Author:
Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, Nic Stone and Kasie West
Published: 2018
Genre: YA/Holiday
Rating:
Synopsis
What’s better than one deliciously cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story? Four of them, from some of today’s bestselling authors. From KASIE WEST, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and crushes are revealed. From AIMEE FRIEDMAN, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love. From MELISSA DE LA CRUZ, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents. From NIC STONE, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.So grab a mug of hot cocoa, snuggle up, and get ready to fall in love.
One thing you might not know about me, is that I love Christmas! I know that is pretty cliché, since most people say that Christmas is their favorite holiday. But, my absolute favorite thing about the season is the movies, books, and music. This book is a collection of short YA contemporary stories set during the holidays.
“Get her a gift. Take it to her. I know that’s more than a casual conversation but it’s less than asking her out. It’s just an ‘I’ve been thinking about you.”
Once I saw that Kasie West was a part of the collection, it was just an automatic read for me. The first story was conveniently written by Kasie West, titled ‘Snow and Mistletoe’. This story gave me classic contemporary feels, which is what this author does best. If follows a girl that joins a group of former classmates on a journey to get home in time for Christmas. I found it simple and cute, but the plot was rather predictable. The romance was obvious, but it was still a heartwarming story.
“There’s a severe shortage of Hanukkah songs.”
Next up we have ‘Working In A Winter Wonderland’ by Aimee Friedman. I have read one other book by this author, and it was years ago. This story follows a girl who takes a job at a fancy department story, in order to earn some extra money for the holiday season. Her long time crush’s father happens to own that department store. This story was not my favorite, and the writing style wasn’t for me. I didn’t care for the characters or the plot. It seems as if the romance was an afterthought, and simply added because most YA contemporaries do feature some sort of romance element.
“It’s Christmas after all.”
The third story was titled ‘The Magi’s Gift’ by Melissa De La Cruz. This is a cute holiday contemporary about wanting to fit in, but learning that being yourself is more important. Also, as you could probably tell from the titles this story is a retelling of ‘The Gift Of The Magi’, which is a classic Christmas tale. It was a solid story, but in my opinion, it felt a little on the younger side of YA.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.”
The final story was ‘Grounded’ by Nic Stone. It followed two teenage girls, who used to be friends, and now must reconnect on Christmas Eve while stranded at the airport. This book didn’t focus much on the holiday season, and could have really been set at any time of year. However, it was the most diverse of the stories, since it contained a female/female romance, and characters of color. I do appreciate the diversity, and would like to read more form this author.
Overall, my favorite story was Kasie West’s ‘Snow and Mistletoe’, but that is probably no surprise coming from me. I am still trying to figure out if I enjoy short story collections, but there are a few more that I wouldn’t mind reading. In the comments, let me know your favorite anthology. If you like my book reviews like and share this posts, and follow my blog.
Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny