Customer Reviews

Ebenezer: The Final Years of Scrooge

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll admit it. When I saw that this book was tagged as a "Christian" book, I was trepidacious. While I don't have any particular dislike for Christian fiction, it's just not the first thing that would be on my reading list. BUT, my love of "A Christmas Carol" won out, and I decided to read it. I'm also not usually the guy who buys a first book from a new author without waiting at least a year to see if it's still around. While I enjoy reading to a ridiculous degree, I just never feel comfortable committing myself to someone who's authorship and staying power haven't yet been proven.
In "Ebenezer," though, I'm glad I took a chance.
While everyone is familiar with Dickens' original story, "Ebenezer" takes us on a whole new adventure. Howell does indeed answer many questions we still have from the original book, and goes on to create more. Luckily, all the answers are there by the end of the book.
She also manages to stay true to Dickens' warm feel in regard to character development and plot progression, without the sugary Disney-syndrome happiness we've all come to expect. This book is riddled with moments just dark enough to add depth to the story, without sacrificing the intergrity of the characters we've come to know and love.
Her introduction to this new chapter in Scrooge's life hooks you from the beginning, and as each page twists the plot further into the unbelievable, you can't get through each page fast enough. It's not edge-of-your-seat, action movie adrenaline that keeps you going, just a burning need to know what happens next.
Anyone who loves "A Christmas Carol" will find this book endearing and enlightening, and even if you're unappreciative of Dickens' original, pick this up and give it a shot.

I enjoyed this book from the beginning to the end. Donna Howell kept the personalities of the characters and expanded on their lives in a way that kept you interested all the way through. I picked up the book around noon today and read until I finished it. It was that absorbing. Good job, Donna.

"Ebenezer; The Final Years of Scrooge" is an excellent sequel to the traditional Charles Dickens's classic tale, "A Christmas Carol." This heartwarming novel picks up 16 years later, and takes the reader into the only dimension left for this classic story to venture.

Who exactly were the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future?
From where did these spirits come?
Why did the ghosts have an interest in diverting this man from an obvious place of eternal torment that he himself had created link by miserable link?
What significant affect if any would Scrooge's conversion have on the community?

In "Ebenezer; The Final Years of Scrooge", this bright new author Donna Lee Howell takes a realistic approach to what life may have been like for Scrooge after his famous overnight conversion. For Ebenezer, these ghostly visitations are the beginning of a whole new lifestyle. A life of selflessness, kindness, and forgiveness. Is it really possible that a miserable selfish old miser, set in his ways could or would retain this historical life-changing experience?

And what ever became of `Tiny Tim'? In the original story, Dickens left us with the impression that Tim would be o.k., but what exactly was his fatal disease? Did Tiny Tim really fully recover? Was he able to marry and have a family and live out a normal life?

The author Donna Lee Howell addresses many of these questions while cleverly knitting together many of the warm familiar characters we have grown to love over the years, with a few unique and loveable new personalities along the way. I found myself instantly charmed by the lively and mysterious child named Jack.
This book is an instant classic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every page. I know you will to!

I don't read much for pleasure, as I proofread for a living, so by the end of the day I rarely have time or interest in reading outside my job. This book was an exception however. Glad I took the risk, as it was one of the best books I have ever read in my life, which stands for something as I read all day by trade. Yet, on so many levels, this "William Vaughan" (who wrote the 2-star review for this book) left an extremely unfair and innaccurate review. I found it only fair that I respond, so skeptics can be fairly informed.

1) POORLY WRITTEN? You can't say a book is "poorly written" based on a few mistakes that was missed by the editor. That is a reflection on the editor and the proofreader in a book's production, NOT on the author's ability to "canvas" a story well. (If all books that are put through their final print with mistakes in them were considered a "POORLY WRITTEN" book, "Harry Potter" and "Eragon" would never have acheived stardom, as I caught several mistakes in the initial print of both of them.) This author, Donna Howell, did an incredible job at giving the reader a clear and colorful picture of each scene. Additionally, I can say that there are an extremely few amount of mistakes in the final print of this book, the most major of which the 2-star reviewer decided to list as an unfair representation of the condition of the rest of the book.

2) COMPARING IT TO HARLEQUIN ROMANCE NOVELS? Perhaps the reviewer is an extremist in his distaste for romance, in fact I am almost convinced that he would have to be, to say that this book even fell remotely close to the "romance" category, as there is only two total scenes including romantic moments. They are short, to the point, and the "entire letters" he is referring to max out at a few paragraphs each, and though romantic, are present in the book mostly for plot that connects the two books, not to just add "fluff."

