Ooooh friends, Cait has outdone herself. That was legit my first thought when I finished this book. Like, I really freaking liked A Thousand Perfect Notes . But I am glad that I saved my elusive "favorites bell" for this one, because it just blew me away. And now, I shall tell you why.

•How the hell does Cait write in a way that makes you forget you're reading? Look, no matter how much I like a book, I am a pretty consistent "how far did I get?" reader. That's just how I roll. But an actual hour passed without me once looking at my Kindle and I genuinely couldn't believe it. This happens to me so, so rarely, and it's only the most special of books that can do it. But when I was reading this book, I felt like I was among friends- it didn't feel like reading, it felt... natural.

•The characters are the most precious cinnamon rolls in the history of baked goods. SAM. I adore thee. I actually worried a little about the premise when I first heard it- would I be able to empathize with a dude who is literally breaking the law on the reg? Um, yes, you ridiculous fool, of course you will! Sam had a special place in my heart from moment one because my son Sam is also a precious cinnamon roll, but also, because this Sam is so fiercely protective of his brother Avery. Their love and devotion simply oozes off the page, and tbh we do not see enough strong brother relationships in books like... ever.

•Okay this kind of goes along with that last point but... holy crap I am in love with the De Lainey family. Can they adopt me? Or maybe I have to adopt them I am kind of sketchy on the details but I need them okay? This family is just... everything. And I know that isn't the best way to describe something, but just trust me that you need them in your life. I still think about them like, every time I read about any other family because no one will ever compare, sorry everyone else.

•#Ownvoices autism rep! For me, the best thing about this was how completely authentic the representation of Avery was, but also how completely on point the stigma he faced was. I have worked for over a decade with kids with autism, and I know one of the biggest struggles for families is what happens when they aren't little kids with autism anymore- because the world simply is less kind to adults with autism. The author wrote all about her #ownvoices experience here, so be sure to check this out for more in depth discussion!

•Good lord, the feels! I sobbed like a baby, I won't lie to you. There were laughs obviously, and happy tears, but this book gut punched me quite a few times. These beautiful humans, being so wholly unwanted, it's devastating. And it is devastating because this stuff happens and it is so mind-blowingly unfair that it's hard to process.

•It deals with some gritty topics, but they're handled with care. I mean, you've got youth homelessness, legal trouble, and abuse, to name a few, but they are all done really well. The fact that the characters have these flaws only makes them more relatable, and makes you want them to succeed that much more.

Bottom Line: I devoured this book. It tackles some seriously tough issues with grace through the stories of characters you can't help but fall in love with.

Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Despite the subject matter this story manages to be very sweet, full of hope, kindness and a (for me, much needed) reminder of the good examples of humanity.

The novel follows Sam, a homeless teen who along with his autistic brother Avery, engages in petty crime to get by. This includes pickpocketing, shoplifting and burglary/squatting aka 'stealing houses'. Sam and Avery come from a broken home, their mother abandoned them in childhood and their physically abusive father dumped them on an aunt who wanted nothing to do with them.

One evening Sam breaks into a house owned by the eclectic DeLainey family. Assuming tat they are away on holiday, he is more than a little surprised upon waking up the next morning to find them very much present. During his attempt to sneak out he is assumed to be a friend of one of the DeLainey brothers and is soon sucked into the hubub of their lives.

There is a lot to unpack in this novel. The echoes and consequences of Sam and Avery's childhood abuse carry through to their present and the cycle of crime and violence seems impossible for both of the boys to shake. Avery also suffers from discrimination as a result of his autism and Sam takes on the role of his defender with sometimes tragic results. 

The hopelessness of poverty and homelessness is also explored. The brothers feel a desperate need to put down roots and find themselves a home, something which seems eternally out of reach despite Sam 'stealing' houses.

The character relationships in the book were one of its real strengths. Moxie, one of the DeLainey siblings, is great fun and the dynamic she has with the rest of her (HUGE) family felt vibrant and real. The romance element of the story was sweet without going overboard and descending into schmaltz or taking over the rest of the story.

