North Pole High: Rebel Without a Claus by Candace Jane Kringle

Hi guys!

Welcome back to the place that aims to please the reader in you this holiday season…Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

So, if you haven’t noticed, the holidays are upon us, some might even say right around the corner…and for some, that’s not just a phrase but a literal statement of truth.  How so?  Well, you know, if you happened to live at the North Pole and hang around a bunch of cool cats with names like Snowflake and Silent and maybe just maybe you were related to the BIG S.C…..I suppose every day would be like Christmas, no?  Umm…yeah, not so much but it would be fa-la-la-tastic just the same especially when you hear about EVERYTHING else going on up there; let’s just say making snow angels was never this much fun.  Today’s book of choice and seasonal recommendation from yours truly is…

North Pole High:

Rebel Without a Claus

A Memoir by

Candace Jane Kringle

MEET SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CANDYCANE CLAUS. She's the most popular girl at North Pole High. Her father is world-famous. And every day is Christmas. What more could any girl want?
BOYS! And the new boy, Rudy Tutti, is hot chocolate. But he hates anything to do with Christmas!
When Candy and Rudy are forced to work together on a school Christmas-tree project, her world is turned upside down: Her grades start to suffer, she loses her taste for ice cream, and now the two North-Star-cross'd teens must contend with her overprotective father — Santa Claus — before Christmas is ruined for EVERYONE!

Candycane is just like any other 16 year old.  Holly jolly, fun loving, looking to make spirits bright, and a little time under the mistletoe wouldn’t hurt either.  Good thing she has a boyfriend (named Tinsel…*smirk*)…right?  Sure sure…at least until Rudy Tutti shows up from goodness knows where with his cocky attitude, non-Christmasy spirit and all the bah-humbug you can shake a stick at.  I mean gheesh…he’s the polar opposite of Candycane and her friends…but maybe that’s why he’s so hot chocolate.  Familiarity is great, like getting your favorite ice cream flavor every night for dessert…but what if you wanted to try another flavor?  Could it be your favorite too…or perhaps your new favorite?  You never know unless you try and Candycane is all about the trying even if the first step of admitting she has a crush is gonna be the hardest.  But wait, is this couple-in-the-making already doomed from the start?  I mean, come on!  Santa’s DAUGHTER and “Mr. Scrooge”….really?  REALLY…and the sparks that will fly could melt the icicles off your friendly neighbors igloo.  ^_^

This story is about as much fun as you can have with SO much holiday spirit running around even Rudolph doused the light from his nose to enjoy the fun.  From the unique names to the flurry-tastic setting and all the ice sculptures and light displays in between, there’s no way you could leave this story without a smile on your face and in your heart.  The characters are about as jingle bell rockin as you can get!  Candycane is our star and a sweetheart she is.  I love her obsession with everything that her name represents…and her reactions to anything and everything.  She’s real, just in such an outlandishly fun way, it’s almost ridiculous…only not and it works SO WELL!  I mean even when she goes to the dicey side of town and Tinsel gets all caveman-ish (which is pretty interesting since he’s actually half elf) when he sees her with Rudy Tutti, you think they’re about to come to blows but then….a war breaks out, just not with you usual weapons.  I’ll save the surprise for you when you’re reading but it’s just so off the wall that it actually works really well (hilariously even) and keeps the story PG enough for even the younger end of the YA lit spectrum.

What’s more is that there is a great story behind all the ha-ha-holiday jokes and what not too!  By story’s end, we learn that it’s okay to not be the embodiment of Santa Claus every December; life is hard, you‘re entitled to feel the way you feel….but it’s what we do with the moments we’re given that counts.  Share a kind word with a stranger, spare a few moments from your busy day to lend a hand to a friend in need…or even help put together the Christmas that almost wasn’t with a smile on your face and a spring in your step despite the odds stacked against you because you simply can’t give up when you know those you love are depending on you.  *ahem*

In short, I would recommend this to the boys and girls of the world from the tall to the small, the young to the young at heart (perhaps especially to the later), all shapes, sizes and shades.  If you’re in the mood for some holiday spirit with a side of laughs and a heaping serving of sweets (and sweetness), this is definitely the one for you.  Small warning though…you may not look at chocolate the same way again because there’s this little revelation about where the best tasting stuff comes from that, yeah…takes some getting use to (LOL!).

Review copy received courtesy of Candace Jane Kringle.  (THANKS!)  For more on this Christmas spirit in human form, be sure to visit her GoodReads page, pin her on Pinterest, like her on Facebook or follow along on Twitter.  To discover more about the world of North Pole High, pay a visit to the official site…I hear they’re taking applicants for next semester too!  To pick up your copy of the “required reading” material, start with the excerpt and move on to the shop (available in both ebook and print editions!)….and speaking of shop, did I mention that you can sport your very own gear from Candycane’s school too?  Yep, sure can.  TOTALLY on my wish list.  ^_^


Until next time…happy reading!