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North Pole Reform School
Mistletoe Bell hates Christmas. So would you if you had a name like hers. Her Christmas-mad parents make the festive season last all year, and with another Christmas looming, Mis doesn’t think she can take any more. After her carelessness causes an accident at school, it seems like things can’t get any worse.
Then she wakes up to find The Ghost of Christmases Ruined in her bedroom.
She is taken to the North Pole, to a reform school run by elves determined to make her love Christmas. Stuck in a misfit group of fellow Christmas-haters with a motley crew of the weird and even weirder, watched over by elves day and night, she doesn’t expect to meet cute and funny Luke, who is hiding a vulnerable side beneath his sarcastic exterior. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him.
But all is not as it should be at the North Pole. A certain Mr Claus is making the elves’ lives a misery, and pretty soon Mistletoe and Luke are doing more than just learning to like Christmas.
A YA romantic comedy in which Santa is the bad guy, teaching reindeer to fly is on the curriculum, and zombies have a fondness for Christmas music.
Suitable for older teens and upwards due to bad language.
Then she wakes up to find The Ghost of Christmases Ruined in her bedroom.
She is taken to the North Pole, to a reform school run by elves determined to make her love Christmas. Stuck in a misfit group of fellow Christmas-haters with a motley crew of the weird and even weirder, watched over by elves day and night, she doesn’t expect to meet cute and funny Luke, who is hiding a vulnerable side beneath his sarcastic exterior. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him.
But all is not as it should be at the North Pole. A certain Mr Claus is making the elves’ lives a misery, and pretty soon Mistletoe and Luke are doing more than just learning to like Christmas.
A YA romantic comedy in which Santa is the bad guy, teaching reindeer to fly is on the curriculum, and zombies have a fondness for Christmas music.
Suitable for older teens and upwards due to bad language.
234 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2013
About the author
Jaimie Admans
17 books573 followersJaimie is a 32-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, watching horror movies, and drinking tea, although she’s seriously considering marrying her coffee machine. She loves autumn and winter, and singing songs from musicals despite the fact she’s got the voice of a dying hyena. She hates spiders, hot weather, and cheese & onion crisps. She spends far too much time on Twitter and owns too many pairs of boots.
She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.
She is the author of chick-lit romantic comedies The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters and Kismetology, and she has also written young-adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.
She will never have time to read all the books she wants to read.
She is the author of chick-lit romantic comedies The Chateau of Happily Ever Afters and Kismetology, and she has also written young-adult romantic comedies Afterlife Academy, Not Pretty Enough, and North Pole Reform School.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 21, 2016
3 "I appreciate the effort" stars. Not bad at all...I think most people adored North Pole Reform School more than I did. In all fairness, the humor was well-timed, the flirting was sweet, and there were enough sugary feel-good holiday moments to satisfy lovers of fun holiday movies near and far. Even though Santa started off as kind of a grouch and zombies surprisingly got a nod, the story stuck with a traditional "what goes on at the north pole" theme, complete with elves and lots of Christmas-related puns and names.
Other than a few swear words (which never bother me, but seemed out of place in this particular story), North Pole had a very "family friendly" kind of vibe.
If you're looking for a fun book to kick off the holidays with cheer, this might be a story you want to check out. I'm no Grinch, but I think I might have been hoping for a bit more mischief with the words "reform school" in the title.
Are you an adult who loves to read and chat about young adult books? Join us over in the Rated YA-MA group!
Other than a few swear words (which never bother me, but seemed out of place in this particular story), North Pole had a very "family friendly" kind of vibe.
If you're looking for a fun book to kick off the holidays with cheer, this might be a story you want to check out. I'm no Grinch, but I think I might have been hoping for a bit more mischief with the words "reform school" in the title.
Are you an adult who loves to read and chat about young adult books? Join us over in the Rated YA-MA group!
December 11, 2013
This review was originally posted on my blog, Ramblings of a Daydreamer. You can find it, and many more reviews at the blog.
North Pole Reform School is the third book I’ve read from Jaimie Admans, and each book is better than the last. North Pole Reform School is definitely my favourite of Jaimie’s books so far, and it is officially my new favourite Christmas book.
I find that I never really know what to expect when going into one of Jaimie’s books. She’s a fantastic writer - one of the best indie writers I’ve come across - and she has a knack for humour, but her stories are never formulaic and always have unexpected elements, which I love. I’ll be expecting one thing to happen, and something entirely different actually happens. I love being kept on my toes and not being able to predict what’s coming next. I think Jaimie has a rare talent in that respect.
Mistletoe was a great main character with a strong voice and personality, and I found her easy to like and relate to. She was part of a very eclectic mix of reform school students, run by a quirky group of elves. I loved that the story encompassed so many things - it was light and funny at times, but there were also moments that pulled at my heartstrings. I’m someone who knows how lucky I am to have an amazing family, and I’m grateful I get to spend the holidays with them, but this book really drove home for me that not everyone is that lucky. The story was told in a way that made it possible to believe that Santa and his elves are real, and it made me wish they were.
This book had a little bit of everything - humour, romance, action, paranormal aspects (zombies at the North Pole? So funny and clever), and lots of heart. I laughed, I cried, and I didn’t want the story to end. There’s never a dull moment, but there are heartwarming moments that will remind you what Christmas should be about. Need a boost to get you in the holiday spirit this year? Want to be reminded of the magic of Christmas? Love a story with a sweet, romantic happy ending? North Pole Reform School checks all those boxes, making it a must read in my opinion!
North Pole Reform School is the third book I’ve read from Jaimie Admans, and each book is better than the last. North Pole Reform School is definitely my favourite of Jaimie’s books so far, and it is officially my new favourite Christmas book.
I find that I never really know what to expect when going into one of Jaimie’s books. She’s a fantastic writer - one of the best indie writers I’ve come across - and she has a knack for humour, but her stories are never formulaic and always have unexpected elements, which I love. I’ll be expecting one thing to happen, and something entirely different actually happens. I love being kept on my toes and not being able to predict what’s coming next. I think Jaimie has a rare talent in that respect.
Mistletoe was a great main character with a strong voice and personality, and I found her easy to like and relate to. She was part of a very eclectic mix of reform school students, run by a quirky group of elves. I loved that the story encompassed so many things - it was light and funny at times, but there were also moments that pulled at my heartstrings. I’m someone who knows how lucky I am to have an amazing family, and I’m grateful I get to spend the holidays with them, but this book really drove home for me that not everyone is that lucky. The story was told in a way that made it possible to believe that Santa and his elves are real, and it made me wish they were.
This book had a little bit of everything - humour, romance, action, paranormal aspects (zombies at the North Pole? So funny and clever), and lots of heart. I laughed, I cried, and I didn’t want the story to end. There’s never a dull moment, but there are heartwarming moments that will remind you what Christmas should be about. Need a boost to get you in the holiday spirit this year? Want to be reminded of the magic of Christmas? Love a story with a sweet, romantic happy ending? North Pole Reform School checks all those boxes, making it a must read in my opinion!
