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Let it Snow
An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.
A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle- brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.
A trio of today's bestselling authors - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle- brings all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2008
About the author
John Green
68 books309k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.
In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website, or a direct link here.
John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.
In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website, or a direct link here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,482 reviews
December 24, 2008
It started off strong and got progressively weaker. Maureen Johnson was fun, John Green all right and Lauren Myracle dismal.
Maureen Johnson's story was super quirky and giggly and slightly ridiculous (in a good way). I liked Jubilee a lot, crazy as she was, and was amused to see a lot of my mother in Stuart's. It was just cheery, fun Christmas fluff.
John Green's kind of drove me nuts. I wanted to like it more, but I guess I am not that adventurous, because I kept thinking that the characters were such massive idiots, but their idiotic actions were the only thing that created a plot. He kept referring to them as oh-so-clever, but they really weren't. They attempted to reach Buffy-level snark and sarcasm and really didn't make it. Also, the cheerleader thing got really old, really fast. I usually love him, so I was disappointed.
Lauren Myracle's was so terrible and I hated every minute. Her main character was a self-absorbed whiny brat and I was stuck in her first person pea brained narrative for the entire thing. The entire thing was, admittedly, about the fact that she was a self-absorbed whiny brat and everyone was calling her on that fact, but her supposed transformation was utterly ridiculous. Also, the last chapter tied up all three of the stories and she massacred all of the characters from the other stories. Any wit and subtlety that the other two authors created, she destroyed. This probably would have gotten four stars if she hadn't written the final chapter and left me with the bad taste.
Maureen Johnson's story was super quirky and giggly and slightly ridiculous (in a good way). I liked Jubilee a lot, crazy as she was, and was amused to see a lot of my mother in Stuart's. It was just cheery, fun Christmas fluff.
John Green's kind of drove me nuts. I wanted to like it more, but I guess I am not that adventurous, because I kept thinking that the characters were such massive idiots, but their idiotic actions were the only thing that created a plot. He kept referring to them as oh-so-clever, but they really weren't. They attempted to reach Buffy-level snark and sarcasm and really didn't make it. Also, the cheerleader thing got really old, really fast. I usually love him, so I was disappointed.
Lauren Myracle's was so terrible and I hated every minute. Her main character was a self-absorbed whiny brat and I was stuck in her first person pea brained narrative for the entire thing. The entire thing was, admittedly, about the fact that she was a self-absorbed whiny brat and everyone was calling her on that fact, but her supposed transformation was utterly ridiculous. Also, the last chapter tied up all three of the stories and she massacred all of the characters from the other stories. Any wit and subtlety that the other two authors created, she destroyed. This probably would have gotten four stars if she hadn't written the final chapter and left me with the bad taste.
December 19, 2017
Read during my holiday 24-hour readathon, #readathonbyzoe! Watch the vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcLPp...
March 28, 2017
Here's five reasons why Let it Snow is sentenced to a one star rating.
But first, it must be acknowledged that I did not suffer this re-read alone but was assisted by the traitor,
Offence #1: Self deprecating main character
I'm not saying everybody has to be confident and perfect all the time. No, I'm saying a well written character should have a personality that extends further than feeling sorry for your name all the time. The first story starts with about three paragraphs of rambling about how Jubilee (who's the whiny narrator for the story) is such a strippery name although she certainly has nothing against strippers.
Offence #2: PWP (Plot? What Plot?)
I suppose it's meant to be cute, how these stories are about teenage romances on Christmas Eve. I can assure you, it's not. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought John Green posters, but I believe it's safe for me to say: I fucking hate his writing. I assume his thought process behind writing a cheertastic christmas miracle was something like this: Oh, Paper Towns is making millions. Wonder what would happen if I tweaked the characters a little bit and wrote the same story again?
a) 3 typical hormone driven male characters
b) 14 hot cheerleaders waiting for them (because what else would they want to do, apart from make out with idiots with twister in the middle of the biggest storm in 50 years?)
c) The Duke, who's not like other girls
What more would anybody ever want in a story?
Offence #3: Clichés overdone to death
Remember how I mentioned that girl who's not like the other girls? That's just the beginning.
In this bundle of short stories, we have:
1. Sweet guy who's heart has been broken by oh you guessed, it, a cheerleader! (Stuart)
2. The popular guy everyone wants to date who's just so perfect <33 and also really boring (Noah)
3. Average male guy who talks about nothing but sex and girls in bikinis (JP)
4. The effervescent parents who call every ten minutes (Tobin's parents)
5. The girl who's so unique because she has pigs (Tegan)
There's also wonderfully written dialogue:
Offence #4: Let's have an adventure at 3 am because that's what teenagers do!
I know, I know. I've mentioned this before. But dammit, that story pissed me off so much. Best friends secretly in love with each other? Check. Stupid ideas because HOT GIRLS? Check. Dirty talking to a car? ...check.
Offence #5: Stereotyping. Characters introduced only so they can be made fun of
I'm just going to complete this section with a bunch of quotes from the book, because there's really not much I can say.
I'm sorry, but this book was a cringefest.
But first, it must be acknowledged that I did not suffer this re-read alone but was assisted by the traitor,
Offence #1: Self deprecating main character
I'm not saying everybody has to be confident and perfect all the time. No, I'm saying a well written character should have a personality that extends further than feeling sorry for your name all the time. The first story starts with about three paragraphs of rambling about how Jubilee (who's the whiny narrator for the story) is such a strippery name although she certainly has nothing against strippers.
My name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in. [...] I realize Jubilee is a bit of a stripper name. You probably think I have heard the call of the pole. But no. [...] My objection is that Jubilee isn't a name-it's some kind of a party. No one knows what kind. Have you ever heard of someone throwing a jubilee? And if you did, would you go? Because I wouldn't. Come to think of it, it might be interchangeable with hoedown.At this point, you might be thinking this isn't annoying, it's funny. Don't worry, that's what I thought too. But oh boy, when she brings this up every chapter, it gets on your nerves.
Offence #2: PWP (Plot? What Plot?)
I suppose it's meant to be cute, how these stories are about teenage romances on Christmas Eve. I can assure you, it's not. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought John Green posters, but I believe it's safe for me to say: I fucking hate his writing. I assume his thought process behind writing a cheertastic christmas miracle was something like this: Oh, Paper Towns is making millions. Wonder what would happen if I tweaked the characters a little bit and wrote the same story again?
"Gentlemen, may you travel safely and swiftly. But if you die tonight, die in the comfort that you have sacrificed your lives for that noblest of human causes. The pursuit of cheerleaders."The story summed up in three basic points:
a) 3 typical hormone driven male characters
b) 14 hot cheerleaders waiting for them (because what else would they want to do, apart from make out with idiots with twister in the middle of the biggest storm in 50 years?)
c) The Duke, who's not like other girls
What more would anybody ever want in a story?
The Duke was just normal: she liked to joke around and talk about movies. She was much more like a person than other girls were.
Offence #3: Clichés overdone to death
Remember how I mentioned that girl who's not like the other girls? That's just the beginning.
In this bundle of short stories, we have:
1. Sweet guy who's heart has been broken by oh you guessed, it, a cheerleader! (Stuart)
2. The popular guy everyone wants to date who's just so perfect <33 and also really boring (Noah)
3. Average male guy who talks about nothing but sex and girls in bikinis (JP)
4. The effervescent parents who call every ten minutes (Tobin's parents)
5. The girl who's so unique because she has pigs (Tegan)
There's also wonderfully written dialogue:
Having no gathered my thoughts, I was finally able to eloquently articulate my feelings about the matter. "Crap crap crap!"GIVE ME A BREAK.
Offence #4: Let's have an adventure at 3 am because that's what teenagers do!
I know, I know. I've mentioned this before. But dammit, that story pissed me off so much. Best friends secretly in love with each other? Check. Stupid ideas because HOT GIRLS? Check. Dirty talking to a car? ...check.
Offence #5: Stereotyping. Characters introduced only so they can be made fun of
I'm just going to complete this section with a bunch of quotes from the book, because there's really not much I can say.
Could that be why he ate lunch with Nathan Krugle, who was definitely an outsider with his all- Star Trek, all-the-time T-shirt collection?Because obviously, somebody who loves Star Trek is weird. How silly of me to think otherwise.
By making me his girlfriend, he demonstrated his belief in me, and I had picked up on his conviction. I stood straighter. He liked being seen with me; therefore, I liked being seen with me.
I'm sorry, but this book was a cringefest.
December 29, 2020
(3.5 ★’s) Cute snowy disasters and teenage romance :)
Sometimes, snow can be a real pain. A naughty kid causing quite chaos wherever she deems to grace. Ask the occupants of Gracetown—they can tell you all about it; because this year, it’s snowing like it hadn’t in half a century! Buried beneath multiple feet of snow, their cars stuck, trains stranded, roads blocked, the residents of this little town are in for a hell of a time.
Because snow is also magical. Enchanting. A little bit of snow can make all the difference. Burying the real life and all the inconsequential matters under a blanket of white, snow can change the way you see the world. It can make you take a path you never imagined. It can get you stuck and, sometimes, that’s all you need to do—get stuck. Pause, and truly see. Because sometimes, that’s just where you need to be.
You just gotta let it snow.
Which is exactly what this book does. Three interconnected, hilarious, and charming stories about a snowstruck town, starting from one girl and continuing as a chain of reactions, Johnson, Green, and Myracle tell a tale of love, friendship, and the magic of holidays—which can change quite a few lives.
by Maureen Johnson ★★★✯☆
❆ Storyline: One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train, taking a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, starting a story that may be predictable but is no less special in its own sweetness and a great short read to lighten your mood on a tough day.
❆ Storytelling: Precious and sweet right when it needs to be, hilarious the rest of the time, Maureen Johnson’s writing is the reason I handed out 3.5 stars instead of the dreaded and awkward 3. I am content, yes. :)
❆ Characterisation: Perhaps the strongest part of this cute little tale was its characters, being well developed for a small town tale; Debbie (the overly sweet, absurd, mischievous, and inappropriate mother), Rachel (the cutest five-year old that I oh wanna eat), and Jubilee (the crazy protagonist and comedian of the story, with thoughts that gave me so many laugh-aches) each made the story more than paper-thin and paper-frail, gifting it with much needed dimensions.
❆ Relationships: With absolutely adorable and well-handled romance and the sweetest familial bonds, The Jubilee Express did it just right for the holidays.
by John Green ★★★★✯
❆ Storyline: Three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House. And the hash brown spoils. And the hot cheerleaders, of course. You can guess how it turn out...I mean, c’moooon, it’s John Green—does anyone except anything other than touching madness and too much absurd fun? That man can write about the taxonomy of Brachychiton rupestris and I’d still read and love it. And no, that is not the name of an species of aliens. As always, this was an unhinged whirlwind, sprinkled with the warm company of crazy friends in a storm and a hilarious disastrous ride to the Waffle House. Poor Carla the car, you will be remembered.
❆ Storytelling: John is John and he does magic with simple words. He writes the most insane events in such a chill and hilarious manner that is unique in its simplicity. Also, the gem of his writing is his conversations and banter, and while Maureen Johnson spent a lot of time in simple and funny explanation of events, John Green is more a man of action who writes events and dialogue that are laugh-inducing themselves, peppered with absurd exposition.
❆ Characterisation: The three friends (Tobin the protagonist, the Duke, and JP) are easily the best of the whole book, with sidekicks that happen to be just as masterfully managed and developed. Especially the Duke (aka Angie, can we please just appreciate that badass nickname?) and her hilarious, smart, crazy self peppered with the right amount of wisdom who made a mark on my heart of winter, painting the most scandalous figures on the frost dusting its ice.
❆ Relationships: Honestly, I’m lazy and laughing to death and this tells all sooooo ⤵
by Lauren Myracle ★★✯☆☆
❆ Storyline: The fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista sparking a tale...that wasn’t anything special, to be honest. It was cute, unnecessarily dramatic, a little romantic, a lot more of self-exploration. and..fine, really. It attempted so hard to be magical that it was painful when it failed, unfortunately and miserably.
See, I would have skipped the entire last story...were it not for the fact that I am a helplessly curious soul who just had to know what happened to the characters of the two previous stories, discover where the loose threads were going to lead, and who was going to end up bumping into whom. And i will admit the three stories were woven together nicely enough to make me enjoy it; sooooo 2.5/5 is the best I can do sorry. If you’re free for an evening like me and are looking to relax with a fun young adult holiday read, this book will work better than got; and fear not, this last story won’t ruin the fun of the previous ones if you look at it graciously and not too critically.
❆ Storytelling: Lauren Myracle does not have a unique writing, or hilarious storytelling, or addicting turn of events, or anything noteworthy for that matter. But as my goal is to always get the best of each book and make you enjoy it best, too, I will admit that Myracle did have her moments where awwwwwwed and/or burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of this drama.
❆ Characterisation: As the longest of the short stories, The Patron Saint of Pigs did a rather poor job in developing its sidekicks—the author attempted to give them each backstories, meaning, and dimension, but...well...I’m trying too hard to be nice WHY AM I FAILING.
The protagonist, however, had a fantastic character arc (as she should, considering the story was mostly about her changing herself)—in the beginning I was slightly annoyed at being stuck in the perspective of a whiney self-absorbed drama queen, but it was intended as the groundwork of development—and y’all know how I forgive purposeful pains in the arse.
❆ Relationships: In the spirit of positivity, I’d say that—while there wasn’s much to the romance—it was fun reading it run in background to character development for once in a blue moon! Hallelujah.
Companions
Book playlist: Spotify URL
Motion picture adaptation: Released on November 8, 2019, it was fun for a free afternoon, silly and full of heart. The plot line differed a little from the book, and the changes both hurt and helped; for example making Stuart a famous singer was a nice addition to the first story and turning the Tinfoil Man into Tinfoil Woman and giving her more of a role was a great choice, while removing my little Rachel was not. The second story also was not as good as the book.
Also by John Green:
⭒ Turtles All the Way Down ★★★★★
⭒ The Fault in Our Stars ★★★★★
⭒ Looking for Alaska ★★★★★
⭒ Paper Towns ★★★★✯
⭒ An Abundance of Katherine's ★★★★☆
⭒ Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan) ★★★✯☆
⭒ An Imperial Affliction (as Peter Van Houten) ★★★★★
⭒ The Price of Dawn ★★★★☆
“I always had this idea that you should never give up a happy middle in the hopes of a happy ending, because there is no such thing as a happy ending.”
Sometimes, snow can be a real pain. A naughty kid causing quite chaos wherever she deems to grace. Ask the occupants of Gracetown—they can tell you all about it; because this year, it’s snowing like it hadn’t in half a century! Buried beneath multiple feet of snow, their cars stuck, trains stranded, roads blocked, the residents of this little town are in for a hell of a time.
Because snow is also magical. Enchanting. A little bit of snow can make all the difference. Burying the real life and all the inconsequential matters under a blanket of white, snow can change the way you see the world. It can make you take a path you never imagined. It can get you stuck and, sometimes, that’s all you need to do—get stuck. Pause, and truly see. Because sometimes, that’s just where you need to be.
You just gotta let it snow.
Which is exactly what this book does. Three interconnected, hilarious, and charming stories about a snowstruck town, starting from one girl and continuing as a chain of reactions, Johnson, Green, and Myracle tell a tale of love, friendship, and the magic of holidays—which can change quite a few lives.
The Jubilee Express
by Maureen Johnson ★★★✯☆
I felt so alone on that train…a weird, unnatural kind of alone that bore into me. It was feeling just beyond fear and somewhere to the left of sadness.
Tired, but not the kind of tired that sleep fixes.
It was dark and gloomy, and yet, it didn’t seem that things would get any better if the lights were turned up.
❆ Storyline: One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train, taking a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, starting a story that may be predictable but is no less special in its own sweetness and a great short read to lighten your mood on a tough day.
❆ Storytelling: Precious and sweet right when it needs to be, hilarious the rest of the time, Maureen Johnson’s writing is the reason I handed out 3.5 stars instead of the dreaded and awkward 3. I am content, yes. :)
I knew it was beautiful, but knowing something is beautiful and caring about it are two very different things, and I didn’t care.
❆ Characterisation: Perhaps the strongest part of this cute little tale was its characters, being well developed for a small town tale; Debbie (the overly sweet, absurd, mischievous, and inappropriate mother), Rachel (the cutest five-year old that I oh wanna eat), and Jubilee (the crazy protagonist and comedian of the story, with thoughts that gave me so many laugh-aches) each made the story more than paper-thin and paper-frail, gifting it with much needed dimensions.
One person’s crazy is another person’s sane, I guess.
❆ Relationships: With absolutely adorable and well-handled romance and the sweetest familial bonds, The Jubilee Express did it just right for the holidays.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
by John Green ★★★★✯
Something about me has always liked the drama and inconvenience of bad weather. The worse the better, really.
❆ Storyline: Three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House. And the hash brown spoils. And the hot cheerleaders, of course. You can guess how it turn out...I mean, c’moooon, it’s John Green—does anyone except anything other than touching madness and too much absurd fun? That man can write about the taxonomy of Brachychiton rupestris and I’d still read and love it. And no, that is not the name of an species of aliens. As always, this was an unhinged whirlwind, sprinkled with the warm company of crazy friends in a storm and a hilarious disastrous ride to the Waffle House. Poor Carla the car, you will be remembered.
“YESSSSSS! WE JUST DID SUCH AN AWESOME JOB OF NOT DYING!”
❆ Storytelling: John is John and he does magic with simple words. He writes the most insane events in such a chill and hilarious manner that is unique in its simplicity. Also, the gem of his writing is his conversations and banter, and while Maureen Johnson spent a lot of time in simple and funny explanation of events, John Green is more a man of action who writes events and dialogue that are laugh-inducing themselves, peppered with absurd exposition.
I responded to this development with the kind of sophisticated language for which I am famous. “Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid crap.”
❆ Characterisation: The three friends (Tobin the protagonist, the Duke, and JP) are easily the best of the whole book, with sidekicks that happen to be just as masterfully managed and developed. Especially the Duke (aka Angie, can we please just appreciate that badass nickname?) and her hilarious, smart, crazy self peppered with the right amount of wisdom who made a mark on my heart of winter, painting the most scandalous figures on the frost dusting its ice.
Here is one of my main complaints about human consciousness: once you think a thought, it is extremely difficult to unthink it.
❆ Relationships: Honestly, I’m lazy and laughing to death and this tells all sooooo ⤵
Oh, I deep fried for you,
But now I weep ‘n’ cry for you,
Oh, babe, this meal was made for two,
And these hash browns mean nothing, oh these hash browns mean nothing, yeah these HASH BROWNS MEAN NOTHIN’ without you!
The Patron Saint of Pigs
by Lauren Myracle ★★✯☆☆
“Silly girl, it’s not what the universe gives us that matters. It’s what we give the universe.”
❆ Storyline: The fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista sparking a tale...that wasn’t anything special, to be honest. It was cute, unnecessarily dramatic, a little romantic, a lot more of self-exploration. and..fine, really. It attempted so hard to be magical that it was painful when it failed, unfortunately and miserably.
See, I would have skipped the entire last story...were it not for the fact that I am a helplessly curious soul who just had to know what happened to the characters of the two previous stories, discover where the loose threads were going to lead, and who was going to end up bumping into whom. And i will admit the three stories were woven together nicely enough to make me enjoy it; sooooo 2.5/5 is the best I can do sorry. If you’re free for an evening like me and are looking to relax with a fun young adult holiday read, this book will work better than got; and fear not, this last story won’t ruin the fun of the previous ones if you look at it graciously and not too critically.
“Christmas is a state of mind.”
❆ Storytelling: Lauren Myracle does not have a unique writing, or hilarious storytelling, or addicting turn of events, or anything noteworthy for that matter. But as my goal is to always get the best of each book and make you enjoy it best, too, I will admit that Myracle did have her moments where awwwwwwed and/or burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of this drama.
Shouldn’t I have some say over the endless thoughts running through my head?
❆ Characterisation: As the longest of the short stories, The Patron Saint of Pigs did a rather poor job in developing its sidekicks—the author attempted to give them each backstories, meaning, and dimension, but...well...I’m trying too hard to be nice WHY AM I FAILING.
The protagonist, however, had a fantastic character arc (as she should, considering the story was mostly about her changing herself)—in the beginning I was slightly annoyed at being stuck in the perspective of a whiney self-absorbed drama queen, but it was intended as the groundwork of development—and y’all know how I forgive purposeful pains in the arse.
❆ Relationships: In the spirit of positivity, I’d say that—while there wasn’s much to the romance—it was fun reading it run in background to character development for once in a blue moon! Hallelujah.
In the end, I in no way regret picking up Let It Snow and letting it merrily snow on my gloomy day, if only for Johnson: Debbie and Jubilee, the puzzle pieces and coincidences and chain of reactions, and JOHN FREAKING GREEN—that man is a magician.
Companions
Book playlist: Spotify URL
Motion picture adaptation: Released on November 8, 2019, it was fun for a free afternoon, silly and full of heart. The plot line differed a little from the book, and the changes both hurt and helped; for example making Stuart a famous singer was a nice addition to the first story and turning the Tinfoil Man into Tinfoil Woman and giving her more of a role was a great choice, while removing my little Rachel was not. The second story also was not as good as the book.
Audience rating: 46%
Critics rating: 81%
My rating: 65%
Also by John Green:
⭒ Turtles All the Way Down ★★★★★
⭒ The Fault in Our Stars ★★★★★
⭒ Looking for Alaska ★★★★★
⭒ Paper Towns ★★★★✯
⭒ An Abundance of Katherine's ★★★★☆
⭒ Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan) ★★★✯☆
⭒ An Imperial Affliction (as Peter Van Houten) ★★★★★
⭒ The Price of Dawn ★★★★☆
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November 24, 2015
Let it Snow is an anthology of three short stories, all tied together by a thread, written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. This book was a gift from a dear friend.
The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
It’s Christmas Eve and Jubilee Dougal can’t wait to attend the Christmas Party at her boyfriend, Noah’s house. Her perfect boyfriend, her busy boyfriend. There are certain concessions one must make to date the perfect guy, right? She should just be happy to be his girlfriend. But the day didn’t turn out exactly as she had planned. Her parents who were avid collectors of pieces to their Flobie Santa Village collection, which is a Christmas Village display, have been arrested in their attempt to obtain the latest addition to their collection. So Jubilee is put on a train and sent to Florida to spend the holiday with her Grandparents. Only the train didn’t make it. They became stuck in a snow drift in the middle of a blizzard in Gracetown. If that isn’t bad enough, there are fifteen cheerleaders on the train. To escape all the chaos, Jubilee gets off the train and treks across the road to a Waffle House. That’s so much better until the cheerleaders follow her there. She is rescued by a boy her own age that lives nearby named Stuart. Her time with Stuart teaches her so much about herself. And one kiss makes what once was the worst into the best Christmas ever.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
Tobin, and his best friend Angie who he calls The Duke and one other friend, are holed up at Tobin’s house watching James Bond movies. His parents’ flight has been delayed due to the storm and won’t make it back until after Christmas. They are enjoying themselves until they get a call from a friend that works at Waffle House saying that they absolutely have to get there because there is a group of fifteen cheerleaders stuck there for the night. So Tobin and his friends begin a crazy night trying to get to the Waffle House in the blizzard. But along the way, in the midst of all the chaos, he begins to see Angie as something other than one of his buddies. That maybe there was something there all along, he just wasn’t looking. This could just turn out to be one of the best Christmas days he has ever had.
The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Addie is devastated. She has been dating her boyfriend, Jeb for exactly one year on Christmas Eve. But they have been having problems. Their relationship has been struggling. And then Addie did something dumber than dumb. Something she regrets with every fiber of her being. So she begs Jeb to meet her at Starbucks to mend things. But he doesn’t show up. It’s over. He doesn’t want to forgive her. On the day after Christmas when Addie goes to work at Starbucks with one thing she must accomplish that day, pick up her best friend’s new pet, a tea cup pig, she begins a small journey of self-discovery. I loved the ending of this one as the couples from the first two stories are all brought together in a very heartwarming way.