The dynamic between Sam and Avery was the most compelling relationship to me. It's hard not to feel for the two of them and what they have endured. The fierce love that they have for each other was both heartbreaking and touching.

I honestly couldn't pin down where this story was set. It 'felt' like it was based in the UK but the terms for things e.g. "pants", "bucks" etc made me wonder. I'm guessing Australia maybe? It doesn't really matter, I was just curious when reading.

Overall, this book is very good if a somewhat tough read at times. Despite the subjecy matter, there is also a great deal of hope and joy to be found in these pages. I will look to share this book with my students when looking at topics relating to Youth Offenders and the Impact of Childhood Poverty and Abuse.

The Boy Who Steals Houses was a thoughtful read, which didn't preach but made me so mad because of the events it described.
Sam is only fifteen. His mum left some years ago and his father is a violent man who regularly beats up Sam's elder brother, Avery, because of his autism. We are told this back-story in fits and starts, and it is tough to take. Dumped on an aunt, the boys are beaten and vilified by an adult who really should know better. They slip through the cracks - because nobody cares enough to look - and end up running away.
We follow Sam as he drifts in and out of other people's houses. He's aware that what he's doing is, technically, theft, but he is more keen to pocket a key from each place he enters so that he develops a feeling of security/of belonging somewhere.
One day he enters a home that feels like somewhere he could belong. It's messy and yet there's a sense of homeliness to it. When Sam ends up asleep upstairs when the family return, it's the kind of unimaginable situation that you could only get away with in fiction. However, in this chaotic household, everyone seems to thinks am is a friend of someone else so he joins them. Over the course of a summer he stays with the De Lainey family and gets closer to Moxie, who has her own issues.
It's clear from the beginning that Sam is hiding something. We don't know exactly what, but guess it's bad.
As Sam tries to run away from the events that have been building, things get a lot worse.
While this is pretty bleak, there's a sense that Sam might - with care and hard work - make it to a better place. Much as I'd like to know, there's something really nice about where we leave Sam at the end of this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.

Okay, so for those who want the news here and now and won't care to read the whole post – The Boy Who Steals Houses was awesome! You ABSOLUTELY need to buy it now! I loved A Thousand Perfect Notes, so I was a little worried to read the book that came after it. What if I didn't like it as much? What if its not for me?

Fortunately, I never needed to worry. It's not just as good – it's BETTER. It's so adorable, moving and full of feelings, with so many squishy soft and lovely characters that you'll just gobble it up. I can't wait to hear more about these characters. I want all the spin-offs!

It's about...

Sam steals houses. No, he doesn't rob houses. Although he might borrow a key for memory and some stray cash. But he always tries to leave unnoticed. Sam steals houses for a week or two – to just have a place to live when nobody's home. To be able to feel safe for a little while. To feel, no – to imagine that he belongs somewhere. Anywhere.

And this goes fine for a while for Sam. I mean, as fine as it can go, considering that he's a teen who doesn't know what he'll eat or where he'll sleep tomorrow. At least, it goes fine until Sam steals a house that's not empty, as it turns out. Enter the De Laineys... And Sam's life will never be the same anymore.

PaperFury AKA C.G. Drews Always Makes You Root For The Underdog
I don't have a single hint of an idea how she does this, but I have a feeling that if Cait decided to write a story with a piece of furniture as the main character, three pages in you'd already be weeping about how the poor chair doesn't have padding and how it has been left outside in the rain to rot and that's unfair. These characters are always so loveworthy, and they need ALL the love because nobody seems to have ever given them any! And so here I am, 40 pages in, and already wishing I could pull Sam out of the page, give him some good warm food and some kindness. It's just how Cait writes! And it's irresistible.

