I loved this book! The main characters Freddie and Violet are so relatable and thoroughly developed. I could connect with Freddie because of his panic attacks and it was refreshing to see them featured in a book. The plot is unique and really keeps you hooked. I loved the dynamics between the two of them and was excited to see where their relationship would go! Great work.

The narrative is told from the perspectives of two people, Freddie and Violet. I really liked reading about the people and their points of view.I admired how they supported one another and gave one another room to grow. The wording was excellent. When the book concluded, I was disappointed because all I wanted to do was read more about Freddie and Violet's relationship, which seemed so uncommon but genuine. And to be completely honest, the fact that this book depicted other lovely things besides love and friendship, such as family, goodness, understanding, and optimism, is what really made me fall in love with it.

A lovely , quick read, the story very easy to get in to, loved the use of dual POV and I liked all of the characters.I would have liked the ending to be a bit longer though

This book was a great look into what it means to deal with grief, repressed trauma, homelessness, and getting help from different therapy methods. I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't expect to see so much of that packed into this little story.

The title immediately drew me in, and the following story did not disappoint. Here, we follow Freddie, a boy who has been living on the streets for two years, and Violet, who has been dealing with some serious issues between her family, and how their lives intersect.

This story kept me interested the entire way through. The pacing was very good. My only qualms were with the ending, which I felt was pretty rushed, and the author could have spent some more time on character relationships there. But in all, this was a really good YA read.

This book was truly magnificent. It's not often that I finish a book in one day, but I did with this one! The concept that someone may very well be living in your roof (for MONTHS) without your knowing was just so.. intriuging! I was basically sold from the title alone~

I cried bucket-loads whilst reading this and I'm not ashamed to admit it. The heart-breaking reality of Freddie's life, the lengths he's willing to take, his kind nature despite everything.. AND his friendship with Violet! Man, I was a goner sobbing into my pillow (because of course I read this in bed into the early hours)

This is a coming of age story that tackles grief, loss, heart-break and friendships. And it will probably (definitely) leave you changed.

Rating: 5/5
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Wise Wolf Books for providing the eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

P.s. I hadn't even realised there was a second book! Catch me running to the bookstore~

such a heartbreaking yet heartwarming story. a coming-of-age story filled with love, loss, and blooming friendships! I didn’t want this one to end!

The story follows the perspectives of two teenagers, Violet and Freddie.
Violet recently moved schools and has argumentative parents. Freddie is a homeless kid who lives in Violet's house while her family is on vacation. When they return sooner than expected, Freddie gets trapped in the attic. Violet discovers Freddie and the two become great friends.
Considering its short length, I read it in no time. But it's not all lighthearted.
As I mentioned previously, this book deals with homelessness, but it also discusses grief and sexual assault. The book was great because it focused on such important topics, had lovable characters, and had a great relationship between the characters.

I had to DNF this around 40% because I couldn't get into the story. It was really slow and I was just bored. I skimmed ahead and the relationship formed between Frankie and Violet was so heartwarming, but I just couldn't be bothered to really invest into it.

Just as the description states, this book is both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Though Freddie and Violet come from two very different worlds, they both are facing struggles that allow them to forge an unlikely friendship.

Cara Thurlbourn tackles the topic of homelessness and challenges the societal views of it in a way that I don't think I've seen before in a YA novel. She gently unfolds Freddie's story and pulls at the reader's heartstrings as he and Violet get close. This book switches between Freddie and Violet's POV, and I must admit that I felt Freddie was a more well-developed character, however, I related to Violet's struggles with loneliness as well. I wanted to hug both of them throughout the whole book. I want to put this into the hands of all of the young people in my life.

