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I'll Be Home for Christmas
The UK's top Young Adult authors join together in this collection of new stories and poems on the theme of home.
Contributors include: Tom Becker, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Katy Cannon , Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson, Julie Mayhew, Non Pratt, Marcus Sedgwick, Lisa Williamson and Benjamin Zephaniah.
£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis, the national homelessness charity. To find out more about Crisis, see www.crisis.org.uk
Contributors include: Tom Becker, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Katy Cannon , Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson, Julie Mayhew, Non Pratt, Marcus Sedgwick, Lisa Williamson and Benjamin Zephaniah.
£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis, the national homelessness charity. To find out more about Crisis, see www.crisis.org.uk
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2016
11 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
Tom Becker
49 books83 followersTom Becker grew up in a market town in the northwest of England, dreaming of becoming a writer. He won the 2007 Waterstones' Children's Book Prize with his first novel, Darkside, and has continued to blur the lines between history and fantasy in brooding adventure and horror stories such as The Traitors and While The Others Sleep. He has also published an adult novel, The Cold Tap, on Kindle under his real name, Tom Beckerlegge. Tom lives in London with his wife, baby son, and a horde of shadowy creatures that he keeps confined within the pages of his notebook. He can be found on Twitter at @Tbeckerlegge.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 102 reviews
December 28, 2016
#SundayYAthon
5 Words: Home, Christmas, family, friendship, warmfuzzies.
Wow.
Just a peek at the names contributing and you *know* it's going to be special, before you even open this book up. And once you do? Well, I was blown away.
As a collection, I think this worked fantastically. There was something for everyone to love within these pages, and I loved the range of styles and interpretations of the central theme. I do have my favourites, but there wasn't a single story I disliked.
At the end of each story - and the poem - I wanted more. The authors wrote with such passion and compassion that I was sucked right into each world, despite often being outside of my comfort zone. There were a few surprise stories in this book; as varied as I knew that content was going to be, I was a little blindsided by some of them (what is going on?) and I loved that my expectations were blown away.
This is a very special book.
5 Words: Home, Christmas, family, friendship, warmfuzzies.
Wow.
Just a peek at the names contributing and you *know* it's going to be special, before you even open this book up. And once you do? Well, I was blown away.
As a collection, I think this worked fantastically. There was something for everyone to love within these pages, and I loved the range of styles and interpretations of the central theme. I do have my favourites, but there wasn't a single story I disliked.
At the end of each story - and the poem - I wanted more. The authors wrote with such passion and compassion that I was sucked right into each world, despite often being outside of my comfort zone. There were a few surprise stories in this book; as varied as I knew that content was going to be, I was a little blindsided by some of them (what is going on?) and I loved that my expectations were blown away.
This is a very special book.
December 1, 2016
The perfect book to start December off, and get in the Christmas spirit! My favourite stories from this collection were Cat Clarke's and Lisa Williamson's, and the perk of a collection like this is definitely discovering new authors, so if you want to sample more UKYA, I highly recommend this festive read!
February 6, 2017
[3.5]
“This is not the country I am born in. My land is Iraq. I came here one year ago, when I was thirteen years old. Now I am fourteen. When I come … came here, I had little English. When I came here I had not much speech at all. My speaking voice I think was buried in war … ash and dirt.” — Sita Brahmachari, I'll Be Home for Christmas
This book is a collection of heartwarming short stories from leading UK YA authors, all giving different interpretations of what 'home' means to them. I think you can always expect there to be a mixed bag, some you really enjoy, and other stories you just don't connect with. But most stories, I definitely enjoyed and a lot of them were eye-opening. What I liked most is that it included diverse authors and characters, each telling their own story. It covered various topics to do with identity, relationship, love, being a refugee in a foreign land, sexuality and homelessness. Speaking of, a £1 of every sale of this book goes to support Crisis, which is a charity in the UK that helps those who are homeless. It's definitely a great read around the holiday season.
“This is not the country I am born in. My land is Iraq. I came here one year ago, when I was thirteen years old. Now I am fourteen. When I come … came here, I had little English. When I came here I had not much speech at all. My speaking voice I think was buried in war … ash and dirt.” — Sita Brahmachari, I'll Be Home for Christmas
This book is a collection of heartwarming short stories from leading UK YA authors, all giving different interpretations of what 'home' means to them. I think you can always expect there to be a mixed bag, some you really enjoy, and other stories you just don't connect with. But most stories, I definitely enjoyed and a lot of them were eye-opening. What I liked most is that it included diverse authors and characters, each telling their own story. It covered various topics to do with identity, relationship, love, being a refugee in a foreign land, sexuality and homelessness. Speaking of, a £1 of every sale of this book goes to support Crisis, which is a charity in the UK that helps those who are homeless. It's definitely a great read around the holiday season.
February 12, 2019
[Gifted]
A really heartwarming collection of short stories by UKYA authors about all the different ways teenagers feel about their homes. Some are incredibly touching - Non Pratt & Cat Clarke's in particular were my favourites. As well as portraying a range of income classes, the characters are diverse in race and sexuality and personality. You couldnt ask for a better collection of short stories for christmas!
A really heartwarming collection of short stories by UKYA authors about all the different ways teenagers feel about their homes. Some are incredibly touching - Non Pratt & Cat Clarke's in particular were my favourites. As well as portraying a range of income classes, the characters are diverse in race and sexuality and personality. You couldnt ask for a better collection of short stories for christmas!
December 1, 2016
I loved the stories by Cat Clarke, Lisa Williamson and Tom Becker!
January 7, 2017
This book has an attractive cover and I like the way the edges of the pages are red. I like the idea of the stories being all about home, family (or lack of it ) and christmas, and I love the fact that money raised from the book goes to crisis, but I didn't enjoy the stories and I didn't enjoy the way they were written. Lots of people seemed to like this though. Wasn't for me.
