The
Case of the Lost Christmas Spirit
Children
of Chaos Series
by
Kristen Collins
Genre:
YA Fantasy
Every
Christmas, it is the same old routine for Buck Buckley. Go over the
naughty list and try to either prevent or save children from the loss
of Christmas Spirit.
Unfortunately,
Buck hasn't had the best track record in the last few decades. But
when little Elsie Hawley winds up on the naughty list, he knows he
can't afford to lose her for fear of losing himself. Buck is about to
learn that little Elsie isn’t your typical human child either.
Will
he save her in time or will she be lost like so many others before
her?
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Review
Christmas elf Buck Buckley and his fellow elves Zayne and Elvira are charged with ensuring that children who end up on the Naughty List don't lose their Christmas spirit forever. When Buck discovers that Elsie, who has always been on the Nice List has fallen onto the Naughty List, he is determined to bring back her Christmas spirit.
The story alternates between the viewpoints of Buck and Elsie. We learn early in the story that Elsie has the ability to make toys come to life. Elsie and her brother Ollie are being bullied by a group of hoodlums. Elsie's life is difficult and her anger is causing her to become a bully as well, ridiculing homeless people and stealing from them.
This book is appropriate for middle-grade readers and up. There is no profanity and there aren't any risque scenes. There are scenes of violence, one involving human bullies and another involving a minion of the Krampus.
I liked the fact that the story addressed the problems that Elsie was facing rather than painting her as a bad kid. I also really appreciated the way the story addressed the fact that the U.S. welfare system does not provide nearly enough assistance to families in need. Without getting on my soapbox, both the medical system and the welfare system in the United States need to be overhauled. Children should not be going hungry and people who are ill or disabled should not be forced to live in poverty.
I liked this story very well and could not find any problems with it. I rate The Case of the Lost Christmas Spirit five out of five stars.
I'm
a Native Texan, born and raised close to the heart of the great Lone
Star State. I was born in January of ‘89 and was able to grow up
during a great time. I honestly don’t consider myself a Millennial,
and really dislike that title. I'm a part-time secretary and a
full-time mother and wife, as well as a Lupus Warrior.
Having
Lupus means living my life indoors, and the sun is my arch-nemesis,
my personal kryptonite. I want to leave a legacy behind, something my
kids could one day look back on and say, “yeah my mom did that.”
Thanks
to the encouragement of friends and family, I found a passion for
writing paranormal romance books. Anything in the realm of fantasy
usually suits my novels and tends to be able to reach a large
audience in multiple genres. Most of my story ideas come to me in the
most unexpected times and places, such as my dreams. They will plague
me nonstop until I sit down and write it out.
I
like to explore new types of characters such as Sandmen and
Boogeymen, for example. I enjoy creating all the facets of their own
worlds, such as in A Sandman’s Forbidden Love.
God
has blessed me with success that I never imagined was possible, which
allows me the freedom to explore and create with intense focus in
paranormal fiction. Now, I know Shifters aren’t real but Angels are
another story. So Angels are also a part of my focus and research. I
will often sit on the computer doing extensive research on both
Sandmen and Angels, trying to learn as much as possible about them.
In
addition to fiction, I create Art Journals that are cross
generational from thirteen to ninety years young. My goal, with these
types of books, is to reach people who need that extra encouragement
and quiet reflective stillness that journaling can bring into their
lives.
$10 Amazon
Thank you for the wonderful review! It makes my heart so happy that you enjoyed the story! Also thank you for having me on your blog and featuring this new release too! Merry Christmas!
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