So many books come out each week that it makes it hard to decide what to read. We want to make that a little bit easier on you by sharing our favorite releases from the week and telling you our top 3 reasons why we think you’ll love them too!
This week our selection is The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. Are you ready to hear more about this book and its author? Here we go…
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand Published by HarperTeen on October 24, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance
Pages: 400
Goodreads Buy the Book
On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.
She didn't.
And then she died.
Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.
Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.
But this year, everything is about to change. . . .
3 Reasons You Should Read…
The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
- We love retellings, and The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a cool twist on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol with the MC coming back as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Though this story is based on a classic, there are so many modern and new plot points, and we are totally here for it.
- We loved the character Holly. She was decidedly unlikable but her feelings and actions were relatable and she really grew as a character.
- No surprise here, but we really liked Ethan, too. Though we could have used a little swoon, he was charming and his character wasn’t one-sided.
Bottom Line:
A different sort of holiday must-read, The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a refreshing fun twist on a Christmas classic.
Verdict:
| Rating Report | |
|---|---|
| Cover |  |
| Characters | |
| Plot | |
| Writing | |
| Swoon |  |
| Overall: | 3.5 |
About Cynthia Hand
Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, MY LADY JANE and MY PLAIN JANE (with fellow authors Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows), THE AFTERLIFE OF HOLLY CHASE, and the upcoming novels THE HOW AND THE WHY and MY CALAMITY JANE (also with Ashton and Meadows). Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband, two cats, one crazy dog, two kids, and mountain of books.
