#paperfury

"I don't care how dark the world is for you. I'll hold out my hand until you find it, and I won't let go."

I had to draw this scene from Don't Let The Forest In, by CG Drews 🍂🌲

『Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in』

Take care of your local (me) introverts this year for Christmas.

Review: The Boy Who Steals Houses by CG Drews Rating: 5/5     #LoveOzYA

"Sam has so much stealing to apologise for."

Sam and Avery are the closest of brothers. Abandoned by their parents who couldn't deal with Avery's autism and Sam's desperate need to protect his older brother, they've learned to fend for themselves. But now that Avery has fallen in with an unpleasant crowd, Sam is on his own, stealing into empty houses since there's no place else to go. But when he stumbles smack-bang into Moxie De Lainey's household, Sam needs to rethink how he wants to live his life if he wants to keep Moxie around.

CG Drews has written another heartbreaking but beautiful novel full of complex characters that you can't help but feel for. Sam's desperation bleeds off every page of this gorgeous novel and his fight for survival is impossible to turn away from, even at the gruesome bits. I didn't realise for most of the novel that Sam is only 15 years old and it's so hard to watch this kid try to keep himself safe. And while Moxie is full of bravado, the cracks in her façade are so clear throughout the novel. She was definitely my favourite character.

Something I love about Drews' writing is that she always tries to bring attention to groups who are often left out of YA fiction. The Boy Who Steals Houses isn't just a novel about two abused kids trying to find a home again. It's about kids growing up in poverty. Kids growing up surrounded by crime and being sucked into it because there's nowhere else to go. Kids having to take on the responsibilities of adults because the adults, both good and bad, are otherwise occupied. So much YA is about characters in the upper-middle-class so, even though it can be difficult to read, it is refreshing to read about teenagers from a different background.

But the best part about this novel was the wonderful #OwnVoices representation of autism. I've been trying to learn more about autism from actually autistic people for about 18 months now so it was wonderful to read this novel and see so many of the same perspectives reflected here. Avery clearly struggles with social interaction, compounded by the trauma and ableism he faced as a kid at the hands of his parents and guardians, but he still has a job and he clearly loves Sam with all his heart. I loved the supportive relationship between the two brothers, especially towards the end when we saw just how much Avery does to protect Sam - like Sam has been doing throughout the novel.

Another fantastic, emotional and gripping read from one of the freshest voices in Australian YA. I can't wait to see what CG Drews has in store for us next!