Rating: 
Summary: Save your money.
Review: This book is awful. I have read each Grisham novel and he has hit the bottom hard. It is apparent that Grisham and the publishers know that many people will rush out and buy his new books based on his reputation--so why put in any effort anymore. I will no longer buy his books based on his reputation, I will wait for him to put in a good effort. The price for this novelette equates to stealing.
Rating: 
Summary: A good premise but too extreme and very inaccurate
Review: My husband and I "skipped Christmas" once by going to Australia and would like to do it again but not to the extreme that Grisham did. You can buy the calendars & friut cakes and put your frosty on the roof and still skip all the other hassles. The biggest problem I had with his book was his research mistakes. Just like his last book, he either decided to do no research or didn't care about being accurate. There is no ship called "Island" Princess but I'll let that one go. But Princess (and many other lines) does not have any 10 day voyage that stops in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, those are all 7 day trips. And the biggest blunder - cruise insurance does NOT pay if you change your mind! Many people found this out after 9/11. You have to have a valid (insured) reason to cancel your trip. So his multiple remarks about not having bought insurance wouldn't have made a bit of difference.
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Summary: A Reader from Tennessee
Review: This was not a typical effort from Grisham, but delightful and refreashing! Looking forward to "The Summons"Keep it up John Grisham. You're a natural!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun Christmas or post-Christmas read
Review: Saw the book in the store and loved it since the first page. I picked it up thinking, "I am sure I won't like it". Read the first 2 pages and couldn't put it down but thought I will go around to look at other books and forget about it. But couldn't leave without buying it. I read it over 2 days and got a lot of laughs out of it.Keep them coming Mr. Grisham!!!
Rating:
Summary: GRISHAM SHOULD WRITE WHAT HE KNOWS BEST
Review: Grisham's vacation from writing legal whodunits is costing him his fine reputation, at least with me. He's been one of my favorite authors ever since I read his first book years ago, but he won't be long at the rate he's going. I'm hoping for better fare soon. "Skipping Christmas" was predictable, unimaginative, colorless and, while short, was too long. One of the first rules of writing is to write what you know about; apparently Grisham knows precious little about skipping Christmas, daughters who go away, and the reaction of neighbors. I wondered what he was doing, except trying something a bit different, when he wrote "A Painted House," but it turned out to be interesting at least when listened to on cassette. It was a diversion for sure, but interesting and somewhat realistic. But "Skipping Christmas"? No, Mr. Grisham, it is in no way up to your usual standards or mine. Writing the umpteenth book about legal eagles probably is more than a bit challenging but you can do it. I'm waiting for my copy of "The Summons" with great anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: A great uplifting book
Review: I read this book in one day. I could not put it down I wanted to know what happened next. I read it about a week before Christmas and I laughed and cried all at the same time. It really will touch a nerve if not your heart. I bought 2 more copies and gave them as Chrismas qifts. I will be buying more copies for gifts next year. I hope he writes another book like this one. Maybe a series.
Rating:
Summary: Cute story
Review: This is a cute story, and well written, as are all of Grisham's works. If you're looking for something short and sweet, particularly around the holiday season, it does the trick. I found the plot a little farfetched at times, though, and do wish that I'd gotten it from the library rather than as a free literary group selection. I was anxious to read, but now feel like I wasted my choice, and should have gotten a more substantial and thought-provoking book.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed response
Review: As I look through the reviews of 'Skipping Christmas' I understand why the response is so mixed. My feeling is that many readers have expected a typical Grisham-style book and have ended up with less than they had hoped for. Skipping Christmas is NOT typical Grisham. John Grisham has taken a light-hearted look at the reactions when a couple decide to give Christmas a miss and go on a cruise instead. Where the story falls down is in the detail. We are told that Luther Krank is only skipping Christmas to avoid the cost (not because Christmas is humbug). Why, then, would he avoid placing a Frosty on his roof? Why would he not go to the (no cost) firm's office party? There are lots of other details, too, that don't fit into Luther's original 'plan'. Though Skipping Christmas is just a short, light-hearted read that lasts a few hours, I didn't find it particularly satisfying nor, despite the potential, did I find much humor in John Grisham's execution of the plot. It's marginally amusing but not much else.
Rating:
Summary: Do yourself a favor and SKIP this book!
Review: This book was boring and a waste of time. I only finished it because it was so short. The majority of the book deals with a family and their days before Christmas - nothing unusual or exciting. The ending was a little better than the majority of the book. If you must read because it is by Grisham, do not waste your money and get if from the library.
Rating:
Summary: John Grisham is a comic writer
Review: I've read several of Grisham's novels, and have enjoyed them all, Skipping Christmas, is no exception. I never knew he had such a flair for writing a comical, whimsical story, the main character, Luther, is a very funny study in what happens when one gets to overwhelmed by the holiday. I recommend this to anybody who has got the bah-humbug spirit, it may change your outlook.
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