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Clementine Twins #1
Merry Christmess
From the New York Times–bestselling author and Grammy-nominated artist comes a funny, warm-hearted debut middle-grade novel about sisterhood, family, and how the holiday season is a time to be merry―and messy.
All twins Stevie and Jordan Clementine want for Christmas is to enjoy the holiday with both of their Grinchy parents―something they haven’t done with their traveling rock star father and work-obsessed mom since they were too young to remember. Instead, the sisters expect to spend this season as they always hopping between their uncle’s motel, where they stay with Dad while he is in town, and home, where Mom is too frazzled from organizing the endless holiday celebrations at the local community center to have much Christmas spirit left for her kids.
But when news arrives that could wreck the halls, mischief-minded Stevie ropes her reluctant sister into a plan to save the get their parents under one roof for a movie-worthy Christmas. For their scheme to work, the girls will need plenty of holly-and-jolly cheer, enough messy white lies to land on Santa’s naughty list . . . and unexpected help from some four-legged friends.
Irresistibly festive and fun, Tegan Quin’s first solo novel is a fresh celebration of the season that reveals how family messiness is sometimes the missing ingredient for true holiday magic.
All twins Stevie and Jordan Clementine want for Christmas is to enjoy the holiday with both of their Grinchy parents―something they haven’t done with their traveling rock star father and work-obsessed mom since they were too young to remember. Instead, the sisters expect to spend this season as they always hopping between their uncle’s motel, where they stay with Dad while he is in town, and home, where Mom is too frazzled from organizing the endless holiday celebrations at the local community center to have much Christmas spirit left for her kids.
But when news arrives that could wreck the halls, mischief-minded Stevie ropes her reluctant sister into a plan to save the get their parents under one roof for a movie-worthy Christmas. For their scheme to work, the girls will need plenty of holly-and-jolly cheer, enough messy white lies to land on Santa’s naughty list . . . and unexpected help from some four-legged friends.
Irresistibly festive and fun, Tegan Quin’s first solo novel is a fresh celebration of the season that reveals how family messiness is sometimes the missing ingredient for true holiday magic.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2026
About the author
Tegan Quin
17 books327 followersDuring the course of their career, sisters Tegan and Sara have sold well over one million records and released eight studio albums. They have received three Juno Awards, a Grammy nomination, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and the 2018 New York Civil Liberties Union Award. They have performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, from Coachella to the Academy Awards.
Outspoken advocates for equality, in 2016 Tegan and Sara created the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women. The sisters currently reside in Vancouver, British Columbia, and split their time between there and Los Angeles, California.
Outspoken advocates for equality, in 2016 Tegan and Sara created the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which fights for health, economic justice, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women. The sisters currently reside in Vancouver, British Columbia, and split their time between there and Los Angeles, California.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 9, 2026
As a long time fan of Tegan and Sara I of course was going to pick this one up. This one is just by Tegan and introduces us to the Clementine twins who are 10ish years old. Their parents are split and they want to celebrate a Christmas together. It's kind of a parent-trap-y situation kind of not.
It's really fun and we get perspectives from both girls. There's some family drama as well as a cousin who starts as an enemy and ends as a friend. I think it's a really heartwarming tale and genuinely perfect for middle grade audiences and even maybe younger later elementary.
In the Goodreads thing it does say clementine's twins #1 which makes me think this is going to be a series which I would definitely enjoy. I would love to see these girls grow up and maybe introduce a little queerness into the mix. I will say just from Tegan and Sara's background queer music and adult queer literature I was expecting some queerness in this book and there is none which was disappointing. Even a secondary character would have been nice but there's nothing.
It's really fun and we get perspectives from both girls. There's some family drama as well as a cousin who starts as an enemy and ends as a friend. I think it's a really heartwarming tale and genuinely perfect for middle grade audiences and even maybe younger later elementary.
