Tag: Matt Haig

The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I know we are in those strange days between Christmas and New Year, when you feel you need to do all the things that you have not done as you have been busy in the Christmas bubble. For me, it is also a time when I need to make sure that I catch up on all those blog posts that I have missed, especially as one of my main focuses has been the chance to read.

So, just before the Christmas craziness began, I read ‘The Girl who Saved Christmas’ by Matt Haig. It was a delight! It was all the things that you want from a Christmas story and was a well-crafted nod to the work of the classic author Charles Dickens; in fact, dare I say that I enjoyed it even more than ‘A Boy called Christmas’, which I have also blogged about this festive season.

Amelia (who you meet at the very end of ‘A Boy called Christmas’) is not in a festive spirit, as she is orphaned at Christmas and is resident at Mr Creeper’s workhouse. Losing her belief in the miracles of Christmas is having a detrimental on the work of Father Christmas, as the magic of Christmas is fading and he is not able to carry out his work. He must find her and restore her faith so that Christmas Day can be saved. It is a classic Christmas adventure involving a whole host of colourful characters who want to save the big day and the faith of Amelia, and restore the magic of Christmas.

To me, this novel is a tribute to Dickens and his work. There are cleverly named characters reflecting their part in the tale, but it is also a comment on the state of Victorian society and, sadly, not that far from the truth for some in modern times.

This is truly a children’s novel that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, so if you want to find or be reminded of your faith in the festive season (and you love ‘A Christmas Carol’ – book or film adaptations), then this is the novel for you – because Amelia Wishart really is the girl who saves Christmas for her and all of us.

 

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The festive season is full swing and that has inspired me to pick books with a festive theme. I decided to start with ‘A Boy Called Christmas’ by the very talented Matt Haig. This may be a children’s book but, to be honest, that never puts me off a title; the most important thing is that you enjoy what you are reading – and I certainly enjoyed this book! (Feeling even more festive once I had finished it.)

This novel answers a question I am sure we have all pondered: how did Father Christmas become Father Christmas? (The same question that Matt Haig’s own son had, and which he took on the challenge to answer.) We all follow Nikolas on his childhood adventure to the far North after he decides that he needs to find the father he loves, and his only real family, who has not returned from his own journey there with the hunters.

As we would all expect, it is not a journey without challenges on so many different levels. He is captured by elves, who may not be quite as you expect, and he discovers that his father may not be all the man he thinks he is – until the going gets tough, and love and respect shine through. By the end of the tale, and I never like to write a review with a spoiler, we are all let into the secret of how Father Christmas became Father Christmas.

This novel is an instant Christmas classic, in my humble opinion, because it is full of magic and adventure, hopes and dreams, and a collection of colourful, magical characters – even a mouse that is a little bit of fond of cheese. The theme throughout that really made me smile, and can sometimes be lost in all the festive frenzy, is about how the most important thing in life is those that we have around us, and making the most of what we have and how we can help others. This is a novel that will make you laugh out loud and celebrate the success of goodness over evil – and realise that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

There is so much festive spirit and cheer in this novel that you can not help but feel ready for some Christmas fun with those that you love by the time you reach the end. (And keen to read ‘The Girl Who Saved Christmas’, which also happens to be on my festive to-be-read pile.)