October 26, 2013
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
North Pole Reform School is a quick, fun read, sure to brighten up your holiday season!
The story follows Mistletoe Bell (Mis) as she is swept off to North Pole Reform School - apparently she and her fellow classmates have all ruined Christmas for someone and they all have to learn the true value of Christmas before they can leave. They're shown the true meaning of Christmas by the elves (mostly by performing different elf jobs like working on the naughty and nice list, answering Christmas letters and making toys). Mistletoe also finds herself falling for Luke, who needs to escape the North Pole for reasons he doesn't want to talk about. Along the way Mistletoe and Luke learn the importance of Christmas, but they also learn that not everything is perfect, even in the happiest place on earth.
The negatives:
Changing tone of the book.
The main issue that I had with this book was the fact that the tone changed quite often - it starts out as kind of a snarky comedy (sometimes bordering on silly), and then gets serious - almost heavy - when Mistletoe and Luke start to learn about the meaning of Christmas (and when Mistletoe learns why Luke needs to get back home so badly), and then suddenly swerves into horror territory with the zombies. I kept finding myself surprised at the shifts in the book and I didn't always feel that it was one cohesive whole. I still enjoyed the book for all of its aspects, I just wish they had blended a bit better for me.
Telling vs. showing when it came to the romance.
Overall, I actually really liked the romance in this book, but there were some instances where the author seems to want to make SURE that we know a romance is brewing by throwing in lines like, "He's sweet and he makes me laugh, and he seems to like me too." We've already seen this by their actions, so I didn't feel like the author needed to spell it out for us this way (at least not unless Mistletoe was going to express some real emotion that we might not see otherwise). There are several instances of this and each time it struck me as odd - as if the author thought we might not have quite caught on to the fact that Mistletoe and Luke were headed for romance.
What I loved:
The snarky humor.
A lot of the humor in this book kind of reminded me of the fun snarky lines on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my favorite show of all time - partially for just this reason). Both Mis and Luke have smart mouths and a snide sense of humor that they are ready to use at a moment's notice. But they still didn't come off as being irritating or jerks - they were likable snarky characters! I loved scenes where the snark took center stage - for instance, at the beginning, the elves couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise and just ended up frustrated all the time because their "students" were pelting them with a barrage of snarky questions. It was great fun!
The zany characters.
This book is full of unique and crazy characters. From mean Santa's to duck phobic classmates to misquoting elves, there was plenty of wackiness going on. While I did find a couple of the running gags were a bit over-used, I still really enjoyed these interesting characters and their antics!
The romance.
I loved Mis and Luke together. First of all, the romance was developed relatively slowly, which I appreciated. I loved that they originally bonded through their mutual sense of irritation at the situation that they were in, but that their bond got deeper as they both started to realize the true meaning of Christmas together. These two were a sweet couple who I found myself rooting for and wanted to see happy - their relationship tied up with a nice bow, just like the Christmas presents all around them!
North Pole Reform School is funny, zany and sometimes sweet and touching. If you like a little twist on your typical holiday reading, pick this one up!
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
North Pole Reform School is a quick, fun read, sure to brighten up your holiday season!
The story follows Mistletoe Bell (Mis) as she is swept off to North Pole Reform School - apparently she and her fellow classmates have all ruined Christmas for someone and they all have to learn the true value of Christmas before they can leave. They're shown the true meaning of Christmas by the elves (mostly by performing different elf jobs like working on the naughty and nice list, answering Christmas letters and making toys). Mistletoe also finds herself falling for Luke, who needs to escape the North Pole for reasons he doesn't want to talk about. Along the way Mistletoe and Luke learn the importance of Christmas, but they also learn that not everything is perfect, even in the happiest place on earth.
The negatives:
Changing tone of the book.
The main issue that I had with this book was the fact that the tone changed quite often - it starts out as kind of a snarky comedy (sometimes bordering on silly), and then gets serious - almost heavy - when Mistletoe and Luke start to learn about the meaning of Christmas (and when Mistletoe learns why Luke needs to get back home so badly), and then suddenly swerves into horror territory with the zombies. I kept finding myself surprised at the shifts in the book and I didn't always feel that it was one cohesive whole. I still enjoyed the book for all of its aspects, I just wish they had blended a bit better for me.
Telling vs. showing when it came to the romance.
Overall, I actually really liked the romance in this book, but there were some instances where the author seems to want to make SURE that we know a romance is brewing by throwing in lines like, "He's sweet and he makes me laugh, and he seems to like me too." We've already seen this by their actions, so I didn't feel like the author needed to spell it out for us this way (at least not unless Mistletoe was going to express some real emotion that we might not see otherwise). There are several instances of this and each time it struck me as odd - as if the author thought we might not have quite caught on to the fact that Mistletoe and Luke were headed for romance.
What I loved:
The snarky humor.
A lot of the humor in this book kind of reminded me of the fun snarky lines on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my favorite show of all time - partially for just this reason). Both Mis and Luke have smart mouths and a snide sense of humor that they are ready to use at a moment's notice. But they still didn't come off as being irritating or jerks - they were likable snarky characters! I loved scenes where the snark took center stage - for instance, at the beginning, the elves couldn't seem to get a word in edgewise and just ended up frustrated all the time because their "students" were pelting them with a barrage of snarky questions. It was great fun!
The zany characters.
This book is full of unique and crazy characters. From mean Santa's to duck phobic classmates to misquoting elves, there was plenty of wackiness going on. While I did find a couple of the running gags were a bit over-used, I still really enjoyed these interesting characters and their antics!
The romance.
I loved Mis and Luke together. First of all, the romance was developed relatively slowly, which I appreciated. I loved that they originally bonded through their mutual sense of irritation at the situation that they were in, but that their bond got deeper as they both started to realize the true meaning of Christmas together. These two were a sweet couple who I found myself rooting for and wanted to see happy - their relationship tied up with a nice bow, just like the Christmas presents all around them!
North Pole Reform School is funny, zany and sometimes sweet and touching. If you like a little twist on your typical holiday reading, pick this one up!
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
November 6, 2013
I'm fast becoming a huge fan of Jaimie Admans and so I was really looking forward to reading this book. I'm so happy to report that it was worth the wait. This was a fun, heartwarming read with great characters, humour and Jaimie's now trademark surrealism that made me laugh and cry and ultimately wish it could be Christmas every day. I loved Luke and Mistletoe and the end to their story was just perfect. I'm thinking of ruining a few Christmases myself this year, so I can go and visit the elves at the reform school!
December 17, 2017
This wasn’t so bad - until the ending. UGH!!! Apparently there are zombies in the North Pole. Yes, you read that right. Zombies. And two days before Christmas they attack Santa and turn him into a flesh-eating monster who attacks and kills his own reindeer and leaves desiccated body parts instead of toys for the children.
Yeah. Zombies just don’t belong in a Christmas book. I get that the author needed a way to change Luke and Mistletoe into Santa and Mrs Claus, but I didn’t like that at all.
