Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances

This book was chosen for our book club, because of the holidays we wanted something light! Without knowing that the authors write for young adults. I did complete the book, to see how all three stories connected. They were cute stories, definitely aimed at the younger audience.

This book was an amazing read. I loved how the three different stories all connected and flowed, while being written in a completely different way. I love the author John Green so I knew I was going to love this book. Definitely recommend.

My 14 year old granddaughter Maria placed three John Green books on the top of her birthday wish list this year. They must be good because Maria has impeccable taste, enjoys life and is quite smart (aren't all grandchildren above average?). So I ordered all three by Green...."Let It Snow", "Paper Towns" and "Looking for Alaska". The price cannot be beat and they will be on my doorstep tomorrow.

The Basics:

On the night of a Christmas Eve blizzard, Jubilee is trapped in a strange town after her parents’ arrest, Tobin and his two best friends embark on a quest for a Waffle House full of cheerleaders, and Addie is determined to prove her capacity for selflessness at least to her friends, if not to the ex she can’t let go. The three searches for love, each written by a different rightly renowned YA author, interlock and collide amid holiday miracles.

The Downside:

The last story of the three, Addie’s, falls into the unfortunate role of having to tie all the threads together for the others, making it the weakest in its own right, and leaving Addie’s personal epiphany feeling as though it’s sparked simply by reaching the point in her arc where she’s supposed to have an epiphany, rather than by natural progression.

The use of a Waffle House full of snowed-in cheerleaders as the unifying ingredient across the three stories doesn’t always come across quite as sensitively as is clearly the intent. After seeing them used as a symbol and canvas for several other characters to project their differing attitudes, I would have loved to see the multi-perspective format used to take us inside the life of one of the cheerleaders to see how she views herself, but no such luck.

The ultimate message seems to be that they’re not mystical creatures, they’re not property to be controlled, and that the coolest girls are the non-cheerleaders who don’t allow themselves to be used as sexual accessories to the more respected exploits of boys, which is all good stuff. However, the female perspective to this effect rings a bit hollow when the characters providing it are always in a position of jealousy, and the male dehumanization of the cheerleaders is harder to accept as the curable youthful ignorance and lack of communication it’s meant to be when those male characters are endowed with all the intellect, perceptiveness, and perspicacity required to deliver John Green dialogue.

The Upside:

Whatever accidental inconsistencies they may cause in the characters’ social awareness and aptitude, John Green’s sharp wit and evident heart are as enjoyable as ever in Tobin’s struggle with the terrifying prospect of taking a chance on the female best friend he loves, rather than searching for the next pretty girl he’s not afraid to lose. Lauren Myracle brings her usual vivid rendering of high school friendship in spite of the confines of the final story, and Maureen Johnson (the one whose other work I’m least familiar with), starts things off with a bang, or rather, with a double-dose of the humor and genuine sweetness that runs throughout all three storylines.

While the three stories are each capable of standing alone (the first two especially), and all three authors play to their own strengths, occasionally even with some gentle fun poked at each other, the snowed-in town and the tone of romantic holiday spirit are seamlessly cohesive.

Let It Snow is like a smaller scale, teenage version of Love, Actually, without the inexplicable fat jokes or creepy theme of powerful men exploiting female subordinates, but with all the unabashedly heartstring-tugging sentimentality and double the smiles.

Pity this review is going up in February, thanks to receiving the book as a perfect Christmas present, but… belated Valentine’s Day reading, anyone?

If sweet and adorable got together and had a baby around Christmastime, it would be this book. I cheated on another holiday themed short story collection to read this one. No regrets. The three not-so-short stories in this book are loosely interconnected. In the first one, Jubilee is shocked to learn that her parents have been arrested in a black friday type shopping riot and that she's being shipped off to her grandparents' for Christmas. Her train gets stuck in a snow storm on route, and so she winds up meeting a guy named Stuart and staying with his family for the holiday. In the second, a group of friends are involved in a race to get to a Waffle House in the middle of a crazy blizzard. In the third, Addie is still reeling from her breakup with Jeb, one she totally caused. She's coming to realize that if she wants a Christmas miracle, she needs to change things about herself.

All the stories are cute and humorous. However, the transition between them is not seamless. Maureen Johnson wrote her characters like they were in college, John Green like his were in middle school, and Lauren Myracle's were about on point. I liked the first story the best and could have easily read an entire book with just Jubilee and Stuart. The second story grew on me. At first, I didn't care for it because it reminded me so much of Finding Alaska, with his "too cool for life" characters, except the girl here (whose name is "the Duke" because apparently Green gets paid extra for horrible character monikers) is hardly a manic pixie type. The last story was the weakest, and the ending where they throw all three romances together winds up being a bit of a cheesy mess. That said, this is the perfect Christmas guilty pleasure read, and I could see myself coming back to it every year.

Let it Snow is a short story collection of romance stories that take place in the fictional town of Gracetown, North Carolina (my home state – cue warm, happy feelings). The three stories intertwine as one, connecting characters and places. It makes me wonder how people are able to co-author books in what seems like such a seamless way. Seeing as the stories included are romance AND short, it doesn’t take long to figure out whom each character will end up with. Because of that, this review will be a little spoilery, so proceed with discretion.

Before I dive into each story, I just want to put them all under the umbrella of cute. All of them were sweet and filled me with holiday cheer (I know this review isn’t around the holidays, but I promise I actually read it around Christmas). Each was special in its own way.

The Jubilee Express – Maureen Johnson

This story was probably the sweetest of them all. Jubilee is handed one misfortunate situation after another, only to end up on a train that’s stuck in the snow on Christmas Eve. After trudging out to a nearby Waffle House, she unexpectedly befriends a boy whose family takes her in for the holidays. You have to remember you’re in the south, which will subside that urge to say, “STRANGER DANGER!” This family was so genuine and kind, caring for Jubilee by smothering her and giving her space at the appropriate times. Jubilee does this self-doubt thing that I think many of us are all too familiar with. I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop feeding herself obvious lies and open her eyes, at the same time knowing I’ve been in situations where I had to consciously make myself aware of the self-doubt lies I’d feed myself. I guess in this particular aspect, this story really hit the feels for me. The boy is so sweet and real with her, calling her out when she needs it, speaking encouragement into her life by looking back on his experiences. Gosh, we all need people like that! It definitely helps when they’re cute, too.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle – John Green

One thing I enjoyed about the first story that I didn’t see quite as much in this second one is character development. John Green dumps us into the world of these high school friends and proceeds to plot out an epic adventure. Since the story was so focused on this adventure, there was less room for character development—not that there wasn’t any! It’s hard to make two long-term best friends realize they like each other without some development of their individual characters. Where this story lacks in development, it sure doesn’t lack in the quirky, realistic aspects of these teenagers. They’re not perfectly structured. They don’t have overly common interests. They’re dorky, crude, normal teenagers, which is something I’ve always admired about Green’s writing.

This story made me feel all warm inside in it’s own way because, as I said before, it tells of a boy and girl who are close friends and their individual and mutual confusion at their developing feelings for each other. Why is this something I’m so fond of? That’s what happened to me—I remember those beginning feelings so clearly, even through two years of dating my best friend.

The Patron Saint of Pigs – Lauren Myracle

The last story is less of a journey to a romantic climax, though don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely romance in this. Instead, it’s a journey of the main character learning to see the world and people as they are. She learns that everything isn’t about her; she needs to open her world to those around her, think about things from their perspective, and learn to listen. I probably liked this story the least because I had to deal with the main character’s “what about me?!” lamenting and it was annoying. However, there’s something satisfying in seeing a selfish character get brought to an uncomfortable place that causes them to open up their worldview. There is also this great reunion at the end, which felt like an unnecessary reward for her for thinking about other people, but it brought happy tears to my eyes.

I enjoyed this book. It is the perfect read for the holiday season if you're looking for typical YA romance.

Of course, I had to keep in mind that it was indeed YA... So many of the main characters were very incredibly naive and there was some insta-love going on.

I really liked the way that each of the three stories overlapped- which I didn't know was going to happen when I started reading. I enjoyed each storyline of the three stories as well as the overarching storyline that linked them all together. I also really liked most of the characters, even though many of them made some very sketchy choices and were far too trusting...

The first story by Maureen Johnson was my absolute favorite of the three. This story did a wonderful job of creating the setting for the next two. I LOVED the characters in this story so much, I would have happily read a full book to get to know all of these characters more!

My second favorite was the second story by John Green. This story was fun, but I didn't care for the characters as much as the first.

The third story was a bit rough for me because I really disliked the main characters personality. This character was the stereotypical self-centered girl that we all knew in high school.... The story was still enjoyable, even though it was quite repetitive. The ending, where everything comes together was really great.

"Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances" from John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle features three interconnecting stories that all take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. This trait resembles the interconnected nature of Kevin Smith's first three films ("Clerks", "Mallrats", and "Chasing Amy") in which a certain characters or pieces of backstory crossover between the tales.
Maureen Johnson's story, "Jubilee Express," feels like an episode of "Daria" at the beginning, but ends on a more traditional teenage romance note. John Green's contribution to this volume, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle," follows his tradition of writing YA stories with male protagonists and has the tone of a teen comedy aimed at male audiences coupled with his flair for writing road trip stories. Finally, Lauren Myracle's "The Patron Saint of Pigs" resembles a variation on the Christmas tradition of adapting Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" into a television special wherein the main character must learn a lesson and work to help others. The conclusion to Myracle's story also ties all three together with the main characters from each gathering at a Starbucks.
The presence of branding throughout these stories may reflect the increasing commercialization of the holidays and the characters' acceptance of the omnipresent corporations a tacit understanding that this is now the way the holiday season works. From early on, brands like Waffle House, Mousetrap, Twister, James Bond, Macbook, Firefox, and Starbucks feature prominently. While this allows the authors to set their story in a world familiar to their readers, it also shows how these brands, and corporations as a whole, now control the holiday season.

I did not expect this book to be so funny. I loved it! I also didn't realize that the three stories would be connected. That made it even more fun to read. I enjoyed how each additional story filled in the gaps. Here are some thoughts on each one.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson

This story was hilarious! The tone was so Maureen. It sounded just like she did at NerdCon. It tells of Jubilee (Julie), whose parents get arrested on Christmas Eve morning trying to buy the next building of the Flobie Christmas Village. She has to take a train to her grandparents in FL because they're in jail. The plot gets more and more ridiculous as the story goes on. I absolutely loved it. It has a undertone of sarcasm that per so perfect.

Julie ends up celebrating Christmas with a Jewish family, who celebrate Christmas anyway because it's everywhere. I really liked that part since as an atheist, I often wonder why we still celebrate Christmas. The love story wasn't what I was anticipating, but it was super cute.

4 stars

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green

I liked this story a little bit less because of the cheerleader stereotypes and because it's a little more boyish. It's about three friends: two guys and a girl who embark on an adventure in a snow storm. They try to get to the local Waffle House to hang out with a whole squad of cheerleaders who've been stranded there. It's also very funny and classic John Green with some great lines.

I loved the title and I enjoyed the tomboy character, the Duke. The romance was adorable. I love it when friends fall in love. It was crazy and fun. And the characters were great.

4 stars

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle

This story fills in the back story of one of the minor characters in the first story. I was happy to gets some closure there. Addie is heartbroken over her recent breakup. She kissed another guy at a party, but she regrets it immediately and she wants to get back together. She thinks her ex doesn't want the same thing, when he really just gets stuck in the snow storm and can't get to Starbucks to meet her.

Meanwhile her closest friend tests her because she thinks she's self-centered. It seemed a little harsh. This story didn't work as well for me. It was still funny and cute, but I wanted the interaction between the characters of the love story to come earlier in the story.

3 stars

http://www.momsradius.com/2015/12/book-review-let-it-snow-ya.html

I read this book every Christmas. Sometimes even when it's not Christmas, just to out myself in a jolly mood. This year was a bit depressing, and I read it 3 times.