February 10, 2017
3.5* A really great collection of Christmas theme short stories. Some I enjoyed more than others but overall it was a really enjoyable read and one I'm definitely glad I picked up around the holidays! A lot of the stories touched on some hard hitting topics, so it wasn't by any means a 'fluffy' Christmas read but I liked that and thought the diversity surrounding the characters and stories was great! Overall my favourites from this collection were Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah, Ghosts of Christmas Past by Non Pratt, Family You Choose by Cat Clarke and Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson!
5/5* 'Home and Away' by Benjamin Zephaniah ~ I've only just recently started reading poetry but it always amazes me how much can be said, so profoundly and clearly, in so little words. An extremely thought provoking, touching piece of writing. Fantastic.
4/5* 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' by Non Pratt ~ This was adorable. I really loved Non Pratt's writing, it's simple but in a really lovely, comfortable way. A cute, homely story with a lovely message that perfectly fits the theme of this anthology!
2.5/5* 'If Only In My Dreams' by Marcus Sedgwick ~ not the biggest fan of this one, the writing style wasn't really my cup of tea and I found it a bit confusing. It was definitely intriguing though, I would have been interested to have seen where this story was leading to!
4/5* 'Family You Choose' by Cat Clarke ~ this was fantastic, so lovely. I loved the diverse cast of characters and the mishmash Christmas feel to it. I really the sentiment and message and the way it was written, you could 110% picture the setting perfectly. A warm and lovely story! I would love to read more from these characters, I just want to learn all their stories!
2.75/5* 'The Associates' by Kevin Brooks. I'm not quite sure what to make of this, it was sad but somewhat heartwarming in a way? I think it was just a little too short for me to make my mind up on it and for it to make much of an impact. I wish it had just been a few pages longer!
3.75* 'The After School Club' by Holly Bourne. How can something be heartwarming and yet so heartbreaking in such a short amount of words? I'd have loved this to have been a full length novel. It was such an interesting concept and one I instantly found myself engrossed in.
3/5* 'Homo for Christmas' by Juno Dawson ~ That ending was so lovely!!
3.5/5* 'Amir and George' by Sita Brahmachari ~ this was heartbreaking but very relevant to current situations and the news right now.
3/5* 'The Letter' by Tracy Darnton
3.5/5* 'Claws' by Tom Becker ~ ooh, this was so creepy!!
4/5* 'Christmas, Take Two' by Katy Cannon ~ this was so lovely! Heartwarming and adorable! One of my favourites so far!
3.5/5* 'When Daddy Comes Home' by Melvin Burgess ~ this was totally bizarre, kind of dark and twisted but super intriguing. I had no idea where it was going but it definitely kept me reading and interested! A very unique short story from others I've read but nonetheless, a very intriguing one!
4/5* 'The Bluebird' by Julie Mayhew ~ this was so unique and interestingly written, I don't think I've read anything written quite like it!
4.5/5* 'Routes and Wings' by Lisa Williamson ~ this was fantastic, I throughly enjoyed it and the ending was so lovely!!
5/5* 'Home and Away' by Benjamin Zephaniah ~ I've only just recently started reading poetry but it always amazes me how much can be said, so profoundly and clearly, in so little words. An extremely thought provoking, touching piece of writing. Fantastic.
4/5* 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' by Non Pratt ~ This was adorable. I really loved Non Pratt's writing, it's simple but in a really lovely, comfortable way. A cute, homely story with a lovely message that perfectly fits the theme of this anthology!
2.5/5* 'If Only In My Dreams' by Marcus Sedgwick ~ not the biggest fan of this one, the writing style wasn't really my cup of tea and I found it a bit confusing. It was definitely intriguing though, I would have been interested to have seen where this story was leading to!
4/5* 'Family You Choose' by Cat Clarke ~ this was fantastic, so lovely. I loved the diverse cast of characters and the mishmash Christmas feel to it. I really the sentiment and message and the way it was written, you could 110% picture the setting perfectly. A warm and lovely story! I would love to read more from these characters, I just want to learn all their stories!
2.75/5* 'The Associates' by Kevin Brooks. I'm not quite sure what to make of this, it was sad but somewhat heartwarming in a way? I think it was just a little too short for me to make my mind up on it and for it to make much of an impact. I wish it had just been a few pages longer!
3.75* 'The After School Club' by Holly Bourne. How can something be heartwarming and yet so heartbreaking in such a short amount of words? I'd have loved this to have been a full length novel. It was such an interesting concept and one I instantly found myself engrossed in.
3/5* 'Homo for Christmas' by Juno Dawson ~ That ending was so lovely!!
3.5/5* 'Amir and George' by Sita Brahmachari ~ this was heartbreaking but very relevant to current situations and the news right now.
3/5* 'The Letter' by Tracy Darnton
3.5/5* 'Claws' by Tom Becker ~ ooh, this was so creepy!!
4/5* 'Christmas, Take Two' by Katy Cannon ~ this was so lovely! Heartwarming and adorable! One of my favourites so far!
3.5/5* 'When Daddy Comes Home' by Melvin Burgess ~ this was totally bizarre, kind of dark and twisted but super intriguing. I had no idea where it was going but it definitely kept me reading and interested! A very unique short story from others I've read but nonetheless, a very intriguing one!
4/5* 'The Bluebird' by Julie Mayhew ~ this was so unique and interestingly written, I don't think I've read anything written quite like it!
4.5/5* 'Routes and Wings' by Lisa Williamson ~ this was fantastic, I throughly enjoyed it and the ending was so lovely!!
August 21, 2016
I'll Be Home for Christmas is a collection of stories by top YA authors each exploring the theme of "home" at Christmas and what that means for different people. For some people it's being with family at a special time of year but many others aren't as lucky as to have that stability and feeling of comfort. This is particularly the case for those who are homeless and Stripes have teamed up with the charity Crisis in this collaboration to raise awareness of the hardships young people are facing.
I thought this was a really strong collection of stories and I thoroughly enjoyed the different representations of "home". I like that each author has interpreted the theme in a different way resulting in a really varied and diverse set of stories and characters.
