3 out of 4 stars
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Déjà Vu Christmas by James O. Jenkins is a short read that consists of two parts. The first part is about Horatio Willoughbee, who through the kindness of his heart, was able to give so much to his community. The second part is about Merrick Whitworth whose self-centered persona drives away not only his family, but also anybody who comes in contact with him.
Merrick Whitworth is a businessman who only sees Christmas as a way to make a lot of profit. He only cares about the amount of money he has, and he even makes his workers work on Christmas Eve. As he is driving home from work, he suddenly sees an apparition of Horatio Willoughbee and swerves his car off the road and into a ravine. When he wakes up, he finds out that he is in a strange town where no one seems to know who he is. Even more strange is the fact that he recognizes most of the townspeople. As he interacts with people who he normally would not even look at, he begins to see the kind of life he is living. Will he finally see the real meaning behind Christmas or will he always be known as the self-centered businessman?
The main character, Merrick Whitworth, reminded me of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Merrick only cares about the money he makes from his department store, and he even drives away a homeless family taking shelter inside his store. While there were a lot of characters that were introduced, Merrick’s character is the only who showed a lot of growth. Secondary characters like Garrick and Mr. Cullyford helped to shape and build Merrick as a well-rounded character.
What I liked the best about this book was the number of descriptions and details that the author put into this story. It was easy to visualize the scenes, and the black and white illustrations included in the book helped to enrich it. This book is not only a great read during the Christmas season, but it can also be read anytime during the year. Also, the author included a lot of morals that not only pertain during Christmas, but to life in general. For example, the book discusses topics on giving, sharing, and helping those who are in need. I noticed a few errors such as spacing issues, but they didn’t detract from the book.
Overall, I rate this book a 3 out of 4 stars. The errors that I came across, which were very few, could have been easily edited. While it was easy to visualize the story, there wasn't a lot of character growth. I recommend this book to those who like to read books like A Christmas Carol or books that are a quick read.
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Deja Vu Christmas
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