I will confess to liking the premise more than the execution—such a strong premise, but the rest of the novel never came together for me as I hoped it would.

Del is living with a friend of her fathers and resenting herself for the decision she made that just ended her latest dead end job. She has struggled since her father came out of the closet while she was in high school and her mother drowned herself in alcohol. Everyone talks of her father "escaping" but Del feels abandoned and never really finds anything she wants to do until her cousin Greg calls. She has inherited a house and her Uncle Chuck will pay her for the house but there are some strings.....

This was an odd, compelling story. It's not the most exciting plot -- taking apart a home piece-by-piece -- but the uniqueness of it kept me reading, and I found myself rooting for Del more and more as the book went on.

This novel examines one young woman’s struggle to come to grips with adulthood and being dealt a rough hand of cards. Returning to her childhood home and literally dismantling it board by board became her sole focus. I appreciate the harsh honesty of the writing but honestly, it became a bit repetitive to hear the details of the “housebreaking”. I enjoyed Del’s interactions with the quirky friends and family she met along the way. The ending left me wanting me a little more. Overall, the book fell a bit short for me.

Del is the unpopular one in the family, having a less than stellar childhood, being the one who caused her parents to divorce. This, of course, caused her to be even more unpopular than she was to begin with.

Now, Del is 24, and both of her parents have died. She is depressed, but making it. One day, she's contacted by her cousin who offers to buy the family home that she owns but has not resided in. While she never wanted to live in this home or even less her hometown, she especially doesn't want her estranged uncle to knock it down and build homes on the land. Out of spite, she decides to knock down the house herself.

This novel had an odd feel to it. It wasn't uplifting, and felt downright dark at times, but I did like it. I felt for Del and her situation. I ultimately wanted happiness for her in the end. I did care about her and the characters in the book; I just wanted a little more of a conclusion for everyone in the end.

Overall, it was a solid 4 star read. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2023 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2023/01/2023-reading-list-announced-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

As soon as I heard what Housebreaking was about I knew I needed to read it.

This story is so unique and unlike anything I've ever read - and I'm really glad that I did.

It may seem like a weird premise, and not the most interesting of journeys ... taking apart your family home piece by piece by hand - and moving it all on your own. But Del grew so much throughout the book, that I found myself holding back cheering out loud like a crazy person for her as I got closer and closer to the end.

It's the story of carrying a home, but also carrying the weight of family dysfunction, and hoping that it gets gradually lighter as all is disassembled. It's also a coming-of-age tale that will be relatable to anyone who has ever felt so strongly about finishing a cumbersome task, and doing what you feel is right in your heart. I enjoyed meeting all the characters that come and go along her path - and I loved the ending and the feeling it left me with.

It's the perfect reminder that just because you might be feeling lost in life, you can draw your own map, build your own path, and take whatever route you need to get on your way.

Del is heartbroken and alone now that both of her parents are gone. As her uncle swoops in to take possession of her home, her strong side surfaces and she is not going to give it up easily. So begins her task of taking her home apart—piece by piece, board by board.

I loved Del's conviction and fortitude. I was there with her the whole time, rooting for her to get the better of her uncle. No one was going to take anything away from her! Her strength of character spoke to a lot of the people around her and I was impressed at the way she just kept going, accomplishing what she set out to do.

Housebreaking was not at all what I expected when I started reading the book but I loved every minute that I was in Del's world. I wasn't able to physically help her break her house apart but she totally had every bit of my support. What an amazing young woman. Loved this story!

Colleen Hubbard's debut novel is everything I look for in a domestic drama. Del left her childhood hometown after her parents divorce was the result of a local scandal. Del never looked back but on the death of her parents, knowing that her uncle means to take possession of her parents home, Del returns to take the house apart out of spite. This prose in this novel is lyrical, and Del's story is a touching reminder of how we let grief and resentment shape us.

Most people have some baseline knowledge of what goes into building a home, but “unbuilding” a home is a completely different story. Author Colleen Hubbard’s novel Housebreaking follows twentysomething Del, returning to the house she was raised in, only to take it apart piece by piece as she navigates both her future and her past. I recently spoke with Colleen Hubbard about the process of housebreaking, as well as writing in the thick of the pandemic. Here’s our conversation.

https://www.kmuw.org/podcast/marginalia/2022-04-26/colleen-hubbard-on-housebreaking-her-debut-novel

Del has returned to the small town where she had an unhappy childhood. Her mother was the black sheep of the family and has now died and left her home to Del. Her uncle is enraged that he can't get his hand on the house. Instead of handing the place over, and with no other resources at her disposal, Del decides she will tear the place apart herself—piece by piece.

But Del will soon discover, the task stirs up more than just old memories as relatives—each in their own state of unraveling—come knocking on her door. I just didn't get this story line. I did persevere and finish the book but didn't enjoy it. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Gosh, this is such a hard novel to write. I really wanted to love this novel but for some reason found the storyline a bit strange. It didn't resonate with me at all and I had a hard time identifying with the characters. The premise sounded so intriguing but the execution fell short.

Thank you in advance for sharing this, I hope you'll keep me in mind for future releases.