I was also hoping for more resolution with the other 3 people in the reform school program. Did the woman with the duck phobia ever get over it? Or the little boy who’s parents died around Christmas? Or the grumpy drunk guy? The main character is just informed “oh yes, they graduated” so I guess we’re supposed to just believe that they changed for the better...?
It was a very weird Christmas book. I did like the Mistletoe learned to love Christmas, but yeah. Zombies.
Yeah. Zombies just don’t belong in a Christmas book. I get that the author needed a way to change Luke and Mistletoe into Santa and Mrs Claus, but I didn’t like that at all.
I was also hoping for more resolution with the other 3 people in the reform school program. Did the woman with the duck phobia ever get over it? Or the little boy who’s parents died around Christmas? Or the grumpy drunk guy? The main character is just informed “oh yes, they graduated” so I guess we’re supposed to just believe that they changed for the better...?
It was a very weird Christmas book. I did like the Mistletoe learned to love Christmas, but yeah. Zombies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2013
How pretty is the cover of this book?! First of all, Jaimie is one of the coolest and most down to earth authors I’ve met through blogging and I reviewed Jaimie’s ‘Not Pretty Enough’ and loved it so much I jumped at the chance to review her new YA short story North Pole Reform School. I hope everyone who is involved in the blog tour of this book likes it as much as I did and I hope it’s a big success! North Pole Reform School is about a girl called Mistletoe who wakes up to find herself in a strange, cold, snowy place with no idea how or why she is there. Along with 4 others they learn that they have been brought to the North Pole Reform School due to the fact that in the past they have spoilt Christmas for other people. They meet elves, reindeers and Santa and are given various jobs to do around the North Pole in the hope that they will learn to like Christmas again, get to go home and realise what they done in the past was wrong. Follow Mistletoe in her weird and wonderful journey through the north pole where she teaches a reindeer how to fly, finds unexpected love and learns to true importance of Christmas.
I think someone should send me to the North Pole Reform School because I have to admit, I’m a bit like Mistletoe! However, this book definitely gets you in the mood for the festive season. I absolutely love Jaimie’s writing style. I realised this after reading Not Pretty Enough, it’s so easy to read and follow and I finished North Pole Reform School very quickly. It was a relatively short book but I find that gives you a nice break every once in a while. I’ve definitely grown on short stories because of how fast paced they are. They stick to the storyline, don’t go off track to irrelevant information and they flow easily – which describes North Pole Reform School perfectly. I’m not sure if this was designed to be a love story, but I really like the underlying romance between Mistletoe and Luke. You can kind of see it from the beginning and they’re both young and battling with some personal problems so it’s very sweet and I definitely found myself rooting for them, which is unusual because I normally squirm at romance!
This book definitely must have required a lot of imagination to come up with such a well thought-out, layered and completely made-up world and every single Christmas related thing you can possibly think of was probably mentioned in this book at some point! I love that Jaimie literately thought of everything children would wonder about Christmas, for example, how the toys get made, how the reindeers fly and what Santa is really like. The only small problem I had was that the elves live inside a giant dome in the north pole and they tell the students that there are zombies outside who like to listen to the Christmas songs they play. Although it’s a funny idea and did make me chuckle, the zombies didn’t sit too well with me and I thought they were just that bit too much! However, they’re not mentioned a great deal in the book. Whilst Mistletoe is doing one of her jobs, the elves explain to her how lucky she is to have a family that cares about her and presents to open on Christmas day and that there’s children out there who don’t have anyone or anything and I know it’s only fiction, but those elves make a great point. Even in the real world, there are children out there who have no family and don’t get any presents and children with illnesses who may not see another Christmas and although I don’t think the message was intentional, somewhere deep down it did make me realise that Christmas is important and that I am indeed, very lucky. So if this book leaves you with a feeling of gratitude like it did for me, I definitely think it’s a success!
Find all my reviews here: www.jennyinneverland.wordpress.com
I think someone should send me to the North Pole Reform School because I have to admit, I’m a bit like Mistletoe! However, this book definitely gets you in the mood for the festive season. I absolutely love Jaimie’s writing style. I realised this after reading Not Pretty Enough, it’s so easy to read and follow and I finished North Pole Reform School very quickly. It was a relatively short book but I find that gives you a nice break every once in a while. I’ve definitely grown on short stories because of how fast paced they are. They stick to the storyline, don’t go off track to irrelevant information and they flow easily – which describes North Pole Reform School perfectly. I’m not sure if this was designed to be a love story, but I really like the underlying romance between Mistletoe and Luke. You can kind of see it from the beginning and they’re both young and battling with some personal problems so it’s very sweet and I definitely found myself rooting for them, which is unusual because I normally squirm at romance!
This book definitely must have required a lot of imagination to come up with such a well thought-out, layered and completely made-up world and every single Christmas related thing you can possibly think of was probably mentioned in this book at some point! I love that Jaimie literately thought of everything children would wonder about Christmas, for example, how the toys get made, how the reindeers fly and what Santa is really like. The only small problem I had was that the elves live inside a giant dome in the north pole and they tell the students that there are zombies outside who like to listen to the Christmas songs they play. Although it’s a funny idea and did make me chuckle, the zombies didn’t sit too well with me and I thought they were just that bit too much! However, they’re not mentioned a great deal in the book. Whilst Mistletoe is doing one of her jobs, the elves explain to her how lucky she is to have a family that cares about her and presents to open on Christmas day and that there’s children out there who don’t have anyone or anything and I know it’s only fiction, but those elves make a great point. Even in the real world, there are children out there who have no family and don’t get any presents and children with illnesses who may not see another Christmas and although I don’t think the message was intentional, somewhere deep down it did make me realise that Christmas is important and that I am indeed, very lucky. So if this book leaves you with a feeling of gratitude like it did for me, I definitely think it’s a success!
Find all my reviews here: www.jennyinneverland.wordpress.com
December 17, 2014
I think my small heart grew three sizes today thanks to North Pole Reform School. It's an adorably hilarious tale bursting with Christmas cheer. I will admit that I have quite the dislike for the actual Christmas holiday, but I'm not a complete Scrooge. I absolutely adore Christmas movies and stories, and this one is no different! Well, it's completely different than anything I've ever read before, but it still gave me those fuzzy holiday feelings. There were also plenty of laugh out loud moments!
It all starts with a purple moose whisking Mistletoe Bell away to the North Pole in the middle of the night. Of course, Misty thinks she's dreaming, but soon enough she realizes it's all real. She, and four others, have been brought to the North Pole Reform School because they've ruined Christmas for someone else. Mistletoe, Luke, Joe, Emily, and Hugo all hate Christmas for various reasons and have done some despicable things to others during what is suppose to be the jolliest time of the year. Now the elves are prepared to show them what Christmas is all about and how much it means to those they've hurt. Needless to say, there are tons of heartwarming moments as these trouble makers get reformed.
For being such a short book, North Pole Reform School has an amazing amount of world building. It's clear that the author put a lot of thought into what her version of the North Pole and the inner workings of Christmas would be like. It seems like she thought of everything from how they survive the weather, to their food, even how the reindeer fly! I loved the reindeer, especially the babies! My favorite part though? The zombies! Yes, there are zombies. It's a totally bizarre addition, but it oddly works. The undead wandering about made for quite the interesting twist at the end. I never saw that coming. In fact, it's so strange I don't think anyone could see it coming.