I'm past the age of "young adult" describing me, however I still very much enjoy YA lit. This book is three interconnecting stories written by three different YA authors. I was familiar with Maureen Johnson and John Green, but had never read anything by Lauren Myracle. It was a quick read, and even though it was YA, with characters in high school, I can still see it appealing to older ages groups.

The first story, by Johnson is my favorite, and I would think the most universal. A girl is stranded in a strange town on Christmas Eve. She meets a strange boy who by the end of the story is not so much a stranger. The characters are quirky bit believeable. After reading this story I went out and read all of Johnson's other works, as you should. I was not disappointed.

The next story is by John Green who is perhaps currently YA's most famous author. He wrote this before Hollywood realized they could cash in on him. It is not my most favorite of his writings, but it is typical of his work. Smart brainy boy who is too cerebral to see what is plainly in front of him, goes through a quest and then sees what is in front of him. In this story it is two best friends and an ethnic third wheel (another John Green staple) who travel through a blizzard to reach cheerleaders trapped in a Waffle House.

Finally there is Lauren Myracle's offering. This is my least favorite of the stories. However since they all converge, this story contains the ending and a chance to see all the characters brought together. How do they do that? Coffee of course. Myracle's plot centers around a selfish girl who has broken up with her boyfriend but wishes she hasn't. She has some hardships and trials and then has about 8 epiphanies in one hour and lives happily ever after. If you aren't a teen, this story will be the hardest to swallow. I kept wanting to scream at the book. This girl is in no condition to be in a relationship. And no...just no.

But then all the storylines get wrapped up nicely and it is Christmas and snow and it makes me remember all my awkward teen doings at Christmas in snow. And I curl up on the metaphorical big comfy purple chairs in my head and let the book carry me into that great holiday feeling.

While I wouldn’t call myself a seasonal reader, I was very excited to pick up Let it Snow as soon as the holiday season began. There is something magical about Christmas stories, and Let it Snow contains three. I had no idea that the three stories in the book are interconnected, and that was a great surprise for me. Each story takes place in Gracetown, a small town that is experiencing a huge snowstorm on Christmas Eve. In each story we follow a different cast of characters, but, of course, each is a holiday romance. They are sweet, silly, and super enjoyable.

The book begins with Maureen Johnson’s The Jubilee Express. This is my favorite story in the book, and it follows Jubilee as she travels south by train to visit her grandparents in Florida after her parents are thrown in jail on Christmas Eve. I really enjoyed Johnson’s writing – it is snarky and funny, and flows really well. Even though The Jubilee Express features the insta-love trope popular in a lot of young adult fiction, it was enjoyable in this short story.

The second story is by none other than John Green, and is called A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle. I was quite disappointed that Green decided to use a gay slur in his story, and that his characters used the R-word (more information on that HERE). Otherwise, I really enjoyed his story, which follows Tobin and his group of friends attempting to visit the local Waffle House after a bunch of cheerleaders get stranded there. Of course, it is quite outlandish, but it’s a lot of fun, and perfect for the holidays.

Finally, Lauren Myracle’s story is called The Patron Saint of Pigs. It has a very different feel than the other two stories in the book, and is my least favorite simply due to the main character Addie’s negative demeanor. Nonetheless, I still thought it was enjoyable, and I loved how it rounded up the overall story of Let it Snow.

All in all, Let it Snow is a great book to pick up during Christmastime, and I highly recommend it if you are looking for a holiday-themed read. Keep in mind that it is a little bit corny, but I think it is justified during this time of year. I am definitely going to be rereading this during Christmases to come.

Let it Snow is an anthology of three short stories, all tied together by a thread, written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle. This book was a gift from a dear friend.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
It’s Christmas Eve and Jubilee Dougal can’t wait to attend the Christmas Party at her boyfriend, Noah’s house. Her perfect boyfriend, her busy boyfriend. There are certain concessions one must make to date the perfect guy, right? She should just be happy to be his girlfriend. But the day didn’t turn out exactly as she had planned. Her parents who were avid collectors of pieces to their Flobie Santa Village collection, which is a Christmas Village display, have been arrested in their attempt to obtain the latest addition to their collection. So Jubilee is put on a train and sent to Florida to spend the holiday with her Grandparents. Only the train didn’t make it. They became stuck in a snow drift in the middle of a blizzard in Gracetown. If that isn’t bad enough, there are fifteen cheerleaders on the train. To escape all the chaos, Jubilee gets off the train and treks across the road to a Waffle House. That’s so much better until the cheerleaders follow her there. She is rescued by a boy her own age that lives nearby named Stuart. Her time with Stuart teaches her so much about herself. And one kiss makes what once was the worst into the best Christmas ever.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
Tobin, and his best friend Angie who he calls The Duke and one other friend, are holed up at Tobin’s house watching James Bond movies. His parents’ flight has been delayed due to the storm and won’t make it back until after Christmas. They are enjoying themselves until they get a call from a friend that works at Waffle House saying that they absolutely have to get there because there is a group of fifteen cheerleaders stuck there for the night. So Tobin and his friends begin a crazy night trying to get to the Waffle House in the blizzard. But along the way, in the midst of all the chaos, he begins to see Angie as something other than one of his buddies. That maybe there was something there all along, he just wasn’t looking. This could just turn out to be one of the best Christmas days he has ever had.

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Addie is devastated. She has been dating her boyfriend, Jeb for exactly one year on Christmas Eve. But they have been having problems. Their relationship has been struggling. And then Addie did something dumber than dumb. Something she regrets with every fiber of her being. So she begs Jeb to meet her at Starbucks to mend things. But he doesn’t show up. It’s over. He doesn’t want to forgive her. On the day after Christmas when Addie goes to work at Starbucks with one thing she must accomplish that day, pick up her best friend’s new pet, a tea cup pig, she begins a small journey of self-discovery. I loved the ending of this one as the couples from the first two stories are all brought together in a very heartwarming way.

These were three very heart-warming short stories that are sure to make you smile and will warm your heart during this very special holiday season.

Though the snowdrifts are high, love still manages to make its way through to these stranded teens. Told in three installments by three of the best-known Young Adult authors today, Let It Snow is a heart-warming set of intertwined stories that confirm the joy of a little snow, a change of plans and Christmas.

In the first story, The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson, sixteen-year-old Jubilee Dougal's intention to spend Christmas Eve with her boyfriend, Noah, is upended when she finds out that her parents, who were waiting in line to add to their Flobie Village set, have been jailed because of an ensuing melee that broke out over this year's piece. She has one hour to pack and get on a train to Florida to stay with her grandparents until her parents get released. On her way, the train is disabled by a large snowdrift, and she finds herself stuck in Gracetown, North Carolina. They will be stuck there at least until the morning, so when she sees a Waffle House not too far away, she heads that way.

There she meets Stuart, who keeps her company on his way home from work. He invites her to come and stay at his house, saying that his mother would never forgive him if he didn't offer. Along the way, Jubilee has to face some facts about her current relationship. Is she happy?

Next is A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green. We see another side of the Waffle House when fourteen cheerleaders descend upon it from the same train. The high schoolers in charge of the diner call their guy friends to come, but they have to race to get there. Only the fastest group bringing the game of Twister will gain admittance. Tobin and JP are up for the challenge, but their other best (girl) friend, known as the Duke (long story) has to be talked into going with promises of hot, cheesy, onion-y hash browns.

Over the course of the evening, trying to make it up the big hill in the family minivan and racing the Reston Twins (fraternal), realizations are made with regard to feelings and hopes and attraction. And how taking a chance can be risky but ultimately rewarding.

The last story, The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle, ties everything up in a neat bundle. For Jubilee had met a sad Jeb on the train. He's not sure he still has a girlfriend, so he's miserable. But his gf/former gf/status unknown, Addie, is even more unhappy, especially when she is hit with some truth bombs about her self-centeredness. Certainly they're not serious! She just has a lot of drama. But there's an angel in the form of a senior citizen, a teacup pig and a journey that she needs to go on in order to even hope to get Jeb back. He's the love of her life and she is heartbroken without him. But is he done with her for good?

Really, there is nothing but good story here. I always love a tale where the stories are mashed up and you get to see things from all angles. It's certainly very clever and what's best is that the voices don't change from one writer to the next. It is seamless and hopeful and perfect.

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle was published October 2, 2008 by Speak. I spent my hard-earned money on this. Gladly.

Rating: 4

Genre: Young Adult Fiction Contemporary Romance
Ages: 13 and up

Let it Snow is an adorable, heartwarming trio of stories all set during the same snowstorm in a small East Coast town. I picked it up because I adore Maureen Johnson's novels (and her story in here was- no surprise- my favorite of the three). But it's also my first brush with John Green, who is the kind of author that's so popular, I avoided him because I didn't want to be disappointed by too much hype. But his story was pretty awesome as well. The only one that fell a little short was Lauren Myracle's. And to be honest, that's mostly just because her main character is deliberately unlikeable (she goes through a transformation to make her worthy of a world-class love). All three stories have typical romance formulas. Nothing here is groundbreaking, or polished to a sheen. But they ARE very sweet, and perfect for the season.

If you're looking for a quick read to get you in the holiday spirit (or keep it going), including hope, redemption, friendship, silly adventures and (of course) sweet, new love, I recommend it.

Originally posted to Nori's Closet (http://noriscloset.blogspot.com/2014/06/let-it-snow-by-john-green-maureen.html)

I seriously have no idea what took me so long to get to this one. I know I bought it years ago, after discovering John Green and already knowing I loved Maureen Johnson. I really enjoy Lauren Myracle’s work too. Maybe it was the idea of the book being divided into 3 parts that was off-putting for me. I knew it would feel like I was not getting enough from some of my favorite writers. Though, that is crazy…I loved the three parts and I loved how nicely everything connected.

All the stories are linked by one, giant snowstorm. And I loved how characters from one story would pop up in others. It was super interesting to get more perspectives on particular situations and romances than you initially get. The first story (by Maureen) was about a girl on the train that crashes. She’s upset to not be spending Christmas with her boyfriend. Her parents were actually arrested due to a mob at a certain Christmas decoration store and she was on the train to her grandparents for Christmas.

On the train are also a large group of cheerleaders coming back from an important competition. And the cheerleaders are a focal point for the second story (John Green’s story), where a bunch of guys and one girl –named the Duke, are off on the ultimate race to make it to the cheerleaders before anyone else does. The girl from the first story comes to realize how much of a jerk her boyfriend is, while she falls for a guy who rescues her from the cheerleader party. John Green’s story is about two friends falling for each other. And then the third story is about a barista who used to date someone who was on the same train. Her story is about coming to terms with herself and growing up, and possibly trying to get her super sweet boyfriend back.

As you can probably induce from this, the book was a little cheesy. There was a lot of romance. And there was a lot of classic holiday romantic comedy moments. However, the cheese factor didn’t bother me. I mostly read the whole thing as super adorable. What made it adorable versus cliché, were the remarkably real and flawed characters.

There’s the boy who was heartbroken from a cheating ex who was more than aware of other people dating bad people. There’s the girl who comes to realize that she deserves more than the few minute phone calls from her boyfriend during times of emergency. There’s the girl who really sees how she makes everything about herself, and sometimes forgets to notice how everyone else is doing. There’s the boy who finally notices that his best friend is a girl, a girl with more interesting characteristics than any of the cheerleaders he’s talked to. And there’s the girl willing to do anything for her crush/best friend, including driving in a blizzard to meet cheerleaders.

It’s clear that all three writers excel at character development. Who didn’t know this already? They also all know how to write some amazing YA romance. I laughed a lot while reading this. I loved the characters’ relationships with their families. I learned about teacup pigs and waffle houses. And I was a little sad when it was over. I can’t really come up with anything negative to say here. I just loved it.

If you’re looking for something adorable to read or something to get you to forget about climbing summer temperatures, this is the book for you. I loved every moment of it. It gets a 10/10 from me.

This book is a compilation of three separate short stories that are all interlaced with one another, and with John Green's name on the cover, I honestly thought I'd enjoy it more.

