The Gift

by Freida McFadden

It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke.

She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade.

Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?


The Gift is a gripping Christmas-themed thriller inspired by the classic O. Henry tale, The Gift of the Magi.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Christmas, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Short Stories

53 pages, Paperback

First published December 4, 2022

About the author

#1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and possessed cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Note that I am maxed out on friends, so I apologize in advance that I can't friend anyone back!

Reviews

[Paige]

I should have stayed curious.

[chan ☆]

this really answers the question “ven will u wear wigs?”

[LTJ]

“The Gift” by Freida McFadden gets right into it from the moment you start reading. I first got into McFadden thanks to her fantastic novel “The Housemaid” which was honestly one of the best books I’ve read in 2022. I saw she recently released this short story just in time for Christmas and I knew it was worth reading as soon as I got a chance to jump in.

Boy, I’m glad I was able to read it just a few days after Christmas. McFadden’s style of writing is absolutely excellent. I’ve noticed now with this being the second book of hers I’ve read that she writes genuine page-turners where you simply can’t stop reading even if you tried. With this short story, I loved the tone, setting, atmosphere, and characters right off the bat.

The sign of a great author is how she’s able to make this quick, 53-page book into a jam-packed story. This is now the second time I’ve been so impressed with her writing skills as once again, this was an addictive read from start to finish.

Don’t worry, I will not spoil anything for you but I loved this short story. There are a few jaw-dropping moments with an epilogue that totally blew me away. This is a must-read Christmas thriller I’d recommend to everyone to read around this time of year. It’s incredible, short, and you can easily finish this in 30-60 minutes tops.

I give “The Gift” by Freida McFadden a perfect 5/5 as she’s becoming my favorite new author I discovered in 2022. She’s so talented that I plan to read every single thing she’s written. I loved “The Gift” and will remember it for many years to come since it’s such a unique Christmas story.

[Holly B]

C-R-E-E-P-Y

Poor Stella is working two jobs. She is waitressing on Christmas Eve and can't wait until closing time so she can go home to her husband. It is their very first Christmas together.

If she could get the last customer to leave, she could finally go home. Her co-worker decides to get in the ladies face! "We're closing....." I laughed so hard at this scene!

One thing leads to another...

This is a short story from KU. I read it in an hour and couldn't put it down. I was kinda horrified.

[Abbie Konnick]

…am I missing something here? 😅

[Jayme C (Brunetteslikebookstoo)]

This has been all over my GR page-and I had FOMO!

It’s the Christmas short story for thriller/HORROR fans-IT ISN’T SWEET!!

Bessie and Stella are finishing up double shifts at the diner, with 15 minutes to go, and two customers lingering. It’s time to let them know that it’s closing time, and to settle their bills.

They realize that neither of them ever waited on the elderly lady in the corner.

They have two choices-get her a cup of coffee now-or pretend they don’t realize she hasn’t been served and show her the door, with a cheery “Merry Christmas!!”

Stella chooses the second.

UH OH!

If you have Kindle Unlimited-download and read for free!

[Ariel Tuladhar]

I have no words.


Actually I have a lot of words

SPOILERS BELOW


so first annoyance of the book is the fact that the main character repeatedly says so often that she is broke.
2) Who in their right mind goes to a store that a woman who you thought was dead that was just sitting in your diner invite you to
3) Who in their right mind cuts off all their hair for a watch necklace for their husband? And then proceeds to act as if she performed the biggest sacrifice of her life.
4) when the husband gave her brownies I screamed. The way she reacts to the brownies part of me was like yeah I’d be mad too but then the other part of me was like wow way to go extremely overboard Stella.
5) The fact her husband it just casually had the luggage sitting there OK Eye roll
6) I absolutely screamed when she brought in the watch with a little bit of blood from the her husband she killed and said “it’s just spaghetti sauce”
7) oh so now the crazy weird lady‘s daughter is pregnant by her husband
8) wut

[chloé (slumping)]

(Don’t hate me.)

This feels like something I could’ve written during a creative writing course. The writing itself was average, at best. The plot… not great, either. Rushed, flat, and not all that thrilling.

But… read for yourself and judge for yourself! It’s only about a 20-30 minute read, after all.

[Nina (ninjasbooks)]

Nopes, didn’t work for me.

[Kay]

3.5⭐ Dark and delicious Christmas short story!

While Justin attends law school, his wife Stella is busting her butt off supporting them by working two jobs. It's Christmas Eve and Stella is working a double shift. Their budget is tight but she and Justin are trading presents which she still hasn't bought!

An old lady in the rear booth also a shop owner of Helga's Attic said her shop is always open. No money? No problem, she's happy to make a trade...

Hahaa!!! The ending...the reveal...I am shocked! This was really good for an hour-long story and a great way to mix up your holiday read. 🫢🎁🎄

1h 5m, terrific narration by Alyson Krawchuk. Borrowed from Hoopla.

[Callie]

This was a very short read (like 50 pages) but honestly it exceeded my expectations. I was hooked from the very beginning and enjoyed the storyline. I honestly wasn't expecting the multiple twists in a book so small but I'm not surprised since it's typical McFadden fashion. #teamstella

[Alyssa Nieves]

Absolutely not

[Michelle]

Another Christmas quickie!

Stella finds herself working a double shift at a crappy diner on Christmas Eve. All she wants to do is to be home with her husband for their very first Christmas as a married couple. The only problem - she has no gift for him and no money to buy one. That is until a mysterious elderly woman sitting in the back booth of the diner makes her an offer she can't refuse. She has a store and she's sure she'll be able to find her husband the perfect gift and money won't be an issue because she'll accept a trade.

What are we willing to give up for the one we love? You'll have to read this to find out.

If you're looking for Christmas cheer steer clear but if you're looking for Christmas chills then this fits the bill. A super quick read with a surprising ending. 3 stars!

[Rachel Hanes]

This was a fast, quick, short story to read on Christmas Day 🎄. While I would have liked this story to have been longer, it gave us exactly what we needed.

I guess the message we can all get from this book is - “Is it really necessary to sacrifice or work ourselves to the bone for loved ones at Christmas time?”

If you love thrillers, short stories, or are a McFadden fan- then you need to pick this short story up. You will not be disappointed! 🎁🎅🏻

[Danielle Parker]

What did I just read 😂

It took about 5 minutes and was utterly random - do not read this 😂

[Terrie R]

"The Gift" by Freida McFadden is a Jaw-Dropping Christmas Thriller Novella!

Newlyweds, Stella and Justin Hansen are spending their first Christmas together as a married couple and Stella wants it to be special.

Stella's the breadwinner and currently working two jobs, while her husband attends law school, so money is tight and right now they're broke.

On Christmas Eve, Stella is working at the diner and knows she'll be exchanging gifts with Justin tonight when she gets home.

Stella tells her co-worker, Bessie, about her plans after work, about not having a gift for Justin, and about not having the money to buy one.

Right before closing, Stella sees a strange old lady in a back booth who heard Stella telling Bessie about her dilemma.

The old lady, Helga, owns a business that is always open and she'll help Stella find the perfect gift for her husband. No money? No problem! They'll make a deal...

If you think this is a retelling of a classic Christmas story, like I did, think again. I was so wrong and so surprised!

For me, this was the perfect Holiday Fiction Novella to read during my lunch break today. The twist at the end was very unexpected. If you're looking for a Christmas story that's a bit of a jaw-dropper, this is one for you. I highly recommend!

[Peter Topside]

Ok, my first review back in awhile. I struggled to get through this due to my lingering COVID symptoms, but thank goodness it was a short and entertaining read. I didn’t much care for the sound of Justin from the first descriptions Stella put out, and as the story progressed, it didn’t help his case at all. She was a strong depiction of an overworked and underappreciated person and he was just a manipulative dud. She just completes selfless acts and works herself to the bone at two thankless jobs, with little to no confidence, and is constantly taken advantage of. And then she does something extremely loving for her husband and it goes south. So all of that just made the eventual twist that much more satisfying. This is just about fifty pages, which, as you’d all expect, left a lot of potential story and character development out, so that was my biggest critique. If it was much longer, it could have turned an already good story into a great one.

[Linda]

"What's love got to do with it? Just a second-hand emotion." (Tina Turner)

Freida McFadden got a little dark with her holiday cheer.

Stella is working a double shift at Stevie's Diner in the Bronx on Christmas Eve. Too late to bust out the chump change that lines her apron pocket of tips. First Christmas with the hubby and no gift. Almost 11 0'clock. Time to return to her seedy apartment where Justin waits for her.

But an old woman sits hunched over a table in the back booth. Helga may just have the answer for the one name on Stella's Christmas shopping list. Stay tuned.....

A creepy tale on Christmas Eve with some well-placed hilarity. No heavy lifting, but it still entertains. Check it out on Amazon for Kindle.

[Lisa]

CREEPY
Stella & her husband Justin are spending their first Christmas together as man & wife, Stella decides to get something nice for Justin but what she does doesn’t go down to well. Creepy characters were rife eye rolls at times.

