Author: Liz Czukas
Published: December 9th, 2014
Paperback, 304 pages
4 Gold Stars
(summary from Goodreads)
Top Five Things that are Ruining Chloe's Day
5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market
4) Crashing a cart into a customer's car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi
3) Trying to rock the "drowned rat" look after being caught in a snowstorm
2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)
1) Being accused - along with her fellow teenage employees - of stealing upwards of $10,000
Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers... even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe's list of Top Ten Best Moments.
I picked this up right away because I heard that it was a little Christmas-y and I like me some holiday reading around this time of year. It turned out to be the cutest holiday book and a great read all around. Chloe is stuck working the morning shift at GoodFoods Market on Christmas Eve. Waking up early sucks any day, but it's Christmas Eve and the weather sucks and she'd rather be in bed. Everything is going wrong and to make matters worse, the money from the holiday donation box is missing and someone has accused the young-ins of stealing it. Suddenly Chloe is playing detective while also trying to make friends with the girls at work, flirt with Tyson, and get home in time for Christmas dinner with her mom and brother.
Top Five Reasons You'll Love This Book:
1) It's very Breakfast Club-esque. Six kids from very different cliques are forced to spend time together and slowly get to know each other and realize they all kind of dig one another.
2) Lists! I'm a huge fan of lists and Chloe does not disappoint. Her lists are clever, fun, and down right funny. I loved when she listed the movies she wished she lived in, especially since her list was exactly the the same as mine!
3) Work antics. If you've ever worked fast food, grocery, retail, any job really, you know what it's like to work with people you don't like, or do like and want to know better. The cast of characters in this book was so diverse, it seemed so real. I related to Chloe perfectly as I've worked many jobs like this. I loved reading about working at Christmas time and the madness that goes with it.
4) A bit of drama. Chloe has diabetes and because the store is a madhouse, she hasn't been eating all day. When it finally catches up to her, it's a little nuts, but it doesn't take over the whole story. It was great to see how everyone reacted and tried to help her get through it.
5) It's a cute holiday story that will warm your heart. It's a little corny with the mystery of the money, but in the best way possible. It will make you like your job more (maybe) and make you realize that the people you work with have the potential to be really good friends. We spend so much time at work, it's a much better time when you love the people you work with.
All in all, this was a nice little contemporary read that I read in two days. It was a lot of fun, made me laugh, and kept me guessing on who could have stolen the money. The cast of characters was the perfect mix and the Christmas Eve at a grocery store was a great setting for this little bit of charm. If you're looking for a cute holiday read, I'd definitely pick this one up!
"I'm not sure the rest of the world has gotten the memo, because I still feel like a pretty big dork compared to a lot of people at my new school. And being insecure makes me want to write more lists, which makes me feel more nerdier, which makes me write more lists... You can see my problem."
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