I've always loved A Christmas Carol, so the idea of a modern take on the story, but as a contemporary romance, meant I had to give it a read.
On top of the World
2016 BEST FICTION-Pacific Book Awards. FROM THE FUNNY AND NATURALLY BRILLIANT DAVID LAMB, award-winning playwright of the New York Times celebrated play, Platanos Y Collard Greens, comes a modern spin on Dickens’ classic tale that perfectly combines humor and romance in a story re-imagined for our digital, consumerist age. This version of Scrooge and Belle is familiar, yet unlike any you’ve come across before. Scrooge, or rather Scrooje, is music’s biggest superstar, with one hundred million albums sold, fifteen million devoted YouTube subscribers, two and a half million Facebook likes, and twenty-five million fanatical Twitter followers known as Scroojites. Belle, is a legal shark who gulps down her opposition voraciously and whose beauty and stunning figure causes traffic accidents as she zips through the sidewalks of Manhattan stylishly adorned and taking no prisoners. They never imagined being music’s most powerful couple, but that’s exactly what happened when Belle fell head over heels and gave the Coke-bottle glasses wearing, plaid and stripe attired, scrawny, biggest nerd on her college campus the ultimate makeover, turning him into a fashion impresario whose style sets trends from Milan to NY Fashion Week and who can be seen courtside at the NBA Finals sporting a perfectly-fitted cashmere suit. Then it happens. Belle realizes too late that she’s created a chart-topping monster as Scrooje’s ego explodes and he starts acting a fool. Now, it’s been three years since they ve spoken. But tonight at Hollywood s biggest red carpet event, with the whole world watching, they’ll be given a second chance.
My Review
I loved this modern take on an old favourite. Not only was it a fun and updated version of the story, it still faithfully recreated Charles Dicken's original. Scrooje was thoroughly unlikeable when we first meet him. We see glimpses of his past, as he travels through his past with the ghosts that come to show him the error of his ways. We soon discover that he wasn't always the heartless, money mad, super star that he has become.
I have to admit, that although Scrooje has become completely obsessed with money and greedy. I didn't think that Belle was much better. She was only really upset when he didn't do some acts of charity to appease her conscience, but was more than happy for him to shower her with gifts and throw parties with a huge, ostentatious display of wealth. Nice.
The idea of Scrooge (or in this case Scrooje) as a multi-million dollar music star, worked really well. It's not something that might spring immediately to mind, but it was really well done.
It was a fun and amusing story and although I knew what was going to happen, this being a retelling of an old favourite, it was still a really good read.
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