Book Review: The Shite Before Christmas by Serena Terry

‘The Shite Before Christmas’ is a hilarious story by Serena Terry that was released in 2022.

The book follows a family in the lead-up to Christmas, detailing the mundane and ridiculous events that happen in a household with young kids. Although I doubt that I am the ideal reader Terry had in mind when she wrote this, I was in stitches throughout at her use of character voice, and interwoven silliness that comes from having children, where to them, the world is vast and filled with curiosities, that the omnipotent parents are beholden to tell them about.

There were so many silly episodes in Terry’s book, including escapades with the family Elf on the Shelf, Wee Donkey, and a strong sense of personality coming from every member of the family. From the get-go, readers get to understand that despite the fact the main character, Tara, is eight months pregnant, and has three children already, there are plenty of ways the reader can laugh. I loved how distinct each element of the children’s personalities were, from Gemma and her moody teenage ways, calling her relatives “bestie”, to the numerous reasons Tara gets phone calls from her son’s teacher, Miss Rose.

As the child of a teacher, I have heard my fair share of funny stories, from tragic handwriting, making the word “can’t” look… different, and resembling a particular curse, to their innocent loveliness. So I was delighted to find a book that I could potentially go back to, Christmas after Christmas and laugh about, knowing the outcome or not. Just because I know what’s coming won’t take away from the sheer number of laughs that come from it. Terry’s story was absolutely hysterical, while also remaining incredibly sweet, and wholesome, about a family connecting and enjoying Christmas, and all the ups and downs that come with it.

Unfortunately, I guessed the twist, a good few chapters before it was revealed. But, that might be because I was aware of what the ambiguous words could mean in both contexts, or it could be because of my degree in Creative and Professional Writing, where I can’t turn off the writer in my brain when I’m reading. Admittedly, I fell into the trap the protagonist fell into, and assumed the worst, but even so, I was a bit miffed that I wasn’t taken aback by the twist.

I’d definitely recommend this book! It was fun, immersive, and felt like you were hearing your friends lament over their lives over coffee, not a work of prose. It was such a fun book!