What do you think?
Rate this book
Candy Apple #13
Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa
Christmas . . . bah humbug! Noel thought Christmas couldn't get any worse. First her parents announce that she wouldn't be taking a cool vacation. Then the teacher announces a class secret Santa drawing - and who does Noel get? A stuck-up new girl she barely knows!
154 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Read
December 31, 2024rereading books from when you were 9 is such a fascinating experience 😭
June 7, 2019
One of the books in my daughter's Christmas collection.
3 Stars = It was 'okay'.
3 Stars = It was 'okay'.
February 5, 2014
Wow....never thought this book would be very good. This book was recommended by my BFF Gina who told me that she enjoyed reading this book, and wanted me to read it. Well, what can I say, it was totally awesome! :)
This is really light-hearted and more of a feel-good book. It does show this tpical plot where a character thinks he/she is have the worse *insert event* (birthday, day, school life, holiday ^^,etc.), but in the end they realized they had the best time. And, I really love reading this kind of book. Overall, it was a good read! :)
This is really light-hearted and more of a feel-good book. It does show this tpical plot where a character thinks he/she is have the worse *insert event* (birthday, day, school life, holiday ^^,etc.), but in the end they realized they had the best time. And, I really love reading this kind of book. Overall, it was a good read! :)
December 23, 2025
Christmas just isn't Christmas without me reading this book at least once in the month of December. The main character is just a little annoying and selfish at first but I guess it can be forgiven since she is a middle grader. She isn't very sympathetic towards her pregnant mother or her sister and she is more concerned about getting her crush to notice her. However, she does improve towards the end and the magic of Christmas saves the day.
The book gives me a cozy feeling somewhat and is a comforting read every Christmas.
The book gives me a cozy feeling somewhat and is a comforting read every Christmas.
October 27, 2015
I loved this book! This is an interesting book with drama. The author did a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat by making so many events you want to here more about except, she should of put more hints about the secret santas and not kept it such a complete mystery. I recommend this book to people who like to hear drama, and enjoy anticipation.
July 29, 2009
A secrect santa Gone wrong.
November 15, 2017
Christmas vacation is a big deal in the school Noel attends. Everyone has big plans for the time off from school, everyone that is but Noel. Noel is stuck at home waiting for her mom to have a new baby. First Noel has to make it to the last day of school. With all the talk of her school mates going here and there daily school is not an easy task and then something wonderful happens...the class is given an assignment to be secret Santa's and she knows she will get her crush, Nick. However the hits keep coming when she not only does not get her crush, but she gets the least liked and least be be friendly girl in class as the person to be Santa too. What more could happen...oh there is more...lots more.
Great tween book but even this adult had fun reading it. A simple, fun lesson in life starting in middle school and all because of Secret Santa.
Great tween book but even this adult had fun reading it. A simple, fun lesson in life starting in middle school and all because of Secret Santa.
January 14, 2020
Why did I read this? Procrastination. I wanted a quick cute read, but nope lol
Why a Christmas book in January? Honestly, I only realised that after I read it. It wasn't on purpose.
Should you read this? No. There's more wholesome middle-grade stuff out there.
Why a Christmas book in January? Honestly, I only realised that after I read it. It wasn't on purpose.
Should you read this? No. There's more wholesome middle-grade stuff out there.
January 6, 2018
it was good but not great.
March 20, 2021
The cultural stereotypes are real in this book. Predictable, ignorant and boring. Not worth my time. The best book in the Candy Apple series was The Boy Next Door.
March 29, 2021
it was an okay book! helped me get out of a reading slump :)
October 7, 2021
I've read this several times since 2017 :D
I love it!
I love it!
March 6, 2022
Wow, completely forgot about this book already. Just saw it randomly and all that nostalgia hit me. Candy apple books were the books of my childhood and I remember how much I loved this one.
December 19, 2022
So cute! This author has a great voice for middle grade.
October 1, 2023
This is SUCH a good book I positively loved this book if you are in between 10-15 yrs old you will LOVE Lara Bergen
January 3, 2024
I reread this book every year during the holiday times, but didn’t get a chance to in 2023. I love rereading my old childhood books because it feels like I’m a kid again.
