2 stars.

A Nantucket Christmas is the story of a boy, Maddox, meeting a dog. But before he does, Thayer tells us the individual stories of the boy and his family, and of the dog and his plight.

This book meandered and wandered, describing Nantucket in its Christmas glory, and describing the personalities and quirks of Maddox’s family members. Unfortunately, the direction of the plot (boy meeting dog) wasn’t clear midway through. I was left wondering, What ABOUT this boy and his family? What is this book about? Where is the conflict?

Sure, there were small conflicts, but I saw no focal point, no literary conflict around which a compelling story could be told.

So, A Nantucket Christmas was mostly a slice of life story with an exciting birth scene and a warm meeting between boy and dog.

I wanted to love it, but with its uneven writing, sprinkling of puns, and reflective paragraph about yawning, I struggled to finish. This book might work as a short story or a Lifetime movie, but it doesn’t have the forward moving energy required of a good novel.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

-Calliope

Buy It Now A Nantucket Christmas: A Novel