The Coal Elf by Maria DeVivo Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Twilight Time Books
Source: Author
Standalone I believe but no promises
*This was gifted to me by author for review*
Ember Skye is a fed up teenage Coal Elf with a big ashy chip on her shoulder. Having been torn away from a carefree life and forced into a world of dirt and darkness has started to get the best of her. And being the only girl-elf working as a coal miner at the North Pole doesn't help much either!

Then there's Sturd: a power-hungry, twisted elf with a checkered past and a serious grudge against Ember. Slowly but surely, his maniacal tendencies are revealed, leaving Ember with the sacred "Naughty List" literally in her lap.

When a mysterious illness threatens to decimate elves both Above and Underground, Ember is thrust into a journey that will see her confront the literal and figurative demons of her past and lead her to the head of the North Pole himself.

Yes! Santa is real. But this isn't your childhood Christmas tale

Review
I wasn't sure what to expect with this. I thought it would be happy, jolly Christmassy but it was more adventurous Christmassy. The storyline was very exciting and suspenseful. I was pretty surprised by this one. I ended up really enjoying it even though it isn't something I would normally read.

I really liked Ember. She had a great personality. I liked how determined she was. She never gave up. She also never let anything affect her. She always tried to stay strong. She had quite the adventure. I enjoyed reading about it. Ember was really the only main character but there was a nice variety of secondary characters. The boys were great. The people who helped with Ember's quest were awesome. All the elves were awesome too. They were very unique characters.

I loved the Christmas aspect. I loved how everything went back to it. I've never read something quite like this. I loved the setting. The above and under were so different. I thought the characters were pretty well done. There was a fair share of action and mystery. Once I got into it, I couldn't put this down. I had to know where the story was going to go. I really, really liked the plot. I thought it was very unique and action packed. It was hard to guess where the story was going to go. Overall I thought this was a great read. I'm glad I got the chance to read it. If you like Christmas tone you will for sure enjoy this one.