Synopsis
Welcome to Christmas Town, where it is Christmas every day!
Visit the town where your wishes come true. Recapture the magic of your youth. Find love and happiness.
You’ll never want to leave.
Christmas was once Diane’s favourite holiday, but she can’t face it after the tragic accident that took her husband’s life shortly before the festive season.
Wishing to recapture the happy times of their youth, Diane’s grown children take her to Ireland’s latest attraction. Christmas Town, nestled in the Cavan hills, where it is Christmas 365 days a year.
There’s something about Christmas Town that unsettles Diane. Maybe it’s the fixed, happy smiles of the people who work there. Perhaps it’s the odd images in the wallpaper, or the blood that seeps out of the snow. Could it be her grief that’s stopping her from being happy?
As reality warps around her, Diane realises that leaving is not an option. In a place where wishes come true, Diane’s one wish is to save her family, even if she must confront The Thing in Christmas Town to do it.
Review
Preordered this one on Kindle, but when I saw there were illustrations, I decided to get a paperback copy too. They were a nice accompaniment!
Diane is dealing with the loss of her husband. And yes, maybe she is not handling it well, but that doesn’t mean she wants her family to force her to celebrate Christmas. Especially not a ridiculously expensive trip to Christmas Town. A town that celebrates Christmas year round—an all-inclusive tourist destination to recapture the childlike glee of old. But when do kids ever listen?
Once they arrive, Diane is forced into Christmas cheer that she is simply not ready for. The tea time, Christmas shopping, Christmas cookies and sweets, a trip to see Santa, it should all be perfect, so why does the entire thing feel genuinely forced? And underneath that twinkle light and tinsel-y veneer, why does everything look so wrong? And why is Diane the only one noticing it?
The mayhem that follows feels like a classic Christmas story smashed together with John Carpenter’s The Thing (and not just because of the name!). Is Christmas Town infecting everyone or is the town itself infested? And while that may have your mind racing to practical effects and prosthetics, this novella also features some truly bloody and evil kills. Nothing is as it seems, even Santa!
While this is a blood pounding story of survival, it was also a well done examination into grief. Not only the loss of a husband, but the impact of an accident and misguided blame. Diane’s struggle keeps her from enjoying life, and the author does a fantastic job of showcasing how that grief and fear impacts each individual in her life.
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