The exploration of the different kinds of family from divorced parents to being in foster care, relationships and "coming out", being a refugee in a new country, friendships and homelessness were all treated with equal care and sensitivity by the authors. There are some lighter moments among the darker ones and a range of genres which really help make this a wonderful mix of stories with something for everyone.
I'll Be Home For Christmas boasts a top list of authors with some truly stand-out stories, and for a lovely festive feel alongside helping a great cause, I highly recommend adding this to your Christmas reading list. I can't wait to buy my own physical copy (it has red sprayed edges, people!)
£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis. For more information on Crisis visit www.crisis.org.uk
I thought this was a really strong collection of stories and I thoroughly enjoyed the different representations of "home". I like that each author has interpreted the theme in a different way resulting in a really varied and diverse set of stories and characters.
The exploration of the different kinds of family from divorced parents to being in foster care, relationships and "coming out", being a refugee in a new country, friendships and homelessness were all treated with equal care and sensitivity by the authors. There are some lighter moments among the darker ones and a range of genres which really help make this a wonderful mix of stories with something for everyone.
I'll Be Home For Christmas boasts a top list of authors with some truly stand-out stories, and for a lovely festive feel alongside helping a great cause, I highly recommend adding this to your Christmas reading list. I can't wait to buy my own physical copy (it has red sprayed edges, people!)
£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis. For more information on Crisis visit www.crisis.org.uk
December 12, 2016
Dit boek is echt geweldig voor iedereen. 14 kerstverhalen met het thema "home" dat elke schrijver anders heeft besproken. Sommige verhalen waren hartverscheurend, andere grappig, interessant en sommige waren het net niet voor mij. Maar voor iedereen zit er wat tofs bij en zeker het laatste verhaal van Lisa Williamson was erg mooi. Aanrader!
December 31, 2018
So not the book I wanted for Christmas...
Those stories are about home, and some of them are beautiful, but so depressing!! I see people in the reviews mention that the collection is heartwarming, but it's definitely not. It's dark sometimes, it's depressing sometimes, and it has very little Christmas spirit. So if you are looking for stories set in winter, perfect. If you are looking for a cosy fluffy read for Christmas, look for something else.
Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah - no rating, I don't like poetry
I didn't even realize it was a poem at first, thought it was a song introducing the first story and skipped it
Ghost of Christmas Past by Non Pratt - 3/5
This one is about a boy who has moved out of his house and is trying to adjust to his new life. He reminded me a lot of my husband so I instantly loved him. It was a sweet story and the girl he meets was cute.
If Only in my Dreams by Marcus Sedgwick - 1/5
I found this extremely depressing, it made me feel claustrophobic and I have no idea what it is doing in this collection.
Family You Choose by Cat Clarke - 3/5 stars
An ok tale about a girl spending Christmas at a friend's place and being enchanted at how different people are. I enjoyed the characters but I probably won't remember it in a few months
The Associates by Kevin Brooks - 1/5 stars
Another one that was dull, the characters not interesting, and that I couldn't wait to finish
The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne - 2/5 stars
Again, what the hell is this story doing in a Christmas book? It's about 2 very different teens who spend time together after school. Very uninteresting, the characters were unlikable too.
Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson - 4/5 stars
I liked this story because the character really had his own voice and I loved the ending, made me shed a tear or two. It's about a boy who is coming back to his mum's on Christmas break and has to come out, super sweet.
Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari - 2.5/5 stars
A very good story about being a refugee and trying to make people understand how difficult it is. However, not Christmassy at all, too bad. I loved the main character, Amir, and his story was really sad. Made me want to donate to charity but not really a cosy read.
The Letter by Tracy Darnton - 1/5 stars
Boring, I had already forgotten about that one and had to start re-reading it. The main character is unlikable again and it is so depressing...
Claws by Tom Becker - 3/5 stars
Meh, it was a good story but again, why put something so depressing in a Christmas-themed book?? It's a horror story about children who figure out that a girl who died a century ago might not be completely gone. They really have to re-brand this book because I would probably have liked that story way more if it wasn't supposed to be A CHRISTMAS BOOK!
Christmas, Take Two by Katy Cannon - 3.5/5 stars
A good story about a girl who has to spend Christmas at her dad's new house with his new family. She feels unwelcome until she realizes that maybe she's the one who chose to stay on the sidelines. It felt way more Christmassy than the other ones. There was a little bit of romance which was cute if not riveting. Not super interesting but sweet.
When Daddy Comes Home by Melvin Burgess - 1/5 stars
I hated the writing style and it took me forever to understand what was going on, really didn't like that. It's a story about a guy who breaks in into a security office to right a wrong committed by a politician, with SF elements. Again, what the hell is this story doing in this book?
The Bluebird by Julie Mayhew - 1.5/5 stars
This is a story written like a fairy tale, very flowery style in a kind of magical realism way, but there was no point to the story and I really didn't like either the writing style or the plot (if any).
Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson - 5/5 stars
Loved this one about a girl who is in dire need of help but feels quite ahsamed about it and doesn't know who to turn to. It was wintery if not very Christmassy, the character was complex and endearing, the writing style was pleasant and I loved the ending. Perfect finale, I'm glad I didn't give up and finished this book! It made me smile and shed a few tears.
Those stories are about home, and some of them are beautiful, but so depressing!! I see people in the reviews mention that the collection is heartwarming, but it's definitely not. It's dark sometimes, it's depressing sometimes, and it has very little Christmas spirit. So if you are looking for stories set in winter, perfect. If you are looking for a cosy fluffy read for Christmas, look for something else.
Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah - no rating, I don't like poetry
I didn't even realize it was a poem at first, thought it was a song introducing the first story and skipped it
Ghost of Christmas Past by Non Pratt - 3/5
This one is about a boy who has moved out of his house and is trying to adjust to his new life. He reminded me a lot of my husband so I instantly loved him. It was a sweet story and the girl he meets was cute.
If Only in my Dreams by Marcus Sedgwick - 1/5
I found this extremely depressing, it made me feel claustrophobic and I have no idea what it is doing in this collection.
