* * * 3/4
If you
love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday
episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday
anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE
HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by
international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.
Review:
When I first heard about this book,
I about lost my business. I mean
seriously? Not only most of my favorite YA authors in one anthology but most of
my favorite YA authors writing Christmas stories! Hell, yeah!
This compilation delivers just as
the title and the contributing authors suggest.
The best story (in my opinion, of course) was the very first story -
Midnights by Rainbow Rowell. I enjoyed it so much I re-read it twice before
moving on to the rest of the book. I
couldn’t help but wonder if leading with such a great story didn’t put the
other stories and authors at an unfair disadvantage. But they had nothing to
fear. Each author put their heart into their
story and it shows. There really is something for everyone. If you love YA and you love Christmas, this
book is definitely for you.
So how do I review this? In the past, when reviewing collections like
this, I’ve just highlighted my favorite stories. But each of these stories deserved some
attention so I went ahead and gave my rating and opinion on each. I really hope you all will read this. I put it up there with Dash and Lily’s Book
of Dares for happy holiday reading.
Midnights
by Rainbow Rowell 5/5 –This follows two best friends from their first high
school NYE party to their latest NYE celebration. This was my absolute favorite. Rowell just GETS romance.
The
Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link 3/5 – A magical love story between a girl
and a ghost (of sorts) that only appears at Christmas when it is snowing. Their affection develops over the years and
the grown girl attempts to keep him with her.
Angels in the Snow by
Matt de la Pena 3/5 – A penniless young college student spends the holidays
housesitting and hungry. A neighbor girl
slowly worms her way through his defenses, encouraging him to have a happy
holiday despite his circumstances. My
heart broke for the young man in this story but don’t think it’s sad. This story is holiday hope at its finest.
Polaris is Where
You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han 3/5 – A lovely yet sad story about a human girl
raised by Santa and his elves. This was a cute story right up until the
end. I can’t give it away but I will say
that it is not necessarily a SAD ending but maybe just not the magical ending I
wanted…
It’s A Yuletide
Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins 5/5 – Okay, I had two
favorites, and it’s no surprise that Stephanie Perkins wrote the other
one. This story about an aspiring
graphic artist, a boy with a voice and a tree is quintessential Perkins. Full of humor, snark and sweetness.
Your Temporary Santa
by David Levithan 4/5 – A boy convinces his Jewish boyfriend to play Santa
on Christmas night so that his little sister can believe for at least one more
year. You all know how much I love David
Levithan. So I’m just going to say this…DAVID
LEVITHAN!
Krumpuslauf
by Holly Black 2/5 – Holly Black puts her own spin on the Krampus
myth. I really like Holly Black but it
always takes a little while to immerse myself in her writing style. I think
this short story just wasn’t for me. But if you are a Holly Black fan and/or
you enjoy a dark spin to your Christmas cheer, you are definitely going to
enjoy this one.
What the Hell Have
you Done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman 4/5 – A New York girl struggles to
fit into her small-town Midwest college.
As always, Gayle Forman delivers
a thoughtful contemporary romance with a holiday spin.
Beer
Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire 3/5 – A prankster is given a second
chance after accidentally burning down the church barn used for the annual Christmas
pageant. This was a cute story and
definitely forced me to move Myra McEntire’s stories up on the TBR pile.
Welcome to Christmas,
CA by Kiersten White 4/5 – This was an excellent contemporary romance with
just a hint of magic. And how can there
NOT be magic in a town called CHRISTMAS?
Star
of Bethlehem by Ally Carter 4/5 – Shel has been pushing me to read Ally
Carter and I can’t blame her. This story
about a girl grabbing an opportunity to be normal for the holidays was full of
all those warm fuzzies that Hallmark throws our way every holiday season. Come to think of it, this (along with a
number of others in this compilation) would make a great movie…
The Girl Who Woke the
Dreamer by Laini Taylor 4/5 –Fantasy isn’t often my thing but this story
was absolutely beautiful. I now
understand why there is so much love for Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and
Bone series. She is certainly an artistic
story teller.
Nat
Agh, I must get my hands on this beauty! So many wonderful authors wrapped up in a single book. Talk about perfect!
ReplyDeleteIt really is holiday reading at its finest :-)
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