These were three very heart-warming short stories that are sure to make you smile and will warm your heart during this very special holiday season.
The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
It’s Christmas Eve and Jubilee Dougal can’t wait to attend the Christmas Party at her boyfriend, Noah’s house. Her perfect boyfriend, her busy boyfriend. There are certain concessions one must make to date the perfect guy, right? She should just be happy to be his girlfriend. But the day didn’t turn out exactly as she had planned. Her parents who were avid collectors of pieces to their Flobie Santa Village collection, which is a Christmas Village display, have been arrested in their attempt to obtain the latest addition to their collection. So Jubilee is put on a train and sent to Florida to spend the holiday with her Grandparents. Only the train didn’t make it. They became stuck in a snow drift in the middle of a blizzard in Gracetown. If that isn’t bad enough, there are fifteen cheerleaders on the train. To escape all the chaos, Jubilee gets off the train and treks across the road to a Waffle House. That’s so much better until the cheerleaders follow her there. She is rescued by a boy her own age that lives nearby named Stuart. Her time with Stuart teaches her so much about herself. And one kiss makes what once was the worst into the best Christmas ever.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
Tobin, and his best friend Angie who he calls The Duke and one other friend, are holed up at Tobin’s house watching James Bond movies. His parents’ flight has been delayed due to the storm and won’t make it back until after Christmas. They are enjoying themselves until they get a call from a friend that works at Waffle House saying that they absolutely have to get there because there is a group of fifteen cheerleaders stuck there for the night. So Tobin and his friends begin a crazy night trying to get to the Waffle House in the blizzard. But along the way, in the midst of all the chaos, he begins to see Angie as something other than one of his buddies. That maybe there was something there all along, he just wasn’t looking. This could just turn out to be one of the best Christmas days he has ever had.
The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Addie is devastated. She has been dating her boyfriend, Jeb for exactly one year on Christmas Eve. But they have been having problems. Their relationship has been struggling. And then Addie did something dumber than dumb. Something she regrets with every fiber of her being. So she begs Jeb to meet her at Starbucks to mend things. But he doesn’t show up. It’s over. He doesn’t want to forgive her. On the day after Christmas when Addie goes to work at Starbucks with one thing she must accomplish that day, pick up her best friend’s new pet, a tea cup pig, she begins a small journey of self-discovery. I loved the ending of this one as the couples from the first two stories are all brought together in a very heartwarming way.
These were three very heart-warming short stories that are sure to make you smile and will warm your heart during this very special holiday season.
February 13, 2017
Well that was stinkin' adorable
December 6, 2010
This is the perfect book to curl up with when it’s cold and snowing outside. It is one of those reads that just makes you want to snuggle up on your couch, a hot cocoa or tea in hand and enjoy the winterly atmosphere. In fact, the only thing missing for my perfect reading experience was the fireplace ;).
I don’t want to give too much away about the stories themselves because I think it is best to go into this book unprepared and let yourself be surprised. I liked all three stories, but The Jubilee Express and A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle were slightly better than the last one, The Patron Saint of Pigs. I didn’t like the main character too much there. Although the cute teacup pig almost made up for it …
All in all, this short story collection is perfect for you if you are looking for a light and fun Christmas read. The stories are sometimes hilarious, sometimes sweet, slightly crazy, full of lovable characters (and pigs), provide you with a nice Christmas/winter feeling, make you laugh out loud and are just great to get lost in. I'm positive I'll pick this book up again some coming winter.
A few quotes for you to enjoy:
Before I take you into the beating heart of the story, let’s get one thing out of the way. I know from experience that when it comes up later, it will distract you so much that you won’t be able to concentrate on anything else I will tell you. My name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in.
(First page, first fit of laughter. The perfect start.)
I envisioned huge piles of the Elf Hotel flying off the belt, taking down everybody in sight. I had seen pictures of that Elf Hotel - it had sharp candy-cane spires that could easily impale someone. If anyone was ever going to be killed by an Elf Hotel, it would be my parents.
(The whole story surrounding the Flobie Village was beyond hilarious.)
There is nothing about a bad situation that fourteen hyper cheerleaders can't worsen.
(I have never even met one cheerleader. Yet, I can very much imagine this to be true.)
“Your mom calls more than a clingy boyfriend.”
I responded to this development with the kind of sophisticated language for which I am famous. “Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid crap.”
And, not to forget, the teacup pig.
(*sigh* I would really like to have one.)
I don’t want to give too much away about the stories themselves because I think it is best to go into this book unprepared and let yourself be surprised. I liked all three stories, but The Jubilee Express and A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle were slightly better than the last one, The Patron Saint of Pigs. I didn’t like the main character too much there. Although the cute teacup pig almost made up for it …
All in all, this short story collection is perfect for you if you are looking for a light and fun Christmas read. The stories are sometimes hilarious, sometimes sweet, slightly crazy, full of lovable characters (and pigs), provide you with a nice Christmas/winter feeling, make you laugh out loud and are just great to get lost in. I'm positive I'll pick this book up again some coming winter.
A few quotes for you to enjoy:
Before I take you into the beating heart of the story, let’s get one thing out of the way. I know from experience that when it comes up later, it will distract you so much that you won’t be able to concentrate on anything else I will tell you. My name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in.
(First page, first fit of laughter. The perfect start.)
I envisioned huge piles of the Elf Hotel flying off the belt, taking down everybody in sight. I had seen pictures of that Elf Hotel - it had sharp candy-cane spires that could easily impale someone. If anyone was ever going to be killed by an Elf Hotel, it would be my parents.
(The whole story surrounding the Flobie Village was beyond hilarious.)
There is nothing about a bad situation that fourteen hyper cheerleaders can't worsen.
(I have never even met one cheerleader. Yet, I can very much imagine this to be true.)
“Your mom calls more than a clingy boyfriend.”
I responded to this development with the kind of sophisticated language for which I am famous. “Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid crap.”
And, not to forget, the teacup pig.
(*sigh* I would really like to have one.)
December 10, 2012
Sigh. Half of me wants to scream WORST BOOK EVER. UGH. BLEHH. MNEHH. AAARGHHH MY BRAIN IS BLEEDING. The other half is thinking: John Green, you absolute motherfucking genius. You managed to salvage this utter arse-crap. Well. Fucking. Done.
As much as I hate chick-lit [and this is beyond chick-lit. it's like 300 pages of mushy, smoochy, splodge of chick-lit paradise], I read this because...oh fuck it, it's Xmas. I could barely get through the first of the 3 stories. It killed my brain cells, I swear it did. The John Green one was delightful, however. Honestly. I laughed. And the last one was yet another over-cheesy-brain-cell-murder-fest. I did like how it all came together at the end, but I must say that if it wasn't for the festive season [and this being my friend's book], I'd offer it up as a sacrifice to the gods of good literature, and maybe some people who've run out of scrap paper.
The two stars are only for you John Green. If I could, I'd give you more but that would imply I enjoyed the rest of the book, which I most definitely didn't. So there.
As much as I hate chick-lit [and this is beyond chick-lit. it's like 300 pages of mushy, smoochy, splodge of chick-lit paradise], I read this because...oh fuck it, it's Xmas. I could barely get through the first of the 3 stories. It killed my brain cells, I swear it did. The John Green one was delightful, however. Honestly. I laughed. And the last one was yet another over-cheesy-brain-cell-murder-fest. I did like how it all came together at the end, but I must say that if it wasn't for the festive season [and this being my friend's book], I'd offer it up as a sacrifice to the gods of good literature, and maybe some people who've run out of scrap paper.
The two stars are only for you John Green. If I could, I'd give you more but that would imply I enjoyed the rest of the book, which I most definitely didn't. So there.
January 20, 2022
a fun fact about me is that i can make a perfect grilled cheese sandwich anytime i want.
and it's not a static level of deliciousness, either - every time i believe myself to have reached the apex of sandwich art, i blow myself away with a somehow even tastier end result. without fail. i am likely some sort of unsung and unknown renaissance level master, with my work unheeded only because of this world's cruel lack of grilled cheese recognition.
so, when i tell you that i indulged in a years-long quest to read every john green book motivated solely by hate, only retiring before his most recent release because i thought i had perfected the art of not only grilled cheesery but quirky young adult contemporary rant reviews, you may be tempted to call me a bitter, angry person.
but could someone with a heart and soul as small and hard as an apple seed have this much love and light dedicated to sandwiches?
i don't think so.
anyway, this book is bad.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago, but actually i just talk about my life
and it's not a static level of deliciousness, either - every time i believe myself to have reached the apex of sandwich art, i blow myself away with a somehow even tastier end result. without fail. i am likely some sort of unsung and unknown renaissance level master, with my work unheeded only because of this world's cruel lack of grilled cheese recognition.
so, when i tell you that i indulged in a years-long quest to read every john green book motivated solely by hate, only retiring before his most recent release because i thought i had perfected the art of not only grilled cheesery but quirky young adult contemporary rant reviews, you may be tempted to call me a bitter, angry person.
but could someone with a heart and soul as small and hard as an apple seed have this much love and light dedicated to sandwiches?
i don't think so.
anyway, this book is bad.
part of a series i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago, but actually i just talk about my life
January 9, 2023
This was really fun!! 😃 I went in expecting a cute, fluffy little romance collection, and that’s exactly what I got. It was pretty much total fluff, and that’s exactly what I needed!! 🥰🥰
Let it Snow is a collection of 3 holiday romance novellas, written by 3 different authors. Each story is different and follows different characters, but they are all connected in some way. It all starts on a snowy Christmas Eve night, when a train gets stranded in sleepy Gracetown…
◇ The Jubilee Express, by Maureen Johnson ◇
This short story follows Jubilee, whose parents get arrested for an extremely stupid reason on Christmas Eve and so she is shoved on a train to go and stay with her grandparents. However, when the train is stranded in Gracetown and she meets Stuart, a romance blossoms in the most unlikely circumstances…
This story was super fun! 🤩🤩 Honestly, quite a bit of it was totally ridiculous- but in a good way!! 😉😉 The writing was easy to read, it was well-paced and I thought the romance was really cute. Was it instalove-y? … Yes. But since I was expecting that, I really didn’t mind and I definitely liked Jubilee and Stuart as a couple. Probably my favourite of all the short stories! 🥰🥰
3.5/5 ☆
“I may have been a complete lunatic, but I was a complete lunatic with manners.”
◇ A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, by John Green ◇
Describing this one is honestly quite difficult, but I’ll try. When Tobin and his friends get a call from a classmate working at a Waffle House that 14 cheerleaders from a stranded train (the same train Jubilee was on) have congregated there, they quickly abandon all their plans and head over there. But getting through the snow on their way proves more challenging than they thought, and several discoveries will be made on their journey…
This one was okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️ I liked it enough- it was pretty easy to get through and the adventures they got up to in the snow were very fun- but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first novella. Part of this might be the fact that I’m not super into John Green anymore and I don’t enjoy his humour, but I think that it was also bc the story was based around some teenage boys drooling over cheerleaders 🙄🙄 However, it was still fun- I did like the romance and the ending was super sweet! 🥰🥰
3/5 ☆
“We just did an awesome job of not dying.”
◇ The Patron Saint of Pigs, by Lauren Myracle ◇
Describing this one may be even harder than describing the second one, bc it doesn’t have much of a plot tbh. But here goes. This story basically involves our MC, Addie, trying to fix her relationship with her boyfriend, her friend’s new pet pig and believing in ‘the magic of Christmas’. Not much of a description, but, hey, I tried.
Tbh I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one 😬😬 The writing was kinda cringe and the MC, Addie, was sooooo whiny. She literally spent the first few chapters feeling sorry for herself. She did get better at the end, but she still seriously annoyed me 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Also, I feel like this story didn’t really have that much romance…? I mean, it did, but it was basically all in flashbacks, so it was a LOT of telling, rather than showing. Which was annoying ☹☹ However, it wasn’t all bad ig. I liked the ending and the crossover between all the stories that was shown- it was so heartwarming! Oh, and the pet pig!! Honestly the best part of the story 🤩🤩
This was probably my least fav story, sadly 😔😔
2.5/5 ☆
“Sometimes when we forget to do things for others, it's because we're too wrapped up in our own problems.”
