"Four sleeps until Christmas, three siblings with secrets, and a whole hot mess of seasonal shenanigans."
Pacey, racy and reeling with real-life struggles, comforts and joys, Juno Dawson’s Stay Another Day is a cracker of a Christmas novel, with a compelling home for the holidays set-up - if you watched the TV series Why Women Kill, you’ll also appreciate how the novel is framed through the 120-year history of the family home. Sparkling with the author’s trademark talent for writing authentic dialogue (funny, thought-provoking, always on the mark) and rounded characters, this seasonal story is as satisfyingly-formed (and moreish) as a chocolate orange.
When the three McAllister siblings convene at the family home in Edinburgh for Christmas, secrets, lies and lusts come together to create an absolute banger of a novel. Star student Fern, a self-professed embodiment of Lisa from The Simpsons, arrives from London with her stunning boyfriend, Thom, while her twin Rowan (gay, an aspiring actor, and consumed by FOMO) brings his best friend Syd.
Though Fern is, as always, determined to enjoy the perfect family Christmas, she notes that “Christmas with a mixed-race boyfriend and a non-binary and mixed-race best friend is a potential minefield. Where are you from? But where are you really from?” Then there’s the twin’s younger sister, Willow, still living at home and constantly scrutinised due to her anorexia.
As the big day draws closer, past liaisons and unfolding secrets envelop the family like a tangle of Christmas tree lights, setting the scene for a series of snowy showdowns and a whole lot of soul-searching. Hearty, satisfying stuff, with seasonal cheer shining bright through the real-life strife.
The McAllister house on Arboretum Road has seen 120 Christmases since its completion.
| Reading age: | 15+ |
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Other Genres: |
The McAllister house on Arboretum Road has seen 120 Christmases since its completion. This year, Fern is bringing her gorgeous boyfriend home and she wants everything to be perfect.
Stay Another Day is aimed at readers aged 15 and over.
Stay Another Day features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Family Drama, Romance / Relationship Stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Relationship stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Dating, relationships, romance and love, Festive Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Fiction, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Relationships (non-family / groups), Children’s / Teenage: Personal and social topics
Paperback. £8.09, down from the £8.99 cover price. In Stock.
Stay Another Day was written by Juno Dawson and published by Quercus Children's Books an imprint of Hachette Children's Group
Stay Another Day has 336 pages
£8.09, reduced from £8.99. In Stock.
