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 … 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.
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The Afterlife of Holly Chase was such a great read, holiday or otherwise! The synopis of the book doesn’t do it justice.
There is so much to appreciate about this book. At the top of the list is the fact that it’s a reimagining of Charles’ Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a reimaging with a twist in the form of Project Scrooge. The way in which the original story is entwined into this story, becoming central to the plot, was so unique. It made for a lovely balance between the classic and the new.
I loved the premise of Holly’s afterlife so much. There is something hopeful about the idea that there are those, even unseen, that care enough to try to help others. At one point, one of the characters makes a comment about never giving up on a Scrooge, and that was really beautiful. And I loved the messages of the original were also present in this, and without any preachiness or overly saccharine platitudes.
And the characters… they were so diverse and interesting. Especially interesting for me was the affinity I felt for Holly and Ethan. Normally, I don’t adore an unlikable character, much less two of them, but there was something about them that really drew me. Both of them felt less like true “bad” people than they did broken people. And that made me heart ache for them. They were each deeply flawed, but it was the paths that led them there that got to me. It created an intriguing tug-of-war between sympathy and angst for them.
There were moments when I couldn’t help but ugly cry, especially as I neared the end. I loved the way it ended, even if I was sad to see it end!
My recommendation: If you love a holiday read, especially a unique one, this is a fantastic one to try!
I absolutely love this book. And the twist of Charles Dickens Christmas Carol. Another book to add to my Christmas reread list. This book is a page turner. There was nothing that made me not like this story.
About Book:
Holly Chase is a young 17 year old girl who is rich and mean and selfish. I just like the original story Holly was visited by her step mother who warned her that three ghosts would be coming to visit her and hopefully change her. But Holly didn’t believe and didn’t want to change. And that’s where Holly ended up working for the project Scrooge. Helping other people change their ways. And that’s when Holly meets her new Scrooge who her and her team try and change him. That’s where I will end it because they gets crazy and exciting. Now my last note is that ending twist never saw that coming. Beautiful story and highly recommend.
Very unique! I enjoyed the Christmas Carol twists to this book! There was a great feel to this book where you felt invested in the characters and the storyline. The ending threw me for a bit of a loop, but I loved the writing!
**spoiler alert** I love books that are a retelling of a classic story. I love how authors are able to take these stories that are already loved by everyone, and put a whole new spin and meaning to it, thus, drawing even more people in to love this story. In this instance, this author gave a more modern theme to this retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This story had death, romance, despair, sadness, and everything else the original story-line has. What makes this story different is that the Scrooge is a girl, a 17 year old dead zombie girl! That definitely took me by surprise! Also, they give this idea that a business named Project Scrooge is actually the brains behind everything the Scrooge goes through on the night of Christmas Eve. I have to admit that I loved the story telling aspect behind this book, it was very well thought out and each character fit their role perfectly! The ending did catch me off guard, but I believe that it made the book all that much better. Not every girl ends up with their love interest, but in the end, Holly was better off by reestablishing her bond with her father and her best friend, and even though she will not get to have the relationship she wanted, she did change Ethan’s life for the better! I would give this book a 8/10 recommend, and I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who love the Hallmark Christmas movies, because if this book could be made into a movie, that is exactly what it would be!
*spoiler alert** I love books that are a retelling of a classic story. I love how authors are able to take these stories that are already loved by everyone, and put a whole new spin and meaning to it, thus, drawing even more people in to love this story. In this instance, this author gave a more modern theme to this retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This story had death, romance, despair, sadness, and everything else the original story-line has. What makes this story different is that the Scrooge is a girl, a 17 year old dead zombie girl! That definitely took me by surprise! Also, they give this idea that a business named Project Scrooge is actually the brains behind everything the Scrooge goes through on the night of Christmas Eve. I have to admit that I loved the story telling aspect behind this book, it was very well thought out and each character fit their role perfectly! The ending did catch me off guard, but I believe that it made the book all that much better. Not every girl ends up with their love interest, but in the end, Holly was better off by reestablishing her bond with her father and her best friend, and even though she will not get to have the relationship she wanted, she did change Ethan’s life for the better! I would give this book a 8/10 recommend, and I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who love the Hallmark Christmas movies, because if this book could be made into a movie, that is exactly what it would be!
I really liked this book for its unique approach to an old and familiar story. I do not want to give anything away, but I was particularly happy with the way it ended. It was not the cliched ending I was expecting, which is all I can say.
This is a YA novel, but when you read it it goes beyond that. I just loved this story, it is so well written it held my attention, I did not want to put it down. I loved the characters and how they all worked together so well.
