The Bibliophile's Bookshelf

Title: The Afterlife of Holly Chase

Series: Standalone

Author: Cynthia Hand

Genre: Young Adult, Retelling, Fiction, Paranormal

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

On Christmas Eve five years ago, seventeen-year-old Holly Chase was visited by three Ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she’d become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn’t. And then she died.

Now she’s stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge—as their latest Ghost of Christmas Past. So far, Holly’s afterlife has been miserable. But this year’s Scrooge is different. This year’s Scrooge might change everything…

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a witty, poignant, and insightful novel about life, love, and seizing second (or third) chances, perfect for readers who loved Before I Fall or Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares. – summary from Goodreads

The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a fascinating new look at A Christmas Carol and is definitely one of my favorite Christmas reads!

I loved, loved, loved this book! It was absolutely amazing and everything came together in a really unique and beautiful way. It is honestly a Christmas book that could be read any time of the year!

This book wasn’t the most Christmasy, but it really got into the spirit of Christmas- how you should be kind and giving to others. So, if you’re going into this book with the hopes of it being very Christmasy- with candy canes, cookies, and trees- then this is not that book. It took place around Christmas, and it was a retelling of one of the most popular Christmas stories ever, and it truly felt Christmasy to me in the best way possible.

My favorite part of A Christmas Carol is the Ghost of Christmas Past. I don’t know what it is about that specific character, but I love her. This book follows one of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, which really sold it for me.

I really enjoyed how the story was told, too. It was told from the main characters perspective but after everything had happened. There were a lot of asides that really added depth to the story.

I loved Holly! She started out so self-centered, and I loved watching her grow. It was very heartwarming. She truly grew to care about others! She also had some nice depth to her, and I loved the flashbacks.

I loved how the original tale was twisted. It was a company called Project Scrooge and every year they tried to save a new Scrooge. All of the Ghosts had their own teams and their own unique power. The way this came into play was so unique and something I have never seen before.

There was some romance, but this was not a romance, which shockingly enough, I didn’t mind. It showed the power of romance, while also showing how it’s not everything. There were some nice friendships, as well!

The Afterlife of Holly Chase was a unique retelling of A Christmas Carol, with ghosts, magic, and friendships making this a truly wonderful Christmas story!