Family You Choose by Cat Clarke - 3/5 stars
An ok tale about a girl spending Christmas at a friend's place and being enchanted at how different people are. I enjoyed the characters but I probably won't remember it in a few months
The Associates by Kevin Brooks - 1/5 stars
Another one that was dull, the characters not interesting, and that I couldn't wait to finish
The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne - 2/5 stars
Again, what the hell is this story doing in a Christmas book? It's about 2 very different teens who spend time together after school. Very uninteresting, the characters were unlikable too.
Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson - 4/5 stars
I liked this story because the character really had his own voice and I loved the ending, made me shed a tear or two. It's about a boy who is coming back to his mum's on Christmas break and has to come out, super sweet.
Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari - 2.5/5 stars
A very good story about being a refugee and trying to make people understand how difficult it is. However, not Christmassy at all, too bad. I loved the main character, Amir, and his story was really sad. Made me want to donate to charity but not really a cosy read.
The Letter by Tracy Darnton - 1/5 stars
Boring, I had already forgotten about that one and had to start re-reading it. The main character is unlikable again and it is so depressing...
Claws by Tom Becker - 3/5 stars
Meh, it was a good story but again, why put something so depressing in a Christmas-themed book?? It's a horror story about children who figure out that a girl who died a century ago might not be completely gone. They really have to re-brand this book because I would probably have liked that story way more if it wasn't supposed to be A CHRISTMAS BOOK!
Christmas, Take Two by Katy Cannon - 3.5/5 stars
A good story about a girl who has to spend Christmas at her dad's new house with his new family. She feels unwelcome until she realizes that maybe she's the one who chose to stay on the sidelines. It felt way more Christmassy than the other ones. There was a little bit of romance which was cute if not riveting. Not super interesting but sweet.
When Daddy Comes Home by Melvin Burgess - 1/5 stars
I hated the writing style and it took me forever to understand what was going on, really didn't like that. It's a story about a guy who breaks in into a security office to right a wrong committed by a politician, with SF elements. Again, what the hell is this story doing in this book?
The Bluebird by Julie Mayhew - 1.5/5 stars
This is a story written like a fairy tale, very flowery style in a kind of magical realism way, but there was no point to the story and I really didn't like either the writing style or the plot (if any).
Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson - 5/5 stars
Loved this one about a girl who is in dire need of help but feels quite ahsamed about it and doesn't know who to turn to. It was wintery if not very Christmassy, the character was complex and endearing, the writing style was pleasant and I loved the ending. Perfect finale, I'm glad I didn't give up and finished this book! It made me smile and shed a few tears.
September 28, 2016
I’ll be home for Christmas is a collection of short stories from UKYA authors, all exploring the theme of ‘home’. Relevant, since £1 from the sale of every book goes to the national homelessness charity, Crisis.
So ‘home’ is a fairly broad theme and the range of stories and poems in this anthology is pretty eclectic. Apart from anything else, it was really interesting to see how different people interpret the word. There were some authors here whose work I love and some who I’d never heard of and like any anthology, I liked some stories more than others but I can honestly say that there were none that I didn’t enjoy or that I gave up on.
The stories were very British in feel, which was quite nice. I read a lot of books by American authors, which are great and everything, but it was really good to see homegrown talent being highlighted.
And the thing I liked best? Not all the stories had a happy ending. In fact, some of them were worrying and sad. It served as a reminder that actually Christmas isn’t always a happy time, not for everyone (and just as an aside, I think UKYA authors are best at gritty realism).
So, here are the short stories featured and my (brief) thoughts:
Benjamin Zephaniah – Home and Away. Super thought provoking poem to get things started off
Non Pratt – Ghosts of Christmas Past. This was kind of sad and thoughtful.
Marcus Sedgwick – If Only in my Dreams. Completely creeped me out! In a good way.
Cat Clarke – Family You Choose. Some friends and I used to do this on Boxing Day. We weren’t as colourful as the characters in this story, though!
Kevin Brooks – The Associates. I think I was missing something here - it wasn’t my favourite.
Holly Bourne – The Afterschool Club. Killer ending to a great story.
Juno Dawson – Homo for Christmas. This one had me welling up. Such an adorable love story and a happy ending.
Sita Brahmachari – Amir and George. Relevant and so, so sad.
Tracy Darnton – The Letter. This was brilliant - a well-deserved winner - and such a sad ending.
Tom Becker – Claws. Creepy horror story. Good, but really gave me the shivers.
Katy Cannon – Christmas, Take Two. This was kind of sad and sweet - I was glad of a happy ending after the last three stories ...
Melvin Burgess – When Daddy Comes Home. I love Melvin Burgess and this was a fantastic near-future dystopian.
Julie Mayhew – The Bluebird. Couldn’t quite get to grips with this one, but it was very poetically written.
Lisa Williamson – Routes and Wings. Love Lisa Williamson. I’d seriously read a shopping list written by this author and this was a brilliant story.
To find out more about the awesome work Crisis does, go to www.crisis.org.uk
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Stripes Publishing and Netgalley.
So ‘home’ is a fairly broad theme and the range of stories and poems in this anthology is pretty eclectic. Apart from anything else, it was really interesting to see how different people interpret the word. There were some authors here whose work I love and some who I’d never heard of and like any anthology, I liked some stories more than others but I can honestly say that there were none that I didn’t enjoy or that I gave up on.
The stories were very British in feel, which was quite nice. I read a lot of books by American authors, which are great and everything, but it was really good to see homegrown talent being highlighted.
And the thing I liked best? Not all the stories had a happy ending. In fact, some of them were worrying and sad. It served as a reminder that actually Christmas isn’t always a happy time, not for everyone (and just as an aside, I think UKYA authors are best at gritty realism).
So, here are the short stories featured and my (brief) thoughts:
Benjamin Zephaniah – Home and Away. Super thought provoking poem to get things started off
Non Pratt – Ghosts of Christmas Past. This was kind of sad and thoughtful.