Overall, a fun little collection! 😃 If you’re looking for a cute, fluffy holiday book, then I would recommend- as long as you can ignore the instalove!! 😅 Bit sad that I read this AFTER Christmas, but it was still a fun time! 🎄🎄❤❤
~ 3 stars overall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It wasnt amazing, but it was pretty fun and fluffy nonetheless!! I enjoyed reading it 🥰🥰
RTC!
Let it Snow is a collection of 3 holiday romance novellas, written by 3 different authors. Each story is different and follows different characters, but they are all connected in some way. It all starts on a snowy Christmas Eve night, when a train gets stranded in sleepy Gracetown…
◇ The Jubilee Express, by Maureen Johnson ◇
This short story follows Jubilee, whose parents get arrested for an extremely stupid reason on Christmas Eve and so she is shoved on a train to go and stay with her grandparents. However, when the train is stranded in Gracetown and she meets Stuart, a romance blossoms in the most unlikely circumstances…
This story was super fun! 🤩🤩 Honestly, quite a bit of it was totally ridiculous- but in a good way!! 😉😉 The writing was easy to read, it was well-paced and I thought the romance was really cute. Was it instalove-y? … Yes. But since I was expecting that, I really didn’t mind and I definitely liked Jubilee and Stuart as a couple. Probably my favourite of all the short stories! 🥰🥰
3.5/5 ☆
“I may have been a complete lunatic, but I was a complete lunatic with manners.”
◇ A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, by John Green ◇
Describing this one is honestly quite difficult, but I’ll try. When Tobin and his friends get a call from a classmate working at a Waffle House that 14 cheerleaders from a stranded train (the same train Jubilee was on) have congregated there, they quickly abandon all their plans and head over there. But getting through the snow on their way proves more challenging than they thought, and several discoveries will be made on their journey…
This one was okay 🤷♀️🤷♀️ I liked it enough- it was pretty easy to get through and the adventures they got up to in the snow were very fun- but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first novella. Part of this might be the fact that I’m not super into John Green anymore and I don’t enjoy his humour, but I think that it was also bc the story was based around some teenage boys drooling over cheerleaders 🙄🙄 However, it was still fun- I did like the romance and the ending was super sweet! 🥰🥰
3/5 ☆
“We just did an awesome job of not dying.”
◇ The Patron Saint of Pigs, by Lauren Myracle ◇
Describing this one may be even harder than describing the second one, bc it doesn’t have much of a plot tbh. But here goes. This story basically involves our MC, Addie, trying to fix her relationship with her boyfriend, her friend’s new pet pig and believing in ‘the magic of Christmas’. Not much of a description, but, hey, I tried.
Tbh I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one 😬😬 The writing was kinda cringe and the MC, Addie, was sooooo whiny. She literally spent the first few chapters feeling sorry for herself. She did get better at the end, but she still seriously annoyed me 🤦♀️🤦♀️ Also, I feel like this story didn’t really have that much romance…? I mean, it did, but it was basically all in flashbacks, so it was a LOT of telling, rather than showing. Which was annoying ☹☹ However, it wasn’t all bad ig. I liked the ending and the crossover between all the stories that was shown- it was so heartwarming! Oh, and the pet pig!! Honestly the best part of the story 🤩🤩
This was probably my least fav story, sadly 😔😔
2.5/5 ☆
“Sometimes when we forget to do things for others, it's because we're too wrapped up in our own problems.”
Overall, a fun little collection! 😃 If you’re looking for a cute, fluffy holiday book, then I would recommend- as long as you can ignore the instalove!! 😅 Bit sad that I read this AFTER Christmas, but it was still a fun time! 🎄🎄❤❤
~ 3 stars overall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It wasnt amazing, but it was pretty fun and fluffy nonetheless!! I enjoyed reading it 🥰🥰
RTC!
February 25, 2016
“I may have been a complete lunatic, but I was a complete lunatic with manners.”
It was a lot of fun! Liked the character development. I just expected a little more, but I still enjoyed this.
It was a lot of fun! Liked the character development. I just expected a little more, but I still enjoyed this.
December 13, 2020
I’ll admit that I’m a big John Green fan, even though it’s not really cool to be anymore. I read this back in my late teens for the first time and even though it’s definitely a solid three-star book, it’s fun and easy enough that it’s worth a seasonal reread in my opinion.
The general consensus, one I agree with, is that the first story by Maureen Johnson is the strongest in the book. I think it has the strangest main character in Jubilee, and the plot is really fun. There’s a sweet little winter romance that made the entire book worth it for me, frankly.
There isn’t much to say about John Green’s story in this book. All that really sticks out in my memory of it is “ass-hat”. Mr. Green uses that word so much you’d think he coined it himself. However there is his usual band of snarky, pretentious characters and while that’s a turn-off for some, I’m both a fan of snark and pretentiousness. I’m going to pretend this is not because I am both snarky and pretentious. Let's move on.
The last story is Lauren Myracle's, and while it’s the weakest, I still had a lot of fun with it. Our main character is unlikeable, but she does have some character growth by the end, and I don’t really mind an unlikeable lead as long as there’s growth. This is also where I discovered my love of teacup pigs, even though teacup pigs don’t really exist. (Pigs get big. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, loud. Very loud.)
If you’re looking for a cute and fun winter read, give it a shot. I’d be surprised if you walked away with a 5-star rating, but your life certainly won’t be worse for reading it.
The general consensus, one I agree with, is that the first story by Maureen Johnson is the strongest in the book. I think it has the strangest main character in Jubilee, and the plot is really fun. There’s a sweet little winter romance that made the entire book worth it for me, frankly.
There isn’t much to say about John Green’s story in this book. All that really sticks out in my memory of it is “ass-hat”. Mr. Green uses that word so much you’d think he coined it himself. However there is his usual band of snarky, pretentious characters and while that’s a turn-off for some, I’m both a fan of snark and pretentiousness. I’m going to pretend this is not because I am both snarky and pretentious. Let's move on.
The last story is Lauren Myracle's, and while it’s the weakest, I still had a lot of fun with it. Our main character is unlikeable, but she does have some character growth by the end, and I don’t really mind an unlikeable lead as long as there’s growth. This is also where I discovered my love of teacup pigs, even though teacup pigs don’t really exist. (Pigs get big. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Also, loud. Very loud.)
If you’re looking for a cute and fun winter read, give it a shot. I’d be surprised if you walked away with a 5-star rating, but your life certainly won’t be worse for reading it.
December 31, 2016
OUR LAST Buddy Read (5/5) for 2016 and my very first reread with, Praya ♡♡♡
Aaaaaaand, this is my 230th book of the year!!!
I’ve finally reached my
See you in 2017!!! ♡♡♡♡
I’ve always been extremely hesitant to reread books for one very obvious reason; right now, all my fears and worries have come true.
A book that I once thought was adorable, charming, and fluffy enough to rate four stars has now been downgraded to 1.75 stars. This is not because the book has changed and gotten worse over time but because I, as a reader, have changed.
Let’s face it, Fetus May had no standards when it came to books.
Let it Snow contains three stories, each written by a different author and told from the point of view of different characters. This winter-themed-holiday book connects the stories of three separate characters who are all facing separate dilemmas and giving them their happy endings.
. . . But it was so cringey, oh my God.
While the characters had bits and pieces of hilarity, they were not funny, they were more obnoxious than anything.
And I was not amused with the whole cheerleader gig. What do you gain from generalizing cheerleaders as snobby-know-it-all-annoying-dimwits and scorning them because they participate in a specific activity i.e. cheer-leading???? Ugh.
The first story was my favourite but they literally all went downhill from there. I literally just skimmed through the last story cause I was not having any of it.
I’d apologize to the world and younger-version me, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“One person's crazy is another person's sane, I guess.”
1.75 stars!!!
December 23, 2024
Ah yes, my favorite Christmas topics: sexism, racism and classism, with a subgenre of issues that range from bullying to how-to-make-everything-about-you.
Long story short, we weren't woke enough in 2009.
↠ 2.5 stars
Long story short, we weren't woke enough in 2009.
↠ 2.5 stars
December 12, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: https://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
(^^^^You had to know I was going to go there)
I have been able to avoid this ever since it was released because I just knew in my heart of hearts it wasn’t going to be for me. But then I saw the flippin’ Netflix commercial and I’m totally that bitch who has to read the book before she watches the movie so I went ahead and put it on hold in hopes that I could view the film during my Christmas vacay. I don’t really know anything about the movie, except that it features an ensemble cast and takes place during the holiday season. My hopes are that it is something like this . . . .
Or . . .
Or more realistically typical teenage fare such as . . . . .
And yes I’m totally the target demographic for that last movie and that is why it is one of my favorite pick-me-ups.
Before beginning this collection I perused my friends’ ratings to officially lower my expectations and lemme just say that Erin's first line is spot on. I haven’t seen this much product placement since . . . . .
Enjoy these novellas with a venti peppermint mocha frappé and a side order of loaded hash browns!
#1 The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
Kind of sad that I could relate to the parents in this one because I just this year discovered . . . . .
And it’s not too much of a stretch to see me landed in the slammer attempting to acquire a limited edition “Shitter is Full” figurine if only 10 were to ever be released.
Unfortunately, this story featured a real judgey d-bag for the leading lady and all I could think throughout the entire thing was . . . . .
2 Stars
#2 – John Green’s A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle (a/k/a the only reason people would ever by this book)
When Tobin’s parents get stranded at a convention in Boston and the promise of a bevy of cheerleaders and potentially a keg of beer await them at the local Waffle House, he and his friends JP and The Duke load themselves (and a Twister mat) up in old Carla for an epic quest through the snow.
Featuring typical John Green too cool for school types with a tiny little boybearpig of a bestie that you can’t help but love, generation butthurt will find plenty of things to be offended by, but I was raised by John Hughes and this had some of his vibes and was 100% the Christmas Can’t Hardly Wait I was hoping for. I’m most definitely an imbiber of the Green Kool-Aid so I’d give this one 4 Stars.
#3 The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
About Addie – a self-centered buttmunch who wants her boyfriend to change for her because she is so deserving of grand gestures and for her friends to all accept her never being there any time they need her because she's a speshul snowflake and they should automatically treat her like the princess she believes herself to be. Basically . . . .
1 Star
Netflix has not failed me with teenage romcom books turned films as of yet, so I assume I’ll love the movie.
(^^^^You had to know I was going to go there)
I have been able to avoid this ever since it was released because I just knew in my heart of hearts it wasn’t going to be for me. But then I saw the flippin’ Netflix commercial and I’m totally that bitch who has to read the book before she watches the movie so I went ahead and put it on hold in hopes that I could view the film during my Christmas vacay. I don’t really know anything about the movie, except that it features an ensemble cast and takes place during the holiday season. My hopes are that it is something like this . . . .
Or . . .
Or more realistically typical teenage fare such as . . . . .
And yes I’m totally the target demographic for that last movie and that is why it is one of my favorite pick-me-ups.
Before beginning this collection I perused my friends’ ratings to officially lower my expectations and lemme just say that Erin's first line is spot on. I haven’t seen this much product placement since . . . . .
Enjoy these novellas with a venti peppermint mocha frappé and a side order of loaded hash browns!
#1 The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
Kind of sad that I could relate to the parents in this one because I just this year discovered . . . . .
And it’s not too much of a stretch to see me landed in the slammer attempting to acquire a limited edition “Shitter is Full” figurine if only 10 were to ever be released.
Unfortunately, this story featured a real judgey d-bag for the leading lady and all I could think throughout the entire thing was . . . . .
2 Stars
#2 – John Green’s A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle (a/k/a the only reason people would ever by this book)
When Tobin’s parents get stranded at a convention in Boston and the promise of a bevy of cheerleaders and potentially a keg of beer await them at the local Waffle House, he and his friends JP and The Duke load themselves (and a Twister mat) up in old Carla for an epic quest through the snow.
Featuring typical John Green too cool for school types with a tiny little boybearpig of a bestie that you can’t help but love, generation butthurt will find plenty of things to be offended by, but I was raised by John Hughes and this had some of his vibes and was 100% the Christmas Can’t Hardly Wait I was hoping for. I’m most definitely an imbiber of the Green Kool-Aid so I’d give this one 4 Stars.