In the Goodreads thing it does say clementine's twins #1 which makes me think this is going to be a series which I would definitely enjoy. I would love to see these girls grow up and maybe introduce a little queerness into the mix. I will say just from Tegan and Sara's background queer music and adult queer literature I was expecting some queerness in this book and there is none which was disappointing. Even a secondary character would have been nice but there's nothing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
review of the story: this was a cute Middle Grade Christmas story (the twin main characters are 10 I believe). Their parents are not together and neither parent really likes Christmas while Stevie and Jordan want a really special Christmas season. I thought both girls were cute and I especially loved their love of the holidays. I also really loved the character of Trish (their cousin) and how that relationship developed as the story progressed. This is set in Canada and I liked the small town setting as well. There were a lot of festive activities and it all sounded so fun. However, I didn’t like either one of the parents (especially the dad) for most of the book. They had a weirdly flirty but also contentious relationship and while neither one likes Christmas I was annoyed that they couldn’t put their ambivalence toward the season aside for the sake of their kids. Overall, though, this was a cute middle grade read with plenty of humor and heart.
review of the audiobook: I thought both narrators were quite good and did a good variety of voices for each of the characters. Jordan and Stevie have very different personalities and I was glad that the readers were quite different as well. It was a well done audiobook.
thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
review of the audiobook: I thought both narrators were quite good and did a good variety of voices for each of the characters. Jordan and Stevie have very different personalities and I was glad that the readers were quite different as well. It was a well done audiobook.
thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
August 7, 2026
Full review to come. This is a cute middle grade, cozy holiday read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Such a wicked cute middle grade Christmas story with a Parent Trap vibe, complete with a set of twins! I had never read anything by these authors before, but apparently they are known for their adult queer fiction as well as their singing careers. This may be a bit of a departure from their usual work, but if given the chance, readers will find an endearing first installment in the Clementine Twins series.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy from Macmillan Young Listeners through NetGalley, largely because one of my favorite narrators was cast. Both Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Helen Laser were absolutely fabulous in bringing this story to life. It’s the end of July—about as far from Christmas as you can get—but they still managed to make me feel the holiday magic while I sat here with the air conditioning working overtime. They sounded age-appropriate no matter which character they were voicing, and their experience shone through in both their pacing and nuanced performances, making the audiobook enjoyable for listeners both young and old.
What I especially appreciated is how well this book works as a family listen. It can be difficult to find a story that is appropriate for younger children while still being entertaining for adults, but this one fits the bill perfectly. Although it is classified as middle grade, it would also be suitable for even younger listeners.
The holiday cheer, the twins working so hard to reunite their parents, and the parents doing everything they can to make their children happy—even at their own expense—create a heartwarming story. At the same time, the children begin to realize that adults need lives of their own outside of parenting.
The book also presents a wonderful example of successful co-parenting after divorce. There may be a few hiccups along the way, but the parents consistently show their children love, positivity, and respect for one another. Sometimes they do such a good job of getting along that the twins start scheming to get them back together!
This one releases on September 1st, and it would make a wonderful addition to any Christmas reading list.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy from Macmillan Young Listeners through NetGalley, largely because one of my favorite narrators was cast. Both Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Helen Laser were absolutely fabulous in bringing this story to life. It’s the end of July—about as far from Christmas as you can get—but they still managed to make me feel the holiday magic while I sat here with the air conditioning working overtime. They sounded age-appropriate no matter which character they were voicing, and their experience shone through in both their pacing and nuanced performances, making the audiobook enjoyable for listeners both young and old.
What I especially appreciated is how well this book works as a family listen. It can be difficult to find a story that is appropriate for younger children while still being entertaining for adults, but this one fits the bill perfectly. Although it is classified as middle grade, it would also be suitable for even younger listeners.
The holiday cheer, the twins working so hard to reunite their parents, and the parents doing everything they can to make their children happy—even at their own expense—create a heartwarming story. At the same time, the children begin to realize that adults need lives of their own outside of parenting.
The book also presents a wonderful example of successful co-parenting after divorce. There may be a few hiccups along the way, but the parents consistently show their children love, positivity, and respect for one another. Sometimes they do such a good job of getting along that the twins start scheming to get them back together!
This one releases on September 1st, and it would make a wonderful addition to any Christmas reading list.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
Meet Stevie and Jordan, the Clementine Twins. These two are the stars of Tegan Quin's new middle grade series, and their first adventure centers on a holiday bonanza. This is a sweet novel with a lot of series-related promise.
As the title clearly confirms, Stevie and Jordan are interested in the impending holiday and why their family refuses to celebrate it how they want. Their parents have a bit of an untraditional but functional relationship, and the girls spend some time trying to wade through the mysteries of who their parents were before the girls were around. I enjoyed this part as an adult reader, so I'm confident it will really resonate with younger folks.