Additionally, Cara Thurlbourn recorded the first three chapters on audio and released them on SoundCloud. Her narration is wonderful and I would love it if the whole book were released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wise Wolf Books for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was sweet and emotional. It was true to its genre. I found the characters believable, and it delved into much-needed topics. This book also discussed homelessness in a new light, at least for me. It made me uncomfortable, which I assume was the point of the book. It made me want to examine my behavior. Walking down the street won't be the same for me after reading this. This book delivered all of its intended messages superbly.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good read. I didn’t want it to ever end. The whole time I felt as if I was immersed in the actual story and watching from the sidelines. The way the author told the story of Freddie and Violet was so beautiful and heartwarming. I truly felt connected to their characters and their stories.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this before publication.
When you think of someone who is homeless you are likely to have a very specific image in your head. You may have some ideas of how they came to be in that position, but how does it impact on people on a daily basis? In The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling we are encouraged to see a little deeper.
Our two characters are Violet and Freddie. Violet is about to start a new school; after the death of her grandmother her family can’t afford private school for both her and her brother. Freddie has been homeless for months, and all we know is that it has something to do with his father’s alcoholism and his stepmother.
Ignoring the plausibility element, Freddie finds himself living in the attic of Violet’s home while they are on holiday. He wants to save money to find a room to rent. When Violet discovers him (when he saves her from a phone overly keen young boy invited over while her parents are away) she doesn’t react in the way you’d expect. She finds a way to support him.
What follows may be unlikely, but it made for a positive story in spite of covering some pretty unpleasant stuff. It helps that those concerned are seemingly decent characters, trying to do the right thing and trying hard.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐✨/5
Age Rating: 14+
Genre: YA Contemporary
⚠️TW: Homeless, sexual assault, alcoholism, grief ⚠️

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Freddie is homeless. Violet has a turbulent home life. Suddenly, Freddie and Violet are thrown together, when Freddie begins living in Violet's attic while she and her family are on vacation. Throughout the story Violet and Freddie grow closer and discover that maybe they were exactly what each other needed.

Okay so yes. That's one of the worst synopses that I have written to date and it's all my fault. I suck at write them I know. All in all this book had an entertaining plot and I enjoyed it! I was intrigued by the plot and so I decided to get it. I wasn't expecting much from this book but I was pleasantly surprised. Sure there were a few cheesy parts and it's not going to make it into my favorites list but I would definitely recommend! The plot was well paced. (Except for the end. Which I think was wrapped up a little to quickly.) It was an entertaining story and it's pretty much all you want.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
The prose did not stun me like some but there were some quotes that definitely made me think and impressed me. This author definitely knows how to write. I think the only thing giving me cause for complaint is some very cheesy parts that I could have definitely done without.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
The characters were likable. They had *mostly* realistic dialogue. There were some characters I really liked. And there were some I really hated but hey that's life. Some characters you're supposed to hate.

𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:
I really liked that this took place in England. I wasn't expecting that. I have read very very few books that take place anywhere other than America, except for some historical fiction, and *select* contemporaries. I just wish the author had done more with it. I wanted to see more of England. Sometimes it felt like it could have been any suburb or city of America and that left me a bit disappointed.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥:
I enjoyed this and I'm really glad I read it!!!

This was a heartfelt and poignant read about a boy without a home and a lonely girl.

Freddie's homeless. After accidentally finding an unlocked house, he decides to stay for a little while because the family is away on a 3 week vacation. But they come home early.
Violet's life is changing rapidly. Her parents are fighting and her brother stopped speaking. After returning home from vacation, she meets Freddie, who has been living in her family's attic.

The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling is a pretty powerful story of finding a place to belong. I did not want to put this novel down. Both narrators were really great and the writing style really made this an un-put-downable story!

All in all, this is heart-wrenching and heartwarming novel that you won't want to put down!

Many thanks to the publisher Wise Wolf Books for this eARC!

The Boy in the Ceiling follows the story of Freddie, he’s homeless, alone and feeling pretty desperate. With only £2 in his pocket and another long, cold night to get through, he spots a family leaving their house for vacation. He notices their front door is left slightly ajar thanks to a dropped notebook and intends to close the door for them but once he gets there he decides to stay.. just for a little while.

Freddie has a plan, he only needs the three weeks the family are away to get enough money together to rent himself a room, unfortunately those plans are interrupted when the family unexpectedly arrive home early one day. Freddie panics and the only place he can find to hide is in the attic.

This was a great, quick read! I really enjoyed the authors writing style and found the story very easy to get in to, both POVs kept my interest and I liked all of the characters. The only negative I have was the pacing. It was a bit off for me, particularly at the end, it felt very rushed. I think the ending would have been much better if we’d had a few more chapters.