If you're looking for an utterly unique Christmas story, or just a really cute one, North Pole Reform School is it! I want this to be a movie! I have no idea what studio could possibly pick it up and do it justice, but I think this would make such a fun holiday film. As a book though, I flew threw it and I smiled the whole the way. There are some darker bits, but it's nothing too heavy to take away from the overall fluffiness of it.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
It all starts with a purple moose whisking Mistletoe Bell away to the North Pole in the middle of the night. Of course, Misty thinks she's dreaming, but soon enough she realizes it's all real. She, and four others, have been brought to the North Pole Reform School because they've ruined Christmas for someone else. Mistletoe, Luke, Joe, Emily, and Hugo all hate Christmas for various reasons and have done some despicable things to others during what is suppose to be the jolliest time of the year. Now the elves are prepared to show them what Christmas is all about and how much it means to those they've hurt. Needless to say, there are tons of heartwarming moments as these trouble makers get reformed.
For being such a short book, North Pole Reform School has an amazing amount of world building. It's clear that the author put a lot of thought into what her version of the North Pole and the inner workings of Christmas would be like. It seems like she thought of everything from how they survive the weather, to their food, even how the reindeer fly! I loved the reindeer, especially the babies! My favorite part though? The zombies! Yes, there are zombies. It's a totally bizarre addition, but it oddly works. The undead wandering about made for quite the interesting twist at the end. I never saw that coming. In fact, it's so strange I don't think anyone could see it coming.
If you're looking for an utterly unique Christmas story, or just a really cute one, North Pole Reform School is it! I want this to be a movie! I have no idea what studio could possibly pick it up and do it justice, but I think this would make such a fun holiday film. As a book though, I flew threw it and I smiled the whole the way. There are some darker bits, but it's nothing too heavy to take away from the overall fluffiness of it.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
December 14, 2014
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
North Pole Reform School is a very imaginative book that takes a lot of Christmas traditions, reinvents them and adds a lot of unconventional ideas as well. I think that is the one thing I would laud this book for. I mean, zombies and Christmas when the point of the book is to spread some Christmas cheer? Definitely different. Also, not what I was expecting because to be honest, I didn't reach the end of the synopsis before I hopped on over to Amazon and bought myself the Kindle edition. Not really what I had in mind when looking for Christmas reads. That being said, I found it entertaining, so I'm not upset about the 99 cents I parted with.
How do you convince hardcore grinches that Christmas is a happy time? You send them a purple moose to whisk them off to Santa's home where all the elves spend the whole day preparing to spread some joy among the humans down south. It's difficult though when Santa himself isn't exactly the most jolly figure either. Whatever it is, I enjoyed the concept of the reform school and their curriculum is an interesting one that makes for many hilarious incidents for Mistletoe and Luke.
As touching as I thought that the setting was very well planned and presented, I did not have much sympathy for any of the characters. Mistletoe lands at the North Pole with another four. Luke, for one, the duck-phobic Emily, a boy who thinks he died and a very grouchy man. It's good to see that the characters were different and also of different ages. But the reasons for which they end up there did not convince me. The reasons for returning home convinced me even less. I did not see a transition in the characters, so in the end I felt reading about their time at the reform school was a waste of my time. Pity because the narrative itself didn't trip me up or anything. In fact, it is expressive, varied and engaging.
Still, I do care a lot about the execution of the plot and the presentation of characters, and that is where this book came short for me. Reading North Pole Reform School during the Christmas season to get into the holiday mood is fine but I would not necessarily recommend it for the rest of the year. Although, it is a heart-warming book.
This review is also available at dudettereads.com.
North Pole Reform School is a very imaginative book that takes a lot of Christmas traditions, reinvents them and adds a lot of unconventional ideas as well. I think that is the one thing I would laud this book for. I mean, zombies and Christmas when the point of the book is to spread some Christmas cheer? Definitely different. Also, not what I was expecting because to be honest, I didn't reach the end of the synopsis before I hopped on over to Amazon and bought myself the Kindle edition. Not really what I had in mind when looking for Christmas reads. That being said, I found it entertaining, so I'm not upset about the 99 cents I parted with.
How do you convince hardcore grinches that Christmas is a happy time? You send them a purple moose to whisk them off to Santa's home where all the elves spend the whole day preparing to spread some joy among the humans down south. It's difficult though when Santa himself isn't exactly the most jolly figure either. Whatever it is, I enjoyed the concept of the reform school and their curriculum is an interesting one that makes for many hilarious incidents for Mistletoe and Luke.
As touching as I thought that the setting was very well planned and presented, I did not have much sympathy for any of the characters. Mistletoe lands at the North Pole with another four. Luke, for one, the duck-phobic Emily, a boy who thinks he died and a very grouchy man. It's good to see that the characters were different and also of different ages. But the reasons for which they end up there did not convince me. The reasons for returning home convinced me even less. I did not see a transition in the characters, so in the end I felt reading about their time at the reform school was a waste of my time. Pity because the narrative itself didn't trip me up or anything. In fact, it is expressive, varied and engaging.
Still, I do care a lot about the execution of the plot and the presentation of characters, and that is where this book came short for me. Reading North Pole Reform School during the Christmas season to get into the holiday mood is fine but I would not necessarily recommend it for the rest of the year. Although, it is a heart-warming book.
This review is also available at dudettereads.com.
January 4, 2015
2.5 stars
This was not really a book for me. I guess it was cute and quite innocent but I expected more.
My first problem was that it felt like a Q and A. They ask questions, the elves explain. They ask questions, the elves explain. They ask questions, the elves hesitate to explain. And so on and so forth.
It is also wierd that elves who have reformed christmas hating people for years and years would find this group having too many questions. I don't buy for a second that none of the other groups wouldn't question why they were brought there by force.
Some things were quite funny though.
"Actually, Elf Winter specifically requested you two. That's why you're on again"
"Great. An elf wants me personally to shovel out reindeer shit. I told you they don't like me" p. 127
** might be spoiler **
And why on earth did they bring Luke to the north pole?????? They always go on and on about how their actions have consequences, yet they KNOW what it means for Luke's sister when he is separated from her! Idiots!
"Don't, Mis. It's okay. I dealt with it well enough before. I just have to get home before he hurts my sister, and then nothing will have changed."
That's exactly the problem, I think". p. 158
Or the reason Misty was brought there! IT WAS NOT HER FAULT that a christmas tree at school took fire just because she plugged in the lights. What the heck?!
** End of the maybe spoiler **
Other than that, I would have wanted more description about how the north pole actually looked like and worked, and not so much "imagine this movie, it was like that".
It was an okay read, but I had expected more.
This was not really a book for me. I guess it was cute and quite innocent but I expected more.
My first problem was that it felt like a Q and A. They ask questions, the elves explain. They ask questions, the elves explain. They ask questions, the elves hesitate to explain. And so on and so forth.
