Finding My Elf by David Valdes

Finding My Elf by David Valdes. HarperTeen, 2023. 9780063288881






Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4.5



Format: Hardcover



Genre: Romance



What did you like about the book?  Cam returns from freshman year at NYU to his small hometown of Lindell, MA for Christmas break. Gay, LatinX, and the only child of a single dad, he’d looked forward to being an exciting, angsty actor and to not being one of only three openly queer people at school. But at the end of the first semester, he thinks he’s flunking out and in danger of losing his scholarship; what was edgy in Lindell is old hat in the big city. Instead of sharing his worries with his doting dad, he decides to earn money by taking a job as one of Santa’s five elves at a new luxury mall. Those who have some fond familiarity with David Sedaris’s Santaland Diaries will appreciate Valdes’s slightly irreverent and frankly hilarious send-up of holiday retail. The chapters count down the 12 days til Christmas and add a new twist. An ambitious manager turns elfdom into a Survival -style reality show, with one of the elves being the supercute Marcos (aka, Jingle). Hilarity ensues as the five elves compete in various tests of skill in front of large groups of shoppers, including gift-wrapping, cookie decorating, and singing. A lot of Cam’s soul-searching focuses on whether he should shift his track at NYU to his first love: musical comedy. The ending will surprise no one who’s enjoyed his antics as Oopsy the Elf.  An old flame of Cam’s, a grumpy mall mom, and the subterfuge with Dad supply tension. Cam’s large and loving extended family is LatinX, Marcos is Filipino, and Cam’s best friend Jazz is Black (and also, queer). I loved the breeziness of the book, especially Cam’s yearning to leave Lindell, not because he’s been bullied, but because he’s tired of being the “ Encyclopedia Homosexualis for anyone trying to be woke.” Kudos to Cam’s dad, who’s always supportive, hosts a massive annual Cookie Party, and works two jobs (a gasket factory and CVS) to send Cam to school.



Anything you didn’t like about it? I could have done without the slightly evil ex-boyfriend Leroy, who (spoiler alert) masterminds an online troll campaign against Cam.



To whom would you recommend this book? It’s fun to have some YA Christmas books, especially romance that’s so wholesome. Even with some extended makeout sessions, the content is appropriate for most middle grade students. At only 250 pages, this is a great recommendation for reluctant readers. Even better: David Valdes (also gay, Cuban-American, and a single dad) is a Massachusetts author! Offer it to fans of Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.



Who should buy this book? High school and public libraries



Where would you shelve it? YA fiction



Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? No



Reviewer: Susan Harari, Keefe Library, Boston Latin School, Boston, MA



Date of review: December 3, 2023