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The Boy Who Steals Houses #0.5
The Girl Who Steals Christmas
A prequel short story about the De Lainey family from The Boy Who Steals Houses. It's set a week before Moxie meets Sam. Available for free on author's blog.
Last year Christmas didn’t happen because their mother had just died...
It's a hot miserable December and the De Lainey family are actively ignoring the festive season, but when Moxie finds her little sister's screwed up letter to Santa in the bin, she decides to bully Christmas to life. Includes various sibling dramas, a too-small tent, and confusion between Santa and a potato.
Last year Christmas didn’t happen because their mother had just died...
It's a hot miserable December and the De Lainey family are actively ignoring the festive season, but when Moxie finds her little sister's screwed up letter to Santa in the bin, she decides to bully Christmas to life. Includes various sibling dramas, a too-small tent, and confusion between Santa and a potato.
15 pages, ebook
First published December 22, 2019
1574 people want to read
About the author
C.G. Drews
11 books25.5k followersCG Drews is the award-winning NYT Bestselling author of Don’t Let The Forest In, Hazelthorn, and You Did Nothing Wrong. Their work has been translated into over 12 languages, was nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal, and won the B&N 2025 YA Book Awards, and are also Indie Next Picks and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. CG lives in Australia under a pile of unread books. Find on Instagram as @paperfury and TikTok as @cgdrews or at cgdrews.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
December 11, 2020
Huh. Cute AND sad, as promised.
It definitely makes sense if you haven't read The Boy Who Steals Houses but it's a warmer fuzzy if you have.
It's a prequel, starring our favourite chaotic family and honestly I love them all so much. They're a diverse bunch with their individual personalities but together they just fit so well.
This story contains the classic Christmas vibe of emphasising the importance of togetherness, and the ending gave me a genuine shudder of pleasure.
It has ups and downs, and even though it's quite a simple story it still manages to tug on the heartstrings just as the previous novels from the author do.
It's a quick read that you can snap up for free on her blog, and it's well worth the 30min or so that it will take to read it.
This family just makes my heart happy.
It definitely makes sense if you haven't read The Boy Who Steals Houses but it's a warmer fuzzy if you have.
It's a prequel, starring our favourite chaotic family and honestly I love them all so much. They're a diverse bunch with their individual personalities but together they just fit so well.
This story contains the classic Christmas vibe of emphasising the importance of togetherness, and the ending gave me a genuine shudder of pleasure.
It has ups and downs, and even though it's quite a simple story it still manages to tug on the heartstrings just as the previous novels from the author do.
It's a quick read that you can snap up for free on her blog, and it's well worth the 30min or so that it will take to read it.
This family just makes my heart happy.
December 23, 2019
Aaah, nothing like a Christmas story that will bring you to tears to get into the holiday spirit! ♥
No, but for reals, I ADORED this short story so, so much. The De Laineys are so loveable and them trying to do Christmas... without a special someone... just... UGH. My heart. *cries*
Heartwarming and funny and a bit sad... perfect recipe for how all Christmas short stories should be!
Highly recommend it! ♥
No, but for reals, I ADORED this short story so, so much. The De Laineys are so loveable and them trying to do Christmas... without a special someone... just... UGH. My heart. *cries*
Heartwarming and funny and a bit sad... perfect recipe for how all Christmas short stories should be!
Highly recommend it! ♥
January 17, 2020
3.5 stars ~
Wow... Super cute and heartbreaking.
Content really bothered me though. I wish people actually realized that Christmas isn't Christmas without Christ.
Content ~ The Lord's name is taken in vain. There is a teenage guy who is gay and they talk about his boyfriend. This same guy acts more like a girl then a man. :( #personalproblems *sigh* The baby is referred to as an "it" and doesn't have a name. My guess is the baby is being treated like s/he can be neutral gender.
The details are absolute perfection though. 😍
Wow... Super cute and heartbreaking.
Content really bothered me though. I wish people actually realized that Christmas isn't Christmas without Christ.
Content ~ The Lord's name is taken in vain. There is a teenage guy who is gay and they talk about his boyfriend. This same guy acts more like a girl then a man. :( #personalproblems *sigh* The baby is referred to as an "it" and doesn't have a name. My guess is the baby is being treated like s/he can be neutral gender.
