Sally's Lament by Mari Mancusi

Sally's Lament by Mari Mancusi, 346 pages

What if Sally discovered Christmas Town instead of Jack? is the question this Twisted Tale poses.  In this universe, Sally is the the one who finds the doors in the Hinterland wood, falling through to Christmas Town. But it isn't the Christmas Town we know and love from the film. A dark shadow looms under the colorful veneer of Christmas; someone, or something, is watching and making a list.

I've loved the character of Sally since I was a child and appreciated how the novel highlighted Sally's cleverness and cool head, prevailing over all sorts of obstacles from escaping the clutches of Dr. Finkelstein to defeating the enemies of Christmas Town with her own unique talents. Sally is brave and unwilling to leave an ally in peril.  The pacing of the novel was on target, never dragging. The romance between Sally and Jack, while expected, was written in a way that allowed it to unravel in a natural way.

I haven't read any of the other Twisted Tales, but I might because it wasn't what I expected. Based on the summary and the cover art, I was expecting a grimdark interpretation of Sally attempting to take over the Christmas holiday, which was concerning because it is decidedly-unSally like. That's not the direction the novel took at all, so it might be worth checking out the rest of the series.