of CG Lewis’ books! 
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