Marcus Sedgwick – If Only in my Dreams. Completely creeped me out! In a good way.
Cat Clarke – Family You Choose. Some friends and I used to do this on Boxing Day. We weren’t as colourful as the characters in this story, though!
Kevin Brooks – The Associates. I think I was missing something here - it wasn’t my favourite.
Holly Bourne – The Afterschool Club. Killer ending to a great story.
Juno Dawson – Homo for Christmas. This one had me welling up. Such an adorable love story and a happy ending.
Sita Brahmachari – Amir and George. Relevant and so, so sad.
Tracy Darnton – The Letter. This was brilliant - a well-deserved winner - and such a sad ending.
Tom Becker – Claws. Creepy horror story. Good, but really gave me the shivers.
Katy Cannon – Christmas, Take Two. This was kind of sad and sweet - I was glad of a happy ending after the last three stories ...
Melvin Burgess – When Daddy Comes Home. I love Melvin Burgess and this was a fantastic near-future dystopian.
Julie Mayhew – The Bluebird. Couldn’t quite get to grips with this one, but it was very poetically written.
Lisa Williamson – Routes and Wings. Love Lisa Williamson. I’d seriously read a shopping list written by this author and this was a brilliant story.
To find out more about the awesome work Crisis does, go to www.crisis.org.uk
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Stripes Publishing and Netgalley.
December 27, 2016
A really cute short story collection! My favourites were Family You Choose by Cat Clarke, Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson, Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson and Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari.
December 20, 2016
This was such a lovely collection of works by some of UKYA's best authors. While some of the stories were utterly heartbreaking, others were beautifully uplifting and filled me with so much joy! I'll Be Home for Christmas is, in my opinion, a perfect read for the holiday season.
Personal favourite stories include 'The Bluebird' by Julie Mayhew, 'Family You Choose' by Cat Clarke, 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' by Non Pratt, and 'The Afterschool Club' by Holly Bourne.
Personal favourite stories include 'The Bluebird' by Julie Mayhew, 'Family You Choose' by Cat Clarke, 'Ghosts of Christmas Past' by Non Pratt, and 'The Afterschool Club' by Holly Bourne.
November 28, 2016
I'm not a massive fan of anthologies as such but I picked this up because some of my favourite ukya authors are featured in it and that meant I couldn't turn it down.
December 6, 2021
I am very late to reviewing this but I wanted to make the effort to get to it now, considering it's Christmas time, but also because it supports such a great cause. The theme of 'home' was perfect for an anthology of such a variety of YA authors, but I do feel as though some adhered to the theme much more than others. What surprised me about this was how much I had my clear favourite stories but also some that I didn't enjoy at all, which unfortunately skewered my rating and general enjoyment of I'll Be Home for Christmas quite a lot. I'd have to say my two favourite stories were Cat Clarke's 'found-family' story and Katy Cannon's about a recent divorce and the new Christmas dynamic. I easily could've read full-length stories of those, but others that I didn't enjoy as much seemed to take up so much more room as well. Overall a bit of a mixed bag with a few standouts.
February 25, 2017
Fourteen British YA authors share their stories on the theme of home at Christmastime in this anthology to raise money for Crisis, the national homelessness charity.
On the whole, I’m not a fan of anthologies. I find that they’re usually a bit of a mixed bag of good, bad and unremarkable. There’s sometimes one or two gems that make the collection worth reading, but they’re peppered between stories that are a chore to get through. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I genuinely enjoyed every story in I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Christmas might have been and gone, but only a few pages into this anthology, and I felt myself swept up in holiday nostalgia.
Non Pratt and Julie Mayhew’s stories were my standout favourites, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from both authors. Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson and Katy Cannon’s stories were also well worth reading. Marcus Sedgwick’s piece - an eerie mystery set on a space station - and Tom Becker’s - a spine-tingling horror story - were the most memorable, but while both were gorgeously written and technically in keeping with the theme, the stark difference between these two stories and the contemporary pieces written by the rest of the authors made them feel a little out of place.
Nevertheless, I’ll Be Home for Christmas is probably the strongest collection of short stories I’ve ever read, and it’s introduced me to several UKYA authors whose works have found their way to the top of my to-read list. I’m definitely looking forward to Stripes’ upcoming anthology of BAME authors, A Change Is Gonna Come.
Publisher: Stripes
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
On the whole, I’m not a fan of anthologies. I find that they’re usually a bit of a mixed bag of good, bad and unremarkable. There’s sometimes one or two gems that make the collection worth reading, but they’re peppered between stories that are a chore to get through. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that I genuinely enjoyed every story in I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Christmas might have been and gone, but only a few pages into this anthology, and I felt myself swept up in holiday nostalgia.
Non Pratt and Julie Mayhew’s stories were my standout favourites, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from both authors. Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson and Katy Cannon’s stories were also well worth reading. Marcus Sedgwick’s piece - an eerie mystery set on a space station - and Tom Becker’s - a spine-tingling horror story - were the most memorable, but while both were gorgeously written and technically in keeping with the theme, the stark difference between these two stories and the contemporary pieces written by the rest of the authors made them feel a little out of place.
Nevertheless, I’ll Be Home for Christmas is probably the strongest collection of short stories I’ve ever read, and it’s introduced me to several UKYA authors whose works have found their way to the top of my to-read list. I’m definitely looking forward to Stripes’ upcoming anthology of BAME authors, A Change Is Gonna Come.
Publisher: Stripes
Rating: 4 stars | ★★★★✰
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
November 21, 2020
Unless you hate Christmas, I would not recommend these short-stories, some have horror/spooky elements in them, a lot of them are super-depressing.
If I read about Christmas, I want that warm and cozy childhood feeling back, not the urge to become a suicidal case...
I would not recommend this book, the only story that was readable was the horror story about the girl, that moved in with her grandma in a small town, after having lost her mom.
Therefor I gave a single star - the worst rating I ever gave.
I wish, I would have been warned and not wasted my time with this book and the boring, horrible stories in it !
If I read about Christmas, I want that warm and cozy childhood feeling back, not the urge to become a suicidal case...
I would not recommend this book, the only story that was readable was the horror story about the girl, that moved in with her grandma in a small town, after having lost her mom.
Therefor I gave a single star - the worst rating I ever gave.
I wish, I would have been warned and not wasted my time with this book and the boring, horrible stories in it !
December 13, 2018
So, I’m more than halfway into this collection and haven’t given any of the stories anything above two stars. This is my cue to throw in the towel and admit that I gave this book my honest best shot. It’s just a no-go for me. Also, this book is incredibly misleading, because both the cover and title evoke a sweet, cozy christmasy feeling, but literally none of the stories (so far) share this christmasy vibe?? They might mention Christmas once or twice, but they’re a far reach from being festive stories...like, at all.
December 31, 2018
CW's: Death, Abuse, Violence
Going into this book I didn't know any of the authors except Holly Bourne, as I realize now that I sadly don't read that many UK authors. However, the anthology still proved to hold some great stories, even though I don't think I'll specifically seek out any of the authors that have participated. This is definitely an anthology for those of you that like it a bit but not too festive, as the main theme is HOME with the festive element just being an added bonus. Some stories were centered around Christmas, some set in December but some didn't have anything to do with that. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a festive Anthology, as it's really not focused on that aspect.
What I thought of the stories
🏠 Home and Away (Benjamin Zephaniah) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'm not usually one for poetry but this one as pretty nice!
🏠 Ghosts of Christmas Past (Non Pratt) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really liked this one, as it was about family issues, divorce and losing home, something very personal and interesting to read about!
🏠 If Only in My Dreams (Marcus Sedgwick) ⭐⭐⭐ This definitely had an interesting setting, as it was about a station in space and touched upon humans destroying earth.
🏠 Family You Choose (Cat Clarke) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was fantastic: heartbreaking because of the MC being rejected by her family but also heartwarming because she found her people somewhere else. I loved the focus on friendships and family of choice!
🏠 The Associates (Kevin Brooks) ⭐⭐ I liked that it told the lives and meaning of home in the perspective of two homeless guys, but it didn't have much of a solid plotline.
🏠 The Afterschool Club (Holly Bourne) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A very interesting read about an unlikely friendship that felt very realistic! I was definitely not wanting this too end, as the ending was very open and you didn't really understand what had happened.
🏠 Homo for Christmas (Juno Dawson) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was really touching as it's about a boy trying to come out to his mother when he comes home for the holidays. Spoiler: it has a good ending!
🏠 Amir and George (Sita Brahmachari) ⭐⭐⭐ I liked that this was about a refugee trying to talk about his experiences and what things he has encountered!
🏠 The Letter (Tracy Darnton) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's cool that they gave someone else the choice of participating by winning a writing contest! This was a very intriguing, heartbreaking story about being forced to live in fear and having to constantly move.
🏠 Claws (Tom Becker Claws) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had no idea this was a horror story and it honestly freaked me out! I was innocently reading this at night - not a good idea. This is a horror story during advent, so if this is your thing, this story could be great!
🏠 Christmas, Take Two (Katy Cannon) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very festive and such an emotional read about spending Christmas with a family that you feel doesn't want you. I really felt for the main character and her feeling like she was an intruder!
🏠 When Daddy Comes Home (Melvin Burgess) ⭐ The worst thing I read this year. I don't even know what that's supposed to be. It has no structure, plotline and is more of a rambling monologue. I had no idea what was going on and the story made no sense overall. This was just bad writing.
🏠 The Bluebird (Julie Mayhew) ⭐ This was so forgettable, I have no idea what even happened, a few weeks after reading it.
🏠 Routes and Wings (Lisa Williamson) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A really important and heartbreaking story about a girl struggling and an act of unexpected kindness reaching her in the end, fantastic!
Going into this book I didn't know any of the authors except Holly Bourne, as I realize now that I sadly don't read that many UK authors. However, the anthology still proved to hold some great stories, even though I don't think I'll specifically seek out any of the authors that have participated. This is definitely an anthology for those of you that like it a bit but not too festive, as the main theme is HOME with the festive element just being an added bonus. Some stories were centered around Christmas, some set in December but some didn't have anything to do with that. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this as a festive Anthology, as it's really not focused on that aspect.
What I thought of the stories
🏠 Home and Away (Benjamin Zephaniah) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I'm not usually one for poetry but this one as pretty nice!
🏠 Ghosts of Christmas Past (Non Pratt) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really liked this one, as it was about family issues, divorce and losing home, something very personal and interesting to read about!
🏠 If Only in My Dreams (Marcus Sedgwick) ⭐⭐⭐ This definitely had an interesting setting, as it was about a station in space and touched upon humans destroying earth.
🏠 Family You Choose (Cat Clarke) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was fantastic: heartbreaking because of the MC being rejected by her family but also heartwarming because she found her people somewhere else. I loved the focus on friendships and family of choice!
🏠 The Associates (Kevin Brooks) ⭐⭐ I liked that it told the lives and meaning of home in the perspective of two homeless guys, but it didn't have much of a solid plotline.
🏠 The Afterschool Club (Holly Bourne) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A very interesting read about an unlikely friendship that felt very realistic! I was definitely not wanting this too end, as the ending was very open and you didn't really understand what had happened.
🏠 Homo for Christmas (Juno Dawson) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was really touching as it's about a boy trying to come out to his mother when he comes home for the holidays. Spoiler: it has a good ending!
🏠 Amir and George (Sita Brahmachari) ⭐⭐⭐ I liked that this was about a refugee trying to talk about his experiences and what things he has encountered!
🏠 The Letter (Tracy Darnton) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's cool that they gave someone else the choice of participating by winning a writing contest! This was a very intriguing, heartbreaking story about being forced to live in fear and having to constantly move.
🏠 Claws (Tom Becker Claws) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had no idea this was a horror story and it honestly freaked me out! I was innocently reading this at night - not a good idea. This is a horror story during advent, so if this is your thing, this story could be great!
🏠 Christmas, Take Two (Katy Cannon) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very festive and such an emotional read about spending Christmas with a family that you feel doesn't want you. I really felt for the main character and her feeling like she was an intruder!
🏠 When Daddy Comes Home (Melvin Burgess) ⭐ The worst thing I read this year. I don't even know what that's supposed to be. It has no structure, plotline and is more of a rambling monologue. I had no idea what was going on and the story made no sense overall. This was just bad writing.
🏠 The Bluebird (Julie Mayhew) ⭐ This was so forgettable, I have no idea what even happened, a few weeks after reading it.
🏠 Routes and Wings (Lisa Williamson) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A really important and heartbreaking story about a girl struggling and an act of unexpected kindness reaching her in the end, fantastic!
December 17, 2020
Ok so first up, I just finished another Christmas charity anthology, where the RRP was £14.99 and that said 25p from the sale would go to Crisis and The Refugee Council. Which irked me when I first saw it anyway. But now I’m on this one where the RRP is £7.99 and it says at least £1 from each sale goes to Crisis. If we needed any more evidence that YA wins.
Anyway, as always, anthologies are a mixed bag, but _this_ feels like what I wanted from Last Christmas. A bunch of stories about home and Christmas, meaning different things to different people, but all feeling like they have some sort of message or purpose. They’re entertaining, intriguing, educational, emotional, and everything I expect and appreciate in YA. There’s different genres and styles, and something in there for everyone. Here’s my brief thought and score for each contribution:
Benjamin Zephaniah - poetry’s never my fave, already forgotten it - 2
Non Pratt - good strong characters - 4
Marcus Sedgwick - y no speech marks? Weird af, typical Sedgwick - 2
Cat Clarke - funny undercurrent, gorgeous theme - 5
Kevin Brooks - felt a bit pointless - 1
Holly Bourne - I wanna change my Twitter bio to ‘just a heavily gendered plastic horse’ 😂. Oooft, that shit’s dark. Brilliant though. - 5
Juno Dawson - super informal, written in character’s dialect which is lovely, just yes - 5
Sita Brahmachari - message that the most important thing is having something worth saying, not the way you say it - 4
Tracy Darnton - sad and real - 4
Tom Becker - some sinister culty shit, cool to read a Christmas ghost story but slightly disappointing end - 3
Katy Cannon - the emotions come through really well and I like the very teenage POV, felt a bit quick to shove a romance in though - 4
Melvin Burgess - do not like that choppy writing style, can’t keep up with it. Intriguing idea but weird af - 2
Julie Mayhew - this one has a choppy style too, kind of poemy, a weird reimagined fairytale, not for me - 1
Lisa Williamson - again just real, paints a picture really well - 4
Anyway, as always, anthologies are a mixed bag, but _this_ feels like what I wanted from Last Christmas. A bunch of stories about home and Christmas, meaning different things to different people, but all feeling like they have some sort of message or purpose. They’re entertaining, intriguing, educational, emotional, and everything I expect and appreciate in YA. There’s different genres and styles, and something in there for everyone. Here’s my brief thought and score for each contribution:
Benjamin Zephaniah - poetry’s never my fave, already forgotten it - 2
Non Pratt - good strong characters - 4
Marcus Sedgwick - y no speech marks? Weird af, typical Sedgwick - 2
Cat Clarke - funny undercurrent, gorgeous theme - 5
Kevin Brooks - felt a bit pointless - 1
Holly Bourne - I wanna change my Twitter bio to ‘just a heavily gendered plastic horse’ 😂. Oooft, that shit’s dark. Brilliant though. - 5
Juno Dawson - super informal, written in character’s dialect which is lovely, just yes - 5
Sita Brahmachari - message that the most important thing is having something worth saying, not the way you say it - 4
Tracy Darnton - sad and real - 4
Tom Becker - some sinister culty shit, cool to read a Christmas ghost story but slightly disappointing end - 3
Katy Cannon - the emotions come through really well and I like the very teenage POV, felt a bit quick to shove a romance in though - 4
Melvin Burgess - do not like that choppy writing style, can’t keep up with it. Intriguing idea but weird af - 2
Julie Mayhew - this one has a choppy style too, kind of poemy, a weird reimagined fairytale, not for me - 1
Lisa Williamson - again just real, paints a picture really well - 4
December 27, 2018
*Actual rating: about 4.16 Stars*
I have too many reviews to write for books that aren't out yet, so I'm just gonna write down my ratings for each story. But all in all, this was really great and raised many important issues while still keeping the holiday spirit. A perfect and powerful winter read.
Benjamin Zephaniah Home and Away: 5 Stars
Non Pratt Ghosts of Christmas Past: 4 Stars
Marcus Sedgwick If Only in My Dreams: 2.75 Stars
Cat Clarke Family You Choose: 4.25 Stars
Kevin Brooks The Associates: 2.75 Stars
Holly Bourne The Afterschool Club: 5 Stars
Juno Dawson Homo for Christmas: 4.5 Stars
Sita Brahmachari Amir and George: 3.75 Stars
Tracy Darnton The Letter: 4.25 Stars
Tom Becker Claws: 4.25 Stars
Katy Cannon Christmas, Take Two: 4.5 Stars
Melvin Burgess When Daddy Comes Home: 4.5 Stars
Julie Mayhew The Bluebird: 3.75 Stars
Lisa Williamson Routes and Wings: 5 Stars
I have too many reviews to write for books that aren't out yet, so I'm just gonna write down my ratings for each story. But all in all, this was really great and raised many important issues while still keeping the holiday spirit. A perfect and powerful winter read.
