My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date:  October 14, 2014
Date Read: October 8, 2014

I received an advance reader
edition of this book from St. Martin’s Press via Net
Galley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

4 Stars!

I must admit that I am not this biggest fan of anthologies but I ended up liking this one.  In my experience, most anthologies have some great stories, some good stories, some okay stories, and some not so good stories and this book held to that idea.  Even though I am not a huge fan of anthologies, I still like to read them because it give me opportunity to sample the writing of authors that I want to try without committing to a full length novel.  There were several authors in this collection of stories that I plan to read in the future simply because I liked their story in this book. 

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell – 5 Stars
I loved this story.  The story jumps back and forth in time on New Year’s Eve telling Mags and Noah’s story.  Every year they go to a party at the same house and it was fun watching their feelings towards each other change over the years.

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link – 2.5 Stars
This story started out strong but then lost it’s magic about halfway through.  By the end of the story, I actually felt more confused than anything.

Angels in the Snow by Matt De La Pena – 4 Stars
This story was quite good.  A lot was packed into just a few pages.  Shy is cat sitting over the holiday when a huge snowstorm hits the area.  Haley lives upstairs and is also snowed in for the holidays.  The pair form a unique bond over frozen pipes and banana nut muffins.

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han – 2 Stars
This story was weak and I found myself drifting off.  This is the story of Natty who lives with Santa at the North Pole. 

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins – 4.5 Stars
I liked this story quite a bit.  Marigold buys a tree from North but really wants him to do some voice work for her.  One thing leads to another and he helps her bring home a tree and helps her fit the tree into her apartment. 

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan – 2.5 Stars
This read more like a scene than a full story.  We see the boyfriend of a man dress up to play Santa Claus for the man’s little sister.  It was readable but didn’t really go anywhere in my opinion.

Krampuslauf by Holly Black – 2 Stars
I did not really care for this story.  A group of friends decided to throw a New Years party so that they can confront a boy.  To be honest, I just did not see any point to the story. 
 

 

What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman – 3.5 Stars

A pair meet at a campus holiday event and bond over apple pie with cheese, light up sweaters, and a menorah.  I liked both of the characters in this story and thought it was better than much of the anthology.


Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire – 3 Stars
A young man chooses community service at the church pageant over the alternative when a poorly aimed firecracker burns down the church’s barn.  He learns that not everything is a joke and not everything is as it seems as he helps pull off the ill fated pageant.


Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White – 4 Stars
This was a really nice little story about a little working town in California.  It is set in the local diner and loved the growth and change that happened when a new cook comes to town.

 
Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter – 4 Stars
On an impulse a girl trades plane tickets and places with a girl she has never met.  The results end up changing her life.  I loved this story and thought that the characters were wonderful.


The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor – 4 Stars
Believe it or not I have never read anything by Laini Taylor until I read this short story.  I need to fix this really soon.  This was a story that I would have liked to see extended into a full length book.  The world building in this short piece was well done and I can’t wait to see what she can do with a full length novel.


I would recommend this collection of stories to others.    I thought that the majority of the stories were very good.  To be honest there were a couple of stories that I wish I would have skipped but overall this collection should appeal to a wide audience.  I definitely plan to follow up with some of these authors in a full length novel.

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