The details are absolute perfection though. 😍
December 23, 2019
Look this is just so flipping cute and if you haven't read it yet then I don't know what you're doing with your December.
July 7, 2021
This was such a nice addition to the primary story. It's set before the events of The boy who steals houses and it's all about the De Lainey family and how they try to comfort each other during their first Christmas without someone they all truly miss so much.
If you liked the book, you totally have to read this!
If you liked the book, you totally have to read this!
August 31, 2020
did I just reread this for my reading challenge? will not confirm nor deny (day fine yes I did, but also because I love it!!!)
***
this was so cute and fun and I kept laughing aloud and also I may have teared up.... I love The Boy Who Steals Houses so much, and it was great to be back with the characters again!!
***
this was so cute and fun and I kept laughing aloud and also I may have teared up.... I love The Boy Who Steals Houses so much, and it was great to be back with the characters again!!
December 11, 2020
“It’s the crumpled-up letter to Santa stuffed into the bin and splattered in bloody cherry juice that changes Moxie’s mind.”
December 23, 2019
I was not surprised by the beautiful chaos in this short story. I follow C G Drews on Instagram and her captions about chaotic characters fully prepared me for this short story on her characters. I haven't been able to read The Boy Who Steals Houses yet but I really want to. Her writing is so fun. It seems to seep across the page and fill up your heart. Loved this, wanted it to be longer.
Read
July 15, 2021This was super cute and also hilarious and I DID laugh aloud. Heck yeah for Grady for finally stepping up and also I loved all the sibling interactions.
January 5, 2021
Plot - 3.5 ☄
Character - 3.5 ☄
Writing Style - 3.5 ☄
World Building - 3.5 ☄
Art - 3.5 ☄
Cover - 3.5 ☄
Overall - 3.5 ☄
Oh my gosh! This is really one of the most bittersweet story I've read!
Character - 3.5 ☄
Writing Style - 3.5 ☄
World Building - 3.5 ☄
Art - 3.5 ☄
Cover - 3.5 ☄
Overall - 3.5 ☄
Oh my gosh! This is really one of the most bittersweet story I've read!
January 2, 2020
This was so soft and beautiful and adorable and I loved it. It’s on Cait’s blog, so anyone can read it! And in the context of The Boy Who Steals Houses, it’s even better! I love Moxie and her family, and this was just such a warm little story that makes my heart both sing and ache.
December 22, 2019
SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL.
November 19, 2020
This little novella was so adorable. I love the De Lainey family, and we get to see more of a sneak peek from their perspective. <3 <3 <3
"I want a friend who will steal
absolutely all of my heart."
Haha, I know it's not really foreshadowing when we already all know what's going to happen, but...Heehee.
[O Christmas tree song, because this novella takes place during Christmas]
Sammy Lou, O Sammy Lou
I truly, truly love you.
Sammy Lou, O Sammy Lou
Come steal my house, I'll let you.
"I want a friend who will steal
absolutely all of my heart."
Haha, I know it's not really foreshadowing when we already all know what's going to happen, but...Heehee.
[O Christmas tree song, because this novella takes place during Christmas]
Sammy Lou, O Sammy Lou
I truly, truly love you.
Sammy Lou, O Sammy Lou
Come steal my house, I'll let you.
December 23, 2019
This is the cutest, most adorable disaster ever, and I love it. I've been slacking on reading The Boy Who Steals Houses, but I adore large family stories and now I truly am excited about seeing this family show up in Technicolor. 😍
December 15, 2020
*sobs in tinsel, candy canes, and lovely stories that break your heart but give you hope all at the same time*
August 25, 2021
C.G. Drews' prose is always a true delight, and this short story was no exception. "The Girl Who Steals Christmas" is a whimsical companion to "The Boy Who Steals Houses", Drews' sophomore novel, and shows us how Moxie De Lainey decided to bring back Christmas for her family despite it reminding all of them of their gone mum. As is Drews' style, this was a both heartwarmingly funny and achingly sad story, in which we get to see more of the De Laineys as well as to learn more about Moxie. I could read about this family forever!