#3 The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
About Addie – a self-centered buttmunch who wants her boyfriend to change for her because she is so deserving of grand gestures and for her friends to all accept her never being there any time they need her because she's a speshul snowflake and they should automatically treat her like the princess she believes herself to be. Basically . . . .
1 Star
Netflix has not failed me with teenage romcom books turned films as of yet, so I assume I’ll love the movie.
October 26, 2015
LOS RELATOS NO SON LO MÍO. PERO MAUREEN JOHNSON ME HA CONQUISTADO.
¿JOHN GREEN? pf...
Noches blancas es la nueva obra de John Green en español. Son tres relatos que se desarrollan en Navidad, escritos por tres autorxs diferentes y que tienen algo en común. Uno de lxs autorxs es el conocidísimo y famosísimo John Green, razón por la que quise leerlos, y las otras dos autoras son Mauren Johnson, quien también es conocida y tiene una larga carrera en el mundo de las letras; y Lauren Myracle, de la que tengo menos información y a la que ni siquiera conocía cuando comencé a leer los relatos.
Es obvio que Noches Blancas será leído y comprado por John Green. Es el autor que más destaca de lxs tres. Pero sea como sea no me declaro fan incondicional del autor, y de hecho, el relato que más me ha gustado de los tres no ha sido el suyo sino el de Maureen Johnson.
Sin duda cada autor/a tiene una prosa única y un estilo propio. Cada relato es diferente y se diferencia rápidamente la pluma de cada unx. Me ha gustado bastante que sean tan únicxs porque ningún relato se parecía a otro.
De nuevo John Green sigue en su línea, con sus típicos personajes y sus típicas líneas de diálogo que me resultan ya aburridas. Me da la sensación de que no innova y no se sale de sus dinámicas. Además su relato me pareció estar falto de contenido, que no contaba nada especial y que sus personajes no evolucionaban. No me ha convencido para nada y creo que ha sido un relato que ha escrito rápidamente para ser publicado.
El relato que más me ha gustado, y de hecho el único que me ha gustado de verdad, ha sido el de Maureen Johnson. Está bien construido, cuenta una trama, los personajes evolucionan y la autora nos muestra mucho en poco tiempo. Ha sido un relato que me ha entretenido muchísimo, con el que me he echado un par de risas y con el que he pasado un buen rato. Mi favorito.
Sobre Lauren Myracle poco que decir. Su relato ha sido para mí el más flojo de los tres, me ha aburrido bastante y no me ha convencido tampoco.
En general no soy una forofa de los libros de relatos, pero Noches Blancas cuenta con muchos ingredientes que me llamaban la atención. Entre ellos que se ambienta en Navidad que es una fecha que me encanta y sobre la que me encanta leer.
La próxima película basada en un libro de John Green será la de Noches Blancas, para que vayamos apuntándolo en nuestra agenda. Aunque como libro de relatos está algo flojillo, creo que la película será interesante porque la ambientación de la novela lo propiciará. Además los relatos son muy visuales y hay escenarios muy curiosos y escenas que nos darán unas risas en la película.
En resumen, si te gusta John Green disfrutarás de su relato; si te gustan las novelas de relatos, te gustará Noches Blancas; y si sencillamente buscas pasar el rato y sumergirte en una Navidad pasada por nieve, disfrutarás de Noches Blancas.
¿JOHN GREEN? pf...
Noches blancas es la nueva obra de John Green en español. Son tres relatos que se desarrollan en Navidad, escritos por tres autorxs diferentes y que tienen algo en común. Uno de lxs autorxs es el conocidísimo y famosísimo John Green, razón por la que quise leerlos, y las otras dos autoras son Mauren Johnson, quien también es conocida y tiene una larga carrera en el mundo de las letras; y Lauren Myracle, de la que tengo menos información y a la que ni siquiera conocía cuando comencé a leer los relatos.
Es obvio que Noches Blancas será leído y comprado por John Green. Es el autor que más destaca de lxs tres. Pero sea como sea no me declaro fan incondicional del autor, y de hecho, el relato que más me ha gustado de los tres no ha sido el suyo sino el de Maureen Johnson.
Sin duda cada autor/a tiene una prosa única y un estilo propio. Cada relato es diferente y se diferencia rápidamente la pluma de cada unx. Me ha gustado bastante que sean tan únicxs porque ningún relato se parecía a otro.
De nuevo John Green sigue en su línea, con sus típicos personajes y sus típicas líneas de diálogo que me resultan ya aburridas. Me da la sensación de que no innova y no se sale de sus dinámicas. Además su relato me pareció estar falto de contenido, que no contaba nada especial y que sus personajes no evolucionaban. No me ha convencido para nada y creo que ha sido un relato que ha escrito rápidamente para ser publicado.
El relato que más me ha gustado, y de hecho el único que me ha gustado de verdad, ha sido el de Maureen Johnson. Está bien construido, cuenta una trama, los personajes evolucionan y la autora nos muestra mucho en poco tiempo. Ha sido un relato que me ha entretenido muchísimo, con el que me he echado un par de risas y con el que he pasado un buen rato. Mi favorito.
Sobre Lauren Myracle poco que decir. Su relato ha sido para mí el más flojo de los tres, me ha aburrido bastante y no me ha convencido tampoco.
En general no soy una forofa de los libros de relatos, pero Noches Blancas cuenta con muchos ingredientes que me llamaban la atención. Entre ellos que se ambienta en Navidad que es una fecha que me encanta y sobre la que me encanta leer.
La próxima película basada en un libro de John Green será la de Noches Blancas, para que vayamos apuntándolo en nuestra agenda. Aunque como libro de relatos está algo flojillo, creo que la película será interesante porque la ambientación de la novela lo propiciará. Además los relatos son muy visuales y hay escenarios muy curiosos y escenas que nos darán unas risas en la película.
En resumen, si te gusta John Green disfrutarás de su relato; si te gustan las novelas de relatos, te gustará Noches Blancas; y si sencillamente buscas pasar el rato y sumergirte en una Navidad pasada por nieve, disfrutarás de Noches Blancas.
December 17, 2013
This is so super cute!!!
I love all of the stories and it's great how they all come together in the end!! Such a perfect Christmas book :D
I love all of the stories and it's great how they all come together in the end!! Such a perfect Christmas book :D
December 21, 2020
December this year in Canada has been mainly "let's give you negative-twenty degree weather, except no snow to show for it", and frankly I miss the blizzards during holidays. Let it Snow was a nice escape to some winter romance, and has me hoping there'll be more snow before Christmas.
Three short stories written by three different authors; I had a feeling some would be better than others. Sadly the stories were in my opinion ordered from best to worst, which had my interest dwindling slightly by the end. Things started off really well with Maureen Johnson’s addition. Jubilee was a fun protagonist to follow, and I found her romantic pairing really sweet. John Green’s was bordering on mediocre in terms of prose, though the characters and romance were enough for me to enjoy it.
Lauren Myracle’s addition wasn’t very memorable or interesting. I resented the protagonists attitude, which was unfortunate considering this was the longest story.
Despite some complaints, I do think Let it Snow is a nice winter read. The atmosphere captures the holiday season well, and got me excited for this week’s festivities! It was a quick story to get through that delivered what it advertised.
Three short stories written by three different authors; I had a feeling some would be better than others. Sadly the stories were in my opinion ordered from best to worst, which had my interest dwindling slightly by the end. Things started off really well with Maureen Johnson’s addition. Jubilee was a fun protagonist to follow, and I found her romantic pairing really sweet. John Green’s was bordering on mediocre in terms of prose, though the characters and romance were enough for me to enjoy it.
Lauren Myracle’s addition wasn’t very memorable or interesting. I resented the protagonists attitude, which was unfortunate considering this was the longest story.
Despite some complaints, I do think Let it Snow is a nice winter read. The atmosphere captures the holiday season well, and got me excited for this week’s festivities! It was a quick story to get through that delivered what it advertised.
July 18, 2013
Pretty much what you'd expect. Light, fun, festive. Had the feel of an ABC Family made-for-tv holiday special (which I love!), but funnier. And quirkier. Because John Green and Maureen Johnson are funny and quirky and their styles and characters fit together so naturally. While I like Myracle just fine, she feels like the third wheel in this collection of interconnected stories and leaving her to pen the final story and tie everything together was Let It Snow's major flaw. It was nice to see all the characters from all three stories come together, but I'm betting this would be a stronger read had the order of storytelling had been reversed.
The appearance of Johnson and Green's characters throughout Myracle's story were the only parts of "Patron Saint of Pigs" that I didn't mind... but even those made me moan a little. Under Myracle's control, characters I liked and that, when written by Johnson and Green seem like actual people, sounded like bad acting. They just didn't feel authentic anymore. That was disappointing because I very much like her series of Winnie books, but these more mature characters still sounded and behaved like the tweens of Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen. I cringed reading the shallow, meaningless things Addie had to say about Stuart (one of Johnson's characters) being Jewish. Her characters were just a bit... lame.
Anyway, I'm getting caught in the negatives (which is what happens when end on the wrong note, Penguin!), but overall this is a sweet, enjoyable book. Johnson and Green are standout authors in their genre. They write characters that sound like people I know and want to hang out with. Johnson, in particular, was laugh out loud funny even and Green made something really fun happen with a car for the third time (or possibly fourth, but I haven't read Looking for Alaska , so I don't know). Bravo! I'll be singing it's praises to teens the city over this winter.
The appearance of Johnson and Green's characters throughout Myracle's story were the only parts of "Patron Saint of Pigs" that I didn't mind... but even those made me moan a little. Under Myracle's control, characters I liked and that, when written by Johnson and Green seem like actual people, sounded like bad acting. They just didn't feel authentic anymore. That was disappointing because I very much like her series of Winnie books, but these more mature characters still sounded and behaved like the tweens of Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen. I cringed reading the shallow, meaningless things Addie had to say about Stuart (one of Johnson's characters) being Jewish. Her characters were just a bit... lame.
Anyway, I'm getting caught in the negatives (which is what happens when end on the wrong note, Penguin!), but overall this is a sweet, enjoyable book. Johnson and Green are standout authors in their genre. They write characters that sound like people I know and want to hang out with. Johnson, in particular, was laugh out loud funny even and Green made something really fun happen with a car for the third time (or possibly fourth, but I haven't read Looking for Alaska , so I don't know). Bravo! I'll be singing it's praises to teens the city over this winter.
March 4, 2021
1.5 stars for the first story while the 2nd and 3rd - 🤢🥱
i expected a 'cute' romance instead i got a trashy one.
i wanted a 'cozy' winter read (last December) but this was uncomfortable for all the stereotyping.
i didn't care about the characters and their problematic lives at all.
-_-_-_-_-_-
and...
"what was the difference between the movie and the book?"
ooh nice question. a LOT was different but the similarity they shared was - they both SUCK 🙂 (the only thing i liked about the movie was jacob batalon though lol)
i expected a 'cute' romance instead i got a trashy one.
i wanted a 'cozy' winter read (last December) but this was uncomfortable for all the stereotyping.
i didn't care about the characters and their problematic lives at all.
-_-_-_-_-_-
and...
"what was the difference between the movie and the book?"
ooh nice question. a LOT was different but the similarity they shared was - they both SUCK 🙂 (the only thing i liked about the movie was jacob batalon though lol)
March 5, 2017
(ca. 2009/03/23:) Three snowy stories by different authors melted into a satisfying whole. Yes, I think, I like it! I have finished the first story "Jubilee Line" by Maureen Johnson (great style, by the way. Funny, a little crazy, a little romantic.) and started the second one, "Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" by John Green. After a few pages I thought: "Wait, another Waffle House in the middle of nowhere? These guys know a heartbroken boy named Stuart Weintraub? Ha, this is the protagonist from story one!" The stories are set at the same time: Christmas Eve - meaning, that possibly all three plots are happening simultaneously and touch here and there - although they have been written by different people. I simply love the idea and look forward to find out, who the last main character (story by Lauen Myracle) will be (maybe gentle Jeb with his broken mobile phone lost in a snow storm?) and how things will work out in the Waffle House in Gracetown.