And Again, With The Siblings
You might not know this, but Cait comes from a large family herself – which I feel is an experience she really harnessed when writing The Boy Who Steals Houses. I come from a single-child household, and more than that, I only had one parent when growing up. Our house was always quiet and I can't even imagine so many people in it at once. So maybe its no surprise that I loved reading about a family so big that people even get mixed up who is who's friend. While I know there are definite benefits to not having to fight over your stuff with your siblings, I also look at this "full house" situation with a sort of wistfulness. It could have been fun to grow up that way! And it definitely is fun reading about it.
But Sam And Avery Share More Than Just A Sibling Bond It Seems
A Thousant Perfect Notes had a heavy sibling love theme, but The Boy Who Steals Houses goes a step further – it's not just sibling love, it's also being one another's only family. There's also the fact that Avery, Sam's brother, needs more than just Sam's love – he needs Sam's care and maybe his protection, because he is autistic, and the world is hard enough to navigate already when you don't have a family, a home and a future – but for Avery, it's even harder, because to top all of this off, nobody takes him for who he truly is and nobody understands how he feels or why he feels the way he does – no one but Sam. Because nobody else cares to – being autistic to most outsiders is just a label – they don't tend to think of the person behind the label. Which is why Avery needs Sam so much more than any other sibling really would.

Except... Does Avery really need all that care? Or maybe it's just that Sam refuses to believe Avery also needs (and wants) to grow up – and, can, in fact, grow up – although maybe not quite in the way people imagine he should. This isn't only a story of how Avery needs care. It's about how Sam also needs to let Avery go and accept that he is also his own person. That even while he might need more help than others, he doesn't need to constantly be babied. He can also think for himself, he can have independent ideas and talk to people Sam doesn't know, do things Sam doesn't know he does. Sam refuses to understand this, and I believe this points to a more common problem autistic people might have – of their families refusing to understand their need, and especially their capability of independence. Every autistic person has their own abilities and limits, but I believe a lot of them are capable of more independence than their families think they are, and this is what Avery and Sam's relationship are trying to bring to light. (For those who don't know, I'd like to also mention that this comes from an #ActuallyAutistic author.)

Real kids, Real Problems
Another thing I liked about the Boy Who Steals Houses is that it doesn't make things black in white. Sam, the main character, had a tough past, a complicated childhood. Thats why his life isn't anything to brag about, and you absolutely can't call him a good kid. Except he is – he is an extreme softie. Even despite his short fuse and the fact that he's technically a juvenile criminal. And that's the thing – he's been forced to make most of those choices that make his past – whether directly or indirectly. Someone isn't only bad or only good (well, maybe barring a few real maniacs, but you know what I mean.) People are a sum of their choices and circumstances. And that's why, especially with troubled teens, it's important to remember that a lot of problematic ones didn't end up that way as a choice. And that bad choices in one's past don't necessarily mean the person is all bad. A bad choice is a bad choice, but that's not the only choice in their whole lives. And that's why we can see Sam as a realistic character – he definitely has both good and bad sides alike.

"You can do monstrous things and not be a monster."
That's actually a quote from the book. And I know I shouldn't be quoting advance review copies, but I'm pretty sure this sentence won't change, because it's in the core of what the book is about. It's like I said before, real kids – real problems. And Sam has a temper problem. I can relate, as I also have something of a short fuse, also from my dad, just like Sam. But thankfully due to my girl upbringing, I only used to take it out on objects or verbally (girls are way more heavily discouraged from physical fighting than boys.) So I loved seeing Sam's portrayal: how he struggles with his violent streak, how he strives to not be like his dad, but when life is tough, its so hard to resist to "try to make things right". I loved seeing this outlook, that even despite these things, it's your choices that make who you are, and all of us sometimes do horrible stuff. But we also have the power to change them the next time.

Overall...

If I could, I would give The Boy Who Steals Houses 15 stars. Of gold. Because it's just that good. It's a quick read, and you will just not go to sleep until you've read it in one sitting! Everything forms a cohesive story, and everything talks about the same thing (even the romance, which I didn't mention much, but which is so well done!) And that is that the way monsters are made is when people are completely starved of love. Everyone needs to be loved. Even if they sometimes don't seem deserving of it. And everyone needs a family. (Especially if that family is the De Laineys. Trust me. I dare you to not fall in love with them.)

