A Boy Called Christmas

I am so in love with this book! I've never been a big Christmas reader, but for some reason this year I have been in a holiday mood and once all of my media to be Christmas-themed. Naturally, I went on the search for a Christmas audiobook, and found this. The narration by Stephen Fry is fantastic, the story is adorable and nostalgic, and the writing is very well done. Listening to this may become a Christmas tradition for me, but for now I'm off to buy this book for all of my friends.

What a dark and harrowing origin story for Father Christmas. I loved it, but definitely be warned when purchasing this for young readers. It deals with some very heavy topics, but it does so in a fairytale-like way. I think my favorite thing is that everything isn't made perfect. Sure, the magic makes some things convenient, but the sad events don't magically fix themselves. Dealing with neglect, abuse, abandonment, loss, etc. is difficult and I think some kids need to see representation of that, even if that representation is more unrealistic due to the fairytale vibe, to feel less alone. But, I'm not a parent, so maybe I'm overstepping with that statement.