I love Christmas, but I'm not one for schmaltzy seasonal books and films - Die Hard is my Christmas movie! But give me murderous Christmas elves and I'm right there!
Lovers Esther and Dave are hoping to marry soon, but their kids haven't met yet. So Esther and her 16 year old son Newton are going to spend Christmas with Dave and his daughter Guin, who is 10, to see how they all get along. After picking up Esther and Newton from the station, the soon-to-be family head off to spend the afternoon at a local Christmas market before moving on to Dave's house. But this isn't like any other Christmas market, and the team spend the rest of the book trying to outwit and outrun hundreds (at least it seemed that many) of blood thirsty elves.
This is the kids' story. Newton is adorable, probably gentler than most teenage boys, he loves his mum and his visits to his local stable. He is a sweet boy, who does his best to make people, particularly his mum, happy and keep their spirits up. But when pushed into a corner, he proves to be very resourceful. I loved Guin. She's an unusual child, without many friends, so she makes her own from wire, tin foil and the like and has deep philosophical discussions with them. Of the four, she's the most level headed and inventive in trying to get the family out of their predicament. Although Dave and Esther deserve a mention for their 'elf-stabbing tractor fender'.
This is such a funny story, but with loads of complete gross out moments. It's full of blood, body parts, gloop and violence - it's not for the faint hearted! But it's delivered with a hefty dose of humour. The story, as I've come to expect from these authors, is more than slightly bonkers, but I mean this in the best possible way! It's hugely creative and I loved the nod to various action movies. And the elves know the term 'Bobby Dazzler'! I laughed out loud at that.
My copy (eBook) had a few typos in it, but hopefully these have been picked up and remedied now. Those aside, I loved this book - definitely my kind of Christmas story!