3) THE TARGET-PRACTICE SCENE: Again, this is an extremely unfair representation of not only the book, but even this scene. Ebenezer was having dinner with Fred's family (his sister's son from the first book), and the youngest boy did one of those "spoon-flicks" with a peice of cake. Ebenezer grumbled about it, while the rest of the family laughed, which was accurate to the characters of the first book, and Fred, who always ALWAYS simply laughed about everything related to Ebenezer's grumpiness. To say that this scene is "target practice and everyone only laughed" does not give a person who might read the reviews an even CLOSE to fair portrayal of this scene.

4) THE AUTHOR CONFUSED CHARLES DICKEN'S FATHER WITH SCROOGE'S? Not even close. She tied in some of the historical reality of London in the 1800s, and decided to include some of the parallels between Charles' actual life with Scrooge's, as a way of taking artistic liberties as an author, which she clearly STATED in the Introduction to the book. Why anyone would say this was an accident of the author's and capitalize on the fact that they didn't read the intro is, once again, unfair. In addition to this reviewer's take on the whole thing, he complains that Scrooge's father was wealthy enough to send Scrooge to boarding school, and then thinks it's an inconsistency to the plot that he is later broke, which DUH, if he's spending money all the time to keep up with the standards of society in London in those days (including boarding school and horse-drawn carriages), which the author was very clear about, he WOULD HAVE MOST DEFINATELY BEEN BROKE...

5) INSULTING THE AUTHOR'S BIO?: I don't even PRETEND to know why the author's being female and living with her husband has anything to do with why her book would or would not be any good. As far as her educational background, I don't know why that is relevant to the novel she has written, as MANY artists (such as the previously mentioned J. K. Rowling, author of "Harry Potter" who wrote the books with a pen in a cafe, and Christopher Paolini, author of best-selling dragon series "Eragon" who wrote the book just after high school) produce amazing works without their education ever having to be called into question for the entire nation to buy into their materials.

I don't usually leave reviews but the Dickens' original classic is one of my favorite stories. I was afraid that this new author would butcher the original story, like all sequels do, but she did an unbelievable job taking the story from where it ended before, and giving it a realistic tone to the "happily ever after" ending. I almost didn't leave a review at all, but then I saw the guy who left a bad review, and I knew I had to sign-in and counter it, as his review was compeltely innaccurate anyway. He dummed-down some brilliant scenes and made them sound stupid and described them completely wrong, but they were some of the greatest scenes in the book. I laughed out loud so many times, cried a couple of times, and gasped once or twice at the amazing thought that the author put into all the COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED turns in the plot. I loved this book so much, and I would gladly buy anything this author writes in the future!
I'm a tough critic. This book was incredibly good.

This book was a compelling read, and answered all the questions that a person might have after reading the first book. Howell also keeps the characters true to themselves, the only changes made to them being those of natural aging that would take place during the time lapse between two stories, since this one picks up some time after the first ends. The story winds into a nice ending, with an unexpected twist here & there, just when you think that you know what's about to happen. I literally laughed out loud at some points during the book, the characters are lovable and realistic. I encourage you to both read this book and pass it on to a friend as well!

What an enjoyable read! The author's use of descriptive language and enchanting storytelling left me wanting more. While Donna Lee Howell may be new to the industry, she is already making a statement. Her ability to take a well-known and loved classic to the next level is impressive. I recommend this novel to any reader. It's as perfect for those who read purely for entertainment as it is for those who enjoy disecting and analyzing every word.

I bought this book curious on how the author would take up the task (difficult task) of bringing to all of us the wonderful and thrilling that Charles Dickens gave in "A Christmas Carol." My curiosity was mitigated and left fully satisfied. The fervor, the strength of the scenes and characters, are well developed and presented. I was overwhelmed and possessed by the story. If you are curious as I was know in advance that you won't be let down in any way. Thanks Donna Lee Howell.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story flowed so well there were times I couldn't put it down!

I was nervous at first. I mean, A Christmas Carol is such a classic story! But Howell continues on with a story that is not only entertaining, but truly does the characters justice. She handles each character as if she cares about them.

I look forward to future books by Howell.

I found that this book is so interesting and daring that I couldn't put it down. It was funny in parts and yet stayed true to the character of Ebenezer.
I think most people will love this book and it's a great buy.
Donna Howell is a very talented writer and I look forward to her next book to see what she has in store for us readers.