Tag Archives: Maureen Johnson

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Let It SnowTitle: The Jubilee Express
Author: Maureen Johnson
In: Let it Snow (John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Easy reading, Romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Penguin UK
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Rachel!

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

The story follows teenager Jubilee Dougal living in Richmond, Virginia. She has been forced to spend Christmas Eve away from her boyfriend Noah, and with her grandparents after her parents are arrested for participating in a riot over a cult-like set of miniature decorative houses – the Flobie Santa Village – with one of the pieces being her namesake, Jubilee Hall.

Thoughts

I loved this story. It was cute, sweet and just the right touch of corny to make me go ‘oooooooooooooh’. Jubilee is not only stranded in the middle of nowhere, but from the beginning you can tell that she has a very unappreciative boyfriend. Although it’s a little see through who she is going to end up with, and it’s a little obvious that Noah is going to get tossed from her life, it’s still a really fun and sweet journey.

I loved the quirky and unique voice of Jubilee throughout this story. It’s funny and entertaining, with just the right amount of pizazz to make you laugh. The sarcastic and witty sense of humour and the self-deprecation made me feel like I was talking to a little more put together version of me in my senior years of high school. Although her trust in Stuart is a little jeeby at the beginning, it works out beautifully and I enjoyed the eccentric family that she found herself in.

Starting of a chain of events, Jubilee’s adventure and Christmas romance is the beginning of something beautiful. And a great reminder that in this season, anything can happen.

 <- Let it Snow Review A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle Review ->
Image source: Better Reading

Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Let It Snow

Title: Let it Snow
Author: John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle
In: Let it Snow (John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Easy reading, Romance, Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Penguin UK
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Rachel!

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

An ill-timed storm on Christmas Eve buries the residents of Gracetown under multiple feet of snow and causes quite a bit of chaos. One brave soul ventures out into the storm from her stranded train and sets off a chain of events that will change quite a few lives. Over the next three days one girl takes a risky shortcut with an adorable stranger, three friends set out to win a race to the Waffle House (and the hash brown spoils), and the fate of a teacup pig falls into the hands of a lovesick barista.

A trio of today’s bestselling authors – John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle – bring all the magic of the holidays to life in three hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and kisses that will steal your breath away.

Thoughts

I read this book because I needed a book to movie story for this year’s Popsugar challenge, and I was kind of struggling to get into the Christmas spirit. I’m at that weird age now that its’s not exactly exciting for me, and I don’t yet have children to be excited either. And, it didn’t make me run around singing Christmas carols, but this collection of three stories certainly got me more in the mood to celebrate the end of a year and family time.

One of the things that I loved about these three stories is that although they were written by different authors, they are all connected. Starting with Jubilee’s adventure, progressing to the tale of the Duke, and ending with a teacup pig, the three stories each have their own dose of Christmas miracles and romance. The subtle intertwining of fate and destiny throughout this collection was really fun, and although each story could, theoretically be read separately, I definitely would recommend reading them together – it just adds to the Christmas joy!

Although all of the characters in this book are still in high school, I still found it fun and enjoyable. Sometimes I get a little frustrated by the teenage-angst in a book, after all, I’m over that stage in my own life, so I don’t necessarily want to revisit it constantly. But, although there are the dramas of high school and puberty sprinkled throughout the tales, they are genuinely cute and adorable holiday romances. Something that left a sweet smile lingering across my lips.

<- The Patron Saint of PigsThe Jubilee Express ->

Image source: Better Reading