I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

While I appreciated the diversity and their complex and troubled background, they did not speak to me and so the story. The writer did a great job with the multiple POV and it was quite challenging to keep up with everything, as it changed pretty rapidly. Also, because of the lack of sufficient explanation about what is Everwhere, or any indication of how this world was structured, it was also very confusing and repetitive.
In general, it was a slow reading and sometimes with unnecessary swearing. This book also talks about very delicate thematic (abusive relationships), I can’t recommend this book for young readers and it would make more sense if the age of characters was over 18.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing but I didn't really connect with either the storyline or the characters. The writing was beautiful but I was confused in places and bored in others and it was a struggle to read. I can see that I am in a minority and I am glad that others enjoyed it but sadly it just wasn't for me. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review.

This is an intriguing book that subverts the trajectory of traditional fairy tales and celebrates the female. The four sisters, each representing one of the elements, each have their own power that they must acknowledge and learn to control before their 18th birthday. This is no easy task, as each girl must face real, human struggles and rise above these challenges. They must also believe in themselves and refuse to bow down to a traditional subservient role in a patriarchal society. This felt empowering and inclusive and is sure to appeal to many readers. Twisted amongst the real-life are the girls nightly dream visits to the mysterious and atmospheric Everwhere, where they meet and learn more about their powers and develop free from the male gaze.
However, the book often felt repetitive and the plot slow-paced, despite the frequent jumps between the numerous characters. With only Goldie speaking in the first person, and the other characters actions described, I only ever viewed the girls as symbolic figures rather than real characters, and this was only heightened by the flashbacks to the girl's childhood memories. It was this disconnect to the characters than unfortunately lowered my rating to three stars.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book was so good and i really enjoyed it. It was magical and full of strong female characters. I really liked everything in this book. Especially the magical atmosphere. Highly recommended.

I found the start to this confusing and very disjointed and I don’t think it gave a very healthy message about abusive relationships. I enjoyed the story itself, the writing was lovely and the sisters I loved, but for me I can’t get over the fact that it’s selling a message to readers that they should stick with an abusive partner as you can change them, due to this I can’t recommend this book sadly.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I nearly DNF'ed this book 4 times while reading it, and honestly, it might have been better if I just put it away. I felt like the start is just too confusing. You get thrown into the lives of several different people, without really knowing who they are.

The other thing I really didn't like.. You get to know someone that can't wait to kill one of the MCs, and in the end he's just changed? I didn't buy it.. I also don't think themes like that are necessary to write a good book. Maybe the physical copy will be better? I truly hope so.

I was so confused by the start of this that I very nearly gave it up as a bad job.

The narration jumps not just between 5 different characters but also two different times, giving a short burst from each one before cycling back round to the start. It took at least a third of the book before I got a grasp on it, I felt like every time I started to get into the story it threw me back out again.

I don't like the idea that abusive men can be changed by love and that felt like a very strong theme here. Leo comes across as almost a psychotic killer, murdering the Grimm Sisters every chance he gets in revenge for one of them killing his friend - even though it was self-defence. But he meets Goldie and even though at first, he only wants to find out her weaknesses to make it easier to kill her, his love for her changes him to the point where he would die to protect her.

What kind of message does that send to young people that might be reading this book? Don't give up on abusive partners because your love might be the thing that saves them? Personally I think that Goldie should have run very far and very fast to get away from Leo.

Unhealthy relationship issues aside, the writing style I found captivating and when I got the hang of the jumping around and got into the flow of it I found it a beautiful story to read. The character development - the glimpses into their lives and their personalities is in-depth and insightful. I did start to enjoy it but then I found the ending super rushed and I found it overwhelming for all that build-up to end so abruptly.

I just can't get past my issues with the way it portrays relationships though and that, added to the difficult start and rushed ending, is a massive let down for what could otherwise have been a jewel of a book.

First off, I have to say a huge thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this amazing book. I knew from the moment I saw the glorious cover and read the blurb that this was a story I was going to love. I wasn't wrong. The Sisters Grimm is beautifully written and I have a feeling this is going to be huge YA hit in 2020.