My only other slight niggle was the setting! I assumed the story was set in England, it sounded like a typical English town/city, they used pounds and pence and they travelled by bus a lot (typically British), however a couple of times I noticed some nods to America eg mentioning calling 911. This just confused me.

Overall, a great read that I would have definitely rated higher if not for the rushed ending, I just feel that let the book down slightly. I would still recommend!

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars
Themes: young adult, contemporary, romance
Triggers: homelessness, bullying, death (mentioned), assault

The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking, showing another side to a dark situation and how things are never as they appear on the surface in a provoking and well-written narrative. I would recommend it for people who enjoyed probably anything by John Green.

For the past eighteen months, Freddie has been living on the streets. Life is rough for the teenager, but in the early hours of one October morning, his luck changes when he sees a family leaving for vacation. He notices their front door left open and goes to shut it, but instead finds himself taking shelter in there while they are gone instead. When the family return home earlier than expected, Freddie hides in their attic and gets stuck. Violet, on the other hand, has problems of her own - she's starting at a new school, her parents seem distant, and her little brother isn't talking. Despite their differences, Violet and Freddie might just be the answer to each other's problems.

I think The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling was the best ARC I've read so far! It was a short read with an engaging plot that kept my interest the entire way through. The book takes place in the UK and is told from both Violet and Freddie's POVs. I loved how we got to see into both of their worlds and their journey together was so cute! The slow reveal of Freddie's mysterious past alongside the comparingly ordinary problem's in Violet's life really showed me how much I take for granted in my own. Because it was such a short novel, there were a few fortuitous events, but that didn't impact the plot at all.

As for the characters, I thought they were all well written and had distinct personalities that I enjoyed. Though the book doesn't state how old either of them are, they'd easily be 16-19, which is reflected in Thurlbourn's writing. My heart bled for Freddie and the way he talks about his experiences brought the tears a few times. Violet was insightful and smart, though still had the naivety of a teenager, she wasn't annoying to read like some other characters her age. I saw a lot of myself in her. I enjoyed the supporting characters too, especially Violet's brother - he was so precious!

The writing itself was easy to read, perfect for young adults, with themes that I think everyone could relate to in some way. In fact, if you read this and couldn't relate to anything, you should count yourself doubly blessed. Each chapter has a purpose and I didn't feel bored at any point. I'd definitely read from this author again. As a side note, as someone who loves true crime podcasts, I will make a note that if someone tells you they've been living in your roof, I don't know if this book is the best resource for how you should react.

Overall, I really enjoy The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling and wish it had been longer! It had a number of impacting themes and relatable characters in a well-written narrative.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wise Wolf Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept my attention the entire time, I loved the storytelling and Cara's voice in the book. I struggled to get through many books this month, but this one became worth opening up my kindle for. I loved how fully fleshed out the characters felt, and how attached I became to the storyline. This story had a real pull to it for me, and i may not have finished it until today (august 2nd) but that wasn't for lack of trying. The story movement was well-paced, and the story was gripping - it had the potential to break my slump, even if it didn't work at first.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling" and all opinions expressed are my own. I loved this book!! The characters were great and the story line kept me interested throughout. Beautifully written and I looked forward to reading this each day. Unique and heartwarming story that you need to read!

Freddie and Violet's story is unique and fresh while also being incredibly relatable to the reader. Their individual story lines and character struggles are just as genuine and captivating as their combined arc as they form a friendship which blooms into much more. The Boy Who Lived in the Ceiling is an incredible example of a story which focuses on friendship, resilience, family, and the quiet blooming of a love that lasts. I love how Thurlbourn highlights the issues facing many house-less individuals and the complexities of so many situations, while also weaving an ingenious tale of ingenuity and thoughtfulness. After this book, I will be reading any future works Thurlbourn publishes.

Thank you to Netgalley, publishers and to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this book drew me in straight away since I have never seen another book like this and it intrigued me. I think it’s very important because it’s important to highlight the struggles of homelessness and what people have to go through.

Personally, I felt the pacing was a bit off, especially towards the end. The ending felt rushed and I think it could have been better due to this.

I liked the characters, despite not agreeing with a few decisions they made, but that comes with them being younger and they learn from them.

I also liked the openness of talking about therapy and getting help which is very important to normalise being able to ask for help.

3.5 - definitely recommend!