Official Review: The Twelve Days of Christmas

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any fiction books or series that do not fit into one of the other categories. If the fiction book fits into one the other categories, please use that category instead.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Sam Ibeh
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 1103
Joined: 19 Jun 2019, 09:46
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 459
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-sam-ibeh.html
Latest Review: The vampires: Sodom and Gomorrah by Levănt DuPrae

Official Review: The Twelve Days of Christmas

Post by Sam Ibeh »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" by Douglas Spiel.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Can we get a second chance? Does one decision irreversibly determine the course of our lives? Is it ever too late to change the past? These are the questions Douglas J. Spiel tries to answer in The Twelve Days of Christmas.

The author portrays the importance of virtues like humility, patience, and temperance. He also shows love as a driving factor in living life to its fullest. There's so much more to this book than a Christmas story.

It was the story of Mike Foley, a man who had so many ups and downs in life. He endured so much loss and pain and ended up as a homeless man, though not entirely hopeless. On the evening of December 14th, 12 days before Christmas, he made a prayer that changed the course of his life.

This book takes us back through the years and shows the defining moments in Mike's life and the various decisions and indecisions that led him to a homeless situation. Through Mike's life events, we see the changing power of faith and love.

The author was inclusive in his approach. Many people would read this book, enjoy it, and learn useful lessons from it. Though it was based on Christian beliefs and principles, it was not intended to promote or demean any particular religion. It would be appealing to everyone, as the focus was not on the religious aspect but the book's lessons.

I admired the author's writing skills. I could flow and connect with the book, feel the main character's pain, and relate to his experiences. It was easy for me to personalize them and learn the same lessons Mike learned as the story progressed. This was my favorite aspect of the book.

The transitions from present to past and then back to present was impeccable. An overview was given of the main character's life and how he got to where he was at any point in the story. This made me pay attention to details so as not to miss any vital information. It was not disorienting or confusing anytime the story went back in time because the author remained consistent in his details, and everything was synchronized.

I found nothing to dislike about this book. It was an engaging read, and it contains tons of lessons. It was professionally edited as I found very few errors, and they were not enough to take away any point. I'd rate it 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to anyone experiencing difficulties and in need of hope.

******
The Twelve Days of Christmas
View: on Bookshelves
User avatar
Uzo_Reviews
Posts: 285
Joined: 12 Jul 2021, 04:48
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 23
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-uzo-reviews.html
Latest Review: Snow Country Lane by Sarah Vail

Post by Uzo_Reviews »

Writing a book that interprets reality in a relatable way is amazing. And my take-away from this review is, the power of faith and love. Mike's ability to believe and still trust God for a change is encouraging. Thank you for this great review.
onyii_review
Posts: 224
Joined: 07 Aug 2021, 05:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 16
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-onyii-review.html
Latest Review: The Fox by M. N. J. Butler

Post by onyii_review »

Lovely review. It's explicitly clear now that for someone to really live life to the fullest, some virtues are quite important; humility, patience and temperance. Thanks for this review.
Aisha Yakub
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 2251
Joined: 28 Dec 2021, 09:59
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 183
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aisha-yakub.html
Latest Review: A New War by Alexander Farah

Post by Aisha Yakub »

Thank you for your review. This Christmas story seems worth the read
Stevenmusk
Posts: 836
Joined: 29 May 2022, 12:15
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 60
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-stevenmusk.html
Latest Review: Under the Blue Moon by Joan Schweighardt

Post by Stevenmusk »

This seems like an interesting book. Great review.
Austin Debby
Posts: 69
Joined: 07 Sep 2022, 17:54
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 17
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-austin-debby.html
Latest Review: Zona: The Forbidden Land by Fred G. Baker

Post by Austin Debby »

Great story plot. I'm glad the author included twists to the plot that took it from a cliche Christmas story to an extra ordinary piece. Kudos
Post Reply

Return to “Other Fiction Forum”