Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

1 review

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Fourth Reread (December 2023): 5 Stars*
Third Reread (December 2021): 5 Stars*
Second Reread (December 2019): 5 Stars*
First Read (December 2018): 5 Stars*
I initially heard about this book on BookTube, and have made an effort to reread it every December since.
"The Afterlife of Holly Chase" is a Christmas Carol retelling set in modern-day New York with a sassy, entitled teenager. Holly Chase was only seventeen years old when she was visited by three ghosts and told to change her ways. Unfortunately, she did not listen, and she was killed a few days later. Now, she works at Project Scrooge to help people see the error in their ways before it is too late.
This book is such a cozy, comforting story to reread every year around Christmas. Although the bulk of the story does not take place on Christmas, the entire project and effort is executed on Christmas day, so the story has the holiday spirit throughout the entire story.
Holly Chase is such a great character to read from, and I really enjoy seeing her character grow and mature throughout the story. Although she did not rectify her horrid behavior in time to be saved, she does seem to be reflective of her past transgressions. Honestly, I think her portrayal is 100% accurate, because in all reality, what rich seventeen-year-old who was visited by three ghosts and told to change their ways, would actually change their ways.
One of my favorite parts of this story is that it is not a love story. Yes, there is a romance, but the story is Holly's, and the point of the book is that she is working to get her life back. 
 
I highly recommend this book, and I hope to be able to continue my tradition and reread (most) every year. 

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