The first story was my favorite. The narrator was lovable and the plot was cute. The second story (John's) was a little meh, but the romance was cute enough to enjoy. The third story, I barely finished. The narrator was horrible and obnoxious, there is some ridiculous misinformation about pet pigs, and the ending was disappointing and involved serious butchering of the characters from the first two. If I based the rating just on the third story, this would be 1/5 stars instead of 3/5.

If one of my daughters tells me I should read something, I do. Let it snow is a book of three holiday romances from three separate authors. The one my daughter asked me to read was "The Jubilee Express" by Maureen Johnson. I will definitely be checking out other books by this author. I love her voice.

Jubilee (there is a story behind her name), is a likeable, sharp, down-to-earth teenager who is looking forward to spending Christmas Eve with her boyfriend and his family. However, her parents become involved in a Black-Friday-type-shopping fiasco and get put in jail. She is informed by her neighbor, who happens to be a lawyer, that her parents want her to catch the evening train to Florida and spend Christmas with her grandparents. Due to a severe snowstorm, the train is delayed in Gracetown, and Jubilee ends up finding adventures there she never imagined.

This delightful piece was 117 pages and an easy, fun read. I recommend this book!

"Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors--John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle--the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses."

This is most certainly not the kind of book I normally read, but John Green's story was in it, so that was enough for me. I'd never read Maureen Johnson or Lauren Myracle before, so I wanted to see what their writing was like. I have, of course, seen Maureen Johnson on the Vlogbrothers channel. Maureen Johnson's story, "The Jubilee Express", is the first in the collection, when Jubilee's parents are arrested for a minor crime, and she must travel by train to her grandparents in Florida. But the blizzard intervenes, and things don't go quite as planned...The writing wasn't great, but it was pretty amusing. Maureen Johnson's stories are so ridiculously absurd, much like her personality. The three writers are very similar, although John Green still remains my favorite. It's kind of funny, because John Green's books always seem to get grouped in with the ladies. Most of his audience is female, and in this collection, the other two authors are female. As Hank Green so eloquently puts it, "Lady, lady, lady, lady, lady, lady, John Green."

Anyway, Maureen Johnson's story was very entertaining, although not brilliant. It's a sweet and funny tale, and very enjoyable. The premise of it was very silly; that Jubilee's parents get arrested at a sale for a certain type of toy, basically. This changes all of her plans dramatically. It's interesting to think that getting involved in violence would set off this whole chain of events that will impact Jubilee's life enormously. I also did really like the romance, since Jubilee and Stuart have been kind of in the same boat, and they can really relate to one another.

The middle story, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle", is by John Green, and is really, really good. Three friends get a call from another friend telling them that the Waffle House has been flooded by cheerleaders. They set off on a drive that normally takes twenty minutes, but in this deep snow, things (of course) don't go quite as planned. This story is connected to Maureen Johnson's in that the cheerleaders were on the same stranded train that Jubilee was on, and Jubilee herself had quite a few (negative) opinions about them. I definitely enjoyed "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" a lot. It was different in tone than the first story, but really funny, as John Green tends to be. It reminded me a little bit of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. There were a lot of jokes in it. It was kind of annoying how the three teenagers took so many really stupid risks for some cheerleaders. They could have gotten themselves killed. But what matters is not that but what comes of it, and it was a very good story.

"The Patron Saint of Pigs" is the final story, written by Lauren Myracle. It's narrated by Addie, another resident of Gracetown, who had been briefly mentioned in both of the previous two stories. It certainly has a great title, and was lovely. One of Addie's friends is obsessed with pigs, which is where the title comes from.

I really enjoyed all three of these stories, and I loved that they were interconnected. Each of the stories adds more to the overall picture of Gracetown, and different threads are picked up in different stories. I wonder how the authors wrote the book, but they certainly did it very skillfully. Each story is unique, but they're set in the same place. I loved all of the romances, and would definitely recommend Let it Snow. It's a very sweet book.

[...]

Let it Snow contains three short stories that take place in the same town during a blizzard that starts Christmas Eve.

Maureen Johnson: Jubilee Express
Jubliee's parents are arrested on Christmas Eve, forcing her to take the train to her grandparents' house in Florida. However, the snowstorm forces the train to stop for the night. Jubliee gets off the train when she spots a Waffle House, hoping to find some refuge. She meets a boy instead who insists on bringing her home for the holiday. Could she find love during the holidays that started out so badly?

John Green: Cheertastic Christmas Miracle
Three best friends sit watching a James Bond movie marathon when they receive a phone call. There are 14 cheerleaders at the Waffle House, having been stranded from the train. Their friend calls them to entice them to the Waffle House. They set out on the journey through the storm. The streets are in no condition to drive, but the three attempt to cross town. The two boys have different thoughts about cheerleaders, but Duke (the girl) is only going for the hash browns. They race to the restaurant, but on the way, things change. Do cheerleaders make the best girlfriends? Or do friends?

Lauren Myracle: Patron Saint of Pigs
One night at a party, Addie hooks up with another guy in wake of a fight with her boyfriend. Now she's super depressed and isn't sure what to do. She writes her ex-boyfriend an email and hopes that he'll meet her at Starbucks. When he doesn't show, she goes across the street and chops off and dyes her hair. Then she wallows in grief and finally calls her best friends. They come over to console her, but they end up sharing the truth about Addie. She's self-absorbed and doesn't see the world around her. She vows to change, even though she has no idea what they are talking about. As the new day dawns, she comes to understand their concern. Can she become a better person and win back her boyfriend?

My Thoughts: I liked this book, which didn't really surprise me but, but generally I do not like short story collections. Mostly because I find that they would make great books instead and I'm always wanting to know more. However, these stories were long enough for me to enjoy the characters, the changes, and the outcomes. I really liked how the stories were all set in the same town and characters from each story appeared in other stories, intermingling in the best of ways. The perfect winter romance tales to enjoy on a cold day.

It's Christmas Eve, and one of the biggest storms in memory has hit, isolating tiny Gracetown, Virginia. For Jubilee, Tobin, and Addie the storm will bring them together in the most unconventional of ways. Jubilee, on her way to Florida, is stranded outside of Gracetown when her train gets stuck in the snow. Rather than endure Christmas Eve night on the train with a mass of perky cheerleaders, she ventures out and heads to the nearby Waffle House, where she encounters Stuart, who is still nursing a broken heart.

Tobin and his friends JP and the Duke are enjoying their Christmas Eve holed up at Tobin's house and watching a James Bond movie marathon when they are enticed out into the night to the local Waffle House. What should be a twenty minute drive on a clear night turns into a crazy race to get there before the intimidating Reston twins...but when they get there things don't go quite how they planned.

For Addie, the holidays have been filled with misery since she and her boyfriend Jeb broke up. But this year she'll gain some perspective (and possibly more) during one very long and very snowy shift at Starbucks the day after Christmas.

All three stories are cleverly woven together, along with each author's inimitable style and brand of humor. The wholly unique, ironic, witty, intelligent, and heartfelt plots that Myracle, Johnson, and Green have become well known for is strongly present in Let It Snow. The varying and colorful characters are authentic and highly realistic, allowing for the book to appeal to a wide range of reader interests. The dialogue, the jokes, the slang, and actions are all pitch perfect to this generation, and wildly appealing, even as they push the limits of reality. But even so, most readers will be more than willing to hold on tight and enjoy the ride as this sweet and sarcastically funny holiday read unravels.

When I started reading this book, I thought they were just three random romances by the authors. Nope. They were three romances that were connected! One town, a handful of characters that were all connected. That made me love it so much more.
The first story was by Maureen Johnson. This is the first story I've read by her. I really liked it! I thought it was cute.
The second was by John Green, whom I completely adore and have read all his works, and this one was just as good. I loved it. His writing style makes me happy.
The third was by Lauren Myracle, another author whom is new to me. This was probably my least favorite story because I just hated the character, and I hated her friends, and I was just annoyed while reading it. The writing was fine, and I have nothing against the author. I just couldn't stand the character.
Overall, this book was great. It was really cute and made me smile!

Kay, I read this, like, two month after Christmas. And I still loved it! The stories intertwine cleverly and the authors different writing styles compliment each others perfectly.

The stories and characters are both funny and heartwarming. Personally, my favorite story was the last part by Lauren Myracle, The Patron Saint of Pigs. Just hearing the name makes you smile, and I was smiling through out this whole story!

The first story is about Jubilee. Her whole Christmas is kind of a fiasco. Stuck in a weird town, with a train full of cheerleaders, and her parents are in jail, plus a boyfriend crisis. This story was probably my least favorite, just because the romance seems uber quick.

The next story, by John Green, claims second place. It seemed to drag in some place, but still funny and sweet... And a lot of immature boys who ruin their car to go see cheerleaders. My favorite characters in this were either The Duke or Tobin.
The Duke is this girl who has hung out with the boys for forever, but has yet to feel that anyone has noticed she is actually a girl. And Tobin, who is noticing Duke as a girl for the first time, and has to remind himself they are just friends. Duke is cool and confident, traits I like. And all the characters have hilarious comments!

The third story, my favorite, is about a girl missing her old boyfriend. And, to try to deserve him, tries to be less self centered. Also, her friend just got a little pig. Sooo cute! This story is extremely enjoyable and a breezed through it, or should I say blizzarded? (PS that's not a word, I know) Also, you visit old characters from the two previous stories and learn more yummy back story!

A lot of characters, places, gossip and more are intertwined between all three stories, leaving the readers charmed. This is a fun, daring winter read,
Overall, I highly recommend it. The characters, plots, and dialogue are all immensely enjoyable.

4/5 bookcases

I have read other books by John Green and Maureen Johnson, but never one by Lauren Myracle. Considering Myracle was the one who wrote my favorite story, I need to read another book of hers in the future!

Having read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (one of the authors included here) and loving it, I picked this up for the holidays. It was a good opportunity to read works by two other authors I had never read before.

The book contains three short stories which have some commonality, but each focuses on a different set of characters. Each story stands on its own but some of the fun is seeing the connections between them.

General impressions: While The Fault in Our Stars appeals to a wide range of audiences, both YA and adults, this particular offering is definitely geared more toward the young adults. Much more teen-age angst and obsession with "traditional" teen-age issues - popularity of cheerleaders, young love/crushes, etc. Since I am middle-aged I don't feel it had the appeal for me due to the subject matter. That being said, I still think it was an enjoyable read and would recommend it to the fifteen to twenty-year old crowd.

Let It Snow is basically the most perfect holiday book ever. Could you really expect less from 3 amazing authors, though? First, I'll break it down into the tree stories.

The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson
Take hilarious shenanigans, Christmas, and romance; mix them thoroughly and what do you end up with? Magic, I tell you, magic. I can't even count how many times I laughed out loud while reading this. I could read a whole book about Jubilee because she's unintentionally hilarious. Plus, she's the type of girl who'll trudge through 5 feet of snow by herself to go to a Waffle House and that's the type of girl I like to read about.
Her relationship with Stuart is good even though they had a lot of unnecessary miscommunication at the end. They start out as strangers (Stuart seeming a little more strange upon first glance) in a Waffle House then progress to friendly jabs at each other, and finally they realize that being together is kind of nice. Basically what I'm saying is that it all felt really natural except, you know, for the fact that the first night they met she slept on his couch...

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green
Mr. Green presents a familiar situation: guy friend and girl friend both like each other but neither realizes. Part of me was always going "Tobin, you idiot! Can you not see the googly eyes Duke is making and the massive elphant-sized hints she's dropping?!" But no, because I've totally been there. Before my (now) husband and I started dating I'm pretty sure everyone in the entire town knew we liked each other but could we see it? Hah, not a chance. So Tobin and Duke's relationship was predictable, but that didn't diminish its cuteness.
I liked that even though there were three (well, technically four, but he was mostly just on the phone) friends the third didn't just become a third wheel left out in the cold. JP (said third friend) was hilarious and had a great relationship with both Duke and Tobin and the story certainly wouldn't be the same without him.

