Berls
Written on Dec 16, 2013
- ISBN10 1493515330
- ISBN13 9781493515332
- Publish Date 17 October 2013
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 232
- Language English
Reviews
Joséphine
Written on Dec 10, 2013
North Pole Reform School is a very imaginative book that takes a lot of Christmas traditions, reinvents them and adds a lot of unconventional ideas as well. I think that is the one thing I would laud this book for. I mean, zombies and Christmas when the point of the book is to spread some Christmas cheer? Definitely different. Also, not what I was expecting because to be honest, I didn't reach the end of the synopsis before I hopped on over to Amazon and bought myself the Kindle edition. Not really what I had in mind when looking for Christmas reads. That being said, I found it entertaining, so I'm not upset about the 99 cents I parted with.
How do you convince hardcore grinches that Christmas is a happy time? You send them a purple moose to whisk them off to Santa's home where all the elves spend the whole day preparing to spread some joy among the humans down south. It's difficult though when Santa himself isn't exactly the most jolly figure either. Whatever it is, I enjoyed the concept of the reform school and their curriculum is an interesting one that makes for many hilarious incidents for Mistletoe and Luke.
As touching as I thought that the setting was very well planned and presented, I did not have much sympathy for any of the characters. Mistletoe lands at the North Pole with another four. Luke, for one, the duck-phobic Emily, a boy who thinks he died and a very grouchy man. It's good to see that the characters were different and also of different ages. But the reasons for which they end up there did not convince me. The reasons for returning home convinced me even less. I did not see a transition in the characters, so in the end I felt reading about their time at the reform school was a waste of my time. Pity because the narrative itself didn't trip me up or anything. In fact, it is expressive, varied and engaging.
Still, I do care a lot about the execution of the plot and the presentation of characters, and that is where this book came short for me. Reading North Pole Reform School during the Christmas season to get into the holiday mood is fine but I would not necessarily recommend it for the rest of the year. Although, it is a heart-warming book.
This review is also available at dudettereads.com.
Angie
Written on Nov 13, 2013
It all starts with a purple moose whisking Mistletoe Bell away to the North Pole in the middle of the night. Of course, Misty thinks she's dreaming, but soon enough she realizes it's all real. She, and four others, have been brought to the North Pole Reform School because they've ruined Christmas for someone else. Mistletoe, Luke, Joe, Emily, and Hugo all hate Christmas for various reasons and have done some despicable things to others during what is suppose to be the jolliest time of the year. Now the elves are prepared to show them what Christmas is all about and how much it means to those they've hurt. Needless to say, there are tons of heartwarming moments as these trouble makers get reformed.
For being such a short book, North Pole Reform School has an amazing amount of world building. It's clear that the author put a lot of thought into what her version of the North Pole and the inner workings of Christmas would be like. It seems like she thought of everything from how they survive the weather, to their food, even how the reindeer fly! I loved the reindeer, especially the babies! My favorite part though? The zombies! Yes, there are zombies. It's a totally bizarre addition, but it oddly works. The undead wandering about made for quite the interesting twist at the end. I never saw that coming. In fact, it's so strange I don't think anyone could see it coming.
If you're looking for an utterly unique Christmas story, or just a really cute one, North Pole Reform School is it! I want this to be a movie! I have no idea what studio could possibly pick it up and do it justice, but I think this would make such a fun holiday film. As a book though, I flew threw it and I smiled the whole the way. There are some darker bits, but it's nothing too heavy to take away from the overall fluffiness of it.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.