The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews – In Which My Dead Heart *FEELS* Things

Have you ever been punched in the gut – like really, truly, no-holding-back punched? No? Me neither. But reading The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews feels like how I imagine it would be; it wrangles all the air out of your stomach and leaves you hunched over, hungrily gasping for more.

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews

Quirky, Lovable, and Unforgettable Characters

The Boy Who Steals Houses follows fifteen-year-old homeless runaway, Sam, and his autistic older brother, Avery, as they desperately try to claw their way off the streets and into a life where they can be safe, loved, and together. Along the way, they befriend a fashion-designing, caramel-loving girl named Moxie and her waffle-making family (whom I obviously adored because ummmm waffles. Duh).

These broken characters are like shattered bits of colored glass that, when pieced together, create a stained glass window of healing and hope. They help each other, comfort each other, and become a home for each other, and that is exactly the kind of wholesome content we all need right now. I double dog dare you not to adore this expertly crafted, extremely lovable, and entirely unforgettable cast of quirky characters.

SO. MANY. FEELS.

While I undoubtably adore the fluffy, light-hearted cuteness YA contemporary romance novels have to offer, I often find myself scoffing at the overly-cheesy flirtations or rolling my eyes at the dramatic kissing-in-the-rain end scenes. Because of this, I thought I was like Lego Batman: emotionally dead inside.

But reading The Boy Who Steals Houses proved that actually, yes, I do have emotions because it made me feel ALL OF THEM. I felt sad with Sam, angry with Moxie, afraid with Avery. I felt Sam’s hope, Moxie’s relief, and Avery’s joy. In short, this book brutally ran my dry-clean-only heart through the washing machine and mercilessly hung it out to dry. And I enjoyed every beautiful, tear-jerking second of it.

Heartfelt Storytelling and Soulfully-Crafted Writing

C.G. Drews must be some kind of word witch because in less than three hundred pages, she has managed to craft a story so full of life, so full of heart, that it jumps off the page like real, bona fide magic. The way she writes is heartfelt and intimate and wears its inky soul on its paper sleeve. The words she uses, the images she painstakingly creates, the unique way she breaks up her sentences – it all works together in perfect tandem to elicit a powerful emotional response from her readers that they won’t soon forget. C.G. Drews is an amazing writer, and this book’s beautifully ardent prose proves it hands down.

The TL;DR

This emotionally-charged sophomore novel is full of soft family vibes, snarky sibling banter, and Sunday night waffles (EEP!! WAFFLES!!). In short, I think it’s safe to say that The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews will also steal your heart.

I LIKED IT

TODAY'S WAFFLE RECIPE

The Boy Who Steals Houses

From the Kitchen of: C.G. Drews

Ingredients:

Published by Orchard Books on April 4th 2019

Classified as Contemporary, YA

Cover art by Thy Bui

Cover design by Thy Bui

Obtained as an eBook

Cook Time: 226 pages
Cooking Directions:

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.

CLICK HERE TO SEE CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNINGS

"Child abuse, physical violence, knife wound, ablest terms, anxiety attacks." – From the Author

Purchase Your Ingredients:

     

Pin This Post

Have you ever read a book that felt like a punch to the gut? What was it?

Have you read The Boy Who Steals Houses? What did you think?