A boy made of blocks

‘One of those wonderful books that makes you laugh and cry at the same time’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘Funny, expertly plotted and written with enormous heart’ GRAEME SIMSION
‘Heartwarming, funny and special. I devoured this cracking book’ THE UNMUMSY MUM	‘Not just a great plot, but a rare sense of honesty and insight’ GUARDIAN
‘A wonderful novel that tugs at your heart’ DAILY MAIL	‘A heartwarming and wise story’ CATHY RENTZENBRINK
‘Tremendously moving’ HEAT	‘A wonderful read’ HUFFINGTON POST

Keith Stuart

Published on 5^th January 2017 | Paperback and eBook price £7.99

A beautiful, funny and surprising story of family and love, perfect for fans of The Rosie Project, David Nicholls’ Us and Nick Hornby’s About a Boy.

MEET THIRTY SOMETHING DAD, ALEX… He loves his wife Jody, but has forgotten how to show it. He loves his son Sam, but doesn't understand him. Something has to change. And he needs to start with himself.

MEET EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SAM… To him the world is a puzzle he can't solve on his own.

When Sam starts to play Minecraft, it opens up a place where Alex and Sam begin to rediscover both themselves and each other… When life starts to tear one family apart, can they put themselves back together, one piece at a time?

A Boy Made of Blocks is a beautiful, funny and heartwarming story of family and love inspired by the author’s own experiences with his autistic son.

In 2012 one of KEITH STUART's two sons was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The ramifications felt huge. But then Keith and both boys started playing videogames together - especially Minecraft. Keith had always played games and, since 1995, has been writing about them, first for specialist magazines like Edge and PC Gamer then, for the last ten years, as games editor for the Guardian. The powerful creative sharing as a family and the blossoming of communication that followed informed his debut novel.

For further information please contact:

Kirsteen Astor, Publicity Director Kirsteen.astor@littlebrown.co.uk | 020 3122 6621

Clara Diaz, Press Officer, clara.diaz@littlebrown.co.uk | 020 3122 6565

www.boymadeofblocks.com | @keefstuart | #MadeofBlocks

My Review
This book promises to make you laugh and cry and indeed it did. As I was on the Tube at the time, I did get a couple of funny looks but this is one of those books that really touches a chord. Based on the author's true experiences I could really relate to the problems of the wife having to deal with everything as the husband is mainly absent and focussed on work and paying the bills. It was interesting to see things from a male point of view and when you add in the extra pressure of an autistic child then daily life is beyond challenging. I learnt so much from this book and as the mother of a nine year old Minecraft addict I now understand more about Minecraft than I would ever hope to. I'm sure there's a lesson there for me too. This book is moving, funny and poignant at the same time and instantly relatable.

5/5