banana83854's review
3.0
A little slower than I would've preferred, but the ending gave me all the Christmas joy and happiness feels so... I liked it!
jpowers13's review
5.0
LOVED IT!! LOVED IT SO MUCH I THOUGHT ABOUT READING THE ORIGNAL CHRISTMAS CAROL. I WONT BUT I DID THINK ABOUT IT!
pearlagcalo's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like it, I didn't like the character Holly Chase to be exact. She was vapid in the beginning and less vapid in the end. Strictly read to meet Book Battle criteria and will never likely visit again.
freesien's review against another edition
4.0
This novel's concept is definitely unlike any other book I've read. I enjoyed it immensely, the ending felt a bit rushed, though. Probably should have read this book around Christmas, too.
stacyvillariass's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
steffi_au_penguinbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Have I read this book within mere hours?
Yes.
Does it mean it is a good book?
Nahhhh.
This book has its up and downs. At the beginning I liked the humour in this book, but after 100 pages or so it started to get on my nerves and I rolled my eyes more often than I laughed ..
I am also not sure if I like the ending (does it make sense - I don't know), but the ending wa quiet different than I imagined it to be. Therefore, probs to Cynthia Hand for a 'different' kind of ending.
In a nutshell, it was a quick and (at times) fun read for Christmas!
Yes.
Does it mean it is a good book?
Nahhhh.
This book has its up and downs. At the beginning I liked the humour in this book, but after 100 pages or so it started to get on my nerves and I rolled my eyes more often than I laughed ..
I am also not sure if I like the ending (does it make sense - I don't know), but the ending wa quiet different than I imagined it to be. Therefore, probs to Cynthia Hand for a 'different' kind of ending.
In a nutshell, it was a quick and (at times) fun read for Christmas!
cajunliterarybelle's review
4.0
Modern, teenage twist on [b:A Christmas Carol|5328|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390582820l/5328._SY75_.jpg|3097440] by [a:Charles Dickens|239579|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387078070p2/239579.jpg]. The tagline of "Every Scrooge deserves a second chance" spoils part of the story here. However, this novel is likely best appreciated by those who already read (or know) the original classic. If you know the core of the source work, then, of course, Holly's tale is a little predictable. Aren't all retellings predictable to an extent, though? I felt the book was comforting and great to look at the classic in a relatable way. A good heartwarming book that also makes you consider life. I appreciated the in-text partial comparison to It's a Wonderful Life as well. The only thing I expect could have made the book better would be including Holly's entire visits from the ghosts as part of the prologue instead of only her last day and death.
alexa_gr's review
4.0
Somehow it is difficult for me to write a review for this book. This is my third try I think... The thing is, I do really like this novel. It felt much more like a contemporary story to me than anything else and I think I was in a perfect reading mood for that. The book is hilarious and I can only applaud the creativity in Cynthia Hand´s writing style. Once more a book of hers could grab me from the first chapter on and made me smile so many times. It is the general tone of this book that makes everything about it so likeable. Also, I love [b:A Christmas Carol|5326|A Christmas Carol|Charles Dickens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1406512317s/5326.jpg|3097440] and any adaptions of it and that has helped me to get over some cliched characters. Overall, it was a super fast and enjoyable read.
Another aspect I really appreciated was the ending. It was not what I expected it to be and neither what I wanted it to be, but I really think it was the ending that fitted best. Any other ending would have been unrealistic or too predictable and in fact, this one made me think about it even after I finished the book. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like it.
So why was it difficult for me to review this book? It´s just that although it was a solid book, there was some missed potential. The MC is the ghost of Christmas past and I think there were so many possibilities how to deal with that. Like I said, this book is very humorous, but maybe a little bit of seriousness could have pushed the story to a totally different level. To say it simply, the book could have been a 5s-highlight - it wasn´t.
I think it didn´t help either that the story was set over the course of a whole year because that meant many bigger time jumps and I´m never a fan of that.
To sum it up, I do recommend this book, but you should now that it is more of a contemporary story and you´ll probably not enjoy it as much if you aren´t at least familiar with the original Scrooge- story. BTW it didn´t influence my reading experience that I read this book in March. I know most people will want to read this around Christmas, but in my opinion, that´s not a necessity.
Another aspect I really appreciated was the ending. It was not what I expected it to be and neither what I wanted it to be, but I really think it was the ending that fitted best. Any other ending would have been unrealistic or too predictable and in fact, this one made me think about it even after I finished the book. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like it.
So why was it difficult for me to review this book? It´s just that although it was a solid book, there was some missed potential. The MC is the ghost of Christmas past and I think there were so many possibilities how to deal with that. Like I said, this book is very humorous, but maybe a little bit of seriousness could have pushed the story to a totally different level. To say it simply, the book could have been a 5s-highlight - it wasn´t.
I think it didn´t help either that the story was set over the course of a whole year because that meant many bigger time jumps and I´m never a fan of that.
To sum it up, I do recommend this book, but you should now that it is more of a contemporary story and you´ll probably not enjoy it as much if you aren´t at least familiar with the original Scrooge- story. BTW it didn´t influence my reading experience that I read this book in March. I know most people will want to read this around Christmas, but in my opinion, that´s not a necessity.
spookynerd13's review
5.0
4.5 stars!! I loved this! Such a feel good book for the holidays, makes you think, and I couldn’t guess the ending which I loved!!