Review: Santa Responds by Santa Claus

Title: Santa Responds: He's Had Enough . . . and He's Writing Back!
Author: Santa Claus (Yes - I even double checked this on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!)
Pages: 128
Publisher: Running Press (September 22, 2008)
Genre: Fiction / Humor
Edition: Standard hardback



Perfect for : Personal reading, great host/hostess gift (for the right person!)

In a nutshell: I don't know if my family has laughed this much in quite a while - at least not because of a book! We had relatives over for dinner this evening, and I decided to pull this book out to see what they thought. What I thought would be a quick five minute browse through the book ended up lasting over an hour as we passed the book back and forth, reading the children's letters and how Santa responded to them out loud. I've never had a better time during dinner! This is the perfect gift for someone with a great sense of humor, or someone who needs one! It would also be great after a long day of work, or holiday shopping - just grab a cocktail and start reading - your day will instantly get better! As I learned this evening, this book is also a perfect ice breaker for a gathering - just make sure there are no kids who still believe in Santa, because just like the picture on the cover - this Santa isn't your normal "ho, ho, ho" jolly old Saint Nick, but rather a blunt pot-bellied, tattooed, cigar-smoking, drinking, cursing (not too bad) Santa who is finally telling kids exactly what he thinks!

From the back cover:
SANTA CLAUS.

Year in and year out he has made a list, checked it twice, visited every house, ate every stale cookie, and fulfilled every wish. And his feelings about all those sweet, demanding, misspelled letters he receives have remained a mystery.

Until now.

Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was labor issues with the elves. Or maybe it was just too much egg nog. But whatever the cause, Santa sat down with a bagful of letters and read through them again.

Then he started replying.

No one knows what made the old guy snap, but for the kids who want to know what they're going to get, Santa is about to tell them exactly why they got what they did.

YES, VIRGINIA,

THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS.

AND HE'S PISSED.

Unauthorized, unsanitized, and unbelievable, here's the real Santa Claus (not that creepy guy at the mall!)

First Paragraph:
For centuries children have written letters at Christmas-time. Whether addressed to Santa Claus, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or any of a dozen other names, they were all meant for one magical figure who lives at the North Pole. Whithin these letters children poured out their hopes and dreams, their wishes and wants, their questions and concerns. On Christmas morning they would wake to find if these requests had been honored. And it was the only way to know if their letters had actually been read.

Until now.

My Review:
You've simply got to get this book this holiday season! If for some reason it offends you - I apologize, but I don't expect it to offend anyone. My parents were here when we read it out loud, and if anyone would have been offended, it would have been my Mom, who took everything in stride and laughed as much as the rest of us! While you are at it, pick up a copy for someone else who deserves a good laugh!

Characters: Santa is hilarious! He's pulling out all the stops and telling kids what the reality of the situation is!

Story-Line: This book is full of letters written by children to Santa, and his responses. Please note that it is NOT a book I would read to a child who still believes in Santa, or any child at all, as it is certainly filled with adult humor.

Readability: I found the book easy to read. One note here is that the kid's letters are in different fonts, and some really look like kids handwriting, which can get a bit tricky in some situations (think of the suggested cocktail above).

Overall: A holiday MUST HAVE this year, especially with the economic fears - everyone needs to laugh about something!

About the Author: (from the publisher)
Santa Claus is a cranky old guy who has stayed in the game long past his prime. Please don’t visit him at the North Pole.

If you have reviewed this book and would like me to add a link to your review, please leave me a comment!