Synopsis: ‘Old Marley’s magic was beginning to stir…’
George is about to spend his third Christmas without his mum. Since she died, George’s life has felt dull and grey; his dad has thrown himself into his work and has no time for family, and definitely no time for Christmas.
Then, George stumbles across Marley’s Curiosity Shop. There he finds a mysterious snow globe, which – though George can’t quite understand how – appears to show a scene from George’s past. A Christmas in which he and his family were together, and happy…
That night, George and his dad are swept on an adventure to three Christmases – past, present, and future. With help from new friends, and just a touch of magic, can they begin living life in full colour again?
Release Date: 1st October 2020
Format Read: Ebook
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magic, Christmas, Adventure, Retelling
Pages: 240
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Puffin Random House Children’s for the earc to read and review.
Review: I love Christmas and I love a Christmas Carol, so why I didn’t fully enjoy this book is honestly a mystery to me, but alas I didn’t really enjoy it at all.
George misses Christmas, for three years his life had been dull and grey since his mum died on Christmas Eve. His dad shut down and removed colour and celebrations from their lives to cope just a little. This year George can’t take it anymore and wants life back to normal, he finds himself with a gifted miracle that can change everything.
In a similar thread to a Christmas Carol they go on adventures through time with interesting characters, they see parts of wonderful Christmasses long ago, to family that miss and long to have them back, to what a life will be like for George if things don’t change now. Though when the miracle breaks they get stuck and have to figure out what to do together.
I didn’t care for most of the characters in this story especially George. I did like Marley and found his shop of wonders a very creative and interesting idea. I also liked Bobbie and Clementine, George’s cousins, they were so bubbly and lively that they made it fun.
The story was written well, though for me I just didn’t find the magic in it until right at the end. It was an interesting modern take on a beautiful classic. I think that even though I personally didn’t fully enjoy this, it is still a must read for anyone that loves Christmas; you may enjoy it so much more and find that magical spark in this story that didn’t shine for me.
Where to buy: Amazon, Wordery, Book Depository, Waterstones
About Author: Catherine Doyle grew up in the West of Ireland. She holds a first-class BA in Psychology and a first-class MA in Publishing. She is the author of the Young Adult Blood for Blood trilogy (Vendetta, Inferno and Mafiosa), which is often described as Romeo and Juliet meets the Godfather. It was inspired by her love of modern cinema. Her debut Middle Grade novel, The Storm Keeper’s Island (Bloomsbury, 2018), is an adventure story about family, bravery and self-discovery. It is set on the magical island of Arranmore, where her grandparents grew up, and is inspired by her ancestors’ real life daring sea rescues.
Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.
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Was the story too similar to A Christmas Carol? Perhaps you knew how things would end so you didn’t enjoy it as much.
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Not really at all, it wasn’t particularly similar to Christmas Carol at all other than the fact that three (sort of) spirits come to change a grumpy mans thoughts of Christmas.
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