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Supernatural fiction is all the rage these days—whether it takes the form of a moody teen romance or a serious fantasy involving detailed worlds of various non-human species. But author Molly Harper’s holiday novella, I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas, is my favorite kind of supernatural fiction: the kind that doesn’t take itself seriously.
This seasonal short e-book joins Gigi Scanlon as she travels home to Half-Moon Hollow to spend Christmas with her older sister, Iris, and her brother-in-law, Cal. Iris has gone out of her way to give Gigi a normal holiday—but, in reality, there’s nothing normal about it. Since Gigi’s last visit home, Iris has been turned into a vampire, so she can spend all of eternity with her undead husband. And she’s constantly on-edge that she’ll give into her urges and bite her little sister.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the flurry of holiday festivities around her, Gigi also struggles with growing feelings of indifference for her high school sweetheart, Ben, while preparing for an important job interview that’s guaranteed to infuriate her sister.
I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas isn’t the kind of serious fantasy that features various species of supernatural beings with archaic names like Vlad or Kronut or Frodo. These vampires and werewolves and other beings have nice, normal names—like Jane or Collin or Dick Cheney. And that’s part of what makes it such an enjoyable read: it takes an often serious genre and makes it light and fun. The tone is amusing, with an easy-going sense of humor that takes everything from boyfriend troubles to candy-making catastrophes in stride.
The story, then, is pretty simple, with minimal conflict—or at least as minimal as it gets for a college student with a newly-undead big sister. And the large cast of quirky characters is introduced but not exactly developed. But if you’re a fan of Harper’s Half-Moon Hollow novels, you’ll already be familiar with them—and you’ll enjoy spending the holidays with them. And if you’re new to the series, you’ll be eager to get to know them a little better by picking up the next book in the series.
With this short Half-Moon Hollow adventure, Harper seems to have found the perfect recipe for a holiday read (and I don’t just mean the holiday recipes that are included at the end of the story). It’s quick and undemanding, with likable characters and plenty of laughs. Add some supernatural antics to the drama and mishaps that seem to come standard with any family gathering (especially during the holidays), and you’ve got an entertaining little literary escape from the hectic holiday pace.
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