A Boy Called Christmas Review

You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas.

It is a story that proves that nothing is impossible.

If you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you.

Because this book is FULL of impossible things.

Are you still reading?

Good.

Then let us begin . . .

A Boy Called Christmas is a tale of adventure, snow, kidnapping, elves, more snow, and an eleven-year-old boy called Nikolas, who isn't afraid to believe in magic.

General Impressions

'A Boy Called Christmas' was my second Canongate Readalong and my first Matt Haig book which was exciting because I've been meaning to try his books for a while now.

I liked this book right away when the author explained how the prompt for this story was a question by his young son and then was left in shambles at how DARK this story is.

There are instances of parental death, not on the page but written about with some detail and descriptions of child abuse and poverty that pack a huge punch, but there are also some really funny scenes and jokes that will make this a great read for children and adults alike.

This story follows Nikolas on a journey to find his father, who departed with a group of men to find Elfhelm, the mythical home of the elves. During this book, Nikolas, a considerate and gentle young boy comes across both kind and unkind people and most importantly people that are forced to do things they wouldn't necessarily because they are desperate. Nikolas himself is someone that grew up deprived of everything but love and one of the most beautiful messages in this book is that good is something you chose to do and that can be incredibly hard for some for no fault of their own.

Discrimination, xenophobia, poverty and authoritarianism also feature throughout this story and are confronted with the true meaning of the Christmas spirit. If you are curious about this story, there is also a movie that just came out.

Thank you to Canongate for the invitation and this copy.

Rating: 4/5