ALA Booklist

Never the nicest of girls, 17-year-old Holly Chase, daughter of a successful film director, laughed in the face of the ghosts that came to warn her to change her ways one Christmas Eve, Dickens-style. But her scorn didn't stop her from dying soon after. Five years later, Holly's spending her afterlife as a perpetual 17-year-old, working as the resident Ghost of Christmas Past for the same Project Scrooge that tried to save her. But this year, the Scrooge they're trying to save seems different: he's a 17-year-old boy named Ethan, and Holly finds herself drawn to him. But as she delves into his memories, she's forced to relive her own, and for the first time, confronts the life she took for granted. Hand, who coauthored My Lady Jane (2016), brings a similar wit and whimsy to this solo endeavor. Bratty, pragmatic Holly is given surprising depth over the course of the story, and the clever use of tropes from A Christmas Carol never feel heavy-handed. A good-spirited story from beyond the grave.

Kirkus Reviews

A spunky, modern take on A Christmas Carol. A huge perk of having a wealthy, movie-director father who lives in Malibu, California, and a fashionable yet recently deceased stepmother? Raiding your stepmother's closet, of course. And after Holly Chase goes on a power trip on the family maid on Christmas Eve, it's no surprise that she's visited by Christmas ghosts, all warning her of her selfish ways. Unlike Ebenezer, who heeded the ghosts, the white 16-year-old promptly dies but awakens in New York City, where she becomes part of Project Scrooge, serving as the Ghost of Christmas Past. The story then fast-forwards five years as the diverse Project Scrooge team is preparing for Scrooge 173. Hand's detailed descriptions of their secret processes, from surveillance to time-traveling tunnels, are amusing and clever. But Holly is still self-absorbed and lonely until Stephanie (who's alive and can fetch coffee!) arrives to assist her. When Holly discovers that the next Scrooge is Ethan Jonathan Winters III, WASP-y heir to one of the biggest real estate dynasties in New York (and hot!), Holly takes an interest in her job and her past for the first time. Both enjoyment and soul-searching ensue as the teen develops friendship and a covert romance. While it's clear where the story is headed, Hand leaves several avenues open to keep readers guessing until the very end. A spirited tale, indeed. (Fiction. 13-17)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Holly Chase, the spoiled daughter of a Hollywood director, was visited by three spirits in an attempt to save her soul, but she failed to repent and died soon after. Now Holly is in her fifth year as the Ghost of Christmas Past at Project Scrooge, a company devoted to redeeming -one person who has gone astray in life- each year through Christmas Carol-style interventions. Holly is resigned to her life in corporate limbo until she spots this year-s Scrooge: a 17-year-old hottie who reminds her of her former self. Going off script, Holly secretly befriends Ethan, kicking off a screwball romance. Hand (the Unearthly trilogy) puts a quirky contemporary spin on the Dickens classic. If the story occasionally gets muddled by the mix of paranormal elements, time travel, and gadgetry, Holly-s sharp-edged narration entertains throughout. Ages 13-up. Agent: Katherine Fausset, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-The classic tale of Scrooge in a YA romance package readers will love. The story follows Holly Chase, a beautiful, rich, and very mean-spirited 17-year-old girl. Holly is visited by the classic ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future but does not heed their warnings. After her untimely death a few days later, Holly is not completely dead: she is now the ghost of Christmas past. She works for a company called "Project Scrooge" that reenacts Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol each year to try and save a soul. When the new Scrooge for the year is revealed, Holly can't keep her eyes off of the handsome Ethan Winters. She must decide what is best for her, Ethan, and Project Scrooge. Taking on a classic is a tall order, but Hand does it well. The author adds many original quotes from the source material, a nice nod to Dickens that might inspire young readers to pick up his work. The romance between Holly and Ethan takes center stage through the middle of the story to set up for the twist ending that will keep readers guessing. A strong message that people can change, along with a call for kindness in humanity, rings throughout the narrative as well. VERDICT A heartwarming holiday romance to get teens in the spirit of the season. A definite title to be shared where classic retellings, like Lost by Gregory Maguire or the original Dickens tale, are popular. Elizabeth Pelayo, St. Charles East High School, IL