Krampus

Krampus: The Yule Lord by Brom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SPOILERS AHEAD

This book was so much different than I expected, and so great. Not that I expected it not to be great, but I was quite surprise and taken by the Krampus/Santa connection to Norse mythology. It really makes me want to read more about the topic, because as a person of 50% Scandinavian heritage, it's pretty sad that the most I know about Norse mythology comes from Marvel comics and movies, and now this book. Luckily I've already picked up a couple books, and I can't wait to read them!

I really appreciated the shifting narrators of this book, as it allowed me to understand and sympathize with each character's unique perspective. I just wanted to give Jesse a hug and some encouragement. Every time someone called him a loser, I wanted to yell, "don't believe it! They don't know you!" If nothing else, his time with Krampus gave him the confidence to know what kind of person he truly was, and what he was capable of. I hope he pursues his music, and I hope Linda can recognize how much he has changed. I don't blame her for leaving him in the first place, though Dillard was a particularly terrible choice as a follow up, but it seems like they still have a lot of love for one another, and most of all, they both love Abby and want what is best for her. Also, there's nothing like being saved from your murdering boyfriend by your ex to make you reconsider your relationship status. I enjoy thinking of them living happily, together. They've earned a little peace.

I have so much love for Isobel. That poor girl - she never had a family to support her, and the one person who ever truly loved her died before they ever got to become a true family. I'd like to think that his parents would have taken both her and the baby in, but I get the fear and sadness that drove her to want to end it all. Thankfully, Krampus was there to save her, and give her a second chance at life. She might not have aged physically in those 40 years, but she Grew Up, and she knew her priorities this time around: finding and having a relationship with her son, even if he was "25 years older" than her now. I'm curious if they'll buy it, but I hope they will learn to accept her.

The Krampus vs Baldur debate: who is the good and who is the evil? That seems to be the big question posed in this book. In a way, I can see each of their sides. The truth is, none of us got to know the old Baldur - all things considered, he appears to have mellowed and truly turned towards good over the years, but it's hard to reconcile that person with the same one who would chain Krampus in a cave for millennia, all because he wanted power that was not his to possess. Krampus is full of righteous, justified anger. When he is finally free, he is due his revenge, and I was happy for him to see it realized, even as I knew it couldn't last long. It was hard to see Krampus as he realized how the world had changed in the years he was in exile, and try to find his place in it. That last night was so perfect: the candy in the shoes, the party at the tavern, all of Mother Nature rejoicing with Krampus. It's sad that Krampus and Baldur couldn't co-exist, but it didn't seem that their history would allow that. Whoever the God is in this story, She made sure of that, and chose Baldur as Her victor because he amused her the most. A sad way for a proud, majestic god to end.

Luckily, that wasn't the true ending! Krampus had planted the seeds in the minds of Boone County, and once planted, they were hard to remove. "If enough folks believe in a thing I guess it becomes real enough." Krampus was not forgotten, and thus, he lived. In the memory of those who loved and honored him, in the belief of the children, in the spirit of Yule, and maybe even in body: Krampus lives.

The only person for whom I felt no sympathy for in the end was Dillard. To paraphrase Santa: "F--- that guy. The world is a little less evil now without him here." That guy was truly scum, and even living in his brain for a bit and hearing all his justifications for murder didn't make me sympathize with him. I just wanted to punch him. His end was truly fitting.

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