I thank the publisher for giving me a free e-copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.

About a homeless boy who sneaks into an empty house to sleep but when he wakes up the very loud and very big family are home. And when everyone thinks he is someone else's friend he joins them for lunch. Which sounds like a funny set up but this book is so heartfelt. If I had to sum this book up in one line it would be: two broken soft brothers trying to be hard to survive because that is what this book books down to.

Sam's older brother is autistic and both of them have had such a rough life. All they have is each other but it gets to the point where it isn't enough for either of them and their dreams of the future start to shatter as things get worse and more dangerous for them both. The autism rep for Avery is Ownvoices. Although he's a side character. we got to know him slowly through Sam's pov and how much his brother loved him and I loved how the character grew as the story went on and we learnt more about him. Which brings me to Sam, who is an angry ball of rage and longing. He wants so bad for someone to look after and just SEE him and his need to protect his brother is so strong that it overpowers his thoughts sometimes. Their relationship was heartbreaking but also so hopeful.

The family Sam becomes a part of was also great. Big, messy and complicated. I felt like I knew each of them and the house itself felt like another character because it was so vivid and warm and lived in.

Overall this is a deep, painfully heartfelt YA about family and belonging that somehow never let's go of the reckless hopefulness Sam clings to.

Trigger warnings for flashbacks and mentions of past physical child abuse

Sam is a thief. But a rather strange sort of one. What he does, you see, is steal houses. Going from place to place, breaking in and spending nights – for one reason and one alone. You see, all Sam wants... is to find home.

But every few nights, the real owners of his stolen home will return – and he is forced to leave again, never settling, constantly searching for his own bubble of safety and life. And all the while, his father is in prison, his brother is falling deeper and deeper into the wrong crowd, and Sam... Sam is wanted by the police. So he never stops moving, never stops running. Never... stops.

Until one day, he breaks into a house that isn't really empty. And wakes in the midst of a family.

I read this entire book in one go, unable to stop – to leave Sam alone in his story, even for a moment. And by the time I finished, I had EIGHTY-FOUR places in it marked (I read it on Kindle). My legs went weak, my heart was tearing apart – and I loved every moment of it!

I was fortunate enough to be approved on NetGalley for 'The Boy Who Steals Houses' – aghhhh! I'm so, so thankful for the opportunity! And actually, when I got the approval email, I was going to just ignore it, thinking it was a rejection – and then I clicked on it, and I was SOOOO excited! I just danced around the room, lost in utter joy!

“Forget stealing a bed, a key, a home for the night. He's stealing families and their Sunday lunches.”

This book was so full of sweetness – of characters pulling together to help one another, forgiving each other, and all acting like one lovely big found family. One moment that really pulled at my heartstrings was when the older brother of one character tells Sam (the main character) that if he ever needs something to eat, he should come to them – without question. They're also constantly trying to feed Sam up, and are just so lovely to him! And the dad of this family – the DeLaineys – is doing the best he can in a difficult, tight on money situation – and still has the time to care about Sam and his situation. Also, I really admired how this dad managed his family – holding things together by the skin of his teeth, but in the most loving, kind way possible. Overall, all the family in this book was so, so sweet!

“A frazzled girl who's melting into the bliss of sweets.”

And, on the subject of family, Sam and his older brother, Avery, are the SWEETEST boys, and together, will break your heart and stitch it back together again. They have most definitely not had an easy life so far, in any way, but they really are doing their best – leaning on each other and trying their best to pull through. Avery has autism, and so, in a lot of ways, even though Sam is the younger of the pair, he is the one trying to pull them both along. He's trying to protect Avery, find himself home, and avoid getting caught by the police – all whilst Avery is falling in with the wrong crowd and going head-over-heels into a very problematic situation. But even though the two brothers argue, they can never stay away from one another for long, and always seem to pull back together – never able to be away from each other for any significant length of time.

