Review

‘The Jubilee Express‘ by Maureen Johnson

It’s Christmas Eve, and Jubilee (call her Julie)’s parents are arrested in a Christmas memorabilia fracas, and she has to take the train to her grandparents’ place. So instead of going to her picture-perfect boyfriend’s picture-perfect family buffet, she’s trapped in a train that’s stranded, snowbound in Gracetown, from which she escapes to a Waffle House, full of annoyingly perky cheerleaders; a guy dressed in tinfoil; Jeb, who can’t get through to his girlfriend/not-girlfriend on the phone; and Stuart, who enters wearing plastic bags on his extremities, but actually turns out to be fairly normal (unlike tinfoil guy).

‘A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle‘ by John Green

Elsewhere in Gracetown, Tobin is more-or-less snowed in with his two best friends, JP and the Duke (aka Angie), with his parents stranded out of town. He gets a call from Keun at the Waffle House with amazing news: it’s full of cheerleaders — get over here with Twister, stat. So they set off… but it’s not that easy driving in that much snow.

‘The Patron Saint of Pigs‘ by Lauren Myracle

Also in Gracetown, Addie is miserable. She’s been miserable since she cheated on and broke up with her boyfriend Jeb. Now she’s extra miserable because she emailed him to come and see her and he didn’t show up. So she cut her long blonde hair and dyed it pink, and it’s not a great look. And why are all her friends telling her she’s over-dramatic and self-absorbed? She’s not, and she’ll prove it. Somehow.

*

Let it Snow consists of three interconnected first person romantic comedy stories taking place in a Christmas snowstorm. I’ve been wanting to read it for ages – it just looks fun – and I finally did. And it is fun. Recommend! Good quality rom-coms. However, it was first published in 2008, so (1) tech references are a bit outdated, e.g. iPods; and (2) some of the attitudes to women are a bit dated, e.g. cheerleader characters are bimbos; at least one female lead is very much ‘not like other girls‘; and there’s a tiny smidgen of slut-shaming. It’s amazing how much has changed in 17 years. (Huh. 17 years. That’s actually… a long time.)

In general, this is a fun and entertaining read, and perfect for your Christmas display! Suitable for year 7 & up.

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Relationship break ups/broken hearts; some kissing; parents are comically arrested.

*

Green, J., Johnson, M., & Myracle, L. (2008). Let it snow. Penguin Books.

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I read this novel for free thanks to a school library — support your school library by visiting & borrowing!