Benjamin Zephaniah Home and Away: 5 Stars
Non Pratt Ghosts of Christmas Past: 4 Stars
Marcus Sedgwick If Only in My Dreams: 2.75 Stars
Cat Clarke Family You Choose: 4.25 Stars
Kevin Brooks The Associates: 2.75 Stars
Holly Bourne The Afterschool Club: 5 Stars
Juno Dawson Homo for Christmas: 4.5 Stars
Sita Brahmachari Amir and George: 3.75 Stars
Tracy Darnton The Letter: 4.25 Stars
Tom Becker Claws: 4.25 Stars
Katy Cannon Christmas, Take Two: 4.5 Stars
Melvin Burgess When Daddy Comes Home: 4.5 Stars
Julie Mayhew The Bluebird: 3.75 Stars
Lisa Williamson Routes and Wings: 5 Stars
January 2, 2019
Prior to reading this book I had a feeling that this was going to put me in the Christmas spirit.. and boy was I right!
This book is a collection of heart-warming short stories written by leading young UK authors, each story related to the theme “home”. With a wide selection of genres (lgbt, multi-cultural, happy, sad, mystery..) This book has something for everyone.
At the same time, because of its wide selection of different stories, obviously there were a few which I wasn’t particular fond of, which is the reason why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5.. but it’s a solid 4 star rating and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a warm, cosy read leading up to the festive season.
This book is a collection of heart-warming short stories written by leading young UK authors, each story related to the theme “home”. With a wide selection of genres (lgbt, multi-cultural, happy, sad, mystery..) This book has something for everyone.
At the same time, because of its wide selection of different stories, obviously there were a few which I wasn’t particular fond of, which is the reason why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5.. but it’s a solid 4 star rating and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking for a warm, cosy read leading up to the festive season.
December 24, 2020
A thought provoking collection of short stories. Some are stronger than others. With spooky tales, stories of family, friendship and the struggles of being alone at Christmas.
My favourite one was the last one, by Lisa Williamson. About a homeless girl at Christmas.
My favourite one was the last one, by Lisa Williamson. About a homeless girl at Christmas.
December 31, 2017
Some of the stories I liked more than others but some (e.g. Cat Clarke's) I absolutely LOVED and this was the perfect seasonal read 😊
December 17, 2019
Review to come!
December 27, 2025
Niečo bolo dobré, niečo bolo divné. Ale také príjemne na Vianoce.
December 30, 2016
I specifically left this book till December to get me into the Christmas spirit.
I love reading short story collections, it’s a great way to find new YA authors and sample their writing.
‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ is a collaboration of UKYA authors and their stories of young adults and what ‘HOME’ means to them. I loved that this book has several genres including science fiction, Horror and Contemporary with such diverse characters. We have refugees, race and sexuality being explored and there was something for everyone to enjoy. I obviously had my favourites in this book and it was surprising that it was the horror, it was so intense and atmospheric and definitely got my pulse racing and that was Claws by Thomas Becker. There was not one story that I disliked in this book and after each story was finished I was left wanting more. I will definitely be purchasing my own copy of this book. There are 15 short stories/poems in this book including a competition winner.
This book is heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time and definitely recommend reading.
Stripes teamed up with the charity Crises for this book to raise awareness of the hardships young people are facing today. This book is definitely impactful and made me think of the people who are less fortunate and homeless, £1 from every sale is donated to the charity.
*I received a E-copy of this book from Netgalley and Stripes in exchange for an honest opinion.*
I love reading short story collections, it’s a great way to find new YA authors and sample their writing.
‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ is a collaboration of UKYA authors and their stories of young adults and what ‘HOME’ means to them. I loved that this book has several genres including science fiction, Horror and Contemporary with such diverse characters. We have refugees, race and sexuality being explored and there was something for everyone to enjoy. I obviously had my favourites in this book and it was surprising that it was the horror, it was so intense and atmospheric and definitely got my pulse racing and that was Claws by Thomas Becker. There was not one story that I disliked in this book and after each story was finished I was left wanting more. I will definitely be purchasing my own copy of this book. There are 15 short stories/poems in this book including a competition winner.
This book is heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time and definitely recommend reading.
Stripes teamed up with the charity Crises for this book to raise awareness of the hardships young people are facing today. This book is definitely impactful and made me think of the people who are less fortunate and homeless, £1 from every sale is donated to the charity.
*I received a E-copy of this book from Netgalley and Stripes in exchange for an honest opinion.*
April 12, 2017
Note: this is a very strong 4 star rating.
I've read quite a few collections of shorts on the theme of Christmas over the years and this has got to be my favorite collection of them all. It has some cute and happy and romance, of course, but it also has a touch (or, to be quite honest, more than a touch) of darkness that I so desperately crave in everything I read. This book shows that life isn't so easy, showing among other topics, what Christmas as a refugee (this story really stayed with me), Christmas with an abusive dad, Christmas as a homeless person and Christmas in an impoverished household is like. This, mixed with more happy (and one downright weird story) themes makes this such a perfect holiday read. Not to be crass but I think this is due to this being a U.K. book, and therefore it lacks the typical American fluffiness (which usually gets too much for me, unfortunately).
This was a bit of a mixed bag of treats of course, it being a collection of shorts but my fave stories were: Family You Choose, Homo For Christmas, Home and Away, and Amir and George. The only one I didn't care too much for was 'Claws'.
I've read quite a few collections of shorts on the theme of Christmas over the years and this has got to be my favorite collection of them all. It has some cute and happy and romance, of course, but it also has a touch (or, to be quite honest, more than a touch) of darkness that I so desperately crave in everything I read. This book shows that life isn't so easy, showing among other topics, what Christmas as a refugee (this story really stayed with me), Christmas with an abusive dad, Christmas as a homeless person and Christmas in an impoverished household is like. This, mixed with more happy (and one downright weird story) themes makes this such a perfect holiday read. Not to be crass but I think this is due to this being a U.K. book, and therefore it lacks the typical American fluffiness (which usually gets too much for me, unfortunately).
This was a bit of a mixed bag of treats of course, it being a collection of shorts but my fave stories were: Family You Choose, Homo For Christmas, Home and Away, and Amir and George. The only one I didn't care too much for was 'Claws'.
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