“Sam turns out his pockets and discovers there are words in the bottom.”

Now, this is a goldilocks retelling of sorts, featuring breaking into houses and stealing them for a night or two – but there are a few large differences from the original tale...

First – food. Porridge in the DeLainey house? Ha! More like pancakes, brownies (caramel brownies, may I add), and a whole host of other delicious foods that are willingly shared, not stolen. The DeLainey family willingly share everything they have, and that leads to some lovely scenes of a hubbub around the table. (and then A LOT of washing up)

Then – comparing the DeLainey family to bears would be one of the most inaccurate comparisons I have ever seen – unless they're teddy bears. They welcome Sam with open arms, pulling him into their family and totally accepting him. And it's SO lovely! This big, busy family – which is totally able to welcome Sam into their bundle of crazy – and notice the things he needs – it's just so sweet!

“He holds Sam like he knows how to keep boys who are slipping.”

Another overarching theme in 'The Boy Who Steals Houses' is that of making the right choices. Sam obviously hasn't done that in his past – even without the stealing of houses (and other things), he's got a criminal record and the police after him. And when that eventually catches up with him, he'll have a very big decision to make – does he face up to his mistakes? Or will he just keep running from house to house, never finding home?

One thing's for sure – it will be the hardest decision he's ever made – and he'll need to make the right one. And finding the DeLainey family's house might just be the best thing he's done.

“All his people are here. Everything he loves.”

I've just realised that I've barely mentioned Moxie – which is crazy, because Moxie is a fantastic whirlwind of scissors and brownies and love. After the death of her mum, she's had to step into the role of mother for the younger children. It's sort of breaking her heart, for they don't understand, and two of them keep calling her their mum – and of course, that's tearing her to pieces and hurting her inexplicably. But she still has a heart stuffed full of forgiveness and welcome, which she turns on Sam – and he is swiftly pulled into her world. When Moxie decides to do something, refusal is not an option – and so she ends up cutting his hair, coercing him into acting as a model for her sewing projects, and making him wash up. Moxie is the one of the kindest story-girls I've ever had the privilege of meeting – and I just wanted to give her the biggest hug and tell her that everything would be ok. Really – she's fantastic!

“She is the sun, and her eyes burn stars.”

When I read C.G. Drews' debut, 'A Thousand Perfect Notes', I fell in love with her writing. 'The Boy Who Steals Houses' has served to solidify that even further! Every moment of this book felt precious. I loved it all, and want to read it again like...now. I spent a wonderful evening deep in it's beauty. And just... wow. It was sweet and heart-wrenching and so, so, lovely. Congratulations, C.G. Drews, this book of yours was incredible! (so... go and read it, everybody!!!)

I so wanted to love this book, and from what I read, the characters and plot have some great potential, but I just could not get into the writing. Third person present tense is a little jarring to read as it is, mostly just because it's not often used, but with all the added side remarks and thoughts, it just got very confusing to read. I didn't like it at all. It's a shame because this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

I keep trying to write a review that does this book justice, and I keep failing, because I find it so hard to review books I love. But I’m going to try again and just do my best!

Because this book is worth reading. And I *need* you all to read it too so you can discuss and fangirl ad FEEL TRAUMATIZED with me!

Let’s talk about:

THE CHARACTERS!
There are a LOT of characters in TBWSH. And they’re wonderfully distinct! Each character feels like a real person, with hopes and dreams and goals and a full-blown personality. I’m usually awful at remembering character names, but I had no trouble in this book, because they’re all so different.

Sam is somehow both majorly flawed and also very, very lovable. I just wanted him to be safe! And happy! His background really informs his actions and struggles and I loved that, even while my heart broke for him.

