Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Flyde

"Mistletoe Madness" is an eclectic collection of Christmas stories and poems written by a variety authors, none of whom are widely known. Many of the works have similar themes; there are several pieces about lack of snow in warm climates ("Winter Wonderland" in the best of that bunch) and countless stories about giving to a less fortunate friend or neighbor (these are mostly trite or didactic, with a few exceptions, most notably "Leader of the Band" and the futuristic "The Good Old Days").

When authors chose to deviate from these well-used themes, they met with mixed results. "The Purple Christmas Ball with the Silver Tassel" gets points for originality, but flounders in extreme goofiness and poor writing. "The Stalking Snowman" (title self-explanatory) reads like a bad '80s movie, and "Lost!" (about a boy and his dog lost in a blizzard, is just too much plot for a 15 page story. On the other hand, "First Turkey," about a girl who prepares Christmas dinner while her mom is away in the army, is a fun read, and that goes double for the amusing "The Clauses Go Hollywood." One of the longest stories, "Liranel's Gift," an interesting fantasy about a lame girl with the gift of Song, is also enjoyable.

On the whole, the anthology is uneven-- there's some very good stories, a lot of pretty average ones, and a few that are downright awful. Still, with 42 pieces featured (mostly stories), every reader is bound to find something they like. The cover is adorable and there are some really good illustrations.

The best stories in the book are: "First Turkey," "The Remarkable Christmas Package," "Carving Out a Christmas," "Liranel's Gift," and "The Clauses Go Hollywood."