P.S. (2009/03/25): I was right. The third story is about Jeb and Addie and contains an end that ties all loose strands. I liked the first story best, though.
P.S. (2010/12/04): I had a perfect snuggle-up time rereading "Let it Snow" with snow falling gracefully outside. I will reread it again some future winter. A teacup pig belongs into the category "pets-that-even-Olivia-finds-somewhat-cute" which contains squirrels and seahorses and cats when they are youngish.
2014/12/29: Also the second re-read has been a both entertaining and ronantically heart-warming experience with a dusting of awe because the three narrations fit so seamlessly together without losing their individual flavor. I can tell that the book and I will meet again.
P.S. (2009/03/25): I was right. The third story is about Jeb and Addie and contains an end that ties all loose strands. I liked the first story best, though.
P.S. (2010/12/04): I had a perfect snuggle-up time rereading "Let it Snow" with snow falling gracefully outside. I will reread it again some future winter. A teacup pig belongs into the category "pets-that-even-Olivia-finds-somewhat-cute" which contains squirrels and seahorses and cats when they are youngish.
2014/12/29: Also the second re-read has been a both entertaining and ronantically heart-warming experience with a dusting of awe because the three narrations fit so seamlessly together without losing their individual flavor. I can tell that the book and I will meet again.
November 14, 2019
3.5 stars.
Let It Snow is a trio of somewhat-interconnected short stories about the highs and lows of love against the backdrop of a massive snowstorm.
In Maureen Johnson’s "The Jubilee Express," a girl’s holiday plans are derailed again and again. First, her parents are thrown in jail unexpectedly, then her train to Florida gets stuck in the copious snow, and she escapes the chaos of the train by heading to a Waffle House for refuge, where she meets a young man with his own troubles. But as if all Jubilee experienced wasn't enough, she must deal with the apparent disinterest of her seemingly perfect boyfriend, which she doesn't quite understand. It makes for quite a holiday!
John Green’s "A Cheertastic Christmas," told with Green’s trademark these-characters-are-more-erudite-than-me style, follows a group of friends trying to get to a Waffle House in the midst of the storm because of the unexpected appearance of a troop of cheerleaders seeking escape from their train. (This appeals to two of the three friends.) However, their mission to make it to the Waffle House before other invited males is foiled by the elements, their rivals, and the changing dynamics in their group of three.
In "The Patron Saint of Pigs," Lauren Myracle tells the story of Addie, a girl despondent about the end of her relationship (her fault). But the thing is, Addie could use a serious lesson in putting the needs of others first. It takes a strange customer and a teacup pig to help her find her way.
I don’t tend to read a ton of holiday books but this book (and these authors) really tempted me. Johnson’s story is the most straightforward and is therefore my favorite. Green’s is truly madcap and funny, and I really do love the way he writes even if his characters are funnier than nearly every adult I know, but there is only so much zaniness I can take in a story. It's literally a caper.
Myracle’s story had too many disparate parts that didn’t quite come together for me, and I felt as if everyone was trying too hard. It was an interesting concept but at one point there were so many characters in the story that I was quite confused.
Let It Snow was a very quick, fun read and it definitely put me in the spirit of the holidays, even if I’m hoping the "wintry mix" forecast for early next week here passes us by. They've also adapted the book into a Netflix movie which premieres November 8.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Let It Snow is a trio of somewhat-interconnected short stories about the highs and lows of love against the backdrop of a massive snowstorm.
In Maureen Johnson’s "The Jubilee Express," a girl’s holiday plans are derailed again and again. First, her parents are thrown in jail unexpectedly, then her train to Florida gets stuck in the copious snow, and she escapes the chaos of the train by heading to a Waffle House for refuge, where she meets a young man with his own troubles. But as if all Jubilee experienced wasn't enough, she must deal with the apparent disinterest of her seemingly perfect boyfriend, which she doesn't quite understand. It makes for quite a holiday!
John Green’s "A Cheertastic Christmas," told with Green’s trademark these-characters-are-more-erudite-than-me style, follows a group of friends trying to get to a Waffle House in the midst of the storm because of the unexpected appearance of a troop of cheerleaders seeking escape from their train. (This appeals to two of the three friends.) However, their mission to make it to the Waffle House before other invited males is foiled by the elements, their rivals, and the changing dynamics in their group of three.
In "The Patron Saint of Pigs," Lauren Myracle tells the story of Addie, a girl despondent about the end of her relationship (her fault). But the thing is, Addie could use a serious lesson in putting the needs of others first. It takes a strange customer and a teacup pig to help her find her way.
I don’t tend to read a ton of holiday books but this book (and these authors) really tempted me. Johnson’s story is the most straightforward and is therefore my favorite. Green’s is truly madcap and funny, and I really do love the way he writes even if his characters are funnier than nearly every adult I know, but there is only so much zaniness I can take in a story. It's literally a caper.
Myracle’s story had too many disparate parts that didn’t quite come together for me, and I felt as if everyone was trying too hard. It was an interesting concept but at one point there were so many characters in the story that I was quite confused.
Let It Snow was a very quick, fun read and it definitely put me in the spirit of the holidays, even if I’m hoping the "wintry mix" forecast for early next week here passes us by. They've also adapted the book into a Netflix movie which premieres November 8.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
December 13, 2019
4th re-read December 12, 2019: 2 stars
well this didn't age well
3rd re-read December 24, 2015: 4 stars
This will always be one of my all-time favorites, because I just love going back to these three short stories and seeing as all of them develop and then they wrap up in the end. I think this is one of my favorite endings from all of the books I've read since I was somewhat expecting all of the characters to meet at some point in the book towards the end, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it was going to wrap up so beautifully and I'm just so happy I waited till Christmas to read this book because it's totally perfect to read on a winter night eating some freshly baked cookies and just overall having a really chill time.
This book's spine is reaaally used I mean I was so engrossed in this book I twisted and turned it so much I feel so sorry for it, but I was so enthralled I didn't even know what was going on around me! I wasn't conscious when I did this to me book, because I was so into the story I was seeing myself living the story on my own body.
I think that these three authors made a splendid job in this co-authored book and i wish they'd do more! It came out even better than the one John Green did with David Levithan (Will Grayson, Will Grayson) and I didn't think I'd love co-authored books as much as I do!
2nd re-read December 20, 2012: 5 stars
LET IT SNOW FOR THE WIN!!
well this didn't age well
3rd re-read December 24, 2015: 4 stars
This will always be one of my all-time favorites, because I just love going back to these three short stories and seeing as all of them develop and then they wrap up in the end. I think this is one of my favorite endings from all of the books I've read since I was somewhat expecting all of the characters to meet at some point in the book towards the end, but never in my wildest dreams did I think it was going to wrap up so beautifully and I'm just so happy I waited till Christmas to read this book because it's totally perfect to read on a winter night eating some freshly baked cookies and just overall having a really chill time.
This book's spine is reaaally used I mean I was so engrossed in this book I twisted and turned it so much I feel so sorry for it, but I was so enthralled I didn't even know what was going on around me! I wasn't conscious when I did this to me book, because I was so into the story I was seeing myself living the story on my own body.
I think that these three authors made a splendid job in this co-authored book and i wish they'd do more! It came out even better than the one John Green did with David Levithan (Will Grayson, Will Grayson) and I didn't think I'd love co-authored books as much as I do!
2nd re-read December 20, 2012: 5 stars
LET IT SNOW FOR THE WIN!!
December 23, 2015
Very cute. The first story was definitely my favourite!
December 13, 2017
Three of today's top YA authors have written intertwining novellas set on Christmas in a small town in North Carolina. A Waffle House figures big, and so does Starbucks, a train, a blizzard, and a teacup pig. I can't say any more without ruining things, but this book is a Christmas gift in itself: funny and well-written, not to mention romantic, all three are equally strong!
Reread, Christmas 2012: Love this book every time! I think The Jubilee Express might be my favorite, by a narrow margin.
Reread, Christmas 2013: I want a teacup pig.
Reread, Christmas 2014: Really starting to wonder how this was written. Did they brainstorm it together? Did Maureen write her story, send it to John, who sent them to Lauren? Very curious.
Reread, Christmas 2017: Totally assuming that Maureen wrote her story, then passed it to John, who added his part, who passed it to Lauren, who finished it off. Each story is unique, and yet they are seamless at the same time.
Reread, Christmas 2012: Love this book every time! I think The Jubilee Express might be my favorite, by a narrow margin.
Reread, Christmas 2013: I want a teacup pig.
Reread, Christmas 2014: Really starting to wonder how this was written. Did they brainstorm it together? Did Maureen write her story, send it to John, who sent them to Lauren? Very curious.
Reread, Christmas 2017: Totally assuming that Maureen wrote her story, then passed it to John, who added his part, who passed it to Lauren, who finished it off. Each story is unique, and yet they are seamless at the same time.
December 24, 2014
1) Too much girl hate. 2) Writing was decent but nothing special. 3) I guess this book was so over hyped that I went in with too high of expectations because none of the short stories were as good as I thought they were going to be.
August 9, 2013
This book, even though it is categorized as one book (singular) it should really be categorized as three books (plural) because although the stories within the book are interrelated, the writing-style and general plot of each story is unique and each could stand on its own. It only seems fitting to write three mini-reviews.
Note: the review may get rather long and unwieldy. I apologize in advance.
Section 1:
The Jubilee Express
3.7 stars
Just a little taste of chapter one beforehand…
..my name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in.
See, when you get it up front, it’s not that bad. Now imagine I was halfway through some long story (like I’m about to be), and I dropped that one on you. “By the way, my name is Jubilee.” You wouldn’t know what to do next.
And so on. In this 117 page story, you find likable, interesting, real characters submerged into a plot that is sweet, funny, cheesy, just a little cliché, yet totally likable.
Sweet, funny, cheesy, likable. Those four words sum up the first story quite nicely.
What I liked about this story was how it flowed. Nothing seemed too out of place, and the ironic, extreme scenes didn’t seem too ironic or extreme until I thought it through after I finished the book.
Too think back on it now, another word that would nicely sum up parts of the book is ridiculous (but in a good way).
Oh, just a little hint: Jubilee doesn’t hook up with the totally gorgeous guy who happens to sit next to her on the train. In fact, that totally gorgeous guy has a girlfriend who turns up later in the book. But more on that later.
Moving on…
Section 2:
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
4.5 Stars
First of all, I love you John Green. Thank you, thank you, thank you for simply existing. No pressure, but I’m counting on a new book coming out within the next year and surpassing the brilliance of The Fault in our Stars. Again, no pressure.
Let’s get a taste of what the beginning of this story is like.
“Tobin,” Mom said disapprovingly. She wasn’t a particularly funny person. It suited her professionally- I mean, you don’t want your cancer surgeon to walk into the examination room and be like, “Guy walks into a bar. Bartender says, ‘What’ll you have?’ And the guy says, ‘Whaddya got?’And the bartender says, ‘I don’t know what I got, but I know what you got: Stage IV melanoma.’”
So what words sum up this book? I’m thinking something along the lines of John Greenish. If you have already read a book by John Green, you know what to expect. Witty, lovable, comical, adventurous, sweet books that are realistic in ways that even words can’t sum up (purely a personal opinion, but when it comes to John Green I can’t help but gush).
It wasn’t John Green’s best, but the characters, the minor yet still interesting plot, and the humor scattered throughout was brilliant, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Note: it would’ve gotten a four stars except the main character mentioned The Book Thief as one of his favorite books on p. 192 and that bumped it up by .5 stars
Section 3:
The Patron Saint of Pigs
1.3 Stars
Oh dear. Okay, I’m really going to try not to curse in this review because it’s not professional.
But…
This story is complete waste of time and paper.
I will not insult or name-call the author, because I do not know her, but I feel I have the right to complain about the story.
Again, let’s have a little taste of the beginning, shall we?
“You’ve been on the phone with either Dorrie or Tegan pretty much twenty-four/seven.”
“You’ve been listening to my calls?” I cried. “You eavesdropped on your own daughter?!”
“It’s hardly ‘eavesdropping’ if you have no choice.”
