Where I review a Young Adult Book on Tuesdays
Even though it’s after Christmas, Let it Snow seemed to be the perfect read since snow is finally falling where I live! I’ve heard a lot of positive reviews for this book, and even though it did not completely live up to its hype, Let it Snow still is a fun read for the winter time.
Let it Snow centers on three stories (written by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle) on three different teenagers in Gracetown on Christmas Eve. The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson follows Juiblee, who ventures from Virginia during a freak snow storm to spend Christmas with her grandparents in Florida after her parents are arrested. The train breaks down and Jubilee relocates to a Waffle House with Jeb and a handful of cheerleaders who were also on the train. John Green’s Cheertastic Christmas Miracle develops after one of the Waffle House workers calls his buddies to race down to the Waffle House to flirt with the cheerleaders. The final story, The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle, follows Jeb’s self-absorbed ex-girlfriend who wants to get back together with him.
Out of all three stories, The Jubilee Express stood out as the strongest to me. Maureen Johnson’s funny and easy writing style really connected with me and I missed Jubilee and Stuart when their section finished. I wish I could read a whole book just about them!
After The Jubilee Express, the story started to go downhill for me. Even though I loved Tobin’s voice and the hilarious situations the group faced, I found it difficult to connect with the characters until the last few pages. The best way to describe these characters is “typical John Green.” This isn’t necessarily bad, but if you aren’t particularly interested in the types of characters he often writes, then this section won’t be your favorite even though the writing is fantastic.
The Patron Saint of Pigs, the final section, contained the least interesting story line and least likable characters. While I breezed through the first two sections, I put the book aside during the middle of this section, which I believe is the longest section in the book. This section revolves around the self-absorbed Addie who cheated on her boyfriend, broke up with him, and complains about how he doesn’t want to get back together with her. The whole point of this section is to see a huge change in Addie, but the change is never really noticeable. Also, out of all the couples, I didn’t see myself rooting for Addie and Jeb because they never seemed compatible.
Overall, Let it Snow lived up to its purpose: a fluffy book you can read while cuddling under a blanket on the couch with hot chocolate. However, I did enjoy the book less as I continued reading. Since I loved one section, liked another, and didn’t care for one, I will give this book a three out of five stars.
Which story in Let it Snow was your favorite?
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