It is also wierd that elves who have reformed christmas hating people for years and years would find this group having too many questions. I don't buy for a second that none of the other groups wouldn't question why they were brought there by force.
Some things were quite funny though.
"Actually, Elf Winter specifically requested you two. That's why you're on again"
"Great. An elf wants me personally to shovel out reindeer shit. I told you they don't like me" p. 127
** might be spoiler **
And why on earth did they bring Luke to the north pole?????? They always go on and on about how their actions have consequences, yet they KNOW what it means for Luke's sister when he is separated from her! Idiots!
"Don't, Mis. It's okay. I dealt with it well enough before. I just have to get home before he hurts my sister, and then nothing will have changed."
That's exactly the problem, I think". p. 158
Or the reason Misty was brought there! IT WAS NOT HER FAULT that a christmas tree at school took fire just because she plugged in the lights. What the heck?!
** End of the maybe spoiler **
Other than that, I would have wanted more description about how the north pole actually looked like and worked, and not so much "imagine this movie, it was like that".
It was an okay read, but I had expected more.
December 13, 2013
Blog Tour Post: The Shadow Realm
This book was just all kinds of cute. It was so sweet and so completely bonkers.
NPRS is told from the POV of Mistletoe Bell, as she and a group of Christmas haters are taken to the North Pole to learn about the spirit of Christmas, how important it is to others, and to learn that their actions can have serious consequences. I loved Misty. She has such a snarky attitude but she also has such a warm heart. While at the North Pole she is partnered with Luke, who I also loved. The banter between these two was brilliant and they had some really sweet moments together.
The book is so bonkers. Between a talking purple moose, the crazy elves, and fricking zombies, you will not be bored while reading. I loved every second of it. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some really heartwarming moments. But beneath all the fun there is a very touching message to be had.
This was just such a quick, cute and thoroughly enjoyable read. I was left with the biggest smile on my face. I was up til 3am reading it, I just couldn't put it down! I wish there was a follow on book. I really want to continue Misty and Luke's story. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Whether you love Christmas or not, you will after reading NPRS. It's the perfect holiday read.
This book was just all kinds of cute. It was so sweet and so completely bonkers.
NPRS is told from the POV of Mistletoe Bell, as she and a group of Christmas haters are taken to the North Pole to learn about the spirit of Christmas, how important it is to others, and to learn that their actions can have serious consequences. I loved Misty. She has such a snarky attitude but she also has such a warm heart. While at the North Pole she is partnered with Luke, who I also loved. The banter between these two was brilliant and they had some really sweet moments together.
The book is so bonkers. Between a talking purple moose, the crazy elves, and fricking zombies, you will not be bored while reading. I loved every second of it. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and some really heartwarming moments. But beneath all the fun there is a very touching message to be had.
This was just such a quick, cute and thoroughly enjoyable read. I was left with the biggest smile on my face. I was up til 3am reading it, I just couldn't put it down! I wish there was a follow on book. I really want to continue Misty and Luke's story. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Whether you love Christmas or not, you will after reading NPRS. It's the perfect holiday read.
December 24, 2014
I absolutely loved this book, Jaimie Admans is a very talented author. I first met Jaime when I was involved in a book tour for Not Pretty Enough and I really felt like I connected with the book, so I went online and bought all the other books I could get my hands on.
Opening this book I did not know what to think. Jaimie generally writes for Young Adults but this seemed a little younger, reading further I realised that this was simply the surrealist opening and it is in fact NOT a book for young children. Unless you want them to learn additions to their vocabulary! I loved this book and I'm 24 so it's suitable for a range of ages, I'd say 15-16 at the youngest.
The story centres around a group of five people who hate christmas and are responsible in some way for ruining it for someone else. They've been sent to the North Pole Reform School to learn the meaning of Christmas. (Don't worry I haven't told you anything you won't find in the title or on the back!) and two of the characters; Mistletoe and Luke are the main focus. It's a heartwarming story and it nearly made me cry at a couple of points, this is not easily done!
I would definitely recommend this book for your Christmas read as it really is an experience. It's very well written and well thought out along with a lot of humour and some heartbreaking moments. Jaimie Admans really has hit the nail on the head with this story.
Opening this book I did not know what to think. Jaimie generally writes for Young Adults but this seemed a little younger, reading further I realised that this was simply the surrealist opening and it is in fact NOT a book for young children. Unless you want them to learn additions to their vocabulary! I loved this book and I'm 24 so it's suitable for a range of ages, I'd say 15-16 at the youngest.
The story centres around a group of five people who hate christmas and are responsible in some way for ruining it for someone else. They've been sent to the North Pole Reform School to learn the meaning of Christmas. (Don't worry I haven't told you anything you won't find in the title or on the back!) and two of the characters; Mistletoe and Luke are the main focus. It's a heartwarming story and it nearly made me cry at a couple of points, this is not easily done!
I would definitely recommend this book for your Christmas read as it really is an experience. It's very well written and well thought out along with a lot of humour and some heartbreaking moments. Jaimie Admans really has hit the nail on the head with this story.
December 22, 2013
This story was a crazy-in-a-good-way, hilarious, quite enjoyable, and heartfelt Christmas story! Mistletoe and other characters have different reasons for not liking Christmas, and now with the North Pole Reform School, the elves are trying to help them get more Christmas spirit. I loved this book because it had the most ridiculous things inside this plot - zombies in the North Pole, WHAT?!?!?! Loved It!
Jaimie Admans tied everything together so that it actually made sense for zombies to be in the North Pole, and other quirky things that happen in the book. I love the reindeer scenes, the different christmas named elves, the slow-developing, realistic romance between Mistletoe and Luke, and the theme of what Christmas is really about- love, family and kindness.
The ending of this book was crazy- haha I just loved it. There was some language in this book, so I don't think it is best for the young teenagers, but any high schooler and above- this book would be appropriate. I also didn't like Joe, but I think he was supposed to be a dislikable character. This was a funny book to read during the Christmas season, and I think if anyone needs a break from the norm- this is the book to read :D
5 stars!
Jaimie Admans tied everything together so that it actually made sense for zombies to be in the North Pole, and other quirky things that happen in the book. I love the reindeer scenes, the different christmas named elves, the slow-developing, realistic romance between Mistletoe and Luke, and the theme of what Christmas is really about- love, family and kindness.
The ending of this book was crazy- haha I just loved it. There was some language in this book, so I don't think it is best for the young teenagers, but any high schooler and above- this book would be appropriate. I also didn't like Joe, but I think he was supposed to be a dislikable character. This was a funny book to read during the Christmas season, and I think if anyone needs a break from the norm- this is the book to read :D
5 stars!
December 22, 2013
This is just the most fun and wonderful Christmas story.
5 people are sent to the North Pole to find their love for Christmas again.
Mistletoe - our heroine, Luke – the sweet boy with the cute ears, Hugo – the little boy that thinks he is dead, Joe – a cranky middle-aged guy that hates people and Emily – a woman with an interesting fright of ducks;)
The happy elf’s with names like Eggnog, Tinsel, Navidad, and Peppermint, that sings/slaughters Christmas Carols, live on candy canes and mince pies and make toys all year are amazing, they made me laugh so hard, that people started starring at me on the bus.
