A Thief in the House of Memory

by Tim Wynne-Jones

Book Overview

Family secrets, forgotten memories, and the transforming power of truth It's been six years since sixteen-year-old Dec's free-spirited mother, Lindy, disappeared. Dec feels so trapped in the present,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374400199
• ISBN13: 9780374400194
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 210 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Mysterious Musings

Dec is a great narrator - totally reliable for a teen. The story is short and would probably qualify as "high interest" for lower level or on-level 9th graders. There was a twist or two that I did not see coming, which makes the book a good choice for serious readers as well. The best part about the book, however, is the conglomeration of friends Dec has at school. This is a group of high achievers who consider rationalizing a teacher out of existence, or spending a day without using any words with "O" in them is fun - where do they really come from? I would recommend this book for teachers and students.

A Journey Though a Teenager's Thoughts

A Thief in the House of Memory is a young adult book that is one of those books that would almost make a better movie. It's an incredibility well written story and follows a teenager who changes his mind about people that he interacts with all the time. Through the way the author wrote the book, my idea of the characters changed as well. Tim Wynne-Jones grabbed my emotions by changing my approach and assumptions of the other characters and himself. It jumps around from the present time to past memories which make the book contrasting but often confusing. It can get confusing at first for a reader so I advise you to read slowly and carefully to follow the book correctly. I did find it very interesting because it was from a teenager's prospective which made it out of the ordinary from books I have read before. I would suggest it to anyone who has time to sit down, have patience, and follow the book! The book is about a young teenager named Dec who has a lot to live up to. He is a descendent from a long line of famous governors, but his father, Mr. Steeple broke that chain of politics after being abandoned by his wife. This hurt Mr. Steeple as much as it hurt his young son and infant daughter. They had had everything in their life, money, friends, and power, or so they thought. But as we learn though Dec's memories throughout the book, that isn't enough for a family to function. After years of fighting, Lindy, Dec's mother, had had it. She stole a car and ran from her flawless family; she just couldn't stand appearing to be perfect. Leaving a broken family that realized a family can't be bought, it has to be worked for and built on a foundation of trust and love.

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I have to say, it is a little weird, but I liked it. A story a little mystarious (as you can probably tell by the cover) and yet more. It is fairly short (210 pages, to be exact), but kept me interested 'till the end.

A thought-provoking mystery about complex relationships

Sixteen-year-old Declan Steeple hasn't seen his free-spirited mother Lindy in six years. His father Bernard has moved on with his life, creating a new family with his girlfriend Birdie and Dec's little sister Sunny. Bernard is content with his life in the present while pursuing his hobby building miniature models of famous battles in history. Dec would rather just face the future when he could leave his family's home and perhaps pursue a career in architecture. Then one day, Dec and Sunny come across the body of a mysterious intruder in Steeple Hall, his father's family home where Dec had spent his early childhood years before Lindy left. Dec briefly met the intruder when he hitched a ride from him a few weeks before and thinks that because he accidentally mentioned a secret road leading to the old house, this prompted the man to take a chance at burglary. When Sunny mentions that a bust of Plato was placed on a side table instead of by the fallen bookshelf where it once sat, Dec begins to think that something far more sinister has taken place. The mysterious death causes Dec to begin having visions of his mother as he remembered her when he was a young child: Lindy being dressed as Wonder Woman, Lindy and Dec playing hide-and-seek with a frustrated Bernard, and Lindy telling a young Dec to rescue her from the manor. The visions are hazy and surreal, making Dec wonder if they are really memories or just dreams. He decides to ask Bernard and Birdie questions about Lindy, but they're unwilling to reveal many details especially as to why Lindy left. Frustrated, Dec seeks refuge in Steeple Hall and confides in his best friend Ezra, a quirky science geek who helps him make sense of the bizarre visions. As time goes by, Dec slowly pieces together the confusing puzzle of visions. What the puzzle reveals to Dec changes everything he thought he knew once again. There are revelations about his family, Lindy's disappearance, and the mysterious dead intruder. THE THIEF IN THE HOUSE OF MEMORY is a mystery that portrays the complexities of friendships and family, while set against the backdrop of a house harboring mysteries of its own. It's a book that is sure to be pleasantly thought-provoking for readers. [...]