Reviews

This is a fun read with a whole lot of layers...the writing is clever in the way it creates genuine sympathy and affection for this man who's a thief. The author made me love this thief even before I knew his story and why he had chosen this "career". Remarkable.

morganvermillion's review against another edition

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5.0

I came across this book online a few years ago and found the title interesting, but did no research and learned nothing about it. Then, earlier this year, I read a review of Twenty One Truths About Love, so I borrowed that book from the library and read it in one day. I ADORED that book!

Last month it occurred to me that 21 Truths and Something Missing shared the same author. I thought, “I haven’t stopped thinking about 21 Truths, so I might like Something Missing too.” So finally, amidst quarantine and being unreasonably bored, I ordered it. I had no idea that I would become so attached to a career thief. Martin’s journey was beautiful, if not a little unorthodox, and the book left me wanting to learn more and more about him.
At first, I felt a connection between Martin and the main character of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” which is another book that I love. Eventually I felt they were very different characters with similar traits, but they were both fantastic protagonists. I would give this book ten stars if I could.

After reading a little about the author, I noticed we had some similarities (musicians, teachers, etc) so I think I’ll be catching up on all of his books that I’ve missed over the years. ❤️❤️

breckencromwell's review against another edition

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3.0

i was sadly disappointed with this book. this is one of the books i was most excited to read recently and it took me forever to read it, because it dragged on for soooo long. it felt like the actual story didn't start until the last three or four chapters, which were interesting, but the rest of the book was so slow and monotonous and painfully detailed. it was an interesting idea for a book, but felt like it was poorly executed and slowly worked out.

patlo's review against another edition

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4.0

A fun, quirky novel about a lifetime professional thief with OCD who steals everyday household supplies that nobody would ever notice are missing.

katyfranc's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

firedew's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Cute story. Funny and interesting. I can also see why it might not be someone else's cup of tea. The plot is quite slow moving for a while, and the book is reminiscent of Wall-E in the sense that there is very little spoken dialogue for a huge chunk of the book. I liked it, though. Worth the read.

danilanglie's review against another edition

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3.0

Hmmm.... Okay, I loved so much about this book's setup, and then the payoff was kind of... well, I'm conflicted.

Early on, we're getting all this information about how Martin is very invasive, not just in stealing stuff from his "clients" but in reading their diaries and bank statements, that kind of thing. He doesn't just take their food and cutlery or whatever. He invades their privacy like nobody's business. It's a lot. I kind of kept waiting for the ethical wrongness of this to be addressed. Instead, Martin's intimate knowledge and the ways in which he invades the privacy of his clients ends up helping him to save the day on more than one occassion.

Now, when it was the incident with the toothbrush that led to a man getting a rose for his wife, or saving a surprise party from being ruined, I still was having a really good time. But then, in the final chapters of the book, we take an extreme pivot into Martin saving a client from being... raped and possibly murdered? It was pretty dark, and it meant that Martin got to be the white knight and basically fulfill a really hackneyed male power fantasy of saving the day singlehandedly and then earning the gratitude of a damsel in distress. I... hated that.

There were other elements in the book that went rather unexplored. Like, what was up with his delusion that he was in a relationship with the regular waitress at his favorite breakfast cafe? That never had a payoff. And this business about reconnecting with his father was introduced seemingly out of nowhere and didn't have a lot of room to flourish.

I thought there was something funny and meta about Martin writing a book about a thief, as it almost starts to make you wonder about Matthew Dicks' potential former career. (I jest, but maybe not 100%?). But that too seemed to peter off and not really turn into anything.

I was engrossed by this book the whole way through, I liked hearing about Martin and how he was going to get out of all his various situations. His meticulousness and the clever solutions and rules he used in his career, were deeply entertaining to follow. But when I got to the end, I found myself pretty disappointed in where it all ended up.

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