Santa Claus turns out to be not so jolly as we get to know him, but you can´t get a happy one every time, can you?
Mix in the zombies that love Christmas songs, the endearing baby reindeers at their first flying lesson, the true meaning of Christmas and family values, and Misty and Luke’s sweet romance.
Then you have a fun, heart-warming (and a little -breaking), lovable Christmas story that went on my list of Christmas books that I will read every year, from now on.
5 people are sent to the North Pole to find their love for Christmas again.
Mistletoe - our heroine, Luke – the sweet boy with the cute ears, Hugo – the little boy that thinks he is dead, Joe – a cranky middle-aged guy that hates people and Emily – a woman with an interesting fright of ducks;)
The happy elf’s with names like Eggnog, Tinsel, Navidad, and Peppermint, that sings/slaughters Christmas Carols, live on candy canes and mince pies and make toys all year are amazing, they made me laugh so hard, that people started starring at me on the bus.
Santa Claus turns out to be not so jolly as we get to know him, but you can´t get a happy one every time, can you?
Mix in the zombies that love Christmas songs, the endearing baby reindeers at their first flying lesson, the true meaning of Christmas and family values, and Misty and Luke’s sweet romance.
Then you have a fun, heart-warming (and a little -breaking), lovable Christmas story that went on my list of Christmas books that I will read every year, from now on.
December 9, 2013
I absolutely loved North Pole Reform School. Who would have thought the elves would kidnap people who ruined Christmas and try to reform them into lovers of Christmas? This year a group of 5 are taken, and they are quite the interesting bunch. Our star is Mistletoe Bell (such a great holiday name), and she is bound and determined to hang on to her hate of the Christmas season. It will be up to the elves to transform her and the four others completely.
The story is an interesting mix of Christmas spirit, youthful rebellion, and zombie apocalypse (yes I said zombie in a Christmas book). It was funny and quirky while being completely uplifting and sappy in a perfect sort of way. This is a great book to get you into the mood to have fun and really enjoy this holiday season.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
The story is an interesting mix of Christmas spirit, youthful rebellion, and zombie apocalypse (yes I said zombie in a Christmas book). It was funny and quirky while being completely uplifting and sappy in a perfect sort of way. This is a great book to get you into the mood to have fun and really enjoy this holiday season.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
December 27, 2015
Overall this was cute, I liked it. The ending was a bit strange. An interesting story, definitely, but needed a bit more polish and development for me to really love it.
December 13, 2016
This was such a fun, fluffy read! It's very British (might be the first British YA romantic comedy I've ever read) with the language, and balanced snark with warmheartedness. There's a lot of cheeky humor in it, but the romance is also very sweet in the YA fashion. It's a quick read, at less than 300 pages, with a steady pace. I don't want to give too much away, but I'd say the humor kept it from being too saccharine, and the concept was very fun.
I recommend it to fans of romantic comedies, especially if you're not nuts over the marketing side of Christmas. Also, if you're fine with bizarre fantasy (like Libba Bray's Going Bovine) with heart to it. Enjoy, my cucumbers!
I recommend it to fans of romantic comedies, especially if you're not nuts over the marketing side of Christmas. Also, if you're fine with bizarre fantasy (like Libba Bray's Going Bovine) with heart to it. Enjoy, my cucumbers!
December 24, 2014
Actual rating - 3.25
This wasn't anything brilliant, but it was enjoyable enough.
Mistletoe was an okay character. She annoyed me slightly in the first half, but in the second half i warmed to her a bit more, and i started to like her. I could understand why she hated her name so much, Mistletoe Bell really wouldn't be a good name in June!
Luke was an okay charater too, but again, it took me a while to warm to him.
I did get a bit bored at points - Mainly in the first half, but there was enough funny bits to keep my enjoyment.
Overall, An alright christmas read.
This wasn't anything brilliant, but it was enjoyable enough.
Mistletoe was an okay character. She annoyed me slightly in the first half, but in the second half i warmed to her a bit more, and i started to like her. I could understand why she hated her name so much, Mistletoe Bell really wouldn't be a good name in June!
Luke was an okay charater too, but again, it took me a while to warm to him.
I did get a bit bored at points - Mainly in the first half, but there was enough funny bits to keep my enjoyment.
Overall, An alright christmas read.
December 4, 2013
North Pole Reform School is a wonderful read. The author has put a new spin on an old story - think the Christmas Carol, and a romance with added zombie. Yes, really. This top of the range YA novel is sprinkled with guaranteed laugh out loud and feel good moments.
March 10, 2014
Loved this book! It was a mixture of comedy, romance and the feels. But I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be blogging about it soon.
P.S.I think I have a crush on Luke
P.S.I think I have a crush on Luke
January 18, 2014
Source: Thanks Jaimie for this... It was a review copy, but this hasn't affected, as always, my review in any way.
Recommended for: Christmas lovers & Christmas haters. You will get a laugh from this Christmassy comedy (romance?). People who don't believe (and you've got to admit, that includes you & I... even after I've read this) will still find this endearing. This is a young adult but probably best for the upper end (like Afterlife Academy) due to the content.
My Thoughts:
Endearing: Woah. That's not the only adjective I could use to describe (cos that's there's function, but whatever) this tale of Mistletoe & some other Christmas-ruiners who find themselves at the: NORTH POLE REFORM SCHOOL.
Jaimie has crafted an amazing place, a novel where so many dramatic things happen. Jaimie is essentially very like a Welsh Miranda Hart... Not that Miranda Hart writes fiction or should write anything like this. As, although this is obviously a comedy, at the heart it's a lot less plain that that. It's mostly funny but also soft, sad, romantic, cute but always... amazing. Honestly. Like yeah...
Yikes!
I'm not just saying that because, as Jaimie perfectly illustrates, Christmas can be all those things. If you want to know my true opinion on Christmas (but I shouldn't think that affected my opinion on this book much at all), for starters, on the Christmas books: I haven't actually read that many Christmas books.
I mean most totally devalue Christmas for me or end up not seeming Christmassy... Just because a book is set in Winter does not make it a Christmas book. It's ideal for Winter which is the season Christmas is in if you live in the UK but still: mislabelling. This book is appropriately labeled, even though it's not about the real Christmas... You know, the Christian one which I believe in as I'm a Christian :P
If you have read a book you thought was closer to the commercial Christmas to the Nativity Christmas (which is my Christmas), I'd like to point out: I don't mind either Christmassses being here, obviously. And this novel is absolutely great, even sticking with the North Pole type of Christmas. It also means NPRS didn't turn that kind of preachy even though I'd say, given the chance, most of the elves would preach better than a really informed prophet. I can't believe they're not against the commercialism of Christmas & although I totally understand their point of view as well, I'm glad we had people against it. I suppose they don't mean to commercial, it's just their lifestyle (candy canes, santa, reindeer) kind of is an example of commercial Christmas. Surreal is more the word for the world our characters inhabit, for a month or... well, we'll let you see the time frame, shall we? But yes, it's bizarre, it's somehow vivid as well & there's a lil' tinge of cute-as-pie girl & boy. Luke isn't exactly your boy-next-door & he's the best guy of the three YA's I've read of Jaimie's, in my opinion.