Moxie is amazing! She’s reliable, taking on family responsibilities even while feeling understandably resentful at times of the burdens placed on her. She’s also SUCH a badass and so genuine, I just love her. Plus she designs the COOLEST outfits! (I need her to be real so I can buy them plz)

Avery, Sam’s brother, is written so, so well. This is an own voices story and while I can’t speak to the accuracy from personal experience, I can say that the portrayal of Avery’s autism and how it affected both his and Sam’s lives felt very realistic to my knowledge of autism. The way Avery is treated by others — who don’t understand and/or don’t want to understand him — was reminiscent of Nobody Nowhere, Donna Williams’s autobiography detailing her experiences as an autistic girl (and later, woman).

The rest of the characters each play more minor roles, and yet somehow they’re just as vivacious in each scene they’re a part of.

THE THEMES!
CG manages to pack in a lot of important themes without their inclusion feeling heavy handed. I won’t go into all of them because spoilers, but I think it’s pretty safe to talk about homelessness, since it’s in the title of the book. This is a theme I haven’t seen explored often in novels and especially not with such depth.

I think this was so well done. I don’t know much about homelessness in Australia (where the author lives), so I can only speak to it as a US resident. There are a lot of homeless kids and adults here and it’s a problem that’s not often addressed, and even more rarely in a sympathetic, humanizing way.

I absolutely love how we slowly uncover all of the pieces of Sam and Avery’s past, that we understand how and why they are in their current position. And most powerfully of all, we feel for them. We experience their hopes, their dreams, their terrors, their pain and sacrifices.

It made me think about homelessness - REALLY think about it. And I’m still thinking about it, several weeks after finishing the book.

That’s the kind of power TBWSH holds.

Um, so this accidentally became my longest review ever? And I feel like I’ve only addressed about 20% of why I love this book, but there’s also power in discovering the story for yourself. So I’ll cut myself off soon.

I would like to add that TBWSH is full of humor and heartwarming scenes and many kinds of love and family, just as much as it is a tale that goes dark and explores some of the worst parts of human nature. I highlighted a ton of passages in the story - ones that made me laugh, were interesting in how they were written, or just felt really powerful.

So go forth now and preorder/order/read this book! I’ll just leave you with a warning-suggestion: have some serious snacks on hand because TBWSH will make you HUNGRY.

Thank you to Hachette UK and Netgalley UK for providing me with an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

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:

🗝 Sammy and Avery are such precious disasters, I would literally die for them. These poor lil traumatised cinnamon rolls, I LOVE 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭❤

Thankyou to Hachette Australia for providing me a copy of The Boy Who Steals Houses in exchange for an honest review.



The Boy Who Steals Houses is a gender bent goldilocks retelling and it was one of those books where I didn't want to stop reading, but I didn't want to get to the end either, because I was NOT READY to say goodbye to the these characters!  They were amazing and flawed and REAL.  Sam's sense of responsibility for his brother, even though it often caused him pain was beautiful and I loved the way both sides of it were shown.  He wasn't a hero, he didn't pretend it was all roses, it was HARD but he did it anyway because he loved him.     Sam and Moxie (and Mr De Lainey!) are some of my new favourite characters ever.  I loved the way no-one was perfect, they all had challenges and had been shaped by their life experiences to react in different ways.  They make mistakes, they want, they're afraid, they feel like people you would actually meet.  I became so immersed in this story that I kind of had to remind myself it wasn't real.

This one had me going through all the emotions - it was sad and anxious but gave me feel good laughs in parts too.  I loved the way the De Lainey's family was so chaotic, and just how I imagine a huge family would be   It also made me eat a lot of food.  You've been warned.  There was a lot of eating and talk about delicious food and I wanted to JOIN IN, so I did. At every opportunity.  

The Boy Who Steals Houses will be sitting firmly at the top of my list as one of my favourite contemporary reads of all time!

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m gonna start off by saying this book was one of my most anticipated read this year.
I honestly cannot put into words how much I loved this book.
SO MANY EMOTIONS OMG

Okay first of all Sam is such an adaptable character I cried so much reading about his past.
Moxie is so kind and yet such a bass as and I loved her for it.

The de Lainey family dynamic is everything! I wanted to be a part of the family too.
I also found that even though there was a lot of different characters I didn’t have a problem telling them all apart. So well written!
They have a tragic past and still have invisible scars but stand together no matter what and I loved them even more for it.

