I love Christmas and horror so this mix of stories were right up my street, I love how they combined different genres to the holiday season.

For whatever reason … I did not connect with this book. I wasn’t a fan of the writing, of the pacing, of some of the story choices. That’s not to say this book is bad; I thought — for the most part — the stories fit together nicely enough as an unconventional Christmas collection, but given the brevity of the format, I didn’t find myself all that interested in the characters or the stories they were living through.

I just … didn’t get the vibe I, personally, was looking for. And, again, that’s personal. Like with comedy, horror is, for me, a very subjective genre. It either works or it doesn’t, and this one just didn’t. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of the arc.

12 days has literally something for everyone! I loved the diversity in each story, the storytelling was fantastic. The perfect gift for any book lover!

Listen, this book has it all. Retelling of some "classic" holiday stories and new ones. Some are gory and horrific, some are so lighthearted and make you feel warm and cozy. Others make you literally laugh out loud. A great gift or a great annual holiday read!

In this time of year with tinsels and glitter, why wouldn’t you choose heart-aches and litter?

If you are looking for something a little unconventional… a little different. You have officially found it.
Personally, I love the holidays, however, it does not mean I am not open to new things. I figured I’d give these 12 stories a go.
It started innocently enough with the first story, then things did take a turn for the interesting. Then philosophical. Then dark.
In they own way, for what they were, they did their job.
I think my favorites were the first one and the one at the coffee shop. 😉

You can't go wrong with a collection of short stories and overall I'd say this one hit the mark. There were some stand out ones (killer Christmas trees) and one or two slightly less so but I felt the whole collection was pretty strong. Mostly a bit creepy and definitely worth a go.

If you're looking for a quick read this is definitely one to pick up. It's got a bit of creepiness but also a bit of feel good which I wasn't expecting considering the rest of the stories but worth reading.

Thought this book was a fun twist on Christmas whether that was through the eyes of toys for tots or Santa being targeted. Had a good quick fun read with this book.

I could not wait until Christmas with this one. It's a nice collection of macabre Christmas stories. Not for anyone who loves the Hallmark version of the holidays. High quality stories all the way through!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is about Christmas, and the author highlights various incidents that occurred with different people during the Christmas holidays. Some chapters truly amazed me, and the overall message of the book is meaningful. I liked it and enjoyed reading it. The first chapter was somewhat similar to Toy Story, but the others were exceptionally good, conveying powerful messages about warmth and mental health.

I really enjoyed these (very) short stories. A great mix of heartwarming, gruesome and funny, perfect for Christmas reading!

This is not your A-Typical festive read, with snow and a bit of romance. It’s not even a festive crime thriller. This is 12 brutal short stories with a Christmas theme to them. Each different from the last. It’s a quick read with thought provoking themes.

Entertaining, yes - I like the take on Christmas not only being a shiny, bright celebration but also a time when darkness looms and loneliness encroaches. The stories are neither hit nor miss, only one (the naughty elves in the building) was developed in such a way I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

📚 Book Review 📚

12 Days:Unconventional Christmas Stories is an anthology of 12 short, easy to read horror tales set at Christmas time.

Each is a tale intended to chill. My favourites were definitely the macabre Covid Christmas and Winter Break. These take of the murderous Christmas trees was also good.

These are easy stories to pick up and read and in my opinion, are good for an alternative festive read. There is a lot of variety in the stories.

I’d like to thank Victory Editing, NetGalley and the author for the arc and the fantastic opportunity, in exchange for my honest feedback 😊

Book released on 15th November 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3 "if Charlie Brown were a grown man" stars !!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Victory Editing Netgalley Coop. This was released November 2024. I am providing an honest review.

This is an interesting array of vignettes. Mr. Pierce writes each story from his experience whether it be his imagination, his struggles, his troubles, his melancholy or his will to be alive. I can tell through his stories that he has accumulated wisdoms, appreciated blessings and wants to contribute and live in a more just and compassionate world. I applaud him for this and wish him the best on his life journey. He is the kind of dude I would love to listen to Sufjan Stevens and Nick Drake and Nick Cave with and drink a cider or two and philosophize and chat.

The collection is greater than the sum of its parts. The writing appears rushed and amateurish which actually achieve a kind of nostalgia and atmosphere. These stories are either darkly humorous or full of internal anguish that is manifested in external horror and sometimes all three.
Individually they range from two stars to four stars. I will list my three favorites and a little tidbit...

Bronze-Scene from a Coffee Shop at Christmas...a trialogue between Christmas Past, Present and Future....Trump, Taylor and Mariah are mentioned in passing...what's not to like ? (3.5 stars)

Silver-Upon a Winter's Eve....a very dark and funny story of longstanding feud between Santa and (o i cant mention who...will be a spoiler)...(4 stars)

Gold-Don't Let Go....a despairing and suicidal man is saved by a snowflake at Christmas...absolutely heartbreaking....(4 stars)

Mr. Pierce... I wish you and your family a merry little christmas....never let the little candle go out inside of you.....

Thank you to NetGalley and victory editing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

12 days is a collection of 12 very short christmassy stories. I found these very hit and miss I wouldn't say any were particularly a stand out. The themes and atmospheres varied quite a lot. Some were more horror and gory whilst others made me laugh.

Holiday planning - 2✨
You - 2.5✨
Covid Christmas - 3.5✨
Oh! Tannenbaum - 4✨
Upon a winter's eve - 2✨
Scene from a coffee shop at Christmas - 2✨
The Christmas creeps - 1.5✨
Nightcap - 3.5✨
Don't let go - 4✨
Winter break - 3✨
Final exam - 4✨
This is an American Christmas - 4.5✨

Average of 3.04/5 rounded down to 3✨

Very quick read if you're looking for something short and christmassy

If you are looking for Christmas stories with an edge.....you found it. Each story contains some Christmas twists and turns and even some upside downs, but they were all enjoyable. I'm not a Hallmark movie fan, so these were a great find for me. Recommended to those who would like to see if there is another side to the holiday.

I flew through the first half of the book but the second half dragged and I kinda skimmed because I couldn't care any less.

Stories 1, 4 and 6 were my faves.

Well, this was certainly an unconventional collection of short Christmas Stories! And I loved them. Between talking toys, killer trees, exams, teacher parties, and more, these 12 stories are not your average sweet Hallmark stories.

I loved pretty much every story in this book. The stories were short and well edited. From the very first page, the introduction, the author had a distinct and hilarious voice. As someone who is not big on Christmas, I can see myself reading these stories every year.
My favourite stories were, Final Exam, Winter Break, and The Christmas Creeps.

The collection was very unique, and each story had its own distinct voice that stood out from the other stories. This is a great read for adults who want a fun, unconventional, and non-PC time. This is definitely not for children, but I think teenagers would be fine reading it.
I look forward to owning a physical copy of this book, and reading more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is an interesting collection of Christmas themed short stories.
The stories are very short, just a few pages each, and very different in tone, from horrific to lightheaded.
They were a bit unequal but I had a nice time overall. I especially liked COVID Christmas.

This was a strong Holiday collection of stories, it had that element that I was looking for from the description. It had that element that I was looking and enjoyed each of the stories going through this book. It was everything that I wanted and enjoyed the different genres in this collection.