The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle
Myracle's story wasn't the laugh-out-loud hilarious type like the other two, but it kind of ended up balancing everything out. Now, it's pretty obvious within the first couple pages that this will be a coming-to-terms-with-the-fact-that-you-need-to-change type of story, but again, predictability isn't always a bad thing.
I didn't really understand Addie. All the people closest to her are telling her she's self-absorbed and she refuses to listen and just rattles off all the problems with her life instead. Plus, why in the world would you break up with someone if YOU are the cheater and your other half DOESN'T want to break up? I just don't get it. That's kind of the point of Addie, though. She's dramatic and just does things but you get to see her grow into a better person by the end.

One of the best things about this little trio of stories is the way you get to watch them all come together. At first it's just a few references to people or happenings you heard about before, but then it all builds up into this giant avalanche of crossing paths and you see how everyone affected everyone else. It's pretty neat and (for the most part) believable too.

The Nutshell: If you want a cute, funny winter read by some awesome authors then you simply must pick up Let It Snow

Direct Hit

4/5
This is probably my favorite Christmas story that I've read. At least, when it comes to young adult books. (But, to be fair, I haven't read or watched all that many Christmas stories.)
It's an anthology of three short stories by three different authors, all taking place near Christmas in the same town during a snow storm (blizzard?).
The first story is by Maureen Johnson, who I am a fan of. I haven't reviewed any of her other books, but I have read most of them (all but Devilish and her newest), so I was expecting to like her story. And I did. It's about Jubilee, who dislikes her name (because it comes from a piece in this Flobie Santa Village thing that her parents are obsessed with, which is awesome, not only because her name is neat, but also because I liked seeing the Christmas Village thing mentioned and about how people go crazy over it). She's taking the train to her grandparents (right?) when it gets stuck from the snow, and then she meets Stuart and has to stay with him (and his mother, who are both Jewish). This story was cute, and fun (as is all of Johnson's books, like her), and Stuart was sweet.
The second one is John Green's. I've read his other books as well (and watch him on Youtube), so I knew what to expect from it. It's about a boy and his two friends (one a girl and one a boy) who decide to take an adventure to a restaurant in town during the storm. This one was fun, and it has the whole best friends to more thing going for it as well. It was fun, and had Green's normal humor to it as well.
The last one was by Lauren Myracle, and I didn't know what to expect because I hadn't read any of her other stuff. It was actually better than I'd though it would be. It was about a girl, who's a bit selfish but works to overcome it. She's supposed to get a little tea cup pig for her friend, and she's missing her boyfriend who she's having problems with but still likes and doesn't know how feels. It was actually a bit fun, and I liked the boy.
I enjoyed all of the stories, they were fun and very entertaining. I also liked all of the connections, since most of the characters know each other (as they live in the same town and go to the same school) and we see glimpses of them in each story, as well as a good ending with them all in the last story. And there's just enough romance for each story, but it was mostly a (really) good, funny, Christmas read.

To be fair, these three stories should be rated separately.
The Jubilee Express 4.5 ⭐️'s - A fun and quirky read with very like able characters.
A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle 4 ⭐️'s - I expected to like John Green's story the best because well, he's John Green! I loved how adventurous this story was but it came off a little forced and the characters annoying at times.
The Patron Saint of Pigs 2 ⭐️'s - I found myself mostly skimming through this one because the main character was whiny and self absorbed and was constantly being told so by other characters. Her friends were also equally annoying. The only thing I liked about this story was how all three of the stories came together at the end.

Unfortunately, I was not very impressed with this book the way other reviewers seem to be. Whilst it was a light, easy-going read, I felt it was too shallow, abrupt, and not very well thought-out. Obviously, the authors have to contend with certain limits as this is an anthology of short stories, but I feel like it could've used more depth.

Usually, when reading a John Green novel, I don't feel like I'm reading a Young Adult novel, as his stories are very mature and profound. And I'm usually a huge fan of his secondary characters. His story "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" didn't do it for me however. I found his characters annoying, childish and extremely immature. I found the whole basis of the plot shallow and superficial. And I also found the way the main characters suddenly revealed their feelings at the end to be somewhat fake and contrived. It was, I would say, my least favourite of all three. Therefore, it gets one star.

My second least favourite would be Lauren Myracle's "The Patron Saint of Pigs". Although there was an entire introduction to Jeb in both the first stories, he only showed up in the last chapter of his actual story. Furthermore, Myracle's story was the longest of the three, taking sixteen chapters, and fifteen of those sixteen chapters were devoted to main character Addie. Who suffice it to say was the most annoying, overbearing, self-absorbed character I've seen. Dedicating fifteen chapters to only her does not help tone down that image. She was very irritating to read about, and the storyline lacked so much depth and subplots. The only thing I liked about the story, and the only reason it puts it in second place for me, is the last chapter where ALL the characters from ALL three stories clash and meet at Starbucks. That was pretty cool, and very interesting and funny to read. Otherwise, the first fifteen chapters did not do it for me at all. For that, this story also gets only one star.

The first story by Maureen Johnson, "The Jubilee Express", was perhaps the best out of the bunch. For starters, I could actually see it made into a full-blown novel, the main characters and secondary characters were all introduced very well, they all had their own storylines, and it was all laid out perfectly for us - the readers - to know what to expect in following stories. I also liked how she introduced Jeb before Stuart, making me think Jeb was the main character, only to introduce Stuart several chapters later. Also, Stuart's mom and sister's roles were hilarious, and were created very nicely to go with the story and with Jubilee's weird family. All in all, it was a great story out of all three. It had a solid introduction, body, and conclusion. Plus, I really liked Stuart's character the most. Jubilee was annoying at one point, and the whole falling in love in a matter of one day makes me question the credibility of the book, but hey, it's a Christmas anthology, and for that, I'm letting it pass! And because I liked this story more than the other two, I'm giving it two stars.

All in all, you get a four star book, although in reality and as a whole, it should be worth three stars in my book.

f you're looking for a cute holiday read, this really is it. The first part, "The Jubilee Express" by Maureen Johnson follows Jubilee (not a stripper, as she makes clear) as she learns her parents were imprisoned while waiting to purchase collectable Christmas figurines, boards a train for Florida, and gets stuck on said train due to a massive storm. From there, she visits a near-abandoned Waffle House, where she meets lovable Stuart, the complete opposite of her serious and professional boyfriend. This is the first thing I've read of Johnson's and I must say - it made me want to read more. It was fun, sweet, and utterly addictive. I loved Jubilee's voice, and the messes she gets herself into. And I absolutely fell in love with Stuart and his family. This was probably my favorite story in the book.

Although John Green's "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" comes in at an extremely close second place. In his usual voice and humor, Green presents a Christmas tale about desire and drive. Tobin, the main character, is spending Christmas Eve with his best friends the Duke (female) and JP (male) - that is, until their friend who works at the Waffle House (the same one Jubilee entered) calls to inform them that he's surrounded...by cheerleaders. The rest of the action-packed adventure follows the trio as they brace the storm and try to make it to Waffle House, so they can hopefully impress the lonely cheerleaders (with the exception of the Duke, who just wants hash browns). Along the way, mutual feelings are found and hilarity, of course, ensues. I absolutely adore Green's writing, and this short story managed to cram in all his novels have to offer. Some lines had me cracking up, while others had me completely swooning. And the Duke REALLY reminded me of myself at that age.

"The Patron Saint of Pigs" by Lauren Myracle, the last story, was a bit whiney for my taste. Addie breaks up with her boyfriend Jeb a week prior to Christmas, so she's depressed. Her best friends, Tegan and Dorrie, do everything to cheer her up - which includes telling her, honestly, that she needs to think of others instead of just herself. Many other people tell her that too as her shift at Starbucks goes on the following day, so much so that she, in time, learns to accept it and - well - grow up. It was a cute story, sure, but it lacked the heart, humor and joy the others offered. I was a bit sad it ended the book, honestly. BUT, what it did offer was an excellent conclusion where practically all of the characters from all three stories met. I love when that happens.

Three famous and accomplished YA writers write three slightly interconnecting Christmas romance novellas that make for a feel-good read in the month of December, curled up next to the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate beside you, marshmallows melting on the top.

Maureen Johnson's story, "The Jubilee Express," was my favorite of the three. In the story, the unfortunately named Jubilee's plans to spend Christmas with her overachieving boyfriend get tossed aside for a blizzard-stranded train and a sweet guy she meets in the town she's stranded in. Jubilee's voice is that perfect level of wryness that makes for scads of laughter while also moving the plot right along. It's incredible how much character development occurs within a hundred or so pages, but Noah's jerky personality and Stuart's genuine nice-guy charm gradually reveal themselves to provide a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. 4/5

Too often YA romances are predictable: you know who the MC is going to end up with practically the first time the love interest appears in the story. Me, I like romances that surprise me, which the one in John Green's "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" managed to do, much to my delight. I was a little underwhelmed by the gag-humor antics--the sliding car, the bully chase, etc.--and instead focused my attention on how wonderfully subtly Tobin's own little Christmas miracle develops. It's treat enough to make tolerable the wade through the occasionally ridiculous scenarios that Tobin and his friends have to wade through in order to deliver Twister to the cheerleaders in the middle of a snowstorm. 3.5/5

I was least in like with the final story, "The Patron Saint of Pigs" by Lauren Myracle. As mentioned before, the stories in LET IT SNOW are slightly interconnected, and so the glimpses I got of the two main characters prior to reading this story just didn't gel with the way they were presented in "Pigs." Addie is definitely self-involved (and could her friends tell her that more often?), and so at times I found myself questioning why a guy as apparently wonderful as Jeb could've fallen for her, as well as wanting to smack her. However, she also undergoes growth in the story--albeit in a "sudden revelation from the heavens" kind of manner--so all's well that ends well, I suppose. 3/5

Overall, LET IT SNOW is a wonderful addition to the avid YA reader's already bursting book collection. You really can't go wrong with any of these authors, especially when they write a light-hearted holiday read.

Christmas comes best in threes
A lot of people have already summarized the three short stories (which are tangentially interconnected, might I add), so I will attempt to be brief:
Jubilee's Express: After Jubilee's parents are arrested in a Flobie Christmas display fight, she is sent on a train to her grandparents, only her train ends up stranded outside a Waffle House.
A Cheertastic Christmas: Tobin leads his friends, Angie "the Duke" and JP across town in the middle of a bad snow storm to a Waffle House to meet up with some cheerleaders.
The Patron Saint of Pigs: Addie, who has recently broken up with her boyfriend, starts to realize she's a self-absorbed biatch.
Because this book is so different (three stories, yet really only one long one), I will review it slightly differently.
The absolute best, most amazing, most outrageously funny and sweet story of the bunch is, in my opinion, Maureen Johnson's Jubilee Express. It's quirky, it's extraordinary, it's insane, but never once did I drop my suspension of disbelief. Jubilee is smart and funny and reminds me a little of myself. I thought her relationship with her boyfriend, Noah, was complicated and interesting as well. Noah was a great boyfriend to Jubilee when she didn't need him to be emotionally engaged. When she did, he didn't know how to react, being so self-centered and so focused on his aspirations. It was clever, it was different, and yet it was realistic and believable. Stuart was a sweetheart, and his family was so charming and quirky. The story was quick, outrageous, and yet somehow believable--and most importantly funny! I was reading this while flying to Denver, and at one point, I was shaking with barely contained laughter.
John Green's story, A Cheertastic Christmas was enjoyable as well. The scenarios were crazy and funny, the character growth very organic, and the ending was perfect (yeah, a little rushed, but it was almost told in that teenager way of hurrying). But I'll admit, I wasn't too keen on the whole "tough girl falls for best friend" act. Also, and more importantly, the characters in this story were the EXACT SAME as in the other Green novel I read (the ONLY other Green novel I've read), Paper Towns. Tobin was Quentin; JP was Ben to a "T"; the Duke was oddly reminiscent of Margot (although there were obvious BIG differences, to those who've read Paper Towns). Even the story was eerily familiar of the big cross country drive that Quentin and friends took in Paper Towns. It was like this was the further adventures of Quentin without the main character being Quentin. Don't get me wrong, Green writes his characters well, but when I open a new story, I expect to see slightly different characters, not the same ones over and over and over again. Same with story.
"The Patron Saint of Pigs" by Lauren Myracle was a complete downer for me. Most of the action takes place after Christmas (bye, bye Christmas charm and spirit!), Addie is so mopey, whiney, and ungrateful in the beginning (not a good way to endear an audience to your protagonist), and the situations, while nowhere near as weird as what Johnson and Green wrote, seem contrived. The pipes break at the exact time Addie is rinsing out the steamer? Her boss gets mad at her...because Addie can't shut off the water because the pipes are broken and it's not really her fault anyway as she didn't break the pipes herself? Everyone and his mother decide simultaneously to let Addie know how selfish she is? Nathan is upset at her because she never "read the note" and calls her selfish...but he's been harping on this for four years? How does that not make him whacked out? Sure, Addie's a selfish @#$%^, but he certainly doesn't have to gripe about the "wrongs" she "done him" four years ago. And when Addie calls Dorrie about her recent crisis, Dorrie gets upset because Addie still hasn't gotten the pig. Only, Addie has been at WORK the entire time unable to go on break, and that's why she hasn't been able to get the pig. Yeah, it's selfish to want to chat before getting the pig, but really, Addie TRIED to leave work to pick up the pig, and her boss wouldn't let her. So that isn't Addie's fault, it's her bosses fault, and it's Dorrie who's being the @ss for blaming the wrong person. And the whole shoehorning "It's a Wonderful Life" needed to go.
Overall, though, I really liked "Let It Snow". Johnson's and Green's stories and characters are wonderful, funny, and charming (not to mention, very Christmas-y!). Individually, I would rate them 5 and 3.5 - 4 stars respectively and would definitely read them over and over again. As for Myracle's story, unless you are already a fan of her work, I wouldn't bother with her story (even though it does tie up Jeb's loose end). It's kinda depressing, not really Christmas-y, and bonkers. Two stars, by itself.
So head off to the bookstore or library, snatch this guy up and snuggle with a cup of hot chocolate under a blanket in front of your fire or Christmas tree and start reading!

