Book Review: The Christmas Clock

The Christmas Clock

by

Kat Martin

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Rings

Hardcover: 160 pages

Publisher: Vanguard Press (October 13, 2009)

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchase at Amazon.com $5.69

Completed: December 2010


Summary:  Lottie Sparks is raising her eight year old grandson Teddy all by herself. He's such a sweet little boy.  Its really not been too difficult for her, until she's diagnosed with a very aggressive form of Alzheimer's Disease.  Lottie is painfully aware of her increasing forgetfulness, soon she will not be a reliable custodian for her grandson. With no mother, father or next of kin, what will become of Teddy as her disease progresses?  Will he be forced into the foster care system or will Lottie be able to work something else out before she loses her mind?

Ramblings:  The Christmas Clock is a book about the residents of a small town. In the beginning, its a little difficult to keep all the characters straight. They are all introduced in the first chapter. The story has three subplots: 1.) Lottie being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, faced with the dilemma of who will care for her grandson Teddy, when she no longer is able 2.) Doris and Floyd Culver, a childless couple who have been married for many years, but have lost the "spark" in their marriage and finally 3.) the Joe Dixon and Sylvia Winters saga.  Where Sylvia left her college sweetheart and fiance Joe at the alter when she found out she had cervical cancer.  As the storyline plays out the subplots slowly merge into one, with the boy Teddy being the magnet pulling them together. The pace is quick, the story opens in June and moves through the month of December concluding with Christmas - all in 160 pages! So, its a bit misleading to be categorized as a Christmas story, since it only touches on Christmas towards the end.  In the book's defense, the boy Teddy, does work throughout the story earning money for a special clock he wants to give his grandmother for Christmas. Thus, the reason for the title.  The characters are somewhat cliche, and lean towards being a little unrealistic, especially Teddy being so angelic. One would expect him to act out more, considering his grandmother's demise and situations he's abruptly thrust into.  The plot is predictable, not unlike most stories written for Christmas.  Despite these few minor flaws, The Christmas Clock remains another cute short story with a happy ending which will leave the reader smiling.  

Recommendation: I would recommend this book to adult audiences who want a quick read with a happy ending and a little PG romance along the way. There are some subtle religious undertones, definitely not overdone. Even though the story is about a young boy, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't hold the attention of a younger audience if read aloud. Please, don't pick this one up if your sole purpose is to read about Christmas.  It touches on Christmas near the end, which was a bit of a letdown for me, only because I was searching for Christmas books to read.  The main storyline is something completely different, but still very entertaining.