I finished this in an hour loved the plot line MERRY CREEPNESS I enjoyed this short novella straight into it was jaw dropping at times am becoming a fan of this author.

[Dez the Bookworm]

The storyline was interesting but read really flat.

This was a quick little read at 50ish pages, but it read really flat. There were no vivid descriptors here, just words on paper that read kinda like this…. this happened, then THIS happened, next THIS happened….no frills, devoid of feeling, that sort of thing.

Storyline was interesting, I liked the twist and that was really fun, but I feel it could have been written with a little more detail to make me become engrossed in it.

[Deborah]

Bizarre and not in a good way.

[aislinn ★ (semi. ia)]

⭑.ᐟ1.5 stars
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⤷ short, spoiler-free review ⋮

‎‎ ‎thoughts ‎🎁

I think I have officially met the most brain-dead FMC ever.

i picked this up last night because I’ve been curious about it for awhile. I thought, “it would be a perfect time to read this one since Christmas is just around the corner, right?” wrong. i should have stayed curious.

i kept waiting for this to get good and it just… didn’t come. this could have been SO much better if it simply made more sense but unfortunately there was 0 logic to any of the decisions made in this book. obviously I didn’t go into this expecting to be blown away, it is 55 pages after all but this was just really pointless. surely Freida could have come up with a better concept for a holiday novella… i’m pretty sure I could have come up with a better idea myself. .5 for the creepy vibes in the shop.

read at your own risk (maybe if you’re really desperate to reach a reading goal but good luck if you do)

[Sandra]

Very enjoyable short story. Stella is working two jobs so her husband can go to school. This is their first Christmas together and he has hinted he has gotten her something special for Christmas. So, while at the diner she works at she meets a very strange old woman (Helga) who tells her to visit her store (Helga's Attic)… she has some wonderful gifts she can buy or trade to give her husband. Stella’s time is running out since it is Christmas Eve, so she goes to the store…

This was a really creepy, fun, and captivating read. It was like a crazy version of The Gift of the Magi. I had a hard time putting it down! My first book by Freida McFadden. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[afra]

There have been quite a few moments lately when I found myself questioning whether I really love every book by Freida McFadden and this was one of them. It starts off as a short, entertaining story, but I couldn’t help wondering why it was written in the first place. I’ve definitely read more striking short Christmas stories before.
So, dear author, thank you for reminding me that just because I love several of your books doesn’t mean every single one will be for me. Bizarre and not in a good way.

[Tonya]

The Gift is a twisty tale of giving and taking. The final twist was jaw dropping. This novella proves that it’s definitely the thought that counts and nothing is free. I thought I knew how the story would play out, but I was surprised by the conclusion. Intriguing, entertaining with a dash of the macabre,The Gift is a a sinister present. 🎁

[Carolyn Walsh]

I recently discovered author, Freida McFadden when I read The Housemaid and was very impressed. I immediately preordered its sequel. While waiting for it to be published, I was pleased to discover this novella of 52 pages, the Gift. The story is mainly set on Christmas eve.
This was the story of a young couple paying for university expenses, and she was working two jobs. They could not afford presents on their first Xmas as a married couple.

When I started reading it, I thought, "Great." I recognized it as a modern update on the 1906 short story by O. Henry, that was required reading in High School. Then my impressions began to fluctuate, because it was too much an exact copy of the original, including the gift the young woman was excited to be giving as a Xmas present to her husband, and what she had to sacrifice to obtain it. My opinion and rating dropped substantially at this point. She rushed home, feeling very happy that she had the perfect gift for her husband.

When it was time for the young couple to exchange Xmas gifts, everything changed. There was a wild and clever twist to O. Henry's story. The ending was shocking and surprising.

[Lisa B]

I went in blind on The Gift by Frieda McFadden narration by Alyson Krawchuk this was creepy for a short story liked this one.

Stella Hanson & her friend Bessy we refinishing a double shift at the diner when they discover an elderly woman still sitting there luckily she had nodded off, Stella couldn’t afford a Christmas present for her husband Justin she meets a creepy woman let the games begin.

[Krisha]

Honestly I love Freida and while so many of her books are phenomenal, it's hard to believe this was her work given how absurd and horrendous it was. The FMC couldn't be anymore ridiculous even if she tried!
One star is only for the epilogue that barely explained the bland plot it had.

***SPOILERS AHEAD****
Who in their right mind would kill their husband just because he gifted you cookies as a christmas present, considering how broke they were. What again?

[Hoda]

Well this was weird 🧍‍♀️

[Zayna]

Well, no more McFadden for me
This was the last straw