Overall this book totally rocked I could Fangirl all day about everything that I loved.

All the stars! Fully deserved.

This book tore me apart in the best way possible. It's amazing, it's terrifying, it's painful. Poor Sam and Avery, doing their best in a world that seems totally against them. And balanced against that, the de Laineys, who give me hope. If there are people like that in the world, we can't be doing too badly.

This book will stay with me for a long time, and CG Drews has just shot to the top of my must-buy list.




I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sam has been let down by every adult in his life. None of them know, or are willing to learn, how to deal with Avery, Sam's autistic older brother. So Sam keeps them safe. He survives by breaking into empty houses when the owners are away. One day, sick with flu, he misjudges and finds himself in the middle of a large, rowdy family. Everyone assumes he's someone else's friend, and for a little while he feels safe and warm, as though this life - this crazy, chaotic life - can really be his.

Until his past catches up with him in the worst way possible.


I thought I was ready for this. I've read - wait, not read. What's the word? - destroyed. I've been destroyed by A Thousand Perfect Notes a few times now, so I thought I was ready to read this one. But nope. This book is heartbreaking in all the best ways. Poor Sam has everything taken from him again and again and again. Yes, he makes some stupid decisions, but he's fifteen and trying to protect a brother who, though no fault of his own, doesn't make it easy.

The characters are brilliant, the setting is fantastic, and I would love to meet these characters again. Perhaps with a cameo from the famous composer Beck? :D

A fantastic read.

I read this book in one day as I struggled to put it down. The main character is written with such empathy that you couldn't help but like him despite his faults. This is a story ultimately about hope, that no matter what has happened in your past, no matter what bad things you have done, there is a chance of happiness. An important story for the modern world written beautifully and with compassion.

Publication date: April 4th 2019
Genre: YA contemporary.
Goodreads rating: 4.69
My rating: 5 stars

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

My god... C. G. Drews has gone and done it again. I was a huge fan of her debut novel a thousand perfect notes, but I genuinely did not know what to expect from her second novel. Once again I am completely blown away by her ability to tell such a powerful, compelling, heartbreaking story.

Sammy Lou is just fifteen years old, he should be mucking about at the beach with kids his own age without a worry or care in the world, but life has dealt sammy and his older brother a crappy hand. And at the age of just seven years old sammy had no choice but to grow up fast. Someone needed to protect him and his older brother Avery who has autism. Sammy couldn’t rely on the adults in his life. He could only rely on himself to do what needed to be done in order to protect his brother and to survive.

Both sammy and Avery have been through and survived some extremely traumatic experiences, things no child should ever have to live through but sadly do every single day in the real world. And they’ve only ever had each other to lean on. Or rather Avery has had sammy Lou to lean on and sammy has kept his problems buried in order to keep his brother safe. When Avery has a problem, sammy fixes it anyway he has too. When sammy has a problem sammy has to try and fix that too. Nobody else can. So when sammy finds himself and his brother homeless and on the run, sammy starts breaking into empty homes, sometimes he steals money, sometimes it’s just so he has a dry place to sleep for the night, it’s always so he can make believe that the house he breaks into is actually his home even if it’s just for a night. Sammy desperately wants a home for himself and Avery. He wants a normal life where he doesn’t have to lie, steal and live a life of crime in order to survive. He wants to be a kid. But he also knows it’s a dream he can never have. He believes it is something he doesn’t deserve. But when he breaks into the Delaney house, his life changes forever.

This book was one hell of an emotional rollercoaster. And it broke my heart in so many different ways. But I do not regret reading it. In fact, I can’t wait to read it again! I’m going to patiently wait until I’m able to buy myself the paper back copy and then dive straight back in! I can’t wait to see what C. G. Drew’s comes up with next! This book deserves more than the five stars I am able to give it. And I one hundred percent recommend that everyone reads it. Though I will warn you that this book does include a lot of physical violence that some readers may find distressing.