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Five years ago on Christmas Eve, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she had become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways, but she didn’t.
Then she died.
Now, Holly is stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past. Every year, they save yet another miserly scrooge, and every year Holly stays frozen at 17, while her family and friends go on living without her.
But this year’s scrooge is different. Not only does Ethan Winters III live in New York City — in close proximity to Project Scrooge headquarters — but he’s Holly’s age.
When a risky meeting brings the two together, Holly feels an instant connection with Ethan. She knows the more she interacts with him the more she’s putting the project (and his own Christmas Eve experience) at risk, but she’s desperate to continue her ruse as an average teenage girl, Victoria Scott. Because for the first time in five years, Holly feels alive.
The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a retelling of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, but with a modern (YA) twist.
While I found the concept of Holly’s afterlife a bit odd at first, I enjoyed the book way more than I thought I would. The original A Christmas Carol is a central part of the plot and is constantly referred to — a homage that fans of the original story will definitely enjoy.
Readers are introduced to two unlikable characters. As a failed scrooge, Holly is self-centered, obsessed with money and status, cruel to those who are “beneath” her, and incredibly selfish.
Then there’s Ethan: Scrooge 173 at Project Scrooge. Ethan isn’t what you would expect of a scrooge, and that makes him a really interesting character to follow. He can be charming, kind and giving, but also cruel, narcissistic and ambitious.
Despite this, it’s easy to come to empathize with these characters and hope for a future where they can find some happiness.
Overall, The Afterlife of Holly Chase is a truly unique twist of a classic Christmas tale, as well as a delightfully clean book. The story really shines in challenging the reader’s perception of the characters and their true motivations. And while it’s your classic scrooge story and a deep, meaningful tale about learning the error of your ways, it’s also a very light, silly, feel-good young adult holiday romance book.
Rated: Mild, for a few uses of mild language and around 18 uses of the name of Deity. Characters can be cruel to others. Holly relays the facts of how she died (being hit by a car). Characters kiss.
