Book Review: The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for my copy! All thoughts are my own.
Nothing gets me in the feels quite like a YA books themed for the holidays. Plus add in a little enemies to lovers and a group of people trying to save a small business? I’m all in! I also loved this cover.
And while I really enjoyed getting to spend time with Chloe and Peter, and the book takes place Halloween-New Years, I didn’t get “Holiday Book” from this story. It still totally worth the read but I really think you can read it all year long!
Synopsis:
“"Chloe Kwon can't stand Peter Li. It's always been that way. Their families don't get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it's the holiday season and Chloe's the photographer at the mall's Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It's all Chloe can do to avoid Peter's smug, incredibly photogenic face.
But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don't know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize...” —Goodreads
What I Liked:
The Concept—I actually was so charmed by the idea of setting a book in a mall. Malls used to be the center of the universe for teens and now they’re almost completely nonexistent! But looking at it from the people who have built their lives and businesses in them gave me pause.
The Characters—I really liked all the characters in this book! I enjoyed spending time with them and getting a glimpse into their lives as the children of very different families. One, Asian American struggling with what makes them American, one the daughter of immigrants.
What Didn’t Work:
Didn’t Feel like a Holiday Book—I kind of wish this hadn’t been billed as holiday books because there are so many aspects that are more important…and I didn’t get holiday vibes from it! I still really enjoyed it, especially since the two main characters worked for “Santa” at the mall, but I don’t know, I didn’t get holiday vibes! It felt like “More” and that’s not a dig, cause I love holiday books.
Character Authenticity: 4.5
Steam Rating: N/A as it is YA
Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Content Warnings:
racism, racial slurs, xenophobia