December 24, 2024
Read every year from 4th-8th grade, still holds up
February 14, 2016
Noel is the only one in her class not going away for winter break. That surprised me a lot. Is a winter break vacation really that common? When I was growing up, most people might go to visit relatives in another location for Christmas, but these kids are going to Costa Rica, Hawaii, and skiing in Vermont and Colorado. All of them are going somewhere like that! But not Noel. Not only is her family staying home, her mother is very pregnant and Noel isn’t happy about it.
Noel is your typical middle-of-the-pack seventh grader. There are a lot of Noels populating middle grade books, and I guess in real life too. She’s easy for the average girl that age to relate to: not popular, but not unpopular either. She has a crush on Nick and when their teacher surprises them with a Secret Santa project, she tries to work it so she gets Nick. Unfortunately, her best friend Claire picks his name and when they try to switch, which is against the rules, they get caught. I don’t know why the girls who catch them care if they switch, but it discourages Noel and Claire from doing it.
One of my favorite scenes is the one when Noel and Claire go shopping and try to decide what to buy. Noel knows Nick very well, so she has a lot of ideas for him, but will he think they’re Claire’s ideas and start to like her? It’s a concern. And neither girl knows the new girl at all, so it’s hard to know what to buy for her. They’re only supposed to spend $10 so they give cheap stuff, but they buy a lot of it, plus wrapping paper, tinsel, and other items to decorate lockers. The decorations alone would have blown the budget. I’m fairly sure everyone in the class spends the whole $10 on the first day of the week-long project.
Everyone except Noel’s Secret Santa, that is. Noel doesn’t get anything.
Already having a rough time, Noel takes it pretty hard. It would suck to be left out like that, the only kid with no candy to share at the lunch table and to have to admit that she didn’t get anything when asked. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing, but to a twelve year old girl, it’s major drama. When she does get something, it’s something she won’t even use. It’s like her Secret Santa hasn’t even thought about what she might like.
I like that Noel doesn’t let her own problems get in the way of going all out for Mia, the girl she’s gifting. She might not have the best attitude about it, but she doesn’t let that stop her from participating.
Noel is kind of bratty a few times, but her parents don’t let her get away with it, even telling her that if she doesn’t change her attitude, she’s not going to be allowed to go to Claire’s party. Of course by that time she’s already had a fight with Claire and isn’t planning on going anyway. She and Claire work it out, though. Claire’s very understanding about how badly Noel is feeling over not being able to take a trip and having a Secret Santa that sucks. She’s a good friend.
One of my favorite characters is Noel’s little sister, who is in first grade. She might be young, but even Noel has to admit that Cecee is cooler than she is. This kid! She gets phone calls all the time. She sets fashion trends in her classroom (wearing brown in September and all-black in December) and she gives makeovers to her classmates/posse. She’s six! I’m not sure Noel even notices, but there’s also a hint of her mystique being in having a cool older sister. When Noel stops at the elementary school to pick her up, Cecee runs up to her and makes sure everyone knows her big sister is there. But then all the kids end up laughing at Noel when she doesn’t understand how grown-up they are, so maybe not.
Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa is part of the Candy Apple series. I have not read the other books but I didn’t need to in order to jump right into this story. In fact, when I looked them up, the book in the series don’t even seem to be related. They look to be standalones with different characters and even different locations/school in each book. It makes me wonder why they’re all part of the same series, but what do I know? This books is definitely well below my age range, but they’re an easy read and I got attached to Noel, Claire, Cecee, and their friends. I would be interested in reading more Candy Apple books if they tied in with one another, to read more about the main characters Noel and Claire and the more minor characters. It doesn’t like they do, so I think I’ll skip the others — unless I run into another one that fits a readathon theme.
Noel is your typical middle-of-the-pack seventh grader. There are a lot of Noels populating middle grade books, and I guess in real life too. She’s easy for the average girl that age to relate to: not popular, but not unpopular either. She has a crush on Nick and when their teacher surprises them with a Secret Santa project, she tries to work it so she gets Nick. Unfortunately, her best friend Claire picks his name and when they try to switch, which is against the rules, they get caught. I don’t know why the girls who catch them care if they switch, but it discourages Noel and Claire from doing it.