Many themes and motifs come through here, and all will appeal to the target audience. There's a lot of focus on sisterhood, as is the case in most of the literature the Quins produce. There is discussion of family dynamics, family secrets, and dogs: the best of us! There is a running conversation about characters making decisions based on what others want versus what they want and need, and there is a related theme of selfish-ness/selflessness that never comes off as didactic but is useful for readers to encounter.
Of course this novel is middle grade, but I found that it reads on the young side of this audience. I enjoyed the read and will definitely be looking out for future installments in this series.
*Special thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR), and Macmillan Young Listeners for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Meet Stevie and Jordan, the Clementine Twins. These two are the stars of Tegan Quin's new middle grade series, and their first adventure centers on a holiday bonanza. This is a sweet novel with a lot of series-related promise.
As the title clearly confirms, Stevie and Jordan are interested in the impending holiday and why their family refuses to celebrate it how they want. Their parents have a bit of an untraditional but functional relationship, and the girls spend some time trying to wade through the mysteries of who their parents were before the girls were around. I enjoyed this part as an adult reader, so I'm confident it will really resonate with younger folks.
Many themes and motifs come through here, and all will appeal to the target audience. There's a lot of focus on sisterhood, as is the case in most of the literature the Quins produce. There is discussion of family dynamics, family secrets, and dogs: the best of us! There is a running conversation about characters making decisions based on what others want versus what they want and need, and there is a related theme of selfish-ness/selflessness that never comes off as didactic but is useful for readers to encounter.
Of course this novel is middle grade, but I found that it reads on the young side of this audience. I enjoyed the read and will definitely be looking out for future installments in this series.
*Special thanks to NetGalley, Farrar, Straus & Giroux (BYR), and Macmillan Young Listeners for this arc and alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Merry Christmess follows the journey of twins, Stevie and Jordan, as they strive to get their parents together to create the perfect family Christmas. While some of their antics go off as planned (or better), others result in drama or just general messiness.
This is a book that I admittedly had high expectations for because I love a cute Christmas story, but it just didn’t hit the mark. I found it confusing that the parents got along, co-parented, and flirted so seamlessly yet they weren’t together…why? It was also odd that the dad was willing to give his younger children and ex-partner a day in whether or not he was going to pursue his dream career to begin with. Beyond that, parts of the dialogue just felt like the character were great about saying the exact right things to make up for any of their wrong doings.
While there were parts of the story that I struggled with, there were also cute elements. The twins did a good job stirring up some holiday nostalgia for their parents and I love that they had their own little family traditions, even when the parents weren’t together. The inclusion of the extended family in some of their traditions was a nice touch.
Overall, I do feel like this book is one that middle grade readers will enjoy, although as a holiday story it may be a tad long. Since this book is marked as part of a series, I’d be interested in seeing how future books expand on the twins’ story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book.
This is a book that I admittedly had high expectations for because I love a cute Christmas story, but it just didn’t hit the mark. I found it confusing that the parents got along, co-parented, and flirted so seamlessly yet they weren’t together…why? It was also odd that the dad was willing to give his younger children and ex-partner a day in whether or not he was going to pursue his dream career to begin with. Beyond that, parts of the dialogue just felt like the character were great about saying the exact right things to make up for any of their wrong doings.
While there were parts of the story that I struggled with, there were also cute elements. The twins did a good job stirring up some holiday nostalgia for their parents and I love that they had their own little family traditions, even when the parents weren’t together. The inclusion of the extended family in some of their traditions was a nice touch.
Overall, I do feel like this book is one that middle grade readers will enjoy, although as a holiday story it may be a tad long. Since this book is marked as part of a series, I’d be interested in seeing how future books expand on the twins’ story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
Twins Stevie and Jordan live in Canada, mostly with their frazzled mom who runs the local community center. Their father is a rock musician who is often away on tour, but when he's in town, he stays at the family inn his brother runs, and the twins stay there with him. Because their mom is run off her feet with Christmas activities at the center, and their father despises the commercialism of Christmas, the twins haven't had a traditional Christmas in years. This year, Stevie is determined that is going to change, and drags Jordan into her plans willy-nilly, white lies included. Things get especially complicated because their father is weighing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could mean seeing even less of him in the future, and wants the twins' input.
I liked this one, didn't love it. I thought the world-building was great, and loved all the details about the programs at the center, the dog show going on at the inn, the Christmas activities that do happen, etc. I thought the girls' characters were well-defined, if slightly one-note. It's also nice to see representation of separated parents who get along fine. What didn't work so well was that the stakes were kind of low, and most everything went the way the twins wanted it to, with a few exceptions. There just wasn't a ton of oomph. But still enjoyable! Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
I liked this one, didn't love it. I thought the world-building was great, and loved all the details about the programs at the center, the dog show going on at the inn, the Christmas activities that do happen, etc. I thought the girls' characters were well-defined, if slightly one-note. It's also nice to see representation of separated parents who get along fine. What didn't work so well was that the stakes were kind of low, and most everything went the way the twins wanted it to, with a few exceptions. There just wasn't a ton of oomph. But still enjoyable! Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ten-year-old twins Stevie and Jordan Clementine have one goal for this week—make it the best Christmas ever! The only problem is their parents are total grinches. Mom is a workaholic with a stressful job, and Dad is a rock star who’s rarely in town. Jordan anxiously goes along with Stevie’s snowballing schemes to convince their parents to celebrate the holiday and enjoy their time together. But things threaten to fly off the rails when their dad reveals a great job opportunity that could take him away even more.
Merry Christmess is a light, family-centric story full of holiday cheer. I was initially worried it would head into Parent Trap territory, with the kids trying to get their parents back together. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. This is definitely aimed at the lower end of the MG age spectrum. The conflict was a little too low stakes for my liking. The schemes always seemed to work out, making it hard for me to get to emotionally invested, especially in Jordan’s anxieties. All in all, this book will make an easy holiday read for young readers looking for a cozy holiday tale.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the e-arc for my honest review.
Merry Christmess is a light, family-centric story full of holiday cheer. I was initially worried it would head into Parent Trap territory, with the kids trying to get their parents back together. Luckily, that wasn’t the case. This is definitely aimed at the lower end of the MG age spectrum. The conflict was a little too low stakes for my liking. The schemes always seemed to work out, making it hard for me to get to emotionally invested, especially in Jordan’s anxieties. All in all, this book will make an easy holiday read for young readers looking for a cozy holiday tale.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for providing the e-arc for my honest review.
September 1, 2026
Merry Christmess is a very fun middle grade novel with a plot slightly reminiscent of the Parent Trap Movie.
Jordan and Stevie's parents aren't together but co-parent well they care about each other and do their best to prioritize the needs of their girls. But mom works a lot and dad works a job that keeps him away frequently. The girls seem to have a somewhat mature understanding of this but want more for the holidays and are determined to get their picturesque christmas.
While this book skews a bit to the young side of middle grade, it is a sweet low stakes holiday story about the messiness of family, learning not to fib, and how not everything will go according to plan.
A story of holiday chaos, sibling disagreements (both adults and kids) and humor, and a hotel full of dogs, this was a fun read.
The first in a series I am curious to learn more about Jordan and Stevie's story, and would suggest this to parents with middle graders who love dogs, low stakes and silly sibling interactions.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's publishing, and the author for the ARC.
Jordan and Stevie's parents aren't together but co-parent well they care about each other and do their best to prioritize the needs of their girls. But mom works a lot and dad works a job that keeps him away frequently. The girls seem to have a somewhat mature understanding of this but want more for the holidays and are determined to get their picturesque christmas.
While this book skews a bit to the young side of middle grade, it is a sweet low stakes holiday story about the messiness of family, learning not to fib, and how not everything will go according to plan.
A story of holiday chaos, sibling disagreements (both adults and kids) and humor, and a hotel full of dogs, this was a fun read.
The first in a series I am curious to learn more about Jordan and Stevie's story, and would suggest this to parents with middle graders who love dogs, low stakes and silly sibling interactions.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's publishing, and the author for the ARC.
August 26, 2026
A sweet holiday story, but one that skews much younger than implied.
Our twin protagonists are supposed to be 11, but they act and think more like they’re about 8. The general plot of the book follows suit, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a general sense, the book was pitched more as middle reader material and doesn’t exactly show 11 year olds as they are.
Generally speaking this is sort of a Parent Trap-esque, let’s unite our semi-estranged family kind of story. It’s not a bad theme at all for a holiday book, though most of the “problems” felt fairly manufactured. There’s a lot of Oh no, Parent X will see this completely innocuous Christmas decoration and freak out, which is both absurd and also not at all what happens at any point.
There’s a decent amount of holiday atmosphere, though I think there could have been more, and much of it feels kind of dated and a bit juvenile for the characters supposed ages.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Our twin protagonists are supposed to be 11, but they act and think more like they’re about 8. The general plot of the book follows suit, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing in a general sense, the book was pitched more as middle reader material and doesn’t exactly show 11 year olds as they are.
Generally speaking this is sort of a Parent Trap-esque, let’s unite our semi-estranged family kind of story. It’s not a bad theme at all for a holiday book, though most of the “problems” felt fairly manufactured. There’s a lot of Oh no, Parent X will see this completely innocuous Christmas decoration and freak out, which is both absurd and also not at all what happens at any point.
There’s a decent amount of holiday atmosphere, though I think there could have been more, and much of it feels kind of dated and a bit juvenile for the characters supposed ages.
*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars rounded up for Helen Laser and Stephanie Németh-Parker.
This was a cute, very young middle-grade novel. There are some middle-grade books that I can still absolutely adore as an adult because they're clever or subversive or really tap into certain emotions felt by people of all ages. And while I wouldn't say that this is one of those, I think it can be relatable for kids trying to work through feelings about celebrating holidays with separated parents. There's a sweetness and vulnerability here that should be very accessible. Also, one of the sister's, Stevie, brought a mild level of chaos that amused me.
Also, there are two great narrators doing the sisters' POVs, so that was a huge positive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Merry Christmess comes out September 1, 2026.
This was a cute, very young middle-grade novel. There are some middle-grade books that I can still absolutely adore as an adult because they're clever or subversive or really tap into certain emotions felt by people of all ages. And while I wouldn't say that this is one of those, I think it can be relatable for kids trying to work through feelings about celebrating holidays with separated parents. There's a sweetness and vulnerability here that should be very accessible. Also, one of the sister's, Stevie, brought a mild level of chaos that amused me.
Also, there are two great narrators doing the sisters' POVs, so that was a huge positive.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Merry Christmess comes out September 1, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An okay middle grade debut. I worry that Tegan and Sara's adult fans will be put of by the lack of gay stuff. But they're not the true target audience, and fans of realistic fiction will appreciate fun plot points like the the giant dog, living part time in a hotel, the too-cool cousin, etc.
And as a figure skating fan, I really appreciated the scene where a girl defiantly purchases black skates. I appreciated this is extremely Canadian queer coding. Down with the black and white skate gender binary! Black skates for all!
I received this copy Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
And as a figure skating fan, I really appreciated the scene where a girl defiantly purchases black skates. I appreciated this is extremely Canadian queer coding. Down with the black and white skate gender binary! Black skates for all!
I received this copy Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My seven-year-old and I listened to this audiobook together. She loved this! She was excited about the Christmas aspect, of course. I loved the interpersonal struggles and the family dynamics. It was complicated, messy, and heartwarming too. This is a story I think my eleven-year-old daughter would enjoy, she would appreciate it more for its depth and world building in a way my younger daughter can’t yet grasp.
September 17, 2026
Only Tegan Quin could get me to read a middle grade Christmas novel in September.
Plenty of fun Christmas antics and family drama that I'm sure kids would enjoy. I got a kick out of the references to Tegan and Sara's own childhood and the Easter egg nods to several other queer musicians whose names were lent to places around town.
Cute, and I'll read more Clementine Twins books if Tegan writes them.
Plenty of fun Christmas antics and family drama that I'm sure kids would enjoy. I got a kick out of the references to Tegan and Sara's own childhood and the Easter egg nods to several other queer musicians whose names were lent to places around town.
Cute, and I'll read more Clementine Twins books if Tegan writes them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'll always pick up a book written by one of the Quin sisters and this was a cute middle grade holiday story about two twins trying to bring their separated parents together for the holidays. It was good on audio, had family drama and lots of nostalgic traditions. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 25, 2026
I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.
This book is a fun look at kids (identical twins) who are trying to get their parents to see the joys of Christmas and making an absolute mess of things. I liked the Clementines with their functioning dysfunctional family and their extended relatives.
This book is a fun look at kids (identical twins) who are trying to get their parents to see the joys of Christmas and making an absolute mess of things. I liked the Clementines with their functioning dysfunctional family and their extended relatives.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Review to come closer to publication date.
Review to come closer to publication date.
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