Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin by R.G. Fraser-Green
Published by Fota Press on September 27, 2020
Genres: Horror, Horror & Ghost Stories, Middle Grade
Pages: 180
Format: eARC
Source: Provided by author for honest review
Goodreads

‘Never forget how devious a Kallikantzaros can be. It will try to snatch Mirtoula. It will keep trying until it has her. And if it succeeds you’ll never see your sister again.’
11-year old Fotinoula doesn’t believe her grandfather when he warns her about the Christmas goblins. After all, the Kallikantzaroi were just an old Greek myth. Creatures with blood-red eyes didn’t really climb up from the underworld during the Twelve Days of Christmas to steal little children, and certainly not in a busy city like Athens.
But Fotinoula soon discovers that some folktales have more truth to them than others. With her father away at sea and only an old book for guidance, she must summon up all her courage and problem-solving skills to save her little sister from one of these hideous creatures. In the process she comes to realise just how much her sister means to her.
A thrilling battle of wits between girl and goblin in snow covered Athens, this touching story will delight fans of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and Tracey Baptiste’s The Jumbies. Greek customs, music, food and history are woven together to bring alive a fascinating culture and a rather creepy festive folktale.
A great Christmas gift for 9-12 year olds or any lover of a scary story with heart.

Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin

 

 Julie’s Review:

Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin is a great middle grade horror story and it is so much more than that.

It opens as a story within a story, where this tale is passed through two people of different countries, languages, and ages. It is a story showing a glimpse into the lovely Greek culture, food, and stories. The story begins when the family celebrates New Years, and then continues the Christmas time celebrations for a week into January, ending with Epiphany.

This is the Twelve Days celebration, but it is kind of glossed over rather than explained. I feel that is a shortcoming of the story, as it could have been an educational moment.

The story is rich in culture, references to both creatures, music styles, and foods in the Greek language. The book opens with a glossary sharing a pronunciation guide and definitions of some of these words. I would love to see some illustrations of these desserts!

The hero of the story is big sister Fotinoula, and in pure middle grade or YA trope, adults are no where to be found or do not believe, so it’s up to her to save the day. But in this story, it’s her little sister Mirtoula who is in danger.

You see, their Grandfather visits them for the new year celebrations, and tells Fotinoula about these scary goblins, the Kallikantzaroi, who get most rambunctious around Christmas time, and are most likely to steal a Christmas child (one born around Christmas, like Mirtoula). There is a particular reason why these goblins are most interested in a Christmas child, but I won’t spoil that for you.

But then Grandpa leaves his journal with all his experiences and learnings of these monster creatures with his granddaughter, and leaves. He leaves – but why? He wouldn’t stay to help protect his youngest grandchild? He wouldn’t stay for the rest of the Twelve Days of Christmas? Why does he leave?

The rest of the parental supervision and support in the book is minimal, as the trope goes, leaving Fotinoula responsible for her sister’s protection, fighting her fears and disbeliefs to outsmart and outplay the goblin. As the story unfolds, Fotinoula goes from resenting her little annoying sister, to fighting with every step to protect her, showing her strength of character and dedication to her family.

The pacing and writing is easy to follow for older kids while also interesting to read as an adult. The storytelling and folklore are as lovely as the story is eerie, which makes it a great read for middle grade horror fans.

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