Review: My True Love Gave to Me
My True Love Gave to Me by Various Authors
Format: Owned, hardcover (the gorgeous UK edition on top!).
Rating: 4/5 stars
Part of a series?: Nope!
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me ...This beautiful collection features twelve gorgeously romantic stories set during the festive period, by some of the most talented and exciting YA authors writing today. The stories are filled with the magic of first love and the magic of the holidays.
This anthology as a whole made my heart so dang happy. I love Christmas and I love YA romance, so My True Love Gave to Me was perfect for me. Since it is an anthology and each story is its own, I'm going to talk about them by themselves and give them their own separate rating, too.
Midnights by Rainbow Rowell (5/5 stars)
This was adorable and oh so fun to read, which was no surprise to me considering it's by Rainbow Rowell. The love interest, Noel, (Christmassy names are my favorite) reminded of Levi from Fangirl, so that made me love him even more. I didn't want it to end.
The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link (3.5/5 stars)
Short stories are hard because you don't have a lot of time to build up exposition, and I felt like that was something this story needed. I was confused by the time period for the first couple of pages, and then I was confused by the fantasy-ish aspect.
Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena (5/5 stars)
I know I liked a story when I find myself trying to figure out what happens to the characters after the author finished writing about them. And I so badly wanted to know what was going to happen to Haley and Shy after Christmas.
Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han (3.5/5 stars)
I liked this one, but I also didn't. I loved the whole North Pole and elves and daughter of Santa thing, but I think it was a little young for me. Also, the ending was too abrupt for my taste.
I liked this one, but I also didn't. I loved the whole North Pole and elves and daughter of Santa thing, but I think it was a little young for me. Also, the ending was too abrupt for my taste.
It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins (5/5 stars)
I love this story SO much. I laughed out loud, I squealed, and I basically smiled through the whole thing. All of Stephanie's boys are perfectly swoon-worthy, and North (more Christmassy names!) is no exception. And I loved Marigold's voice. She was such a fun, quirky character that I could totally relate to.
Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan (4/5 stars)
I was pleasantly surprised to see a LGBT story show up in this anthology. This is my first anything written by David Levithan, and I really like the way he writes. I liked being inside the MC's head. He was perfect to me. Not cocky but not too under confident. Awkward but not too awkward. Subtly funny. Pretty adorable. Yeah, you don't want to skip this one.
Krampuslauf by Holly Black (3/5 stars)
This one was a weird one for me. I'm not really sure what to think about it because I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really like it. It wasn't bad just...odd. The whole Krampuslauf thing was really interesting though.
What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman (5/5 stars)
Gayle Forman has a way of making all her characters feel very real to me. I loved Sophie and Russell and their whirlwind romantic adventure, from the Christmas sweater talks to the Hanukkah diner dinner. Their banter was witty and fun, and I just really, really enjoyed reading about them.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire (5/5 stars)
This story is awesome. One of my favorite quotes from the entire collection is in here: "Do they make liberal feminist Christians?" "They make all kinds." Because yes. It was the perfect amount of serious and fun for me, and I loved it.
Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White (5/5 stars)
Like the previous story, this one was the perfect mix of serious and sad and fun and heartwarming, which I think makes it a perfect Christmas story. As cheesy as it is, the Christmas season is for hope and joy and love and family and all that stuff, and this story has all of those PLUS a sweet chef boy.
This one was a weird one for me. I'm not really sure what to think about it because I didn't hate it, but I also didn't really like it. It wasn't bad just...odd. The whole Krampuslauf thing was really interesting though.
What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman (5/5 stars)
Gayle Forman has a way of making all her characters feel very real to me. I loved Sophie and Russell and their whirlwind romantic adventure, from the Christmas sweater talks to the Hanukkah diner dinner. Their banter was witty and fun, and I just really, really enjoyed reading about them.
Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire (5/5 stars)
This story is awesome. One of my favorite quotes from the entire collection is in here: "Do they make liberal feminist Christians?" "They make all kinds." Because yes. It was the perfect amount of serious and fun for me, and I loved it.
Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White (5/5 stars)
Like the previous story, this one was the perfect mix of serious and sad and fun and heartwarming, which I think makes it a perfect Christmas story. As cheesy as it is, the Christmas season is for hope and joy and love and family and all that stuff, and this story has all of those PLUS a sweet chef boy.
Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter (4/5 stars)
I liked the premise for this story, even though it wasn't all that realistic, and I enjoyed watching the whole thing come together. I think I would have liked to see more interaction between the MC and love interest, but I know family was the main focus here and I liked reading it anyway.
The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor (5/5 stars)
This was such a lovely fairy tale, and it's my favorite fantasy story in the whole anthology. Well, it's actually more mythology than fantasy,so I should probably say it;s my favorite non-contemporary in the anthology. Laini Taylor was another author I'd never read before picking up this book, but I definitely want to now because this story was so beautifully written.
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