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banana83854's review against another edition
4.0
Modern middle grade retelling of a Christmas Carol, with the original story woven in. Very heartfelt, if a little abrupt at the end.
libwithattitude's review against another edition
4.0
Fun retelling of Christmas Carol for younger readers that makes good use of the original in the form of a festive playscript. Tony Ross’ illustrations are as usual just wonderful and add humour. Modern take on the book’s original message with a gorgeous shiny red cover, ideal for gifting.
megansgc's review against another edition
2.0
An attempted modernization of a Christmas Carol with a boy playing a role in the school play, and his absentee father. Fairly obvious storyline.
bookappeal's review against another edition
2.0
For the intended audience, this story might be a nice introduction to the actual text of' A Christmas Carol as well as its meaning. Harry plays Scrooge in the school play while his work-focused father undergoes a quick, and not well-explained, transformation of his own. Two-star rating is given as an adult reader who already knows Dickens' story well and who found the contemporary plot boring. The use of Harry's wheelchair-bound, sassy sister Eva as a lens to see how a person with a handicap might view the well-known holiday story is the bright spot in this otherwise uninspired story.
alongreader's review against another edition
5.0
A perfect Christmas story, cleverly entwining lines from A Christmas Carol into a new story, echoing the message contained in it. A child might need to know the story already - I suggest A Muppet Christmas Carol, still the best version ever - in order to get the nuances, and there's a reveal about the main character's sister that's slightly hidden until about halfway through, but overall it's a fantastic read for any time of year. Perfect.
(I was slightly unsure how old everyone was, which is not a huge concern but worth noting; I'm not even sure which sibling is older, not that it matters to the story. They're something between eight and eighteen, anyway.)
Eva thought of how angry Harry had got when a spot appeared on his face.
"It's just a spot," she had said to him.
"I hate it, I hate it, I hate it," he had shouted at the mirror.
"Maybe shouting at it will scare it away," Eva had said, which, even in the midst of his rage, had made him laugh.
...
And now, in the show, Harry was making everyone laugh with his 'pimple'.
No, not Harry, she reminded herself. Scrooge. Mr Scrooge.
(I was slightly unsure how old everyone was, which is not a huge concern but worth noting; I'm not even sure which sibling is older, not that it matters to the story. They're something between eight and eighteen, anyway.)
Eva thought of how angry Harry had got when a spot appeared on his face.
"It's just a spot," she had said to him.
"I hate it, I hate it, I hate it," he had shouted at the mirror.
"Maybe shouting at it will scare it away," Eva had said, which, even in the midst of his rage, had made him laugh.
...
And now, in the show, Harry was making everyone laugh with his 'pimple'.
No, not Harry, she reminded herself. Scrooge. Mr Scrooge.
lolabella's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
kemendraugh's review against another edition
4.0
This was super cute! I especially liked the extras at the back (recipes, games, suggestions on how to read it out loud with your family). Like a whole extra star for those tbh. Was a tad disappoint that there were no more ghosts in the parallel story, but I'll survive.
I feel like maybe though this book was super cute for me, it might not be as readable for kids? But maybe I've just gotten too far away from what kids read. IS THIS WHAT GETTING OLD FEELS LIKE?
I want like, a whole book on Eva.
I feel like maybe though this book was super cute for me, it might not be as readable for kids? But maybe I've just gotten too far away from what kids read. IS THIS WHAT GETTING OLD FEELS LIKE?
I want like, a whole book on Eva.
noodles01's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0