Title: Father Christmas and Me (Christmas #3)

Author: Matt Haig

Illustrated by: Chris Mould

Published October 2018 by Canongate Books

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Page Count: 304

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40942018-father-christmas-and-me

The end of Matt Haig’s trilogy, Father Christmas and Me is an imaginative story that takes place in a fictional town called Elfhelm. In a previous adventure Amelia helped save Christmas, and now she’s the only human living in an elf town. Feeling like an outcast, Amelia struggles with elf school and feels like she doesn’t belong. She learns that Father Vogol, the elf that used to rule Elfhelm before Father Christmas, wants to get his power back. Amelia also learns that the Easter Bunny feels resentful since the war with the elves hundreds of years ago. With the help of friends Amelia uses her strengths to overcome challenges and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

“An impossibility is just a possibility you don’t understand yet.”

The characters are intriguing, filled with personality and emotions. Amelia is likeable, with strengths and flaws, and a wonderful personal growth arc. While doing a little research to write this review I discovered my favourite character, The Truth Pixie, has her own book! I can’t wait to read it! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41443051-the-truth-pixie

“There was a reindeer clock in the living room, which was like a cuckoo clock but instead of a cuckoo popping out it was a reindeer. Oh, and it didn’t tell ordinary human time with boring things like ‘six o’clock’ and ‘twenty past nine’. It told elf time, and elf hours were called things like Very Early Indeed and Way Past Bedtime.”

I’ve read two books by Matt Haig now and I have to say I quite enjoy his writing style. With an exciting pace, Father Christmas and Me is a very fun and festive read for all ages.

“‘Books,’ said Father Christmas, ‘are the greatest gifts of all. Nothing else comes close.'”

Setting: 3.5
Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Writing: 5
Message: 3.5
Overall: 80% 4/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and subject to change*

“Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England in1975. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist. His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages. The Guardian has described his writing as ‘delightfully weird’ and the New York Times has called him ‘a novelist of great talent’ whose writing is ‘funny, riveting and heartbreaking’.

His novels for adults are The Last Family in England, narrated by a labrador and optioned for film by Brad Pitt; The Dead Fathers Club (2006), an update of Hamlet featuring an 11-year-old boy; The Possession of Mr Cave (2008), about a man obsessed with his daughter’s safety, and The Radleys (2010) which won Channel 4’s TV Book Club public vote and was shortlisted for a Galaxy National Book Award (UK). The film rights to all his adult novels have been sold. His next adult novel is The Humans (2013).

His multi-award winning popular first novel for children, Shadow Forest, was published in 2007 and its sequel, The Runaway Troll, in 2009. His most recent children’s novel is To Be A Cat (2012).” https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/76360.Matt_Haig

http://www.matthaig.com/