When I first heard of The Nightmare Before Kissmas, I originally was going to skip it. One of my most controversial opinions is I do not like The Nightmare Before Christmas, I find the movie incredibly boring. And as the book's title was a pun from the movie, I was scared it would have all of the same vibes and it would not be my thing. Then one of my friends read it, and I found out it was nothing like the Tim Burton movie. Not. One. Bit. With her glowing recommendation, and finally reading the plot synopsis, I immediately bought this book.
Nicholas "Coal" Claus accidentally caused an economic collapse trying to do some good. And it's just another thing on the long list of ways he has disappointed his father, the reigning King of Christmas. So after he promises to change his ways and stay drama-free, his father forces him into an arranged marriage to his best friend Iris, the Princess of Easter. However, the Prince of Halloween, Hex Hallow, also makes a play for Iris' hand - which is awkward because Hex is the man behind the make-out Coal has been dreaming of for almost two years. Nobody wants the arranged marriage, no matter who "wins" Iris' hand, but sparks never stop flying between Coal and Hex - which is sure to cause some problems with the ever-controlling Santa.
The characterization in this book is some of the best I have ever seen. Every single character has strengths, flaws, and most importantly, depth. And that includes some of the minor characters as well! As a result, the story became a character study of the ways grief can affect a person. Each character struggled with grief: whether it was something that happened a long time ago or something more recent. And showing the ways grief can hurt someone, even if whatever happened is long in the past. I appreciated how well thought out this thread was, and the way each character had a different relationship with it. It added some very important depth to make all of these characters spring off the page and feel like they were real.
In addition, the brotherly relationship between Coal and Kris might be the best fictional siblings I have ever read. They had the exact vibes I have with my brothers where they will definitely never let each other use their phone charger, but if anyone hurts them all bets are off. I appreciated there wasn't any drama within the siblings, as fiction tends to have. They had disagreements and fights, but not in a way that was going to make them never talk to each other again. They were supportive and obnoxious with each other, and I can't wait to read the sequel to watch these two back in action.
I also really enjoyed the way the author used the book to criticize the growing commercialization of holidays. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. However, especially in recent years, it seems like the way Christmas has blown up to force people to buy as many cheap trinkets as possible, focusing on possessions instead of traditions, helping others, and enjoying time with family and friends. Despite what culture pushes on us, those are the most important parts of any holiday season, we just need to be reminded holidays are about the celebrations instead of just stuff. And what's sad, is this isn't even a new message. Dr. Suess had the exact same theme in How The Grinch Stole Christmas in 1957.
I could continue on and on about how everyone should read this book, but I have worked so hard to make sure I didn't give everything away. It's a delightful romance filled with Christmas puns, fascinating characters, and important themes. And while it heavily leans more towards Christmas through Coal, Hex's gothic Halloween vibes are perfect for October. And like the two of them, it makes this book the perfect blend of the two holidays, just like Coal and Hex.
The Nightmare before Kissmas is available through Macmillan Publishers