Genre: Young Adult Contemporary, Fantasy
Edited by: Stephanie Perkins
Authors: Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Matt de la Pena, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link , Myra McEntire, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White
Goodreads Summary
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.
Review
Christmas is my favorite holiday and I always look forward to it whenever it's not Christmas. The second I saw this book in Goodreads, I added it to my to-read list faster than you can say "snow". I really looked forward to reading all the stories especially those written by Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan, Holly Black, and Gayle Forman. Overall, I really enjoyed this book but there were some stories that made me bored. This really put me in the mood of Christmas and reminded me all the things that made me love Christmas. My average rating for this book is 4.08 stars and I think it's worth the read. One thing you have to keep in mind while reading the stories is that they are short stories, not full length novels. There won't be much space for fully detailed world building or character development. I think you should go into this book blind, which is what I did. I'm not going to summarize each story but I will tell you what I thought of them.
Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
★★★★★
Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors and I have read and loved all of her stories and this short story is not an exception. She definitely did not disappoint. When I finished her story, I wanted more. I was disappointed that I didn't get more but at the same time I liked the way she ended the story and kept the readers wanting more. This was very cute and adorable and I loved it.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link
★★★★
I never read anything by Kelly Link before and I was really looking forward to this story. The story was very intriguing and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because I had some problem with the romance. But I really liked it and I might try some of her other stories.
Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena
★★★★
I loved this story so much and it was so cute and lovely. It had some depth to it which I enjoyed. I would have given it a full 5 stars but the cheating aspect made me very uncomfortable, as it always does. I will definitely be reading more of his work.
Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han
★★★★★
I highly enjoyed this interesting and cute story. I will say though, the main character is kind of immature and annoying but that did not bug me at all. You can't exactly blame her because she was always babied and does not exactly fit.
It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
★★★★★
Stephanie Perkins is absolutely amazing. This story is amazing. She managed to write a love story that took place in a few hours that didn't make me uncomfortable because it was believable. I think the best part of the story is the dialogue. I found myself smiling like an idiot because it is so adorable.
Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan
★★★★★
I love every single book I read by David Levithan and I also loved this. I also liked the LGBT aspect in this story. This really put me into the Christmas mood and made me remember the time when I was a child who believed in Santa and hoped to see him one night.
Krampuslauf by Holly Black
★★
I have read one book by Holly Black and I did not enjoy it that much. But I heard she is an amazing writer so I wanted to read her take on a Christmas short story. However, the same thing happened with this story. This kind of gave me a slump after reading all the previous amazing stories. I did like some of the story but it just wasn't for me.
What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman
★★★
This disappointed me a little bit because I expected more from Forman. I think it was okay. I did enjoy some parts, I got bored at other parts. I did like how it included a lot of issues though.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire
★★
I'm not gonna lie, I think this story is the one I least enjoyed. I struggled while reading it and I had to force myself to finish it. It was boring for me. The romance wasn't that great. I liked some parts but I will say that I'm not sure I'm gonna read her other books.
Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White
★★★★★
This was just adorable. I teared up a little bit while reading it. It was a huge step up from the other stories I previously read. This is my first and definitely not the least Kirsten White read.
Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter
★★★★★
Another amazing story. It kept me interested from the very start until the end. The romance wasn't that great but the other aspects made up for it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Carter's work.
The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
★★★★
I really enjoyed this but I had a difficult time getting into the story and the writing. I liked how Laini Taylor kept true to her style and created a wonderful fantasy world. I was a little confused and bored at the beginning but it picked up at the end.
Goodreads Link