Brought to you by:
*C.S. Light*

This was probably one of the cutest books I've ever read. It features three different stories, from three fantastic authors, but in it's own way- they all seem to intertwine perfectly. A teensy tiny character would be introduced in the first story, and would end up having a big role in the third. It was so easy to see that these three authors really put their heads together to make every piece fit.

The first story, The Jubilee Express, written by Maureen Johnson, is about a girl named Jubilee, who gets whisked away from her usual comfortable Christmas routine, and tries to travel to her grandparent's house with unexpected trouble along the way. This was my least favorite story out of all of them. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, but everything just flew by way too fast. Even with the short length, I felt there could've been more progress between the characters.

The second story is A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, written by John Green. It involves three best friends, two guys and a girl, who try to journey through the harsh snow after receiving a call from their friend at The Waffle House, informing them of lonely cheerleaders taking shelter there. This was my favorite out of all three. It was so light-hearted and wonderfully written that I think I was smiling the entire time.

The third story, The Patron Saint Of Pigs is written by Lauren Myracle. Addie must deal with the aftermath of cheating on her boyfriend, while trying to find a way to convince everybody that she's not self-centered. This was the one that really tied everything together, and it was the perfect tale to end the book.

Overall, it was really good. It definitely lifted my spirits after reading it, and it just puts you in a happy mood. The ending of the book was perfect, and I was sad that there wasn't another story attached. It's not heavily Christmas-oriented, it's really just a time frame that it takes place, so you could really read it at anytime. I most definitely recommend!

Make yourself a nice cup of hot cocoa and get a warm blanket and then, prepare yourself for a nice holiday story.

Since it's the holidays, I really wanted to read some kind of Christmas-y book. So, I texted my friend/swimming buddy and asked to borrow this book. I'm so glad that I got to read this one. It is written by some pretty amazing authors: Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle and each their stories are unique and different.

The first part of the book, The Jubilee Express, Maureen Johnson's part of the book sets up the story for the book. We meet Jubilee, who is named after a piece from the Flobie Santa Village -a series of collectable ceramic holiday pieces. After her parents get thrown in jail, which had to do with those same Flobie pieces, Jubilee takes a train to go to her grandparents for Christmas and she hates that she has to leave her boyfriend behind. The train gets delayed in Gracetown because of the blizzard. She meets a guy named Jeb, who has relationship problems of his own and on the train there are a bunch of cheerleaders which Jubilee can not stand so she heads to The Waffle House. From there thats when the story really takes off. She meets a guy and over the next 24 hours or so, she makes some decisions regarding her boyfriend. The ending was cute!

My favorite story to read was the second part of the book. A Cheertastic Christmas is John Green's part of the book and it is incredibly funny! Tobin, JP, and the Duke (Angie) are enjoying a James Bond movie marathon until they get a call from their friend telling them to come to The Waffle House. The guys are all for it, as there are bunch of cheerleaders stuck there for the night and the Duke tags along as well. Due to the fact that there happened to be a blizzard outside, it took a little longer than expected. I absolutely loved reading about their adventure. It was a bit predictable with what was going to happen with the characters, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I was quite surprised by the last story in the book, The Patron Saints of Pigs, which is written by Lauren Myracle. Addie feels that her boyfriend Jeb is great and all, but doesn't pay her enough attention and wants him to change. Then, one night at a party, Addie finds herself kissing another guy and immediately regrets it. Jeb and her sort of go through a breakup and Addie tries to find away to get him back. I loved that this story was about Addie realizing that she needed to change her ways and stop being so self-absorbed. Addie works at Starbucks and one of her regular costumers helps her out unexpectedly and Addie is able to stop thinking only of herself.

I loved how all the stories came together. I thought that was pretty clever. It was really interesting seeing the POV from the main character from each story and seeing them interact with the characters from the other stories. I expected the romances to be fluffy and cutesy. However, all 3 of the romances are realistic as the couples go through breakups and a lot of other things.

Let it Snow is a story of romance, strangely realistic main characters, festive festivities, and slightly irritating writing. This short story compilation contains three stories written by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle respectively.

When I say slightly irritating writing, I don't mean anything hateful toward the authors whatsoever. In fact, I happen to like all of three of those authors just fine (okay, I haven't actually read anything of Myracle's writing, but I won't hold her short story to her. In fact, I really want to read The Infinite Moment of Us by her). It's just that I didn't really like the characters that they created, and they ultimately seemed to get on my nerves. I know I said that they were realistic in the first paragraph, and they are. But they're realistic in the sense that they're annoying.

And just so I don't leave you hanging, I'll tell you why I thought they were annoying. Okay, well Maureen Johnson's character Jubilee didn't annoy me. It was mostly Tobin and Addie. Tobin just discovers that he was all of a sudden in love with his best friend who's been around forever just by one look? It just seems like a cliche male character thought, to be honest. I thought that it was shallow and annoying, if not boring. I love John Green's writing to bits, and I have to admit that I'm really bummed that I didn't particularly enjoy this short story of his. I didn't hate it, but it was really slow at first. Slow beginnings turn me off instantly. Always. But in Green's beginning, the first seven chapters were literally Tobin and his friends either talking about cheerleaders or getting themselves stuck in idiotic situations like being stuck in a snow drift.

You didn't want to be stuck in a snow drift? Oh, well, here's an idea: don't take your parents' car out in the dead of winter because your friend said that there were cheerleaders.

But Tobin wasn't even that annoying compared to Addie. It wasn't even the writing that got me for Myracle's short story, it was her character. Throughout the entire short story, Addie is being told that she only thinks of herself. At first, I didn't see it. But then one of Addie's friends specifically asked her to do something for her, and Addie said yes. But then...she just doesn't do it. She forgets. She forgets. I'm sorry, but if you promise you're going to do something for someone, especially your best friend, do it. Don't make up excuses. When Addie realized that she forgot, she was about to take her break at Starbucks from her job when the water pipes break. Addie screws up yet again, and the water squirts all over behind the counter. She calls her other best friend, trying to tell her all about her horrible day all the while the other best friend is asking if Addie had done that thing their mutual friend asked her to do.

She hadn't. And yet she still tried to continue on with her story...about herself.

In all, I just wasn't really impressed with the stories or the characters. Jubilee was the least annoying if she could even be considered annoying at all, but she still wasn't that memorable. It's her name that's so memorable.

I hate giving it one star, because I usually give one star to unfinished books or books I wish I ever read, but I can't give this book two stars either because I had to force myself to finish the third story. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't amazing either. I don't really know how to make this a nice review without distorting my version of the truth, aka what I really thought about this book.

When one thinks of Christmas, images of sparkling snowfalls, traditional family dinners and children dreaming of the shiny presents that Santa might bring probably come to mind. Today's holiday season, however, is sometimes more stressful than joyful. Fortunately, reading LET IT SNOW, a collection of interconnecting Christmas-themed stories by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, is one such stress-reducer.

The festivities begin with Maureen Johnson's "The Jubilee's Express." Since before Jubilee (Julie) Dougal was born, her parents have been collectors of the Flobie Santa Village --- a relatively harmless hobby, to say the least (despite the fact that they named their daughter after one of the Flobie buildings and inadvertently created, in Julie's opinion, "a stripper's name"). However, when her mom and dad are arrested at a Flobie convention and she has to miss spending Christmas Eve with her boyfriend Noah, Julie thinks that this Christmas couldn't get any worse.

Unfortunately, while traveling by train to Florida to spend Christmas with her grandparents, "the biggest snowstorm in fifty years" arrives, and Julie find herself stranded in a place called Gracetown along with a heartbroken stranger, a team of (rather annoying) cheerleaders, and The Tin Foil Guy at the local Waffle House. Hope is not lost yet, however, when a nice local Target employee named Stuart invites her to spend Christmas with him and his family. But achieving the goal of having a memorable holiday by hiking through a blizzard might be easier said than done.

In John Green's "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle," Tobin and his two friends, the Duke (whose real name is Angie) and JP, are enjoying a James Bond movie marathon when they receive a startling phone call and hear about the odd situation (or, according to strange and overly enthusiastic teenage guys, "a miracle") at the Waffle House. For different reasons, the three embark on a wild adventure that involves lots of snow, a few crazy and (possibly homicidal) adversaries and a much sought-after game of Twister. In the midst of it all, they question their sanity and discover love.

Last but not least is Lauren Myracle's "The Patron Saint of Pigs." Upset over causing the breakup with her quiet-mannered boyfriend Jeb, Addie is not having a very happy Christmas. Her friends, Dorrie and Tegan, express concern but think she is a little too self-absorbed. Surprised and determined to change for the better, Addie takes on the task of granting Tegan's Christmas wish. However, the pink-haired barista has her work cut out for her when a rather eventful day at Starbucks threatens to get in the way of her mission.

Whether a longtime fan or just discovering their work (like myself), readers will understand why John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle are three of today's bestselling YA authors (even if the writing trio are apparently having a little friendly feud*). With heartwarming amusement and plenty of cringe-worthy moments, LET IT SNOW is a great book for older readers who want to enjoy a good laugh at the absurdities of the holiday season.

--- Reviewed Sarah Sawtelle

From my experience, anthologies are rarely 5-star readings. The quality of stories is always uneven. This book is no exception.

The three romantic short stories in this book are set at the same time and in the same place - a small storm-stricken town during Christmas. They have common characters and crisscrossing story lines.

The first story written Maureen Johnson is about a girl who finds herself stranded after her train is stopped by a snow storm. During the following two days she realizes that her seemingly golden boyfriend is uncaring and selfish and finds new love.

Second novella written by John Green narrates a story of a boy and a girl who have been friends for years. While the girl is in love, the boy is unable to view her as his romantic interest. In the course of the story he discovers that she is in fact an attractive girl and finally realizes he wants to take their relationship to the next level.

The third story by Lauren Mycle deals with a girl's determination to change herself, become less self-centered and get back her boyfriend after their ugly breakup.

Out of these three stories John Green's is definitely the most entertaining and clever. I might be biased because I am a fan of his and don't know other two writers, but at this point the short stories by Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle didn't entice me into giving their novels a try. Their stories just seemed a little too childish and superficial.

