Dial, 2005
School Library Journal
In this modified version of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, Scrooge has been replaced by Ben, a high school student whose girlfriend has passed away, leaving him extremely cynical about love as Valentine’s Day approaches. The creatively mutated story follows the basic action of the original as the teen is visited by Marly’s ghost, then three spirits: The Ghost of Love Past, The Ghost of Love Present, and…well, you know. While this seems like a promisingly inventive way to address bereavement, nothing quite clicks in this remix of the classic. Prior knowledge of the original story seems to diminish rather than enhance the power of this adaptation. There are downright awkward moments, too. The character Tiny Tim has morphed into a pair of gay freshmen, Tiny and Tim, for example, and the young lovers’ presence in the story seems gratuitous and synthetic. Selznick’s pen-and-ink drawings, while very well done, don’t quite seem to fit in either, reflecting the overall problem the story has establishing and sustaining a uniform tone and mood. Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI
Booklist
“Love is humbug,” rages teenager Ben in this sober, contemporary remix of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Ben’s beloved girlfriend, Marly, has died of cancer, and, as his town and high school celebrate Valentine’s Day, he tries to cope with his raging grief. Levithan’s heartbreaking narrative, illustrated with occasional small, crosshatched drawings, relates how Marly’s ghost comes to Ben with three other spirits that take Ben first to the past he cannot forget (his first sight of Marly, their first kiss, their passionate embrace), then to his present sorrow (when, like Scrooge, he lashes out at everyone), and finally to the possible future (when he commits suicide–unless he can stop himself). The future vignette is the only point where the message gets heavy. The magical realism is powerful throughout, especially in the love story, and Levithan (who wrote Boy Meets Boy, 2003) also touches on gay relationships when dealing with the annual Valentine love fest enjoyed by the town and Ben’s high school. A solid story to mark the holiday. Hazel Rochman
