Review: All I Want for Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski
I requested this book on a whim and I’m so glad I did! It was cute, sweet, fun, and a very realistic YA. One of my favorite movies from childhood is the Disney Channel Original Movie Wish Upon A Star (starring Katherine Heigl as a teenager) where two sisters wish on a shooting star that they could have the other’s life. It comes true and over the course of the movie, they learn a lot about themselves and what they truly want out of life.
That movie with a little It’s a Wonderful Life?! So fun and so festive but still has a ton of heart without leaning into the Hallmark Christmas cheese.
Synopsis:
“It's a Wonderful Life meets Wish Upon A Star in this Christmas-themed young adult contemporary romance.
Graham Wallace has been in love with the girl next door for a decade. Unfortunately, she's been dating his best friend for the past two years. Out of sheer desperation, Graham makes a wish on a shooting star—all he wants for Christmas is Sarah Clarke.
When Graham wakes up the next morning, everything has changed, and he's the one who's been dating Sarah for the past two years, not his best friend. Graham assumes the wish would have only come true if he and Sarah were meant to be together, but as it becomes clear that he and Sarah bring out the worst in each other, not the best, and as he starts to fall for the new girl in town, Graham wonders if some wishes come true in order to show us what's not meant to be. “ —NetGalley
What I Liked:
The Story—It’s a Wonderful Life meets Wish Upon a Star? Sign me up. I love the trope of thinking you have what you’ve always wanted, only to come to the realization that the life you wanted isn’t the life you need. I thought it was so cute and well done!
The Pacing—I started this book at 9pm one night and stayed up til midnight, then finished it right when I woke up the next morning. Less than a 12 hour read. It moved, I wanted to keep reading, the story made sense.
Perfect Amount of Christmas and Contemporary—It may take place in a small town called Christmas, but I didn’t find the story to be too cheesy at all! It felt very To All the Boys I Loved Before.
What Didn’t Work:
Mentions of Diet Culture—One character is a ballerina so in the alternate universe, she takes things to the extreme. It does not go into ED territory, but there are several mentions of dieting, starving oneself, “supporting” a partner who’s on a diet and I didn’t like it. However, I do understand it was the alternate reality, so it may have been extreme as a device.
Mentions of Religion/God/Spirituality—I normally don’t like this, but I didn’t find it to be too obtrusive to the story. But, a heads up if small mentions of spirituality/church bother you. It is NOT preachy in any sense, but just something I feel like is important to note. It doesn’t take away from the story.
Content Warnings:
Dieting