Review - The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

Title and Author: The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner

Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions

Publication Date: February 7th, 2001

Paperback/Hardcover: 384

Genre: Young Adult

Summary:

Alex Housman is a kid who at the age of sixteen has had fourteen cars, harbors many hurts, and seems to fade into his environment while raging inside. His father is an alcoholic, losing his grip on life even as he wants the best for his son. The Car Thief explores the love Alex and his father share, in a tremendously poignant story that is filled with unusual triumphs.

Review:

I received this book from the author and The Car Thief turned out to be an interesting and different story.

The story is about Alex, a 16 year old boy, who has been abandoned by his mother and raised by his father, who had good intentions but is not exactly cut out for the job. Alex steals cars when he is in search of a thrill until he’s finally caught and sent off. When he comes back he struggles to be able to fit back in.

Alex is a believable character and his story is definitely heartbreaking. Alex is not the most sociable person, he’s very troubled and his life hasn’t exactly been easy. He’s not exactly a bad kid, though. He can actually be quite endearing. He simply makes bad choices and a few mistakes until he realizes it’s not worth trying to live up to people’s expectations about you. You have to be yourself and follow your own path.

The Car Thief is well-written and the story deals with some important issues. I enjoyed the fact we got to see Alex’s story develop. We read about Alex trying to make friends and learning how to deal with his father, for instance.

I enjoyed reading about Alex and his life and I found The Car Thief to be a very intriguing and deep read.

Rating: Somewhere Between Readable and Worth Your Time (3 1/2 Stars)

Astor + Blue

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