I think Luke & Mistletoe are the best examples of anti-Christmas individuals (yet I still loved them, because they don't hate everything & are still positive, not miserable, even though they were kidnapped by a purple moose it seems...). Emily is really odd & her Grinch-like approach is totally funny. I think she'll appeal to lots of you, and gain a spot in your heart for her little fear... which I believe she shares with some of my bloggy friends. Ducks, eh? Hugo, well, we find out he hates Christmas because of his parents... His response is totally whacky, And Joe is just a... well, the book explains that quite well & I'm not one for putting in expletives (at least not in a review :P) Plus, his jokes? Joe's the standard loser . NO, Joe, you've not become a comedian overnight. Not even with all the Christmas magic at the North Pole!
I don't think anyone could say being reformed turned Joe into a decent human being... Just sayin'. Funnily enough, Mistletoe & Luke (aww! Such cute people... umm, together :D) more than reform & they go from being understandable, likeable & hatin' on this situation in the North Pole to being... Aww. Just so perfect & loveable. Seriously, I want to know these people. Mistletoe has just been unfortunately named & Luke... eared (not a word? OK, apparently it actually is!). She'd be better with a name like 'Hope'. Cos that's what I see Mistletoe as... She's just such a nice human being who probably isn't big on Christmas cos (an annoying thing is totally this) people think it's one of the only times you have to be nice to people. Be nice to people, rain or shine. Holiday or ordinary workday (I hope I'm not getting preachy like Tinsel, one of the head elves, now...)
Yup, I think Luke and Mistletoe learn their lesson... I mean we see it for a little & wonder why it's dragging on (well, they must think it is!) It's all fun but the serious part of you is thinking, sure it's all jokey at the moment & I'm enjoying seeing the dynamics of the Reform Group but... when do they get their 'Get Out Of Reform School Free' monopoly card? (No, my serious part of my brain probably is more serious than that!)&
And then it was like Chapter 22... All I will tell you is I thought that'd be it. The End. Done & dusted. But, that would've been rushed! My brain was full of unflattering thoughts to elves who dragged poor, admittedly Christmas-ruiners (but sometimes accidentally so!) to North Pole & gave them such a rubbish ending to the programme. Plus, Joe going first? Fissshhhy. But you know, thanks Jaimie, for sorting that out. I now have more flattering feelings towards this book which is just so fun to devour.
You'll see that this book is awesome. Even though the end was better than I'd saw at first judging of seeing that chapter... (which is 84% through. But you can pack a punch in less than 20% of a book, trust us) I wish it hadn't ended. It's a book that I could read a few pages of, that I could read & have epilogues upon epilogues to... (umm, no, be careful what you wish for before you say it) sequel? I mean, we've, almost all of us, read the Harry Potter series & you know that's thousands of pages overall... But that literally summarizes it. It's a fabulous book & you just want to read more about the characters as they are really good at latching on to your heart strings. I can't stop them tugging them!... So maybe, be my besties, guys? I promise I won't "Merry Christmas" you before you show me it's OK (as in, I'll return the favour when you say it first cos you'll be in the mood).
Recommended for: Christmas lovers & Christmas haters. You will get a laugh from this Christmassy comedy (romance?). People who don't believe (and you've got to admit, that includes you & I... even after I've read this) will still find this endearing. This is a young adult but probably best for the upper end (like Afterlife Academy) due to the content.
My Thoughts:
Endearing: Woah. That's not the only adjective I could use to describe (cos that's there's function, but whatever) this tale of Mistletoe & some other Christmas-ruiners who find themselves at the: NORTH POLE REFORM SCHOOL.
Jaimie has crafted an amazing place, a novel where so many dramatic things happen. Jaimie is essentially very like a Welsh Miranda Hart... Not that Miranda Hart writes fiction or should write anything like this. As, although this is obviously a comedy, at the heart it's a lot less plain that that. It's mostly funny but also soft, sad, romantic, cute but always... amazing. Honestly. Like yeah...
Yikes!
I'm not just saying that because, as Jaimie perfectly illustrates, Christmas can be all those things. If you want to know my true opinion on Christmas (but I shouldn't think that affected my opinion on this book much at all), for starters, on the Christmas books: I haven't actually read that many Christmas books.
I mean most totally devalue Christmas for me or end up not seeming Christmassy... Just because a book is set in Winter does not make it a Christmas book. It's ideal for Winter which is the season Christmas is in if you live in the UK but still: mislabelling. This book is appropriately labeled, even though it's not about the real Christmas... You know, the Christian one which I believe in as I'm a Christian :P
If you have read a book you thought was closer to the commercial Christmas to the Nativity Christmas (which is my Christmas), I'd like to point out: I don't mind either Christmassses being here, obviously. And this novel is absolutely great, even sticking with the North Pole type of Christmas. It also means NPRS didn't turn that kind of preachy even though I'd say, given the chance, most of the elves would preach better than a really informed prophet. I can't believe they're not against the commercialism of Christmas & although I totally understand their point of view as well, I'm glad we had people against it. I suppose they don't mean to commercial, it's just their lifestyle (candy canes, santa, reindeer) kind of is an example of commercial Christmas. Surreal is more the word for the world our characters inhabit, for a month or... well, we'll let you see the time frame, shall we? But yes, it's bizarre, it's somehow vivid as well & there's a lil' tinge of cute-as-pie girl & boy. Luke isn't exactly your boy-next-door & he's the best guy of the three YA's I've read of Jaimie's, in my opinion.
I think Luke & Mistletoe are the best examples of anti-Christmas individuals (yet I still loved them, because they don't hate everything & are still positive, not miserable, even though they were kidnapped by a purple moose it seems...). Emily is really odd & her Grinch-like approach is totally funny. I think she'll appeal to lots of you, and gain a spot in your heart for her little fear... which I believe she shares with some of my bloggy friends. Ducks, eh? Hugo, well, we find out he hates Christmas because of his parents... His response is totally whacky, And Joe is just a... well, the book explains that quite well & I'm not one for putting in expletives (at least not in a review :P) Plus, his jokes? Joe's the standard loser . NO, Joe, you've not become a comedian overnight. Not even with all the Christmas magic at the North Pole!
I don't think anyone could say being reformed turned Joe into a decent human being... Just sayin'. Funnily enough, Mistletoe & Luke (aww! Such cute people... umm, together :D) more than reform & they go from being understandable, likeable & hatin' on this situation in the North Pole to being... Aww. Just so perfect & loveable. Seriously, I want to know these people. Mistletoe has just been unfortunately named & Luke... eared (not a word? OK, apparently it actually is!). She'd be better with a name like 'Hope'. Cos that's what I see Mistletoe as... She's just such a nice human being who probably isn't big on Christmas cos (an annoying thing is totally this) people think it's one of the only times you have to be nice to people. Be nice to people, rain or shine. Holiday or ordinary workday (I hope I'm not getting preachy like Tinsel, one of the head elves, now...)