Where to begin...this story is told in the most beautiful and vivid way that pulls you deep in to the pages and setting. A fantastic job by the author. It does take a while to get to grips with everything as there are multiple points of view and many of them are quite short so it does take a while to get to know each of the characters, but once you do, wow. The story goes back and forth between the present day countdown to the sisters' 18th birthdays and when they were eight years old. This all culminates to bring the story together and once it clicks and everything falls into place, you really won't want to put the book down.

Goldie was my favourite character and her story is told in first person point of view. I felt for her and her struggles and her strength really shone through. Scarlett was another character that really gripped me as did Bea when we got to see her inner beauty and her caring side. Liyana is the fourth sister and her storyline was rather intriguing too. In all, all the sisters had a great storyline that dealt with teenage struggles, loss, death, mental health, issues and more. They were all interwoven and threaded through the story.

This is a story that creeps up on you, drawing you in slowly, pulling you into the world of Everwhere with its vivid descriptions and the potential for so much more. I found myself reading late into the night, trying desperately to keep my eyes open so I could get through another chapter.

This YA story covers so much and has so many themes interwoven through the narrative that it will resonate with everyone. There's love, life, personal growth and struggles, self acceptance, and more. The writing is exquisite and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. The ending left me heartbroken for Goldie and Leo but as devastating as it was it showed the power of working together, uniting, and fighting as one.

If you're a fan of fairytales and magic thrown into the real world you'll love The Sisters Grimm.

Sadly not one for me. I was highly anticipating this book, but I was quite disappointed it didn't turn out the way I expected it to be.
First of all, us it always necessary to put sexual assault and abuse in the story to make characters more evil and show that the main character has a hard life?
I was honestly not prepared for this in the first few pages and it did immediate damage for me not liking this book.
I couldn't connect with any of the characters and I found the story quite confusing and having some pacing issues. It reminded me a bit of The Shrike that I recently read and also disliked. It seems I have had some bad luck with fairytale re-tellings lately.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with the opportunity to review this book. Sadly this is not my cup of tea.

This mystical tales weaves the story of 4 sisters who possess the power of the elements, they don’t remember each other as they don’t grow up together but they will come together one day in another world to discover each other and there powers.

Very well written and a compelling read, the multiple perspectives was done well which can make or break a book. Is unique and compelling.

The characters are well developed, all having their own voice and that really shines through. A fast read that will grab you in and magically enthrall you.

