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Post by Claire on Dec 5, 2015 23:34:20 GMT 1
Hi all, the Christmas read this year is the seasonally titled One Frosty Christmas by Laura Hesse, a Canadian author. The e-book version is easy to find and very cheap on Amazon or I Tunes in the UK, USA and Australia. There is also a 3 in 1 e-book which includes this and 2 other of the author's books for a pretty low price on Amazon. Print copies of One Frosty Christmas are also available. I will run the thread from now right through the Christmas hols and January to give plenty of time for everyone to join in. However you are welcome to comment as soon as you are finished as long as you mark posts as spoilers if you are giving away any of the story.
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Post by Claire on Jan 2, 2016 0:43:09 GMT 1
Hi all, just wondering if anyone has started/finished the book? I'm about half way through it, distracted from it a bit by books I got for Christmas!
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Post by kunuma1 on Jan 2, 2016 20:41:35 GMT 1
I read it on Christmas day - liked it - it reminded me rather of an American version of Come Down the Mountain.
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 3, 2016 18:51:23 GMT 1
I have started to read it and I'm enjoying it so far. I should be able to finish it off after the kids go back to school!
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Post by Claire on Jan 3, 2016 22:29:32 GMT 1
WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS
Finished it - a nice short read.
At first, when I started to read about Hannah's disability and her grandmother dying I thought it was going to be one of those gritty depressing no pulled punches modern stories and not really suitable for a Christmas read, but I turned out to be completely wrong: this was a quite traditional story at heart and full of the real spirit of Christmas. I do like a rescue story and I agree with Kunuma, it really reminded me of Come Down the Mountain but with younger protagonists and set in a different country. The ending was a little corny but it balanced out the quite uncompromising aspects such as Hannah's disability and the quite violent and bloodthirsty confrontation with Ole Man Levy. The 'baddie' Penny was not for a change a rich spoilt brat as in many pony stories, which made her more interesting. I also liked the aspects of the Native American culture and the riding for disabled element.
The only slight quibble I have is that the writing could do with a bit of spit and polish in the editing and proof-reading department. The prose needed a bit of tightening up and I noticed some glaring spelling mistakes such as 'peaked the interest' and "let me lye here' ! I did read the e-book version, not sure if the same mistakes were in the print version.
Anyway i would be interested in what other people thought of the quite graphic depiction of Hannah's condition and the bloodthirsty bits? Too gritty/not suitable subject for the youngish age group? Did everyone find it Christmassy or not?
BTW has anyone heard of the Christmas song 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer' which is mentioned in the story, it did make me giggle. Is it a real song?
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 6, 2016 19:19:56 GMT 1
Finished it! I also found it a good read. I felt it handled some weighty issues, like Hannah's disability and bullying, with sensitivity. I was quite shocked when the old man shot at them, but I suppose it's a much more common occurence in American than in Britain where hardly anyone has a gun. The character of Penny was really quite horrifying as not only did she expose the children to the wrath of a mad man with a gun but she obviously didn't care about the pony dying at all. I did think it was a good choice for Christmas. It had a nice ending with all the people bonding together to help Hannah and Frosty, also addressed the issue of people being more sad at Christmas time but trying to put a brave face on things which I thought was quite poignant. I liked the character of Hannah and I am looking forward to reading the other 2 books in the series.
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Post by susanb on Jan 6, 2016 21:54:55 GMT 1
Yep, it's real enough....here it is, for your post Christmas enjoyment.
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Post by Claire on Jan 6, 2016 22:08:54 GMT 1
Haha thanks for posting that Susan. I sigh with relief that it's not known over here or no doubt it would be added to all the shops' Christmas playlists!
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Post by Claire on Jan 16, 2016 17:32:18 GMT 1
Just bumping the thread - has anyone else read this and would like to comment/vote?
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Post by brumby on Jan 16, 2016 21:31:27 GMT 1
sorry, just finished it. enjoyable read will comment later as off to work!
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Post by brumby on Jan 17, 2016 9:57:55 GMT 1
Enjoyable read, lots to like about this book. I didn't find the book too graphic as I think kids these days would expect this, they see heaps of it on television everyday. The only bit perhaps when it went too far for me was when Hannah was in hospital and there was a paragraph where she imagined what had happened to Mr Frosty. The description of Hannah's condition was well handled as I think it educates people and answers some of that questions we wondered about but couldn't ask, plus i think kids are often quite open about these things. The riding for the disabled part was really good and I loved that you knew something about all of the ponies at the stable not just the ones Hannah rode. I didn't mind the ending, I thought it tied things up nicely. That song is horrific!!!! Hope it never becomes popular here! Thanks for sharing it Susan, I'll stick with Rudolph. Agree Darkhorse i am also looking forward to reading the other two in the series.
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2016 22:07:28 GMT 1
That song is horrific!!!! Hope it never becomes popular here! Thanks for sharing it Susan, I'll stick with Rudolph. Haha, I know. I thought nothing could be worse than Cliff Richard singing Mistletoe and Wine but that was before I heard the Grandma song! Thanks for adding your comments Brumby. I think you're right that kids nowadays are used to much more graphic/violent things in books or TV than when we were young. I also noticed there was a bit of swearing in there too, a couple of sods at least lol.
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Post by fizz on Jan 21, 2016 11:55:45 GMT 1
I think the song is wickedly funny. Maybe just my weird sense of humour! I suppose it's a bit tasteless because lots of Grandma's seem to die just before Christmas, mine both did any way, (they weren't run over by sleighs though).
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Post by Claire on Jan 22, 2016 1:40:28 GMT 1
Oh dear Fizz you did make me giggle, albeit in a rather guilty way, as both my Grandmas died just before Christmas too! Mind you I'm sure one of them did it on purpose to spoil everyone's Christmas
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