I gaped at her. She pretended to be so motherly in her Christmas apron, making Cherries Jubilee from an old family recipe, when really she was… she was…
Well, I didn’t know what she was, just that it was wrong and bad and evil to listen in on other people’s conversations.
“And don’t say ‘twenty four/seven,’” I said. “You’re too old to say ‘twenty-four/seven.’”
And…so on.
Gosh, I really hated this story.
My main problemos:
1) The main character. Addie. The story is from her perspective and there couldn’t be a more shallow, narrow-minded, annoying, bitchy character in existence. Oh, and remember the totally gorgeous guy at the beginning of the review? He’s her boyfriend. I feel so sorry for him. But then again, he’s an idiot for liking her in the first place, so my sorrow isn’t THAT deep.
2) The story makes it seem okay to cheat on someone if you apologize profusely and feel sorry for yourself afterwards. The main character makes a bunch of excuses why kissing someone that was not her significant other is okay, and the infuriating thing is that her boyfriend seems to buy it. Okay, so forgiveness is a virtue but getting back together with one who cheated on you is taking it too far.
3) The characters that were realistic and likable in the other two stories become warped and not so likable and realistic in this story.
So where does the 1.3 stars come in? The one star was basically a pity star while the .3 star is from the fact the author didn’t TOTALLY mess up the other characters John and Maureen made so perfectly flawed.
Overall?
3.17 Stars.
If you want an enjoyable experience, I suggest you skip the last story altogether.
Thank you for bearing with this long, unwieldy review to the end.
That is all.
Note: the review may get rather long and unwieldy. I apologize in advance.
Section 1:
The Jubilee Express
3.7 stars
Just a little taste of chapter one beforehand…
..my name is Jubilee Dougal. Take a moment and let it sink in.
See, when you get it up front, it’s not that bad. Now imagine I was halfway through some long story (like I’m about to be), and I dropped that one on you. “By the way, my name is Jubilee.” You wouldn’t know what to do next.
And so on. In this 117 page story, you find likable, interesting, real characters submerged into a plot that is sweet, funny, cheesy, just a little cliché, yet totally likable.
Sweet, funny, cheesy, likable. Those four words sum up the first story quite nicely.
What I liked about this story was how it flowed. Nothing seemed too out of place, and the ironic, extreme scenes didn’t seem too ironic or extreme until I thought it through after I finished the book.
Too think back on it now, another word that would nicely sum up parts of the book is ridiculous (but in a good way).
Oh, just a little hint: Jubilee doesn’t hook up with the totally gorgeous guy who happens to sit next to her on the train. In fact, that totally gorgeous guy has a girlfriend who turns up later in the book. But more on that later.
Moving on…
Section 2:
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
4.5 Stars
First of all, I love you John Green. Thank you, thank you, thank you for simply existing. No pressure, but I’m counting on a new book coming out within the next year and surpassing the brilliance of The Fault in our Stars. Again, no pressure.
Let’s get a taste of what the beginning of this story is like.
“Tobin,” Mom said disapprovingly. She wasn’t a particularly funny person. It suited her professionally- I mean, you don’t want your cancer surgeon to walk into the examination room and be like, “Guy walks into a bar. Bartender says, ‘What’ll you have?’ And the guy says, ‘Whaddya got?’And the bartender says, ‘I don’t know what I got, but I know what you got: Stage IV melanoma.’”
So what words sum up this book? I’m thinking something along the lines of John Greenish. If you have already read a book by John Green, you know what to expect. Witty, lovable, comical, adventurous, sweet books that are realistic in ways that even words can’t sum up (purely a personal opinion, but when it comes to John Green I can’t help but gush).
It wasn’t John Green’s best, but the characters, the minor yet still interesting plot, and the humor scattered throughout was brilliant, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Note: it would’ve gotten a four stars except the main character mentioned The Book Thief as one of his favorite books on p. 192 and that bumped it up by .5 stars
Section 3:
The Patron Saint of Pigs
1.3 Stars
Oh dear. Okay, I’m really going to try not to curse in this review because it’s not professional.
But…
This story is complete waste of time and paper.
I will not insult or name-call the author, because I do not know her, but I feel I have the right to complain about the story.
Again, let’s have a little taste of the beginning, shall we?
“You’ve been on the phone with either Dorrie or Tegan pretty much twenty-four/seven.”
“You’ve been listening to my calls?” I cried. “You eavesdropped on your own daughter?!”
“It’s hardly ‘eavesdropping’ if you have no choice.”
I gaped at her. She pretended to be so motherly in her Christmas apron, making Cherries Jubilee from an old family recipe, when really she was… she was…
Well, I didn’t know what she was, just that it was wrong and bad and evil to listen in on other people’s conversations.
“And don’t say ‘twenty four/seven,’” I said. “You’re too old to say ‘twenty-four/seven.’”
And…so on.
Gosh, I really hated this story.
My main problemos:
1) The main character. Addie. The story is from her perspective and there couldn’t be a more shallow, narrow-minded, annoying, bitchy character in existence. Oh, and remember the totally gorgeous guy at the beginning of the review? He’s her boyfriend. I feel so sorry for him. But then again, he’s an idiot for liking her in the first place, so my sorrow isn’t THAT deep.
2) The story makes it seem okay to cheat on someone if you apologize profusely and feel sorry for yourself afterwards. The main character makes a bunch of excuses why kissing someone that was not her significant other is okay, and the infuriating thing is that her boyfriend seems to buy it. Okay, so forgiveness is a virtue but getting back together with one who cheated on you is taking it too far.
3) The characters that were realistic and likable in the other two stories become warped and not so likable and realistic in this story.
So where does the 1.3 stars come in? The one star was basically a pity star while the .3 star is from the fact the author didn’t TOTALLY mess up the other characters John and Maureen made so perfectly flawed.
Overall?
3.17 Stars.
If you want an enjoyable experience, I suggest you skip the last story altogether.
Thank you for bearing with this long, unwieldy review to the end.
That is all.
December 27, 2014
To be fair, these three stories should be rated separately.
The Jubilee Express 4.5 ⭐️'s - A fun and quirky read with very like able characters.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle 4 ⭐️'s - I expected to like John Green's story the best because well, he's John Green! I loved how adventurous this story was but it came off a little forced and the characters annoying at times.
The Patron Saint of Pigs 2 ⭐️'s - I found myself mostly skimming through this one because the main character was whiny and self absorbed and was constantly being told so by other characters. Her friends were also equally annoying. The only thing I liked about this story was how all three of the stories came together at the end.
The Jubilee Express 4.5 ⭐️'s - A fun and quirky read with very like able characters.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle 4 ⭐️'s - I expected to like John Green's story the best because well, he's John Green! I loved how adventurous this story was but it came off a little forced and the characters annoying at times.
The Patron Saint of Pigs 2 ⭐️'s - I found myself mostly skimming through this one because the main character was whiny and self absorbed and was constantly being told so by other characters. Her friends were also equally annoying. The only thing I liked about this story was how all three of the stories came together at the end.
April 18, 2017
Did not finishing this at 34% meaning I just read the first story and hated it so much I had to stop. I'm terrified of what I'm going to find in the next two stories and, for now, I'm not seeing myself finishing this any time soon... if ever.
The Jubilee Express: 1/5 stars. So awful, Jubilee was a horrible character in my opinion, she's EXTREMELY judgmental but at the same time she swears she's not. Honey, you are NOT an special little cookie just because you're not a cheerleader, okay? Just... no. The story got really boring, too.
The Jubilee Express: 1/5 stars. So awful, Jubilee was a horrible character in my opinion, she's EXTREMELY judgmental but at the same time she swears she's not. Honey, you are NOT an special little cookie just because you're not a cheerleader, okay? Just... no. The story got really boring, too.
November 10, 2019
What a pile of drivel.
I want my money back.
Before I begin this review, I'd like to thank (and apologise) to Hayley and Emer for putting up with my rants about this for the last couple of days.
This book is so offensive. I genuinely could not believe some of the stuff I read.
Slut Shaming! Yay! Because why mind your own business when you can constantly shame others??
This book shamed women in pretty much every way imaginable, one way in which is that it engaged in slut shaming. Whether it was engaging in stereotypes such as: hot cheerleaders are just there to serve your sexual fantasies, as they are nothing more than a dumb, walking sexual object to be admired and then participating in creating those "you're not like other girls" characters. Ugh.
There were many instances that really, really irked me and I found so incredibly offensive. Here's an example:
I just . . . what in the heck? For one, this is a disgusting comment anyways. Like???? Legs: always open???? What sort of slut shaming shit is this?? Like this was not meant as a compliment in any sort of way. It was a snide comment made at the expense of Lindsay Lohan (I genuinely can't believe the book named her) who the media has branded as this party animal, wild child, promiscuous woman...
This just adds to that narrative.
It adds to the narrative that women confident in their bodies are slutty.
It contributes to the discourse that women lose value when they've enjoyed sex.
It tells girls that their bodies are not their own and they are something to be gawked at, judged.
It's a lie.
And it's gross.
You're not like those other girls. You're an actual HUMAN BEING.
Oh, hello misogyny. Hello John Green.
Let's meet Duke. She is our special, not-like-other-girls type of girl. Do you know how I know this? Because not only is it in her characterisation (tomboy, but just the right amount of girly and pretty, but also not enough to be seen as a weak girl, because you know, she is one of the lads really) but JP HAS TO REMIND US EVERY TWO SECONDS THAT DUKE IS NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS.
I shit you not, an actual line from this novel (drivel) is:
WELL WHAT ARE THE REST OF US, JP? JOHN GREEN, YOU MASTER OF WRITINGS FEMALES, PLEASE TELL ME?
Such lazy, lazy writing. Duke does not feel like a complex character. She doesn't feel well written. If you're having to use one of your other characters to convince us, the audience, of how amazing, how special, how unique she is, then, and stay with me for this one, maybe you should invest more time on developing said character.
Maybe it's not just lazy writing though. Maybe it is just misogyny. Maybe just a bit of both. Either way, thanks for insulting my gender, John Green. Really appreciate it.
Here is just one example of Duke not being like other girls:
There is so much wrong with this. Time for a list.
- Let's not joke about anorexia. 'Prefer food to anorexia'. Yes, and I'm sure people who have anorexia would probably prefer not to have it, so let's not frame it as a) a joke b) like it's not a serious eating and mental health disorder.
- Referring to the point above, it's genuinely so sad and disgusting how normalised anorexia, dieting culture, etc has become in our society. And it is comments like this that add to the normalisation of it. This is serious and joking about how the majority of all these other girls who aren't the completely unique Duke have it is so harmful.
- There's a lot wrong with the construction of celebrity magazines but thats a larger, wider issue of gossip magazines etc. But in this case, maybe not shame girls for enjoying reading magazines???? Can we not like anything?
- As the point above, WATCH WHAT TV YOU WANT TO WATCH. I do not understand???? Why is it only girls associated with these things and why is it bad? Stop feeding the negative connotations of these things being shallow. THEY ARE ENTERTAINMENT.
- Oh yes. The I hate pink comment. I guess this one is personal to me (although, as a woman, all of these are) because I always hated pink as a kid. I used to not want to like it, wear it, be seen as loving it because it was *girly* and *girly* meant being *weak* and I had to be a *tomboy*. When you know what?? I can like pink, like action movies, enjoy watching my *girly* tv shows and WHO GIVES A SHIT? I can't. Moving on.
Duke's characterisation is just so, so harmful in so many ways.
- It tells all the girls who aren't like her, that they suck - and are they really a person? Or just a dumb girl? This is telling them that they shouldn't be like other girls. Because other girls are awful. Instead of praising them for being great just how they are
- There's nothing wrong with the things Duke likes. Action movies? Cool? Not dressing in what would be considered feminine clothing? Cool. I don't disagree that girls can't like the same things as Duke. I just don't think Duke's character does her, or the things she likes justice, or the people who like different things any favours either.
- It just ultimately feels like one big giant tear down of everything women like. And I don't want to tear down the things Duke is said to have liked, say, action films, because yes, girls do like them. But it feels like if they do, they can't be a female, and if they don't, well then they're dumb girl...
And that's what's not okay.
ME, MACHO CAVEMAN. Ah!! Rape culture
LOOK AT ALL THAT PROBLEMATIC LANGUAGE.
