The Afterlife of Holly Chase | A YA Book Review

The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. It was difficult for me to get through because it was more contemporary than I thought it would be, and the protagonist was just not likable for more than half of the book. I decided to plow through and read the last 172 pages in one sitting so I could move on to something else, and interestingly I found the last 70 or so pages the best. I cried and also really appreciated the ending even though it was not a typical YA ending. The last portion of the book made me up my rating to 3.5 (GR really needs half stars). Overall, I can't exactly pinpoint what didn't resonate with me. Maybe it was a combo of a bratty protagonist, contemporary storyline despite the Christmas Carol retelling, or just that it could have been less drawn out if it had stopped at under 300 pages instead of nearly 400. If you're a contemporary fan you will probably enjoy this one, but it's not one I plan on rereading.