One of my favorite scenes is the one when Noel and Claire go shopping and try to decide what to buy. Noel knows Nick very well, so she has a lot of ideas for him, but will he think they’re Claire’s ideas and start to like her? It’s a concern. And neither girl knows the new girl at all, so it’s hard to know what to buy for her. They’re only supposed to spend $10 so they give cheap stuff, but they buy a lot of it, plus wrapping paper, tinsel, and other items to decorate lockers. The decorations alone would have blown the budget. I’m fairly sure everyone in the class spends the whole $10 on the first day of the week-long project.
Everyone except Noel’s Secret Santa, that is. Noel doesn’t get anything.
Already having a rough time, Noel takes it pretty hard. It would suck to be left out like that, the only kid with no candy to share at the lunch table and to have to admit that she didn’t get anything when asked. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nothing, but to a twelve year old girl, it’s major drama. When she does get something, it’s something she won’t even use. It’s like her Secret Santa hasn’t even thought about what she might like.
I like that Noel doesn’t let her own problems get in the way of going all out for Mia, the girl she’s gifting. She might not have the best attitude about it, but she doesn’t let that stop her from participating.
Noel is kind of bratty a few times, but her parents don’t let her get away with it, even telling her that if she doesn’t change her attitude, she’s not going to be allowed to go to Claire’s party. Of course by that time she’s already had a fight with Claire and isn’t planning on going anyway. She and Claire work it out, though. Claire’s very understanding about how badly Noel is feeling over not being able to take a trip and having a Secret Santa that sucks. She’s a good friend.
One of my favorite characters is Noel’s little sister, who is in first grade. She might be young, but even Noel has to admit that Cecee is cooler than she is. This kid! She gets phone calls all the time. She sets fashion trends in her classroom (wearing brown in September and all-black in December) and she gives makeovers to her classmates/posse. She’s six! I’m not sure Noel even notices, but there’s also a hint of her mystique being in having a cool older sister. When Noel stops at the elementary school to pick her up, Cecee runs up to her and makes sure everyone knows her big sister is there. But then all the kids end up laughing at Noel when she doesn’t understand how grown-up they are, so maybe not.
Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa is part of the Candy Apple series. I have not read the other books but I didn’t need to in order to jump right into this story. In fact, when I looked them up, the book in the series don’t even seem to be related. They look to be standalones with different characters and even different locations/school in each book. It makes me wonder why they’re all part of the same series, but what do I know? This books is definitely well below my age range, but they’re an easy read and I got attached to Noel, Claire, Cecee, and their friends. I would be interested in reading more Candy Apple books if they tied in with one another, to read more about the main characters Noel and Claire and the more minor characters. It doesn’t like they do, so I think I’ll skip the others — unless I run into another one that fits a readathon theme.
December 24, 2017
This book will always be a favorite of mine, no matter how old I get. I reread it every holiday season. It's festive, fun, and spreads a good message. Noel is relatable and loveable, and for these reasons, you should read Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa.
November 11, 2011
Noel thinks she is having a very bad Christmas this year. What with stuck being a secret Santa to girl she doesn't even want and her mom pregnant and a child on the way.
Noel is a loveable character. She is your typical teen girl and her Claire was a very good friend. They shared secret things together and understood each other. Sure Noel in the book at one point, was kind of a b**** but the other characters had their own personalities. I think, if this was a teen book, I could guess what would happen. But Noel is very simple-minded and can't guess what is right in front of her. Mia was a shy-guy and I liked her role in the story. Nick was funny and just your sweet teen guy.
Even though this book was kind of a little girly for me, I thought, at least, the characters (mostly the girls) annoying to the extent of throwing down the book and yelling at no one.Okay so this book was a mystery near the middle but once it went off to almost end you just knew KNEW who her Secret Santa was. You just KNEW!!!! Sweet story with a nice Christmas complexion, I wish my English teacher made something like Secret Santa. PLUS the cover is an art kind of way I haven't seen those in a while. This book made me smile and I think it'll make many smile too.
Noel is a loveable character. She is your typical teen girl and her Claire was a very good friend. They shared secret things together and understood each other. Sure Noel in the book at one point, was kind of a b**** but the other characters had their own personalities. I think, if this was a teen book, I could guess what would happen. But Noel is very simple-minded and can't guess what is right in front of her. Mia was a shy-guy and I liked her role in the story. Nick was funny and just your sweet teen guy.