I enjoyed parts of this story, but unfortunately, I did not like the book as a whole. I didn’t find the plot or the antagonist compelling, and I really wish Goldie hadn’t been the main character, because I thought her storyline and character arc was the least developed and compelling of the four girls. Goldie’s insta-love, both for her brother and Leo really undermined her development, and I enjoyed her interactions with Liyana far more than her poorly motivated romance.
I did not like or sympathise with Leo, and I wish he hadn’t been involved. I think the sisters should have had more contact with each other, and I didn’t like the additions of self-harm, incest and sexual assault. Some of it may have been necessary for backstory, but at times it seemed like it was included simply to hammer home that a character was evil, which seemed unnecessary.
I think Johann Grimm (whose name was never explained) was a two-dimensional and underwhelming antagonist, and his over-the-top ‘evil’ and seeming omniscience didn’t do anything to help the pacing of the book. The sister’s interactions with Grimm definitely contributed to how boring he came across, there is no meaningful dialogue between the protagonists and the antagonist, how is the showdown supposed to be compelling without this?
I also found myself wishing at several points that the characters had been older. I think the magical coming-of-age date being shifted to twenty-one would have made the backstory of Scarlet and Goldie in particular more believable. There were a lot of mechanics in the book that didn’t get explained properly, and others that got overexplained. The amount of times we were told the phase of the moon it took to enter Everwhere was countless, but tidbits about Grimm girls getting locked out when they turned thirteen, the lessened ability to do magic in the real world, who or what their father is (and why he’s named Johann Grimm) and how stars are recruited were haphazardly thrown in in a way I found annoying rather than engrossing.
The pacing of this book was lacklustre, and while I was invested in Liyana, Scarlet and Bea’s storylines, I did have to force myself to keep reading at times. The underlying narrative force of the book (the countdown to their eighteenth birthday) failed to truly inspire a sense of urgency, and the showdown was likewise underwhelming. I wish there’d been more focus on the sisters, and the way they interact, and I wish more of the book had focussed on them growing into their power. If Leo and the unnecessary romance angle had been scrapped, and the focus had instead been on the four girls; their intertwined struggles, personality and powers; and their eventual meeting for some greater goal, I think the book would have been much stronger and more enjoyable.
The narrator changes were fun, and I really enjoyed reading the different perspectives offered, but at times the perspectives changed too rapidly for the scenes to really have impact. Perhaps I’m being too harsh, however, as the quick-cycling narrator changes happened most often with Goldie and Leo, and as I’ve already mentioned, I did not enjoy their parts in this book.
I enjoyed Bea as a character, and I really enjoyed the philosophical nature vs nurture debate as regards morality that was set up nicely regarding her home life and personal aspirations. That being said, I kept waiting for her to meet up with her sisters, and when she finally did I was very unhappy with the slapdash, meaningless way their interactions unfolded. She deserved better, and the way she became two-dimensional at the end of the book was a waste of a well-developed, interesting character.
I wish the potential abilities of the Grimm girls was explored further, and also Scarlet’s mother’s history. Her story (especially contrasted with Bea’s mother) would have been an interesting way to build the world and explain the in-world mechanics of the book in an interesting way, that also contributed to character development for Scarlet and Bea. I think this was a wasted opportunity, but even were it to be developed in a future book, I doubt I’d be interested in reading it. Ezekial Wolfe’s inclusion in the book was likewise a letdown.
Liyana’s backstory and relationship dynamics with her sisters, aunt and girlfriend were great! Her interactions with her potential fiancé was also fascinating, and I wish the book had spent more time on Liyana in general. Scarlet could also have been developed further; I think a more balanced backstory would have really helped to increase the emotional investment in both the characters and story.
I think the representation of various backgrounds, and the intrinsic ways this effected both the girls' personal lives and the way they experience the world, was included fantastically well. The dialogue included on various topics—racism, natural hair, arranged marriage, the culturally varied treatment of sexual minorities and more—while a little heavy handed at times, was a great addition to The Sisters Grimm.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt the need to mention trigger warnings for a book, but I really think they’re required for this one. Don’t read The Sisters Grimm if you’re sensitive to mentions of—child abuse, incest, self-harm, violence or murder. There are also (consensual) sex scenes involving seventeen-year-olds, which, depending on your country of residence, may be underage.
I will look out for books from this author in future, as the characters she created are (for the most part) interesting and well-developed, and the commentary interwoven with the plot was relevant and insightful. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend this book unless plot isn’t a priority for you, or you’re reading more for interesting and relatable characters.

Firstly, a huge thanks to Netgalley & Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is a book of life, love, growth, development & self-knowledge. It is set in both this world and another - Everwhere and has a lot of very positive, poetic & beautiful facets.

The story is multi-layered, four sisters, unknown to one another & their finding & growth individually & together to face the challenge that is to come on their 18th birthday.

There is a lot about this book that is really great, the descriptive & beautiful writing, but it is seriously hampered by the jumping from one character to another across multiple time zones, past & present. The world-building is wondrous, I really could see Everwhere & feel the leaves as they constantly fell. I could feel the gentle rain, the heat, the earth, the fire & forests.

However, inconsistent & scattered timelines diminished my joy in this world & empathy was lost to inconsistent character development & back stories, key events are not given the recognition they deserve.

TBH I struggled to read this, not because of the story or the beauty of the writing, but the format. As the story jumped from one character to another, backwards & forwards in time I lost track of characters. The effect was that I mixed up their back stories, their lives & kept having to back-pedal.

At mid-point I was ready to give up and not finish. However, I did and I’m so glad I did, because the end is fulfilling, devastating, joyous and heart-lifting.

