My True Love Gave to Me ~ Stephanie Perkins, et al (earc) review [@naturallysteph @StMartinsPress @OfficiallyAlly @MyraMcEntire]

My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories
St Martins Press
October 14, 2014
320 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depo/or Amazon

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

First, the contents of My True Love Gave to Me:

• "Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell (starts at 1%*)
• "The Lady and the Fox" by Kelly Link (at 8%)
• "Angels in the Snow" by Matt De La Pena (at 16%)
• "Polaris is Where You'll Find Me" by Jenny Han (at 26%)
• "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by Stephanie Perkins (at 31%)
• "Your Temporary Santa" by David Levithan (at 42%)
• "Krampuslauf" by Holly Black (at 47%)
• "What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" by Gayle Forman (at 55%)
• "Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" by Myra McEntire (at 63%)
• "Welcome to Christmas, CA" by Kiersten White (at 71%)
• "Star of Bethlehem" by Ally Carter (at 82%)
• "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor (at 91%)

Even while I'm strongly lamenting the end of summer, My True Love Gave to Me remindefd me how much I love the holidays and got me excited for their approach. It will definitely get you in the holidays spirit. 

My True Love Gave to Me is a great collection of authors who write in an assortment of YA genres. The anthology may be the most diverse I have read. From the characters' religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or gender, to the holidays the stories center on, and whether they were paranormal or contemporary, there is something for seemingly every reader. (Which will make it a great holiday gift.)

I did not dislike any of the stories, but I did like some more than others. Ally Carter's, "Star of Bethlehem," and Stephanie Perkins', "It'a a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown," were two that I wish were planned to become longer length tales. Both were self contained and worked very well as short stories, but both had concepts and characters I really want to see more of.

Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Matt De La Pena, Gayle Forman, Kiersten White Myra McEntire and Laini Taylor's tales worked really nicely as short stories. I really enjoyed meeting the characters (from a cat sitting college student to an orphan living in a magical world),  Jenny Han's story felt more like the introduction to something than a concluded short story. I really liked the idea and the character, though.

• "Midnights" covers several New Years' Eve's between two friends 4/5
• "The Lady and the Fox" a paranormal love story 3.5/5
• "Angels in the Snow" the aforementioned cat sitting college student - but so much more 5/5
• "Polaris is Where You'll Find Me" the girl adopted by Santa is all grown up 2/5
• "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" Christmas tree shopping, Tetris and two fantab characters 5/5
• "Your Temporary Santa" a (Jewish) boy dresses up as Santa to help his boyfriend 4/5
• "Krampuslauf" the more devilish side of the holidays - but with some romance 3.5/5
• "What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" an out-of-place college freshman 3.5/5
• "Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus" a church fire, the Christmas pageant and an unlikely connection 4.5/5
• "Welcome to Christmas, CA" a diner in 'census designated' Christmas, CA and some magical cooking 4.5/5
• "Star of Bethlehem" switched tickets at the airport and Icelandic influences 5/5
• "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" an orphan girl who discovers magic and love 3.5/5

My favorites were Stephanie Perkins, Matt De La Pena, Ally Carter, Kiersten White and Myra McEntire's tales but as a whole, My True Love Gave to Me is an incredibly enjoyable, incredibly readable collection of short stories by some great authors. Whether you want to get into the holiday spirit, want to read more from your favorite author(s) or are looking for a holiday gift to get or give, My True Love Gave to Me is it! (Or is you're in the UK and want something pretty to look at.)

*Based on percentages given with advance digital copy, may change/be different in final ebook



digital copy received for review from publisher, through NetGalley