Even though this book was kind of a little girly for me, I thought, at least, the characters (mostly the girls) annoying to the extent of throwing down the book and yelling at no one.Okay so this book was a mystery near the middle but once it went off to almost end you just knew KNEW who her Secret Santa was. You just KNEW!!!! Sweet story with a nice Christmas complexion, I wish my English teacher made something like Secret Santa. PLUS the cover is an art kind of way I haven't seen those in a while. This book made me smile and I think it'll make many smile too.
December 9, 2012
I thought this book was absolutely great! That is why I gave it a 5/5, it's Christmasy and I just a really good book all in all! It is about a girl named Noel who's mother is getting ready to have a baby and all her friends are leaving for Christmas break. But she learns new things when she has a secret Santa at her school. The genre is realistic fiction. My favorite quote wad "have I mentioned that the snow started falling that same day my brother was born?" I like it because I think that would just be absolutely amazing and send a great message for the future of that baby(page 141). I would probably recommend this book for pre-teens because its a good age appropriate book but still a great read. I just don't think older teens would find it interesting and more of a childish book.
December 20, 2011
FIRST IMPRESSION:
The cover is beautiful, don't you think? And the title's really catchy.
WRITING STYLE:
It has one of the simple writing styles, but it managed to hook me right in. You have to consider, however, I was in sixth grade when I read this.
PLOT:
Noel's love-life is very realistic and I love how she and Nick are perfect for each other. Oh, and the whole "Secret Santa" thing is a wonderful twist to this story.
CHARACTERS:
The story behind Noel's name is hilarious. Though I don't think she considers it so.
OVERALL:
A novel which people of all ages would enjoy, but especially middle-schooled girls.
AMOUNT OF STARS:
5
The cover is beautiful, don't you think? And the title's really catchy.
WRITING STYLE:
It has one of the simple writing styles, but it managed to hook me right in. You have to consider, however, I was in sixth grade when I read this.
PLOT:
Noel's love-life is very realistic and I love how she and Nick are perfect for each other. Oh, and the whole "Secret Santa" thing is a wonderful twist to this story.
CHARACTERS:
The story behind Noel's name is hilarious. Though I don't think she considers it so.
OVERALL:
A novel which people of all ages would enjoy, but especially middle-schooled girls.
AMOUNT OF STARS:
5
March 5, 2015
I think that this book was a great book. It was about a girl named Noel who absolutely hated Christmas. She never thought that it would get any more worse. Noel's class does Secret Santa and Noel was upset about this. Her secret Santa was this stuck-up new girl, which Noel didn't enjoy at all. She was hoping to get her crush(Nick)though she didn't. She was also upset because guess who got her crush to be their secret Santa, Noel's best friend, which makes her hate it even more. This book really shows that you should be grateful for what you have and what you get, and that you should at least NOT be so upset about everything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2009
SUPERMAJORULTRADUPER SPOILERS!!!!!
dude this book is cool!!!!!! its is kinda weird tho how she doesnt wear socks and thats what her secret santa, nick gives her. but he givs them to her because he thinks she needs socks... strange. and she thought miya or watever her face is was her secret santa when it was her crush all along.
dude this book is cool!!!!!! its is kinda weird tho how she doesnt wear socks and thats what her secret santa, nick gives her. but he givs them to her because he thinks she needs socks... strange. and she thought miya or watever her face is was her secret santa when it was her crush all along.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 1, 2009Noel thought Christmas couldn't possibly get worse, her mom is pregnant, there not going anywhere just sitting around at home! In Noel's class they are doing secret santas and noel really wants her crush, but instead she got...... well you will have to read to find out! I loved this book especially because i read it around Christmas time!
December 14, 2017
Reread--11/15/08
12/19/09
12/19/10
12/16/12
12/21/14
11/27/16
12/13/17: I didn't realize I had read this book so many times! I guess it really is one of my favorite Christmas books. :) Bumping up to 5 stars just for that.
12/19/09
12/19/10
12/16/12
12/21/14
11/27/16
12/13/17: I didn't realize I had read this book so many times! I guess it really is one of my favorite Christmas books. :) Bumping up to 5 stars just for that.
January 6, 2012
What a stupid book. The characters are as flat as paper, predictable, and the main character is incredibly whiney. This book is so simple it's laughable. I get that it's a kid's book, but you can make a good children's book w/o bad characters, bad writing, bad plot, and no originality.
February 3, 2009
Idk why but this book is cool
January 12, 2009
Never loose hope.
March 1, 2009
A good book and great characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews