The Good Thief

This is the story about a boy name Ren who is being raised in an Orphanage for Boys in New England back before they had toothpaste. He has no hand and no one can tell him why, not even the priest running the orphanage. Despite that, he's very good at stealing and flying under the radar.

When a mysterious man comes along to adopt him, he is at first excited to think that he will finally have a family. But the man, who weaves tales to get what he wants (including Ren) has other intentions which leads to Ren's exposure to more stealing, an underground network of grave robbing, and the necessity for Ren to make decisions based on what's right, not what is easy.

This is definitely a "coming of age" young adult novel, but I found it enjoyable. I ended up really wanting to know more about Ren's past and how he came to be who he was. One thing: I think the book would have been better if it came from Ren's point of view instead of third person because I think the reader would have cared more about him if it were (like "Catcher in the Rye"). I think this is a good book for people who just want to read something light. As for people who read a lot, it'll take a day or two to finish and be unmemorable afterwards.