December 23, 2019
Absolutely beautiful! A wonderful look at the De Laineys trying to celebrate Christmas after losing their mother. It was just the kind of Christmas story I needed this year. CG Drews is a master of blending the dramatic, the humourous and the heartwarming 💖
This short story is available to read here on CG Drews' blog.
This short story is available to read here on CG Drews' blog.
December 23, 2019
"If Christmas won't come quietly and free, then looks like she'll have to steal it."
A cute short story that is both funny and heartbreaking while adding some extra background and context to The Boy Who Steals Houses. It's available to read for free on the author's blog @ Paper Fury.
A cute short story that is both funny and heartbreaking while adding some extra background and context to The Boy Who Steals Houses. It's available to read for free on the author's blog @ Paper Fury.
December 27, 2019
This was soooo sad! I‘m crying.
But it was also super funny, I love this big mess of a family. And it was also heartwarming to see them all working together. I would love to read a sequel for this book!
But it was also super funny, I love this big mess of a family. And it was also heartwarming to see them all working together. I would love to read a sequel for this book!
December 23, 2019
I cried. Very hard.
All I want is more of C. G. Drews writing
All I want is more of C. G. Drews writing
January 2, 2020
Toto bolo krásne a zároveň smutné, rozosmialo ma to aj rozplakalo. A pripomenulo mi to, že v živote potrebujem viac kníh tejto úžasnej autorky. Najmenej tri do roka!
October 18, 2021
Amo a esta familia 🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂🫂
January 1, 2020
This was really cute and I loved that it showed the pain that Moxie felt and still feels about her mother passing. The Christmas feel was alive with this one - and the Australian Christmad nods were spectacular. 5 stars!
March 4, 2025
3.75⭐(book 13/25 - 2025)
July 8, 2023
It is a prequel short story about the De Lainey family just before their encounter with Sam. It's after their mother had died, and the time of Christmas has come which no one in the house wants to admit. One of the younger siblings writes a letter to Santa which falls in the hands of Moxie. Moxie then decides to bully Christmas back to their life, for the sake of her family. But it hurts, everything hurts without their mother.
This short story is a warm, adorable, lovely Christmas story but it's so so sad. I can't even begin to fathom what those young kids must be going through.
I enjoyed this beautiful, little Christmas story. Really well written and heart touching. I wonder if I will ever read something by C.G. Drews which won't make me tear up. I won't mind though, she is so good at making people want to rip their heart into broken pieces
This short story is a warm, adorable, lovely Christmas story but it's so so sad. I can't even begin to fathom what those young kids must be going through.
I enjoyed this beautiful, little Christmas story. Really well written and heart touching. I wonder if I will ever read something by C.G. Drews which won't make me tear up. I won't mind though, she is so good at making people want to rip their heart into broken pieces
April 13, 2022
i adored this so much <3
December 24, 2019
This is SUCH a sweet little Christmas tale about family!! You can read it on Cait's blog here, and I strongly recommend you do so if you enjoyed The Boy Who Steals Houses. <3
January 1, 2020
This is wow. It was absolutely incredible. It's set from Moxie's perspective and her quest to get her family into the Christmas spirit. Made me feel lots of things,,, sadness and joy and just. It's really amazing. 5 pure Christmas stars!
Trigger and Content Warnings: previous loss of loved one, depictions of grief
1). The Boy Who Steal's Houses★★★★★
Trigger and Content Warnings: previous loss of loved one, depictions of grief
1). The Boy Who Steal's Houses★★★★★
December 25, 2019
What a super cute Christmasy short story! If you have read 'The Boy Who Steals Houses' (if you haven't, you should read it) and loved the De Laineys, then you should definitely go to C.G. Drew's blog (Paperfury) and give it a read. 'The Girl Who Steals Christmas' is a perfect prequel for 'The Boy Who Steals Houses'.
January 30, 2020
This is a Christmas story, that happens before Sam. Moxie tries to pull back her family after their mother's demise by pushing everybody to celebrate Christmas. And finally, finally she makes her wish (which is the best part, making this prequel worth so much more)
This is just a novella and is available for free at https://paperfury.com/the-boy-who-ste...
This is just a novella and is available for free at https://paperfury.com/the-boy-who-ste...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews