Thank you to NetGalley/HarperTeen for a copy of Finding My Elf in exchange for an honest review.
Summary
Escaping to NYU for college didn’t turn out the way Cameron planned — he’s flunking his theater classes, about to lose his scholarship, and he still hasn’t found anyone he can call his “people.” When he gets home for winter break, he’s so desperate to avoid a Conversation with his dad that he takes the first acting job he can get — as a mall elf. Despite how Scroogey he feels, the plus side is that there’s a cash prize for the most festive of Santa’s helpers.
But the competition is fierce — especially from fellow elf Marco. Christmas spirit oozes out of his veins. At first, Cam is determined to see him as nothing but a rival, but as they spend more time together, Cam starts to second-guess himself. What if he’s finally found his people here — in the fakest consumerist nightmare place on Earth, where he least expected it?
NYWho?
Like David Valdes’s Finding My Elf’s main character Cam, I went to NYU for undergrad. I was also in Tisch School of the Arts (but I studied film instead of acting). Like Cam, I know the pain of not fitting in. The first year, after turning in my first photography assignment, my photos were on the lightbox, and some higher up in the department was walking through the halls. He stopped in, and just my luck, he decided to look at my photos.
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He scrutinized them and asked me what light meter setting I’d used. Eighteen-year-old me burst into tears and ran out of the room directly into the bathroom to hide. I had no idea what a light meter even was. As an adult, my professor probably should have taught me to use a light meter before sending me off on my first photography assignment.
Just like Cam’s teachers probably should have talked to him about how poorly he was doing in his classes and experimental theatre. The thing is, having gone to NYU, I believe it. What’s not believable is that a $5,000 prize would allow Cam to continue studying at the university. I attended that school nearly 20 years ago, and it wouldn’t have made a dent back then. I know it’s best not to get stuck on the realism of things in a fluffy Christmas novel, but given the cost of higher education in the United States, I couldn’t even.
The Rest of It All
Besides the lack of financial believability, how’s the rest of Finding My Elf? Well, it’s pretty much a paint-by-numbers holiday rom-com. I say pretty much because there is more character growth here than one always finds in this genre. Cam is growing up. He’s at that phase in life where he realizes that he’s not the main character of the world (just the novel).
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Older young adult is a fascinating subgenre, as it allows for a different level of introspection. When kids enter university, they can better understand who they used to be compared to who they want to be. David Valdes has captured that well.
Should You Read It?
Do you like Christmas rom-coms? If the answer is yes, then Finding My Elf is for you. If you do not like them, I don’t think there’s enough here to enjoy. Unless, of course, you want to read very graphic descriptions of cookies. There’s also that!
Finding My Elf is out on November 7, 2023. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🧝🧝🍪
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/new-book-releases-october-31-2023/
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