Who decides to dismantle the family home and move it across a river, board by board, with few tools, by hand, and alone? Without spoilers I thought this book was going to be something different than it turned out to be. Not just about dismantling a home (a life, a family history) but also, healing, building and moving forward. It was an interesting read, just not as engaging as I had hoped it would be.

**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

Housebreaking is a hard one to rate because really the story isn’t quite there. Del discovers she has inherited a small plot of land and the house she grew up in due to her real estate developer uncle needing it for a new subdivision he is planning on building. Rather than simply selling out, she gets ol’ Chuck to agree to reduce the lump sum, but also give her a different plot across the pond where she can move the house. Buuuuuuuut, she has no intention of actually moving the house. She’s simply going to tear it apart board by board and drag everything across the pond where she’ll dump it on tarps. The existing structure is already without any sort of gas or power and she’s doing this over the course of the winter . . . in New England.

You see my dilemma? The plot is pretty terrible. The saving grace here are the characters. Del (despite her personal hygiene issues), Tym, Eleanor, the new friends Del makes and even some of the Murrows ended up being a total delight. If you enjoy the loveable loser, “maybe you can go home again” types of tales and can tolerate a questionable storyline in order to simply hang around these folks for awhile, the characters and dialogue might be enough to win you over.

3.5 Stars and I’m rounding up because I hate everyone, but I liked Del.

ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

A beautiful novel about taking chances and taking back your life. Del is now alone in the world with few opportunities. Upon learning she has inherited her family home, which she left years ago, she decides to go back to where it all started.

Del has had little to do with her mothers family since she left long ago but returns to sort out her old house. Her uncle wants to buy it and put up another development but Del will not let that happen. She makes a deal the clear the house and over a winter dismantles the house bit by bit and moves it to a small plot of land she owns.

It is a testament to her bravery and stubbornness and along the way she learns more about her parents and family. She also learns how to accept help from strangers and make new friends.

One of the most surprising and worthwhile novels this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e ARC of this book.
Took awhile but I ended up being invested in and liking the complex characters.
Interesting scenario that doesn't always make sense but in the end it does. Liked it at the end when it made me say wow.

3.5 stars

I was given an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I thought the premise of this book was highly original but the execution fell short for me, just not overly compelling. The writing lost its way a bit from time to time.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
-Del is young, unemployed, with no prospects, and has been asked to move out of her apartment. She receives a call from a cousin back home.
-Del's uncle owns a successful development company and needs the land under her abandoned family home for a suburban housing development project.
-Del agrees to sell the land with one condition: she is given a short amount of time to tear the house down brick-by-brick. She will do this by herself and with no equipment.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
-If this book were an actor, it would be Frances McDormand.
-About halfway through, I paused and wondered if what she was doing was even remotely realistic but couldn't stop reading because Del's quest for vengeance captured me.
-The last line of the book left me with a smile.

This book takes place during the mid-late 90s and is a coming-of-age story of a young woman coming to terms with the small town and extended family that turned their backs on her family after a scandal involving her father. With both her parents dead and a broken relationship with her uncle's family, she has found a way she thinks will exact a literal in-your-face type of revenge by refusing to let them bulldoze her family home.

Her experiences have left her hardened and alone, although she does get some emotional support from her father's old friend. And as she struggles to dismantle the home, she finds some help along the way. As the house slowly comes down, she discovers more about herself and her resilience.

Read this if you enjoy off-the-beaten-path coming-of-age stories.

This one started off really great and entertaining, but quickly plummeted about 1/3 of the way in. Reading about disassembling a home just got a little monotonous in my opinion. I did like Del and her drive to prove a point and find something to be successful at, and how people were drawn to her. She’s a good example of a strong woman!

Del is a 24-year old whose parents have both passed away. She’s not really happy with life, and just goes about day by day. One day, her cousin tracks her down and asks to meet up. It turns out that he and his brothers work for his dad (Del’s uncle), and they want to buy her out of the family home she owns.

Del hasn’t lived in that house for years. It’s been sitting completely dormant and dusty with no electricity. Even though she never wanted to return to her small hometown, she doesn’t want the house knocked down so her uncle can build new homes over it.

Feeling spiteful, and maybe a bit upset about losing the home she shared with her parents, Del decides she will remove the house from her uncle’s land…all by herself…piece by piece.

I enjoyed reading this, but there is such an odd feel to it. There’s some dark humor, but it also feels very melancholic…sometimes downright depressing. That goes for Del too.

I liked her, and felt like I was getting closer to who her character was, but really feeling for her was just out of reach. The emotional punch I expected was elusive, despite caring about what happened.

That being said, there are some uplifting moments as Del unexpectedly ends up getting help with her housebreaking from some folks, who ultimately surprise her and make her realize she may not be all alone in the world.

By the end, I still wasn’t completely sure who Del was, or if she would truly share her life with others, and that made ME feel melancholic.

This is a solid 3.5 star read. I enjoyed it overall, but would’ve appreciated just a bit more emotional conflict. However, I REALLY didn’t want this book to end where it did. I would’ve loved for it to have a few more chapters so I could find out what happened to all of the characters later in their lives. That indicated to me that I did care about this story and its characters, and so I am rounding up.

Thank you to Elisha at Berkley for a widget of the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Now available.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com