Finding My Elf

De: David Valdes

Narrado por: André Santana

Single All the Way meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this festive romcom about Cam, who’s trying to find the “the one” and also trying to find himself—while spending winter break working at a hectic Santa’s Village.

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?

©2023 David Valdes (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Story is cute

The story is cute and has so much potential. However it has a lots of holes at the end and feels incomplete. Curious to see if the author gives it a sequel.

I’m not the target audience but I just love the writing

I really like all of David Valdes’ young adult books. I’m a white cisgender heterosexual middle aged male but I really love how funny the characters are. The Hallmark Christmas movies are mostly boring. Somehow this though it had a similar plot the characters were so delightful and funny it really kept my interest. I laughed out loud quite a few times and really ended up cheering for the characters in the end.

I highly recommend this book.

Very Cute

This is like a gay hallmark movie. Easy to listen to while I work around the house.

Elf-ing Exhausting

Darling, "Finding My Elf"? More like "Finding My Will to Live" after slogging through this sugary mess. Look, I get paid the big bucks to read, and honey, sometimes that means wading through the literary equivalent of a fruitcake that's been sitting out since last Christmas.

Dave Valdes tries to serve up a holiday rom-com, but this one's got all the spice of a gingerbread man who's lost his buttons. College boy Cameron comes home, throws on some elf shoes, and falls for Marco – groundbreaking, I know. The characters are flatter than a Christmas cookie, and their dialogue? Let's just say Hallmark called and they want their clichés back.

The plot? Predictable as a Mariah Carey Christmas special. Elf competition? Honey, please. The only competition here is between the reader and their mounting boredom. Valdes tries to sprinkle in some holiday cheer, but it comes across as fake as a plastic Christmas tree.

Bottom line, darling? This book is a stocking stuffer best left unopened. If you're looking for a festive read that won't make you want to pour eggnog into your ears, keep searching. You deserve better, and frankly, so do I.