Overall however, this is a pleasant and light feel-good book that is perfect for a snowy winter day read.

Three short stories that are sweetly linked and I loved them all individually and together! Having each story told from a different character allowed each author to use their own distinctive voices, but as their characters make big appearances in each other's stories it linked them so geniusly.

The first story takes you on a train trip to the North Carolina setting and while introduces the reader to the upcoming characters still has a plot of its own. The following stories take their characters on rides, but still includes the previous characters - how they did this I have no idea and I want to know!!

I would love to have another set of stories like this with Christmas at the center or not - wouldn't matter to me!

I was charmed by these three sweet romances. I am a huge John Green fan and now that I have had a taste of the other two authors I want to check out their other books as well. It was very cute how the three stories came together at the Starbucks in the end. I can envision this on the big screen. I definitely have to see the movie.

Three amazing writers are brought together in this little anthology of winter romances. My personal favorite of the three stories was probably Maureen Johnson's (I'm really beginning to love her stuff!), although the other two stories were also enjoyed. Her narration style was very quirky and relatable, as were, as usual, her myriad of well developed characters. She is given the difficult task of beginning the stories, dropping hints here and there that will later have to be picked up by both of the upcoming authors. While I did love her story, the one thing that bothered me was even though it was all continued, I felt as though Jubilee and Stuart never really got an "ending", as we all know this snowy blockage would soon come to pass, and what then?
As I started reading John Green's story, I noticed the same names. Waffle House. Stuart. Cheerleaders. It was then that I actually realized that these geniuses managed to interconnect all their stories, fancy that! It was a typical John Green story, two guys, one girl, driving in car. The ending was cute, but the entire story felt lacking, as if something was missing.
The Patron Saint of Pigs was...quite hard to get through, actually. The characters were not written in a realistic way, and it was really hard to identify with them. They all spoke in likeohmyGod! speak, and there were too many random references that made little sense (at least, to me). It was highly adorable seeing all the stories connect, though!
Overall, sweet book, but it might have been done better by one author instead of three.

Rating: 4.5/5

I'm a sucker for romance any time of the year, but something about the holiday season makes me want to curl up in a nice blanket, drink hot chocolate, and read love stories. LET IT SNOW is the perfect holiday read.

Maureen Johnson starts things off with THE JUBILEE EXPRESS, in which Jubliee (no, not a stripper, but named for a piece in her mother's collection of the Flobie Santa Village) finds herself stranded on a train in Gracetown in a huge snowstorm. A trip to the Waffle House introduces her to Stuart and friendship, or maybe something more, starts to form.

In A CHEERTASTIC CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, author John Green hilariously describes the mission of three friends to get to the Waffle House where a group of cheerleaders are stranded and wanting to play Twister.

And Lauren Myracle's THE PATRON SAINT OF PIGS shows that lost love can be found again with the help of Starbucks, angels, and even a pig.

Each story stands well on its own, but it was nice to have a common thread throughout. I loved how the authors found ways to connect all three stories. Characters you meet in the beginning show up later on, and places like Starbucks and the Waffle House are important to all three tales. The only thing I didn't like was that they were all short stories - I could have kept reading about each of the characters!

LET IT SNOW is a great, warm, fuzzy read for the holidays, so grab some hot chocolate and curl up because you won't want to stop reading until you're finished and happily sighing.

Reviewed by: Sarah Bean the Green Bean Teen Queen

~~~Review posted on The Heart of a Book Blogger~~~

Let Is Snow is comprised of three holiday romances all taking place within the same small town over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas. Each of the stories is quirky in its own way, which made it a fun read. I loved how the characters all overlapped into the other stories. Great for getting into the holiday spirit, Let It Snow is the perfect read for the days leading up to Christmas!

Let it Snow is a collection of three holiday romances that all intertwine with each other. I really didn't think that I'd like this as much as I did, it was the perfect pick me up and it definitely put me in the holiday spirit. (constant streaming of the Christmas station in my house) I was surprised that all of the stories were connected, but if I had read the synopsis beforehand it wouldn't have been that much of a surprise.

The characters in each of the stories were unique in their own way, and I loved how they all knew someone who knew someone who was featured in another one of the stories. I would love to go into detail about each story and the characters that are featured in each one, but if I was to do that I'd spoil parts of each story.

If you're looking for a light, cheerful holiday read then Let It Snow is definitely the book for you! And if you're a fan of any of the authors who wrote for this anthology (Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle) then I would recommend this book even more to you.

"Let it Snow" by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle is such a unique book that has so many different aspects to it, and has 3 mini stories in the book that is all very well written. It shows the theme connected with the holidays and winter. It also shows the bond in relationships and the passion of love. All three stories have their own differences and that is what makes each one good.

"The Jubilee Express," one of the three stories in "Let it Snow," is by Maureen Johnson. The Jubilee Express is about a girl named Jubilee, who's parents are absolutely OBSESSED with the Flobie Santa Village ever since Jubilee was a baby. Her name even comes from the Jubilee Hall building in the Flobie Santa Village set. Jubilee is a teenager and it is almost Christmas when her parents get sent to jail for trying to get a rare piece of the set! Jubilee then had to go on a train in Florida to stay with her grandparents, because her parents are in jail, and her neighbor(the lawyer), can't bail them out. Jubilee also has to leave her boyfriend, who she was supposed to spend Christmas with.

Jubilee's train is in the city Gracetown when a bad storm starts to come along. Jubilee doesn't want to stay on the cold train with annoying cheerleaders, so she walks to a place called The Waffle House. There she meets people like Stuart(who is later in the story), Tinfoil Guy, the cheerleaders on her train, and a Korean manager.

Jubilee and Stuart keep talking and her decisions Jubilee makes from getting off the train, to going to The Waffle House and more things kicks off the series of unexpected events. Jubilee is a very awkward girl, but at the same time smart and hilarious. Jubilee narrates the story and sets the tone in a good way. The story is unique,strange,surprising and an overall enjoyable story.

The Jubilee Express is a quick read , that will make you want to read the two other mini stories in the book. It is definitely a must read for people who just want to read a good Christmas​ book and to read a book fast! I would give it a 4 star because it is very well written, but I wish it was longer and not as much of a cliff hanger! Overall, Let it Snow is a great book to read.

Let it Snow is a combination of three adventure-filled romantic short stories. John Green, Lauren Myracle, and Maureen Johnson each contribute a wonderful short story to make up the book.
A chain of events is set off when a monstrous snowstorm hits the small town of Gracetown, Virginia. On her way to Florida to visit her grandparents, Jubilee’s train is caught in the storm, and she evacuates the train in hopes of finding shelter. She soon meets Stuart, who offers her a place to stay until her train is fixed. While staying with Stuart, Jubilee learns some valuable lessons about love and commitment.
Simultaneously, across town, Tobin and his friends, JP and the Duke, are preparing to head off into the storm in order to reach Waffle House. Their friend, a Waffle House employee, called them to say that there is a squad of cheerleaders at the restaurant who want to play a game of Twister. Therefore, Tobin and his friends go on a wild adventure in order to safely deliver the Twister to Waffle House. Along the way, Tobin learns that love may have been right in front of his eyes the entire time.
The final piece to this intriguing plot involves a heartbroken Addie and her attempts to show more compassion towards others. After a sudden and confusing breakup with her boyfriend, Addie is devastated, and she rejects the consolation that her friends offer. Her friends tell her that she is far too self-absorbed and that she needs to think more about what is beneficial for others. In order to prove that she cares for those around her, Addie creates a plan to retrieve her friend’s pet pig from a mysterious woman. During her rescue journey, Addie shows that she is compassionate, and she learns not to jump to conclusions when it comes to relationships.
Personally, I very much enjoyed this book. I loved how each of the stories were separate, yet every detail appeared to be interconnected. By the time I reached the third story, I found myself frequently flipping back and noticing how the seemingly minor details of the earlier stories connected. I would recommend this book to any young adult reader who is looking for a romantic, yet humorous and exciting book to read. Let it Snow is definitely worth the read before the movie comes out at the end of 2016!

In Let It Snow, John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle have put together a three-part holiday romance - a la Love, Actually - in which three different stories weave together for sheer paperback brilliance. The story is about three teens, each of which is suffering from a case of the holiday blues. Stuck in a snowstorm in a podunk, nowhereseville town, these teens find romance where they least expected - in a new face, an old friend, and a disappointed ex. But first Jubilee, Tobin, and Addie have a few things to deal with, for example: a broken down train full of cheerleaders, a blizzardous hike to the Wafflehouse, and a painful early morning shift at Starbucks. Riddled with humor and holiday cheer, you can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy after reading this book. And, for those of you who wouldn't normally read a romance, Let It Snow is a great way to indulge your mushy side.

I...well, to be honest, I didn't like this anywhere near as much as I was expecting. That's not to say it wasn't GOOD but I was expecting something that would blow me away. And this was not it. I've decided that since if the first book I've reviewed with multiple authors, I'm going to take each story separately.

Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson - This story and this story alone is what kept me from giving this book a lower grade. MJ has been a favorite author of mine for quite some time and she definitely does not disappoint. The story itself is definitely the most original of the three and the characters are incredibly well developed, probably moreso than you'd expect for a story this short. The relationships seemed so real and even though certain things seemed unlikely, it was impossible to put the book down.

A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle by John Green - Surprisingly, this was the story I expected to like most but ended up liking least. It wasn't very original, I had the ending predicted half way through the story, and the characters seemed to fall slightly flat. The one thing I did love, though, was the prose. I loved the slang and descriptions used. Unfortunately, I think I was expecting more from Green, after hearing so many fabulous things about his writing. I can only hope his regular novels are better.

Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle - Lauren Myracle is absolutely fabulous. Her humor and craziness are just to be adored and they definitely show through her writing. Patron Saint of Pigs is a ridiculously cute story. Yes, the characters weren't very well developed and the plot was slightly predictable but the story is just so ridiculously cute.

So do I recommend this or not? Definitely but just don't expect the stories to blow you out of your seat

Okay, I liked this book....I just didn't love it. And I wanted too! I love Christmas and it's my favorite holiday, but these three books kinda fell flat for me. I know summer's around the corner and I'm reading a Christmas book, and I liked that this had a lot of the Christmas feeling in it, but the stories themselves? Eh...
The stories didn't seem to have a lot of development. I wished they could have been made a little longer so that more could happen. I also felt that in each book it was drawn out to the last possible second, and then completely rushed together at the very end. Although I did like how all three were somehow semi-connected which I did not realize when I started.
They were cute stories, and I'll probably read this again during Winter Break sometime, but it wouldn't be the first Christmas book I'd go for. I think they would have been better as a series where all three co-wrote the books because I really think the books were extremely limited. A lot more could have happened!
Also, I dont' want to say too much about the books' plots since they do sort of cross over to one and other, especially the last one.
I would recommend this, and I gave it four stars on Goodreads but I definitely felt it could have been a lot better and maybe with more effort? I love all three of these authors so it seemed sort of a let-down to have such a mediocre book, but that's just my opinion! Check it out for yourself and see what you think!
http://www.thepaige-turner.com/2012/05/let-it-snow-three-holiday-romances-by.html

Okay, not to give anything away because it is in just the first few pages... 16 year old girl in Virginia. Parents in jail. Neighbor lawyer can't get them out on bail and her parents call him to put her on a train to stay with grandparents in Florida because they don't want her to be alone for two days!! Oh, and on a train in the middle of a snowstorm "storm of the century." Oh, and girl had noooo idea of storm coming in? Let's see.... Hmm... why not parents ask lawyer neighbor to keep an eye on daughter instead of putting her on train? I mean she is 16... Train is stopping at very small towns. Going to take two days to get to Florida!

At the recommendation of a friend, I read Let It Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. When I picked up the book, I was pleased to find that I would be exposed to a co-written piece of literature, since I have never read a book with multiple authors before. Let It Snow is a captivating book that l devoted all of my free time to reading; I simply could not put it down! It takes place during my favorite time of the year, Christmas. Reading this book put me in the holiday spirit and I kept thinking I would see snow falling each time I looked out the window. Unfortunately, because I read the book in September, this hope of mine was not fulfilled, but that just means I will have to re-read it when December finally rolls around. Let It Snow is divided into thirds, with each author writing their own short section, however the stories are intertwined with one another in the bigger picture of the novel. First comes Maureen Johnson’s, “The Jubilee Express,” then John Green’s, “A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle,” finally wrapping up with Lauren Myracle’s, “The Patron Saint of Pigs.” I would rank the short stories respectively in that order, with Maureen Johnson setting incredibly high standards, which John Green and Lauren Myracle were unable to match. I’m a fan of John Green, but was hoping that this novel would be written differently than his traditional work, but that was not the case. I have never read anything by Lauren Myracle and based on this short story, I probably won’t rush out to read her other books. Overall, I still really enjoyed this novel. I could easily relate to the characters and would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a light holiday romance that will leave you feeling good!

I almost laughed myself into lung failure and swooned myself into heart failure.

These three stories are fresh, hilarious, and ridiculously charming. They make me want to put an adjective into every sentence by saying things like how the adorably unique characters are lovably flawed and hopelessly perfect.

The three stories wind together in small ways, with overlapping characters and events in the same town. They are all clever, well-written, heart-felt and worth rereading.

It's a fantastic collection.

This collection of novellas (the stories being linked with recurring characters) was getting a lot of attention around the Booktube (Youtube) community, so I figured I'd check it out for the holidays. Not understanding all the hype on this one. It's not terrible, but not stellar either. Plus, the stories did not strike me as especially Christmas-y, sure the plots happen around the holidays and there's a mention of a Christmas tree here and there, but that was about it for the most part.

Story #1 "The Jubilee Express" by Maureen Johnson. Nothing says "We found love in a hopeless place" like a Waffle House romance. My favorite of the three, as far as plot, but even this one had its flaws. The beginning felt like a rambling mess but thankfully it seemed to improve a bit as the story progressed. I ended up being charmed by Stuart.

Story #2 "Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" by John Green. Lotta work just to get to some cheerleaders! I think this was my least favorite of the three. I'm a fan of John Green's Crash Course segments on Youtube... when he's just talking with his audience, I find his thoughts really funny and insightful. This though... eh, I haven't been really rocked by one of his novels yet. This is only the second sample of his writing I've gotten to so far, after TFIOS (which I liked but not loooved).... I found this one to be just pure drivel. He was clearly writing for a specific audience here. I found the humor pretty lame, dialogue trite. Just curious, does he ever write stories without the kid with cancer element?

Story #3: Patron Saint Of Pigs by Lauren Myracle. I was pleasantly surprised to find Brevard, NC (a town very close to where I live) mentioned in her dedication. The story itself wasn't too bad, it had its moments of cuteness, but the girl in the couple was pretty obnoxious and shallow. Even by the end, when she supposedly sees the error of her ways, she didn't win me over.

Overall a nice anthology of contemporary YA fiction. I liked how the authors blended the stories. They are well written, in the first person narrative and have a distinctive teen voice. The stories, basically, all take place simulatneously; with the first one starting a day ahead and the third one ending a day after. They aren't all sweet, "aww" stories; and being YA have all the teen "drama". I liked them.

I thought it was going to be weird reading it being by three different authors, but it flowed and it was an easy read. It was good, although its not first book I've read that was written by multiple authors, but it was structured different than the first one I read. The first collaboration book I read was Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, that was only two authors, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, but they alternated on the chapters they wrote. And that's how this one was different, first Maureen Johnson wrote a short story, then John Green and finally Lauren Myracle, despite the separation of the stories I liked how they were begun and ended and in the end they all came together. And it was interesting reading the different stories through different point of views.

This book was given to me as a gift for Christmas and I'm sure that the person that gave it to me didn't realize that the novel was for young adults. I read the book anyway as I was curious to see how the stories would interconnect and have not previously read any novels by any of the contributing authors. The concept of this novel had a lot of possibilities but in my opinion author Lauren Myracle's offering didn't blend with the first two stories by John Green and Maureen Johnson as well as it could have added and culminated the trio of stories.

As I have previously worked as a school librarian and in the public library setting, I have first-hand experience that some parents/grandparents will be very disappointed with the language in the third selection by Lauren Myracle. Chapter One opens with "Being me sucked." It continues to elevate the character's description to "double-sucked" and "triple-suck". Continuing to report that "And add in the sad, aching, devastating lack of Jeb, and ding-ding-ding! The bell at the top of the Suckage Meter couldn't ring any louder." Regardless of whether young adults speak using this slang or not, it isn't necessary for today's vernacular to be incorporated into the story to make it contemporary particularly when it will offend some of the very readers that it could hope to encourage and support.

Otherwise, it's a festive novel of three (3) holiday romances with the setting in the midst of a snowstorm on Christmas Eve. A light read for an afternoon or evening curled up in a blanket besides the fire and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow - outside! ;)

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Rating: Chaser; I appreciated the story line. It kept me reading. It took me a couple days to finish because I kept putting it down/falling asleep.

Great concept... good stories. Two wonderful and one great author tackle young love over the time span of Holiday break (really Christmas Eve to Day after Christmas). Although these stories were very well targeted to the younger crowd (13-18 y/o), I found them "cute". You know I love John Green, so that's why I bought the book. I enjoyed the first story but I sped through it to get to the John Green contirbution. Of course he blew me away with his portrayal of a teen `racing' his way to love. The opportunity for `love' not obvious to his main character, but he incorporates all his characters into the finale. Marueen Johnson and Lauren Myracle also desomonstrate a young woman's need to find `the one' in the sea of fish. I read this just after Christmas and I am sure the spirit of the holidays would have moved me more if I read it prior. They are easy and fast to read, but I kept putting it down. Johnson & Myracle's "I am a doomed teen, destined to roam the planet, single, for the rest of my life" drama was a little too much for me. Green's introspective take on how to approach love via friendship was very real. Something I can relate to.

Johnson adds a lot of starting block humor that kept me interested. Jubilee sees the ubsurdity with her parents obsession, but can't see the forest for the trees when it comes to her own relationship. When her train breaks down near a Waffle House in Gracetown and she trusts a handsome stranger to take her home to get out of the storm, Julie is forced to reevaluate her her current and toxic relationship. Stuart, her opinionated looking-glass, wants to make sure that what happened to him, doesn't happen to her.

Green's characters are the best of friends, as they've always been, but one friend is ready for more. Not until a race to the cheeleader-packed Waffle House, sidetrakced with `life or death' obstacles, does the revelation that `more' could be targeted at the male-lead, Tobin. "The Duke" or Angie is just a friend, but his vision of her is quickly adjusting.

Myracle character, Addie, has found love with a wonderful shy guy but she wants the `Hollywood' happy ending, sequel, prequel, etc.. Her support group, gal pals, help her examine her faults when she inadvertanly ruins her relationship with Mr. Wonderful/Jeb. She is pushed to become less selfish and more observant of whats going one aournd her `me drama'. This final short incorportes all the characters from the previous two and how their develpments all lead to her fairy tale `happily ever after'.Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances

To get into the holiday spirit, I just read Let It Snow, a collection of three holiday romance stories. Though technically romance stories, they are actually really funny and would appeal to some guys as well. Each of the three stories centers on one town where a train has been stopped on Christmas Eve due to a terrible snowstorm.
The first story is about a girl who was going to Florida on the train, but got stranded in this small town. At the Waffle House she meets a guy who invites her to spend Christmas with his Jewish family.
The second story is about three friends who are trying to make their way through the snow to the Waffle House for hashbrowns and cheerleaders...
The third story follows a girl who spends her holidays heartbroken after breaking up with her boyfriend and then having him stand her up when she tried to apologize. Characters and places in all three stories intersect.
Though I enjoyed the stories, they were really "winter stories" rather than holiday. Didnt get me into the holiday mood, but I did have fun and a few laughs reading the book. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

I have started reading the romance recently, Fault in our stars got me into this genre.
Let It Snow has 3 stories based in a small town of GraceTown and lots of Snow.

The story of Jubilee was my fav followed by the Duke and then the last one.
The stories are sweet and easy to flow.

the last story is little drag but also a decent one

I am giving this book a
3/5 as it took some effort to finish this book.

DeVil D

This is a really well done interwoven book of three separate stories that all come together at the end. The authors all know how to realistically write dialogue and situations that seem real for teenagers. Nothing deep here but very cute holiday book.

Because this book was a compilation of three stories, it's a little difficult to rate. Story #1 gets 5 Stars. This was a laugh out loud story for me. I loved it. It's worth it to buy the book just to read the first story by Maureen Johnson. Story #2 gets 4 Stars. It was pretty good, but it only got a smile on some parts. Story #3 bored me. Didn't really like the character Addie and I would give it about 2.5 or 3 stars. So overall I rated the whole book a 5, weighted heavily by #1. It's a fun little compilation. Light, entertaining reading. I did like the way all the characters from all three stories interacted at the end. If you're looking for fun, light, Christmas cheer, this is a good choice.

I got the book because I love John Green's writing. However, my favorite story turned out to be 'The Jubilee Express' by Maureen Johnson. It was cute and funny, but not overly deep. John Green's piece was a little less serious, but his writing draws the reader in. I had to keep reading, although if it had been written any other way I would have laughed at the plot. I do love his characters, so it was a nice read. The last story was by Lauren Myracle. I read the beginning and couldn't bring myself to keep reading. The protagonist was too self-pitying and annoying, and the kind of girl Johnson's Jubilee would have detested. It did get better towards the end, however, and the way it was finally wrapped up was a little contrived but still cute. If you're looking for some typical teenage fluff and humor, check this out.

Ugh this book.

I didn't buy any of the romances or transformations. The story overall was over the top ridiculous.

I found each of the main characters to be demeaning and overall degrading.

Call me a Scrooge but this was a waste of my time.

I saw John Green's name, and I just had to get it. all the stories were quick fun reads. I loved how they all had a common part that kept them in the same area, making them all feel very connected. I loved that. The characters were all very likable, and the writers did a great job.
Would recommend to John Green fans.

One afternoon when I was sick and it was stormy outside, I rummaged through my To Be Read pile and grabbed this book. I'd read (and liked) John Green before, so I expected at least a third of LET IT SNOW to be good. Curled up on my bed, I read the first half in one sitting, then read the rest that evening. This is very good, for me, since I read fast but also have a short attention span when tempted by many books.

Curiously, my initial expectation of Green's third being my favorite part of the book didn't turn out right. Green's "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" came in second to Maureen Johnson's "Jubilee Express," while Lauren's Myracle's "The Patron Saint of Pigs" came in a distant third. In more detail, here's my lineup:

#1 Johnson wrote my favorite third of the book, carried off by the delightful narrator, Jubilee, named after one of the buildings in a fictional line of Christmas collectibles. These same collectibles, by the way, lead to a shopping riot that lands Jubilee's parents in jail and sends Jubilee on a train-ride into a blizzard... but I won't spoil what happens next in this quirky, charming story. Lots of little details make this story seem feel both real and amusingly ridiculous. The romance, especially, was sweet and fun.

#2 Green's strengths seem to consistently be dialogue and character, though his characters do seem rather familiar at times. His story felt a lot like his other books that I've read--LOOKING FOR ALASKA and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES--with a group of clever (sometimes a little too clever, if you ask me), crazy friends examined through the eyes of a more normal guy who has a crush on a smart, eclectic, mysterious girl. That's fine with me, I guess, since I liked his other books, though I would like to see him try writing from the viewpoint of a girl for a change. Though I suppose he balances out the other authors, who write through the eyes of female characters.

#3 Myracle's third would have to be my least favorite. It felt like the book lost some of its spark when she took over, and the ending dragged a little while the beginning and middle flew past. I'm not sure why, though I have my theories: perhaps Johnson and Green wrote their thirds first, and then Myracle had to work with the characters and material they came up with rather than introducing too many of her own ideas. Granted, Johnson and Green are tough acts to follow. Or maybe this is just Myracle's style, which I happen not to like as much as those of the other authors. Disclaimer: I won't go as far as to say Myracle's writing ruined the book, because at this point I was already intrigued by the interlocking stories and how the characters rubbed shoulders.

Overall, LET IT SNOW wasn't an epic or deep book, by any means. Rather, it was a banana-bread kind of book: tasty, not too complicated, and when you've finished enjoying it, you don't feel too guilty. (As opposed to fluffier, junkier books.) I would recommend it to anyone who likes sweet romances and quirky teen characters.

The three romance stories in this book were so cute! I definitely had my favorite, but all the authors wrote cute stories that intertwined really well with one another! I loved the characters and the plots, and I would definitely recommend this book as a winter/Christmas time read!

For a more in-depth review, check out my book blog, A Nook of Blankets and Books!
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I was impressed by the way each author brought the other authors' key characters into their story lines. I really enjoyed how each story unfolded, the characters experiencing positive change due to the situations they found themselves in.

Fabulous book. Geared more for teens but I loved the three separate stories and how they come together at the end. Very well written and the characters were energetic and engaging. A good read for any age.

It was cute, even though the whole lusting after dumb cheerleaders was offensive to me as a female. They were portrayed as vapid objects only there for the boys to drool over. As easy as it is to believe the whole cheerleaders are stupid sluts trope, it just isn't true and it's a repugnant stereotype used to demean girls. FYI, I was never a cheerleader. One doesn't have to be a cheerleader to recognize degrading stereotypes in literature.

I also had a issue with Jubilee falling in love overnight with a random stranger. To me, she is the girl that cannot just be single for even a minute. And that is an insecurity based in psychological issues, so I didn't find it endearing when she fell into a new relationship as soon as she ended her old, dysfunctional one. Otherwise, it was a light, fast read, lacking in depth, but good if you want a quick romance fix. Not my favorite YA, but it was okay.

The novel "Let it Snow" is a book written in collaboration by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. Together, the three create a group of love stories that are all entangled in some way or another. The ways that the stories intertwine are cleverly done and extremely interesting, and they all come together to create one larger picture. The three separate love stories follow the lives of generally unnoticed Jubilee, witty and funny Tobin, and generally bubbly, but now a little gloomy, Addie. We find each of them on Christmas Eve when one of the biggest storms hits Gracetwon, Virginia.

We find Jubilee, who is currently dating the "perfect" guy, stuck in Gracetown on her way to Florida. She happens to meet a young man named Stuart, who is kind of mysterious, but sweet and kind at the same time. Next we meet Tobin for our second story, who is currently enrolled in a movie night with his two best friends. The trio embarks on an adventure through the snow storm, and on the way, you can probably guess, love emerges. Finally in our third story we meet Addie, recently broken up with her soul mate, she is trying to find her way again, but it may not be all that for her in the future.

John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle create a book with and extremely unique style and sense of humor. There are so many different funny, witty, charming, intelligent, and heart filled plot points that it is impossible not to love. All of their characters are not fictitious Princes and Princess in some far away land, but they are like normal, real people which makes this story so relatable.

This book may not be for all people. Do I recommend that a seventeen year old boy cuddle up next to the fire to read these love stories? Do I recommend than an eighty year old man sit down one afternoon and read a story about three teenage love stories? No. But, I adored this book, and I think all women will feel the same. If you enjoy sweet heartfelt love stories, this book is definitely what you are looking for. This book is so well thought out and so well developed that it is amazing, and I completely recommend this book.

I picked up Let it Snow, expecting to read it leisurely as the holidays approached. I imagined reading a few pages here and there throughout the month of November, perhaps finishing it over Christmas break, just in time to break out those reindeer socks with the holes I've been wearing since I was ten and refuse to throw away. Instead, I found myself sucked into a charming, engaging web of a story, only to emerge 14 hours later wanting more.

As a fan of all of the author's independent works, I was pleased to find that each author's voice remained just as unique and bold as in their other works, yet all three worked together seamlessly to tell a larger story. The vividness of the characters is such that they stick with you long after you put the book down. (Okay, I say "long after" but seeing as I finished it about 4 hours ago, I really just mean "stick with you for at least four hours and probably longer" after finishing the book. The point is that you'll find no one-dimensional characters here.) I feel sort of scarily like I grew up alongside Tobin, Addie and Stuart, or have been best friends with Jubilee ever since we both missed the bus on the first day of middle school.

The story is simple, but also marvelously complex, tackling such important existential questions as "What course of action should one take when fourteen cheerleaders are locked in a Waffle House in a small town in Virginia during the worst snow storm in fifty years?" Yes, people fall in love- there is romance and heartbreak and lots of dumping and break ups (or at least a couple); but I promise Let it Snow is not one of those Made-for-TV movies that air way too many times on the Hallmark channel during the month of December in which someone learns to believe in the Christmas spirit and Santa Claus brings everyone presents at the end.

No, Let it Snow doesn't tie a nice little red bow on its romance. The character's relationships feel raw, real and honest. They warm your heart and sort of make you want to be in love. (So much so that I had to actually remind myself that, oh yeah, I was already in love.) Don't worry. If you don't have your own love story to tell this Christmas, after finishing this book, you'll probably want to start taking it out for coffee and to your mother's Christmas Eve smorgasbord. Maybe the two of you will even frolic in the snow? Okay, so I don't actually recommend that, since it's a paperback and ice is usually wet and "wet" and "paperback" is usually a bad combination.

My point is, that you should read this book. You should read this no matter how old you are, or where you live, or what time of year it is or whether or not you like Christmas. You should read this if you want to be entertained, moved, made to think.

Do something nice for yourself this Christmas (Or Halloween, even) and read Let it Snow.

(This review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books.)

This book is a collection of three stories, all of which are saccharinely sweet and geared, of course, towards happy endings.

My favorite character from "Jubilee Line" by Maureen Johnson is Jubilee herself, who has an interesting name and ends up in a very intriguing situation - because of a massive snowstorm, she gets stuck in the middle of pretty much nowhere on a train. After escaping to Waffle House, the story then follows her (mis)adventures in the company of Stuart, someone who's definitely not her boyfriend and who she isn't thinking about that way... or is she? I enjoyed the ending of this story in particular!

John Green's contribution, "A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle" was, hands down, my favorite of the bunch. It's mostly about friendship (with a little romance thrown in, of course) and it's hilariously, absurdly amusing. Three best friends - Tobin, JP and the Duke (who's a girl, in case you wanted to know) set out on a crazy attempt to get to the Waffle House in the middle of a snowstorm all to meet these so-called "hot" cheerleaders who are stranded there. The story made me laugh out loud, and I definitely aww-ed at the ending.

Lauren Myracle's story "The Patron Saint of Pigs" tied up the book neatly, bringing all the main characters from the other two stories into play, as well as focusing on characters that we've been wondering about since the start - Jeb and his girlfriend Addie. Though the story was cute, I really didn't like it as much as the other two - except for the pig, of course!

All in all, this book was pretty much as I expected it to be - fluffy, light, and an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, of course, but as with most books of this genre, the stories ended up blurring into one in my mind towards the end.

I bought this book because two of my favorite authors- John Green and Lauren Myracle- wrote it. Knowing this, I went into it thinking I'd prefer their stories. This was proved very untrue! They were all equally good in my opinion, especially for a girl who adores connected stories as much as I do. I read this book in less than an hour (keep in mind that I'm a fast reader, and my room is considered the library in our house by other members of the family, it's not an extraordinarily short book at all.) I would defiantly recommend this book, and will be checking out Maureen`s other works!

I loved this book!!!! John Green is a great writer!! This is my second book I have read by him, Fault in Our Stars was the other one. Just EXELLENT books!!!

He's very creative in these two books and you can picture different situations that happen throughout the books!!

The final story dragged on and on to the point when the characters from the other stories popped in, I had no idea what story they were from or anything. The ending felt very rushed to throw in all the characters and I had to flip back and see who was who. All three authors are fantastic writers but the ending is what killed how much I enjoyed the book

I love John Green books, so when I saw this book I went ahead and bought it. At first I only read the John Green part, but after lending the book to my friend I finally read the book from front to back. This is now my new holiday tradition, and has been for the past two years. This book gets me in the mood for SNOW! All the stories are pretty great, can't wait for November so I can start reading it again. If you are looking for a book to cuddle up with when the weather gets frosty, give this one a try.

I read this book in a few hours one day, and I loved it. The stories are "romances," but not in the cliché sense - they are very witty, intelligent, and observant narratives. The characters were all very well rounded and dynamic. The way that the three stories were tied together added a fun twist to the individual plots.

Another success for these three wonderful authors.

Also - it by no means has to be Christmastime for you to enjoy this book.

It pains me to give this a three, but the book doesn't warrant higher because of the deep inequality of the three stories. John Green's story is great. It's witty, quirky, and his voice shines through. I was unfamiliar with the author two authors, but their stories failed to resonate with me. I especially disliked the third story. The girl came across as whiny, and I was disappointed in the author's execution. The first story is fine, but rather unremarkable.

Bottom line. Buy this for the John Green story. He really is a fantastic writer. I urge you to pick up Looking for Alaska, also written by him.

I still can't stop smiling because of this book. Seriously, it is one of the cutest books ever! Go read it. Now. You're wasting your time reading this really short review when you can be smiling about how amazing the book is.

The story was not bad but it was difficult at times to tell who he was talking about. He tried to run a common thread through each of the stories and tie them together with the final story and that made it difficult to keep track of everything. It seemed to be a bit all over the place at times. Not a bad story overall but seemeed a bit jumbled and confusing and more focused on being able to connect everyone than to tell a consistent and well-flowing story.

I picked this up on a whim while at the grocery store, and I'm so glad I did! It's a quick, fun and easy read, and you won't want it to end. The authors blend their stories seamlessly, while still keeping their unique voices. Plus, if you haven't read anything by these writers before, it's a nice introduction to their work.

Love it! Came in perfect condiotion and on time. Definitely a fabulous book, I love John green and I was not dissapointed with any of the three stories in the book. They were all great and so were all 3 authors!

Jubilee's Christmas Eve is ruined when her parents are put in jail and she is unable to see her perfect boyfriend. After her train wrecks and she is stranded at a Waffle House with 14 cheerleaders, she opts for the lesser of two evils and follows a charming, yet heart-broken, boy home.
Tobin, JP and the Duke find themselves in a race to the Waffle House with Twister before the dastardly Retson twins can spoil their plans. Little does Tobin know, what surprise awaits him when he arrives.
Poor Andie is mourning her loss of her caring boyfriend when an unexpected angel gets her to change her perspective on life.

These three tales were absolutely amazing. I finished this book in 2 days and was very, very happy with it. They had me laughing out loud at some parts, and the stories were intertwined in a way I didn't expect.

I loved this book. I have read it a few times now and I will continue to read it in the future. The story lines were great and the content kept me turning the pages until I was done. I read it in 4 hours...If you like young adult romance, you will love this book!!!

Well written. Fun. Light hearted. Reminded me of one of those ensemble films like "Crash", or "Valentine's Day"....where all of the characters are equally developed, and you believe their lives are interconnected, but you don't really know how. Keeps ya smiling and reading. Two thumbs up.

This is my new all-time favorite book. I bought it and finished it that week. It starts out like, 'I'm Jubilee. I'm not a stripper. My parents are in jail over a ceramic holiday village' and just gets better and better. I usually read books that are relatable (Real word?) but this is... out there. I mean, I wish I had the lovey-dovey part, but it's not often you have to walk a few miles in a storm, racing to bring Twister to a Waffle House...
Overall, I give this 5 stars, at least. Its cute, lol-funny, and romantic. SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FOR ME BUY IT AND READ IT AND ENJOY IT AND BE COOL.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a light holiday read. I purchased this for students in my 7th grade class and read it myself during holiday travels this year. As a teacher, I found value in seeing a good example of a collaborative novel.

I picked this book because I was looking for something to read...
and then it started snowing I read this book in 2010 when it was really snowing here in MA and I was just loving the characters and the way that all the stories became one big one. I loved it. I still read it just because it's snowing outside... :)