Yup, I think Luke and Mistletoe learn their lesson... I mean we see it for a little & wonder why it's dragging on (well, they must think it is!) It's all fun but the serious part of you is thinking, sure it's all jokey at the moment & I'm enjoying seeing the dynamics of the Reform Group but... when do they get their 'Get Out Of Reform School Free' monopoly card? (No, my serious part of my brain probably is more serious than that!)&
And then it was like Chapter 22... All I will tell you is I thought that'd be it. The End. Done & dusted. But, that would've been rushed! My brain was full of unflattering thoughts to elves who dragged poor, admittedly Christmas-ruiners (but sometimes accidentally so!) to North Pole & gave them such a rubbish ending to the programme. Plus, Joe going first? Fissshhhy. But you know, thanks Jaimie, for sorting that out. I now have more flattering feelings towards this book which is just so fun to devour.
You'll see that this book is awesome. Even though the end was better than I'd saw at first judging of seeing that chapter... (which is 84% through. But you can pack a punch in less than 20% of a book, trust us) I wish it hadn't ended. It's a book that I could read a few pages of, that I could read & have epilogues upon epilogues to... (umm, no, be careful what you wish for before you say it) sequel? I mean, we've, almost all of us, read the Harry Potter series & you know that's thousands of pages overall... But that literally summarizes it. It's a fabulous book & you just want to read more about the characters as they are really good at latching on to your heart strings. I can't stop them tugging them!... So maybe, be my besties, guys? I promise I won't "Merry Christmas" you before you show me it's OK (as in, I'll return the favour when you say it first cos you'll be in the mood).
November 23, 2016
This is one of those books with an actual moral to the story. What was that expression from the 80s? Gag me with a spoon.
I'm one of those Christmas haters though I don't inflict my displeasure on others. I simply stay to myself except when I absolutely have to mingle. I do my part to help the less fortunate during the holidays but I still find all the nauseatingly sweet Christmas movies annoying.
There were a few things that seemed out of place in this cutesy story. The swearing for one and the fact that the elves were so annoyed at the group asking questions because they were whisked away from their homes in the middle of the night. I would think every single group of people experiencing this would have questions. Maybe this was Tinsel and Navidad's first day on the job.
It's not a bad story, just not my thing.
I'm one of those Christmas haters though I don't inflict my displeasure on others. I simply stay to myself except when I absolutely have to mingle. I do my part to help the less fortunate during the holidays but I still find all the nauseatingly sweet Christmas movies annoying.
There were a few things that seemed out of place in this cutesy story. The swearing for one and the fact that the elves were so annoyed at the group asking questions because they were whisked away from their homes in the middle of the night. I would think every single group of people experiencing this would have questions. Maybe this was Tinsel and Navidad's first day on the job.
It's not a bad story, just not my thing.
October 9, 2021
I have read a few different Christmas stories over the years and sometimes find that they feel very similar to each other but thankfully that is not something that can be said for this book. Imagine that you have ruined Christmas for others and are sent to a reform school in the North Pole to be educated on what you did wrong, what would you do and would you even believe it? This is the basis around the story but thanks to amazing writing which sees the story flow without ever feeling like it is being dragged out this manages to have plenty of unique twists that make it stand out from the crowd.
Overall this is a truly great story that works well and I highly recommend.
Overall this is a truly great story that works well and I highly recommend.
December 18, 2021
3.5⭐
This book was cute even though it was predictable. I just read Jaimie Admans book Snowflakes at the Little Christmas Tree Farm and adored it so I wanted to check this one out.
I like the concept - evles end up kidnapping people who are ruining Christmases for others and taking them back to the North Pole and tossing them in their reform school. This is where a small spoiler comes in. Joe. Joe was the absolute worst human being and somehow he graduated from the reform school. It actually made me mad. Lol. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
The book was still good though despite that. It's a very quick read and the romance happening between Luke and Mistletoe was adorable. :)
This book was cute even though it was predictable. I just read Jaimie Admans book Snowflakes at the Little Christmas Tree Farm and adored it so I wanted to check this one out.
I like the concept - evles end up kidnapping people who are ruining Christmases for others and taking them back to the North Pole and tossing them in their reform school. This is where a small spoiler comes in. Joe. Joe was the absolute worst human being and somehow he graduated from the reform school. It actually made me mad. Lol. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
The book was still good though despite that. It's a very quick read and the romance happening between Luke and Mistletoe was adorable. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2018
Wow! My last book for 2017!
This book really surprised me. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I very much enjoyed it. The character development as they discover the true meaning of Christmas and change their attitude towards the holiday progressed at a nice speed so the story had somewhere to go. Also, I like the development of Mis and Luke’s relationship because the ending was earned. This was a great holiday read to end the year with.
This book really surprised me. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I very much enjoyed it. The character development as they discover the true meaning of Christmas and change their attitude towards the holiday progressed at a nice speed so the story had somewhere to go. Also, I like the development of Mis and Luke’s relationship because the ending was earned. This was a great holiday read to end the year with.
December 22, 2020
It has its moments
Terrifying North Pole? Sure.
Reform school for Xmas haters? I like that.
Cute Xmas romance? Sign me up!
The problem is the 3 don't blend well. Nothing feels developed enough. And at times, the elves come across as sexist, insensitive twits.
There were moments I liked, such as the reindeer learning to fly. But most of the book felt disjointed and I spent too much time irritated with the main cast and the attempts at humor.
A shame.
Terrifying North Pole? Sure.
Reform school for Xmas haters? I like that.
Cute Xmas romance? Sign me up!
The problem is the 3 don't blend well. Nothing feels developed enough. And at times, the elves come across as sexist, insensitive twits.
There were moments I liked, such as the reindeer learning to fly. But most of the book felt disjointed and I spent too much time irritated with the main cast and the attempts at humor.
A shame.
December 16, 2021
I liked the directness of the characters in this story. A very common sense approach, and it is a story written for those not keen on everything christmasy. The characters are very likeable and the story kept me gripped to the very end. At one point with only 2 chapters left I was wondering how the conclusion to it all would be but it did and I really would like to see a follow on one for this.
December 17, 2022
This book is totally wacky and not for me. I managed to get through 50 pages but cannot embark on this journey any longer.
It's about kids who are extracted from their houses to the North Pole by elves because they ruined Christmas for someone else. They are there to get infused by Christmas spirit and to learn what their thoughtlessness does to others.
It's a good concept just not for me.
It's about kids who are extracted from their houses to the North Pole by elves because they ruined Christmas for someone else. They are there to get infused by Christmas spirit and to learn what their thoughtlessness does to others.
It's a good concept just not for me.
December 14, 2020
I totally enjoyed this novel! And who knew that the North Pole had the original drone technology?
I totally enjoyed this novel! And who knew that the North Pole elves had the original drone technology?
Thank you
I totally enjoyed this novel! And who knew that the North Pole elves had the original drone technology?
Thank you
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