Lovely, Dark, and Deep

This was a really cute book. I love the idea of wish-eaters. I also love that Van is hearing impaired. I am too and I could really relate to the strange nonsense phrases that Van thought people were saying.

Van is a collector of things that other people discard or lose. He finds random but interesting things that he saves and then his imagination brings them to life. One day when he's picking up some new treasures he sees a girl in a long baggy coat and a strange silver squirrel. The squirrel made a sound that sounded strangely like a word and he understood it. The girl was stealing coins from the wishing fountain and she was surprised that Van could see them. Van realizes they are stealing wishes! But Why?