October 27, 2021

All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door by Chelsea Bobulski

Genre/Categories/Setting: Fiction, Contemporary Romance. YA, Christmas, Virginia

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Thanks #NetGalley @WiseWolfBooks for a complimentary eARC of #AllIWantForChristmasIsTheGirlNextDoor upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Sixteen-year-old Graham has been in love with Sarah, the girl next door, for several years. However, she’s been dating his best friend for the last two years. Graham makes a wish upon a star….all he wants for Christmas is Sarah. In the morning, Graham wakes to a new reality…..he is the one that has been dating Sarah for two years, not his best friend. As he spends more time with Sarah, he wonders whether or not they are right for each other. Further complicating the situation is that Graham is spending a lot of enjoyable time with the new girl in town.

My Thoughts:

Perfect and Appropriate for Young Teens!
(13-16)

Appropriate for young YA: It’s becoming more difficult to find appropriate reads for young YA. If you’re looking for a light romance with a heartfelt, page-turning story for this target audience, you will enjoy All I Want For Christmas. I appreciate that the writing is appropriate for the young YA audience (no profanity and a few innocent kisses).

Refreshing POV: I also appreciate that this story is told from the boy’s point of view. It’s a refreshing and sweet perspective. The main characters are around sixteen.

Premise: I think the fanciful premise of an alternate reality might be entertaining for young teen readers who have probably watched many movies with the same premise. Adults will need to suspend their disbelief and enjoy the story!

Setting: A Christmas setting is always fun and festive (Christmas dance, tree trimming, and Christmas cookies) and lends itself to a sweet gift for your holidays! For added enjoyment, the story is set in the small town of Christmas, Virginia  (a subtle reference to a favorite movie!). Here, the spirit of Christmas lives year round, and as a special treat for book lovers, part of the story takes place in a book store!

Themes: I loved the themes of being with the right person, wishing for something that might not be right for you, having the courage to admit the mistake in judgement, valuing friendship, making things right, experiencing first love, and accepting support from family and other adults.

***May Contain a Spoiler***
Content Consideration: in the alternate reality there is drowning incident

Recommended: I’m enthusiastically recommending All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door for teen readers (13-16), for parents looking for gifts with appropriate content for young teens, and for adults who are young at heart and love YA contemporary fiction. It’s a sweet read!

My Rating (for the target audience): 4 Stars

All I Want For Christmas Is the Girl Next Door Information Here

Meet the Author, Chelsea Bobulski

Chelsea Bobulski was born in Columbus, Ohio and raised on Disney movies, classic musicals, and Buckeye pride. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in history, and promptly married her high school sweetheart. As a writer, she has a soft spot for characters with broken pasts, strange talents, and obstacles they must overcome for a brighter future. She now lives in Northwest Ohio with her husband, daughter, and one very emotive German Shepherd/Lab mix. Her debut young adult novel, THE WOOD, is out now, and her second YA novel, REMEMBER ME, will be published in Spring 2019.

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QOTD:

Is All I Want For Christmas is the Girl Next Door on your TBR or your gift list?

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