Alright, today is David Levithan’s story for my “Twelve Days of Christmas” – reviewing one story per day from My True Love Gave to Me. So far, I’ve reviewed Rainbow Rowell’s “Midnights”, “The Lady and the Fox” by Kelly Link, and Matt de la Peña’s “Angels in the Snow”, Jenny Han’s “Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me” and Stephanie Perkins’ “It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown”.
David Levithan’s story is called “Your Temporary Santa”.
The story is about an unnamed narrator who dresses up as Santa Claus as a favor for his boyfriend Connor. The narrator does it out of love for his boyfriend and so that Connor’s little sister Riley will continue to believe in Santa and magic after what we can imagine has been a rough year.
It’s a really short story – 15 pages – but it’s pretty succinct. It feels like a complete story with character development and a, sort of, conflict between the unnamed narrator and…well, really himself. He feels as if he is unwanted, like he doesn’t belong.
I enjoyed this story even though it is somewhat sad. Not all relationships are easy and swoony. Sometimes they are simple, and I don’t mean simple as in easy, but more like unpretentious, not needing to be extravagant and in your face. Sometimes you can just SPOILER get in bed and cuddle and let that be enough.
This story kind of made me feel melancholy even though it’s about Santa and Christmas. Glad it had an uplifting and hopeful ending. Not the best story so far, but not the worst.
Pingback: My True Love Gave to Me – GIVEAWAY | Caught Read Handed
Pingback: Review: Ally Carter’s and Laini Taylor’s stories from My True Love Gave to Me | Caught Read Handed
Pingback: Review: Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White (My True Love Gave to Me) | Caught Read Handed
Pingback: Review: Gayle Forman’s and Myra McEntire’s stories from My True Love Gave to Me | Caught Read Handed
Pingback: Review: Krampuslauf by Holly Black (My True Love Gave to Me) | Caught Read Handed
Really? This one was one of my favorites. The scenes with the little sisters were so sweet and funny.
I liked those moments too. I didn’t say I didn’t like it. I did. I just thought that, overall, it wasn’t one of the really sweet, happy ones.
No, I totally get it! I love that you are reviewing each story separately. It has been so fun to read an in depth view of each story.
Yay! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I thought it’d be better to give individual reviews instead of one overall book review where I might have to leave out a story or two.
I’ve been trying to put a review of the whole book together all week, and I think the reason I’m resistant to it is just that. There is too much to cover in one review.
Break it up into two? Six stories in each?
I finally just powered through with a short allusion to each story. It was so hard though. I felt like I was leaving so much out.
HEY THERE! I tag you to do the GIF book tag. The post will be up on my blog in a few minutes. Sorry if you have already done it. But hey, you could do it again with new books 🙂
I did already do it, but I had a lot of fun, so I’ll check out the books you listed! 🙂
I didn’t understand the logic of having the narrator play Santa. Connor said he couldn’t do it because Riley would recognize him, but wouldn’t she have recognized SPOILER her dad, who should’ve been playing Santa?
Dude, right? Bad logic.
Seriously dude? I felt the SAME. WAY.
Bahahaha. We are apparently the same person. Wuuut?
Totally the same person. Whuddup.