Ah yes, let's equate women to being your prey.
Yes, let's sit and watch one.
Yes, let's wait for her to break off from the rest off the "pack".
Ah yes, she's away from her friends at the moment, so this is when she's at her weakest, most vulnerable...
So let's go approach her.
After watching her.
Waiting for her.
Then approach her.
Because that's not creepy at all, is it?
The power dynamics in play here. He references himself with all the power, he's the mighty lion, with a cunning strategy, waiting for her, the softer gazelle, to leave the safety of her pack to pounce...to attack.
It's horrifying.
And this is just...accepted?
This is not OKAY.
This is NOT ROMANTIC.
THIS IS CREEPY AND RAPEY AND LEAVE GIRLS ALONE.
Why only be sexist & creepy, when you can be even more of an ignorant wanker??
Oh yes, let's use slurs. There's a broad conversation to be had about slurs in fiction, and whether they belong there. Are they unnecessary? Is it okay when they fit in to the storyline and a narrative in a way that's not exploitative or doing it gratuitously?
It's safe to say that Let It Snow a novel about teenagers, Christmas, and love, for young adult audiences, has no place for such slurs.
Guess what? Go on. Have a go. Do you think this book has slurs?
If you said yes, pat yourself on the back.
I will strike through the slur.
Sure, this book is a few years old now, but the slur has been dated and used as an insult for many, many years. I'm disgusted this even made it in to the novel and it hasn't been removed since.
This is not the only time (surprise surprise) that someone's mental state and ability has been made fun of. As above, we had the anorexia comment. There is a character in the novel called "tin foil guy" who is often made fun of, for you know, wearing tin foil. The characters are often making fun of him, demonising him, or being utter arseholes about him when he's been nothing but nice. For example
Ah yes, let's continue to ostracise everyone who doesn't fit your perfect little mould of normality…
Sorry, I mean uniqueness. Can't keep track here.
Because of course, it's racist
I am white, therefore, I know it is not my place to always be deciding on what constitutes as racist and what does not. However, I would like to bring these moments to the forefront because they seem to engage in racism.
Does the word exotic not have racial connotations? I've read multiple own voice journalism pieces and novels that have explored the word "exotic" and how instead of it being a compliment, the word often functions as a way of describing a fruit, or a bird. Additionally, is this not a backhanded compliment implying that people of colour do not meet the typical 'normal' Western looks, and are therefore this *exotic* ideal - i.e. something other?
As I say, I am not the authority on this. But this moment from the text seemed. . . peculiar. What was the need in referring to him as *exotic* because he lived on a reservation? It seemed to be linked to the point as I said above, it was a way of singling him out as being *different*?
Another term used was
I believe the character this was said by was white. I could very much be wrong. It describes her as having "curly" hair, which was her "Jew fro." Is this not an appropriation? Another careless without considering the implications - that many black people are discriminated against for their hairstyles, yet she can joke? It feels like an utter lack of self-awareness as she's blinded by her own privilege.
To go or not to go on? That is thy question.
I could continue on with telling you all about each and every problematic, offensive moment in this book. This was just a snippet of some of the gross comments.
This should not come as a surprise, but I will give this one star.
Across all three stories, the first one was my favourite. Although, she did go to a random strangers house, and then the characters mother practically tried to force them together, and I genuinely thought she was going to get murdered . . .
The writing was poor all around.
Characters were weak and underdeveloped.
Not well plotted.
Offensive.
One star. And even that feels too much.
I want my money back.
Before I begin this review, I'd like to thank (and apologise) to Hayley and Emer for putting up with my rants about this for the last couple of days.
This book is so offensive. I genuinely could not believe some of the stuff I read.
Slut Shaming! Yay! Because why mind your own business when you can constantly shame others??
This book shamed women in pretty much every way imaginable, one way in which is that it engaged in slut shaming. Whether it was engaging in stereotypes such as: hot cheerleaders are just there to serve your sexual fantasies, as they are nothing more than a dumb, walking sexual object to be admired and then participating in creating those "you're not like other girls" characters. Ugh.
There were many instances that really, really irked me and I found so incredibly offensive. Here's an example:
"I forgot that Waffle Houses are like Lindsay Lohan's legs: always open."
I just . . . what in the heck? For one, this is a disgusting comment anyways. Like???? Legs: always open???? What sort of slut shaming shit is this?? Like this was not meant as a compliment in any sort of way. It was a snide comment made at the expense of Lindsay Lohan (I genuinely can't believe the book named her) who the media has branded as this party animal, wild child, promiscuous woman...
This just adds to that narrative.
It adds to the narrative that women confident in their bodies are slutty.
It contributes to the discourse that women lose value when they've enjoyed sex.
It tells girls that their bodies are not their own and they are something to be gawked at, judged.
It's a lie.
And it's gross.
You're not like those other girls. You're an actual HUMAN BEING.
Oh, hello misogyny. Hello John Green.
Let's meet Duke. She is our special, not-like-other-girls type of girl. Do you know how I know this? Because not only is it in her characterisation (tomboy, but just the right amount of girly and pretty, but also not enough to be seen as a weak girl, because you know, she is one of the lads really) but JP HAS TO REMIND US EVERY TWO SECONDS THAT DUKE IS NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS.
I shit you not, an actual line from this novel (drivel) is:
"She was much more like a person than other girls were."
WELL WHAT ARE THE REST OF US, JP? JOHN GREEN, YOU MASTER OF WRITINGS FEMALES, PLEASE TELL ME?
Such lazy, lazy writing. Duke does not feel like a complex character. She doesn't feel well written. If you're having to use one of your other characters to convince us, the audience, of how amazing, how special, how unique she is, then, and stay with me for this one, maybe you should invest more time on developing said character.
Maybe it's not just lazy writing though. Maybe it is just misogyny. Maybe just a bit of both. Either way, thanks for insulting my gender, John Green. Really appreciate it.
Here is just one example of Duke not being like other girls:
"If by that you mean that I dislike celebrity magazines, prefer food to anorexia, refuse to watch TV shows about models, and hate the color pink, then yes. I am proud to be not really a girl."
There is so much wrong with this. Time for a list.
- Let's not joke about anorexia. 'Prefer food to anorexia'. Yes, and I'm sure people who have anorexia would probably prefer not to have it, so let's not frame it as a) a joke b) like it's not a serious eating and mental health disorder.
- Referring to the point above, it's genuinely so sad and disgusting how normalised anorexia, dieting culture, etc has become in our society. And it is comments like this that add to the normalisation of it. This is serious and joking about how the majority of all these other girls who aren't the completely unique Duke have it is so harmful.
- There's a lot wrong with the construction of celebrity magazines but thats a larger, wider issue of gossip magazines etc. But in this case, maybe not shame girls for enjoying reading magazines???? Can we not like anything?
- As the point above, WATCH WHAT TV YOU WANT TO WATCH. I do not understand???? Why is it only girls associated with these things and why is it bad? Stop feeding the negative connotations of these things being shallow. THEY ARE ENTERTAINMENT.
- Oh yes. The I hate pink comment. I guess this one is personal to me (although, as a woman, all of these are) because I always hated pink as a kid. I used to not want to like it, wear it, be seen as loving it because it was *girly* and *girly* meant being *weak* and I had to be a *tomboy*. When you know what?? I can like pink, like action movies, enjoy watching my *girly* tv shows and WHO GIVES A SHIT? I can't. Moving on.
Duke's characterisation is just so, so harmful in so many ways.
- It tells all the girls who aren't like her, that they suck - and are they really a person? Or just a dumb girl? This is telling them that they shouldn't be like other girls. Because other girls are awful. Instead of praising them for being great just how they are
- There's nothing wrong with the things Duke likes. Action movies? Cool? Not dressing in what would be considered feminine clothing? Cool. I don't disagree that girls can't like the same things as Duke. I just don't think Duke's character does her, or the things she likes justice, or the people who like different things any favours either.
- It just ultimately feels like one big giant tear down of everything women like. And I don't want to tear down the things Duke is said to have liked, say, action films, because yes, girls do like them. But it feels like if they do, they can't be a female, and if they don't, well then they're dumb girl...
And that's what's not okay.
ME, MACHO CAVEMAN. Ah!! Rape culture
"It's like lions hunting gazelles," I said as we watched the gaggle intently. "You just find a straggler, and-" a tiny blonde girl turned away from the pack-"pounce," I said, as I jumped up off the stool."
LOOK AT ALL THAT PROBLEMATIC LANGUAGE.
Ah yes, let's equate women to being your prey.
Yes, let's sit and watch one.
Yes, let's wait for her to break off from the rest off the "pack".
Ah yes, she's away from her friends at the moment, so this is when she's at her weakest, most vulnerable...
So let's go approach her.
After watching her.
Waiting for her.
Then approach her.
Because that's not creepy at all, is it?
The power dynamics in play here. He references himself with all the power, he's the mighty lion, with a cunning strategy, waiting for her, the softer gazelle, to leave the safety of her pack to pounce...to attack.
It's horrifying.
And this is just...accepted?
This is not OKAY.
This is NOT ROMANTIC.
THIS IS CREEPY AND RAPEY AND LEAVE GIRLS ALONE.
Why only be sexist & creepy, when you can be even more of an ignorant wanker??
Oh yes, let's use slurs. There's a broad conversation to be had about slurs in fiction, and whether they belong there. Are they unnecessary? Is it okay when they fit in to the storyline and a narrative in a way that's not exploitative or doing it gratuitously?
It's safe to say that Let It Snow a novel about teenagers, Christmas, and love, for young adult audiences, has no place for such slurs.
Guess what? Go on. Have a go. Do you think this book has slurs?
If you said yes, pat yourself on the back.
I will strike through the slur.
"Oh, Christ, forget it. Just come help me save theseretardedmisogynists."
Sure, this book is a few years old now, but the slur has been dated and used as an insult for many, many years. I'm disgusted this even made it in to the novel and it hasn't been removed since.
This is not the only time (surprise surprise) that someone's mental state and ability has been made fun of. As above, we had the anorexia comment. There is a character in the novel called "tin foil guy" who is often made fun of, for you know, wearing tin foil. The characters are often making fun of him, demonising him, or being utter arseholes about him when he's been nothing but nice. For example
"Right. I felt awful for the lady behind the counter, being stuck with him."
Ah yes, let's continue to ostracise everyone who doesn't fit your perfect little mould of normality…
Sorry, I mean uniqueness. Can't keep track here.
Because of course, it's racist
I am white, therefore, I know it is not my place to always be deciding on what constitutes as racist and what does not. However, I would like to bring these moments to the forefront because they seem to engage in racism.
"I'd heard that the two of them had moved to Gracetown from the Cherokee Reservation, which was about a hundred miles from here. I thought that was cool. He seemed so exotic.
Does the word exotic not have racial connotations? I've read multiple own voice journalism pieces and novels that have explored the word "exotic" and how instead of it being a compliment, the word often functions as a way of describing a fruit, or a bird. Additionally, is this not a backhanded compliment implying that people of colour do not meet the typical 'normal' Western looks, and are therefore this *exotic* ideal - i.e. something other?
As I say, I am not the authority on this. But this moment from the text seemed. . . peculiar. What was the need in referring to him as *exotic* because he lived on a reservation? It seemed to be linked to the point as I said above, it was a way of singling him out as being *different*?
Another term used was
"Jew afro."
I believe the character this was said by was white. I could very much be wrong. It describes her as having "curly" hair, which was her "Jew fro." Is this not an appropriation? Another careless without considering the implications - that many black people are discriminated against for their hairstyles, yet she can joke? It feels like an utter lack of self-awareness as she's blinded by her own privilege.
To go or not to go on? That is thy question.
I could continue on with telling you all about each and every problematic, offensive moment in this book. This was just a snippet of some of the gross comments.
This should not come as a surprise, but I will give this one star.
Across all three stories, the first one was my favourite. Although, she did go to a random strangers house, and then the characters mother practically tried to force them together, and I genuinely thought she was going to get murdered . . .
The writing was poor all around.
Characters were weak and underdeveloped.
Not well plotted.
Offensive.
One star. And even that feels too much.
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