Monday, November 13, 2017

Boy Called Christmas

Boy Called Christmas. Matt Haig. Illustrated by Chris Mould. 2015/2016. Random House. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas.

Premise/plot: "Can you believe there was a time when no one in the world knew about him? A time when he was just an ordinary boy called Nikolas, living in the middle of nowhere, or the middle of Finland, doing nothing with magic except believing in it? A boy who knew very little about the world except the taste of mushroom soup, the feel of a cold north wind, and the stories he was told. And who only had a doll made out of a turnip to play with. But life was going to change for Nikolas, in ways he could never have imagined. Things were going to happen to him. Good things. Bad things. But if you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you. Because this book is full of impossible things."

I normally never share so long a quote. But this excerpt from the first chapter captures not only what the book is about, but also the spirit or style of it. And if that quote doesn't draw you in, then this probably isn't the book for you. Nothing I could add would change your mind.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. I found it fun and charming. Nikolas was just your average poor boy UNTIL his father decides to leave him to go off on an adventure looking for ELVES. Nikolas was left to the care of his aunt. And this aunt is AWFUL. Eventually, he decides to run away and go on a quest to find his father. That adventure--full of misadventures--will prove to be his making.
 
This is a fun holiday-themed coming-of-age fantasy.

© 2017 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

2 comments:

Kelly-Belly said...

I really liked the first half of this one, but then they sort of lost me.

Suko said...

Becky, I'm glad that you enjoyed this book. I hope to read a holiday themed book soon as well.