I just finished this one a few days into 2021. I LOVED this book. It was so hard to put down. The heroine was beautifully imperfect and reminds us of all of life’s possibilities.
I love it when an author can write a story that doesn’t use sex as a crutch, and don’t really enjoy reading about that at all. This book stood firmly on story–a strong one that made you fall into its world and forget about the rest of the world while you were there. The characters are believable and each has their own issues to work through. You fall in love with all of them. The attention to details set each scene and make lovely pictures in your head.
I didn’t expect the exact outcome of the twist at the end, but it was a brilliant one. There were all these scattered, unexpected bits of happy that made the ending so much more meaningful. The author has a firm grasp on what constitutes true love in all its glorious forms.
I really can’t say anything negative about this book. The dialogue is spot on, the pacing is perfect and the story is a perfect example of the classics coming to brilliant life in a more modern time. This book would make an amazing movie.
It’s a perfect Christmas/holiday read, especially during a time in history when the world has been thrown into such turmoil. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
Oh, and I loved I was doing zero editing in my head. I’ve read so many books lately I had to put down due to poor editing or dialogue or flat characters. None of that here.
I’m actually quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! About 3/4 of the way through I was thinking this was a solid 4 star read, but the ending was such a surprise, and I loved it so much that it jumped up to 5 stars.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t amazing life-changing literature, but it’s definitely a sweet and very entertaining Christmas story. If you love ‘A Christmas Carol’, then this is definitely a story you should read. Holly is so unlikable that she’s kind of likable. I found that while she was a pretty horrible person, I was still rooting for her the entire time.
Overall, I absolutely recommend this book. The ending was a complete surprise and I loved how the story wrapped up. So glad I finally decided to give this a go. It’s been sitting on my to-read list forever. I wish I had read it ages ago!
This is one I’m going to read over and over. I picked it up thinking it was a modern day version of A Christmas Carol. That was only the jumping off point.
what a nice Christmas story, totally loved it.
Although I’ve never read A Christmas Carol of Charles Dickens, there were enough familiar as new referrals to keep it new, refreshing and original for a retelling. I love this kind of magic touch to a story and the ending kind of surprised me. At a certain point I thought I had it figured out completely, but then it turned out way different. It doesn’t have the typical happy ever after you’d expect from a Christmas story, but it definitely is a happy ending.
A Christmas Carol has always been, and will always be, one my favourite stories. Not just one of my favourite Christmas stories, one of my favourite stories ever. When I found out this was a retelling of that classic tale, I knew I would need to read it. Am I ever glad I did!
Perfect. Completely and utterly perfect. One of the greatest retellings I’ve ever read. I can’t even put into words how absolutely flawless this book was. It was everything I never knew I needed. I don’t want to give too much away, but I can say that I don’t think I have ever seen such incredible character growth in a standalone. It usually takes an author a few books in a series to pull off the kind of growth Hand was able to craft. It blew me away.
Holly’s narrative throughout the book was the definite stand out. There was just the right amount of humour, grief, swooning and full on sobbing all blended together to make a story that was entirely beautiful. I’ll likely never be able to explain how this book made me feel. It truly is indescribable.
Well done Cynthia Hand. You created a book that would make Dickens proud. Please make sure you all pick up this wonderful story. It will stick with you and fill you up with hope and joy.
Decided to do a reread of this via audio because Erin Spencer is my favourite audiobook narrator. It was absolutely perfect.
I haven’t stopped thinking about this book in the year since I read it. If anything, I love it even more now than I did when I read it. It’s like this tiny little seed was planted in my heart and it just keeps growing into the greatest joy.
If you like audiobooks, I definitely recommend this one.
This holiday spirited YA novel is a contemporary take on an old classic. After her visits from the ghosts of Christmas, Holly Chase finds out the hard way what happens when a “Scrooge” does not change their ways.
Now part of the company “Project Scrooge”, Holly is an a unique position to help other Scrooges see the err of their ways before it’s too late.
This mostly fast paced story has a wonderfully written plot with many unexpected twists, and plenty of suspense. Both humorous and thought provoking, the well developed characters will pull at your heartstrings as Holly’s story unfolds.
This bittersweet tale is not your typical cozy Christmas book, but still gives you all the feels. A must read for anyone feeling a bit “Scrooge-y” this holiday season.
