The Shape Of A Broken Boy

About The Book

Seventeen-year-old Danny Sanders has mastered the art of disappearing. Haunted by a father's death, a mother lost to addiction, and years of rejection, he has kept his head down and his heart guarded. His only constants are Peanut, the worn elephant that has anchored him, and the sketchbook where he hides pieces of himself.

When his portfolio earns a place at the New York School of the Arts, Danny can't believe in a future that finally feels possible. But with possibility comes risk- especially when Tony, the boy who once broke his trust, re-enters his life. Together, they face the weight of family, the pull of old wounds, and the fragile hope of something more.

Raw, tender, and unflinchingly honest, The Shape of a Broken Boy is a story about surviving the shadows of the past and daring to build a home in the light.

About The Author

Steven Allen is a Canadian born writer whose fiction explores grief, resilience, and the search for belonging. His debut novel, The Shape of a Broken Boy, reflects his belief that stories can hold both the weight of trauma and the light of healing. Away from the page, Allen has built a career in security management, a profession rooted in vigilance and care. That same attentiveness has shaped his writing, where he balanced the darkness of lived struggle with the possibility of hope.In his daily life, Allen draws inspiration from everyday rituals-coffee in the morning, long motorcycle rides, evenings spent cooking simple meals-that ground him in the small acts of resilience at the heart of his work. The Shape of a Broken Boy is a debut novel, and with it, Allen hopes to remind readers that even in brokenness, there is strength, and even in silence, hope endures.