A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig | Audiobook Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Before there was Santa Claus, there was a young boy who believed in the impossible. . . . Lemony Snicket meets Elf in this warmhearted Christmas caper.   Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.    Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . .   Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Boy Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.
"Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!" --Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
“The definitive (and funny) history of ho, ho, ho! My children loved it.” —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi   “The most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades.” —Stephen Fry
"Humorous and heartfelt, A Boy Called Christmas will grow your heart three sizes and make you believe in magic." --Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump
"Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”—Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book
From the Hardcover edition.

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig was just the PERFECT audiobook to put me in a cheerful, Christmas sort of mood. I am so glad that I downloaded it on a whim from Volumes. It’s the sort of audiobook that is good for the whole family. It’s one that I could really see being developed into a movie or a TV special — and I mean this in a very positive way.

Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas is about how a young boy named Nikolas came to be the man we all know as Santa Claus. So, Nikolas has never really had many toys in his life — only a doll carved out of a turnip. He loved that doll because his mother gave it to him. Now, however, his mother is dead. He loves his father deeply though. Yet, his father leaves him to join a search to prove the existence of Elves and this place called Elfhelm. Nikolas’s aunt Carlotta comes and stays with him and she’s the worst. So, eventually Nikolas goes on a journey to find his dad — all the way to the North Pole. Along the way he meets with a reindeer (Blitzen) and does find the elves. We truly get a full origin story from Haig.

As you can tell, I really loved A Boy Called Christmas. I found myself thinking as I listened to it, that this would be a book that I will eventually purchase for my son and place under the tree. Although some parts of this book are a bit immature for my taste (reindeer pissing on people), I did think it felt timeless. I think the appeal for children is there too. Of course, I imagine that a little boy or girl will find the reindeer thing really funny — and that’s who this is written for, children.

The audiobook of A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig is narrated by Stephen Fry. Fry is the actual ideal narrator for this audiobook. His voice has that formal sort of feel. It sounds almost classic, in a sense. He’s got a great sense of pace and character. The audiobook manages to feel exactly the right length and never overlong or boring. I find myself torn between gifting a physical copy or the audiobook – as the audiobook is flawless.

On a scale of one to Buddy The Elf, how much Christmas spirit does this book have?

This book 100% embodies a Buddy The Elf like spirit. After reading, you can genuinely yell SANTA I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM! As you will know his full origin story. Also, there’s plenty of elves, reindeer and the tradition of presents to go around. I truly think this is bound to be a new Christmas classic and it’s only a matter of time before we see a film version of A Boy Called Christmas.

Other reviews of A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig:

• Bananas For Books – “perfect for the holidays“
• Picture Books To YA – “captures all the magic of Christmas“
• Glorious Panic - “I can easily see this becoming a family tradition“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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