This was my first read of the holiday season and it didn’t disappoint. It is an entertaining re-working of the ever popular Christmas Carol. It provides some insight into what happens if Scrooge doesn’t change and it takes place in the modern world. If you’re looking for a fun Christmas story to read to get yourself in the holiday spirit, I highly recommend it. It was so much fun to read and I think anyone could enjoy it.
Wonderfully original and intriguing.
I loved this book! The concept was amazingly different and original. The characters were fantastic. There were several plot twists that I didn’t expect. It was charming, inspiring, haunting, sweet, and just wonderful. At times it could drag a little, but not enough to make me stop reading. I loved the surprise of the ending.
MILD SPOILER:
Ethan and Holly do not end up together at the end, but it is still a happy ending.
BIGGER SPOILER:
I just wish that it could’ve given us the promise in 6 more years, that even though there is a 6 year age gap, that they end up together. 18 and 24 together isn’t a big gap.
I found the book enjoyable with the different surprises in the story. Overall it seemed true to the source material and tried to explain and entertain.
A clever spin on the classic A Christmas Carol!
This book had quite a few of my worst pet-peeves (too long for the story to actually start, a too-handsome-to-be-true knight-in-shining-armor type, an oblivious MC) and yet the author made it all work wonderfully! The plot is well developed, the rules for this world are set and followed, everything makes sense in the end. I couldn’t put it down, I needed to know what would happen next! Super fun read!
I thought this book would be a serious read, a bit gloomy and dreary, but NOPE! Not at all! It was hilarious, fun, and full of so much heart. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face while I was reading it.
Holly was not a likable character in the beginning. She was all about status, being the most popular, the prettiest, the richest, etc. And she reveled in being mean; it was like a sport to her. She was just an all-around horrible person. The epitome of a Scrooge. For example, she described one of the perks of her step-mother’s death as finally being able to raid her closet. So disrespectful!
I usually have a hard time reading books that feature unsympathetic characters like Holly, but her snarky narration was so great. She made me laugh constantly and she did eventually tone down her rudeness. It was definitely a fun adventure watching her growth.
I can’t come up with the words to express how truly wonderful The Afterlife of Holly Chase was. It was such a delight to read and is a story that I know I’ll want to read every Christmas season. I highly, highly recommend it!
This is such a good book for this month, it’s a very creative retelling of Christmas Carol.
Holy is very unlikable character, she’s selfish, shallow and mean, so she receives the visit of three ghosts, they try to make Holly understand that she must change but she resists, being the worst Scrooge ever…
And that’s where Holly’s journey to find herself and achieve redemption beggins
You know those excellent books that have the perfect voice, the one that is wholly human and realistic and even somewhat relatable? Well, here you have one. I picked up this novel on a whim — I needed a new audiobook to listen to too pass the time — and found that this novel was a complete delight.
Let’s get this right, while I love Christmas because it means time with the family that I barely get to see. Yeah, I love the present too, but I also like giving presents. However, I am not a Christmas person, which is why I loved this story. It is a Scrooge story for young readers and for people who feel disillusioned by the Christmas holidays because this novel brings the joy and heart back to Christmas. Which, I am assuming, is the goal of the story.
Holly, like any Scrooge, lost her way. She lost the heart of Christmas when her mother died, and so, under lousy tutelage, became selfish and materialistic. Holly did not heed the warnings of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future and so she died a Scrooge, not forced to walk the earth for the rest of her afterlife, but something else; forced to become the ghost of Christmas past every year and try to help other people find their way. Moreover, with one case, Holly is finally connecting to her role as the ghost of Christmas past while also finding the Christmas spirit.
Hand went through such care when writing this story because it is not only about the story, it is also about the characters, and Holly is a great character. This novel scrutinizes and analyzes every facet of what makes a Scrooge a Scrooge. It is an in-depth look at the character and the title. Hand goes into Dickens works and capitalizes on those defining moments to make the story breath uniquely. There’s so much detail, emotion, and narrative that goes into every scene so that it structured effortlessly. The reader can feel what the story is all about; they can feel the sorrow, anger, and happiness in every scene, giving the story such vitality and drawing the reader into the narrative. It is easy to say that these are excellently written characters, but it goes beyond that. These are such believable characters that bring the story to life because, well, it is a Christmas carol, it is about finding that spark of the holiday, that love and good cheer. Hand does that in spades.
The Afterlife of Holly Chase is ultimately one of those retellings that is breathtaking. It has an utterly modern and realistic feel to it, but also has charming characters the reader cannot help but connect to. There is such vitality in the story and the way it is presented, structuring the tale in a way that makes it unique and delightful. Don’t wait for the holidays, pick this novel up soon.