There is a lot of beauty, wonder, strength, female empowerment & unity in this story, but I’m sorry to say that IMO the way it flits between time zones & characters destroys the flow & weakens a powerful story.

This was a read that turned out to be different to what I was expecting not in a bad way as I enjoyed the book but I think at times I found myself getting a bit lost in the storyline. It’s a read full of magic, fairytales but most of all a story of the four sisters Grimm who can’t remember each other and the bringing of them together. This is not a genre of book I would normally read so I did struggle at times but the beautiful writing and the intriguing story kept me wanting to read. It’s a story of strong women and the characters were exceptional well portrayed especially that of Goldie who I really loved.
So all in all this was a read that was for me different and I can recommend it especially if you like this genre3.4 rounded up to 4.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for
an e-ARC of The Sisters Grimm. I’d never read a Menna Van Praag book before, so didn’t quite know what to expect and in fact for me, the writing style took some getting used to. That said, I did enjoy the book and became invested in
the characters.

The story is told from 5 POVs (the estranged half-sisters Goldie, Liyana, Bea and Scarlet, plus Leo, Goldie’s love interest) and flicks between current day and the sisters’ childhood memories. This can be frustrating at times, leaving each character just as things are starting to get interesting (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, particularly if there is going to be a sequel!)

We soon learn about a strange alternate world of mists and fog called Everwhere, full of magic, demons, fallen stars and elemental powers. Each of the sisters represents and manipulates an element (earth, water, air and fire), which they need to harness if they are to prepare for the impending battle against the dark, which awaits them on their (joint) 18th birthday. Almost 90% of the book was character and world building, and the ‘action’ really didn’t start until the last few chapters, which was another reason the book didn’t rate higher for me.

On the positive side, the girls were strong, diverse characters in their own right.

There were some (off page) triggers (violence, abuse of a child) and some mild sexual behaviour, but nothing unusual in a fantasy of this type.

#TheSistersGrimm #NetGalley

What a book! Fabulous, fantastical and full of magic, this book takes you completely out of the real world.

Four girls: Goldie, Bea, Scarlet and Liyana are the Sisters Grimm… destined on their 18th birthday to make the choice between light and dark, between good and evil in the mystical land of Everwhere. Yet they don’t remember that this is their mission – gradually memories and dreams pull them together as they realise the choices they must make.

Each girl is in control of a different element – Liyana can control the water, Scarlet has sparks of fire at her fingertips… and there are lifes to live, and loves to love along their journeys.

I found the beginning a little slow, but soon was completely bought into the story. I’ve never read anything like it, and this is a good, good thing. Very clever indeed.

Not for me I'm afraid.

The prose was too flowery. I didn't like the constant jumping around between people - I wanted more time with each character to really get to know them and understand them. When it started jumping about in time without any indication or warning I gave up.

I love the idea of this book and there will be people who love it but the writing style just doesn't work for me.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked how each if the sisters linked to an earth element. I really enjoyed the magic in the book and how even though the sisters didn't remember each other the magic still connected them. The writing was okay, it was beautifully written but at times I found myself skim reading it. Some parts also don't gel together well. The story follows two timelines. One which countdowns the four sisters birthday which is on Halloween and the strange occupancies that happen to them. The second timeline is 10 years in the past. There are also multiple POVs which can make it a little confusing to read at first. The characters are good, I connected with some more than others and I really liked how the stories were influenced by the original Grimm stories. I also really enjoyed the diversity of the book and it was nice to see it. Overall I think it was a good book and it will be exciting to see where it goes.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy for review.

At 3:33am, the gates of Everwhere open and the four sisters at the centre of this story are invited into this magical world of possibility and dreams. They have 33 days to discover what their true identities are and what it means in order to prepare for a battle with their father's soldiers and ultimately face against their father.

This story is so magical and I really love the concept and all the thought has gone into creating it and building up with strange magical in-between world. It is clear that the author, Menna van Praag, took a lot of time and knew exactly what she wanted to put across with her story and her writing. I'm sure the finished copy is even better and I can't wait to own it.

The only complaint that I have is that I found it a little confusing and jumpy at first because it would switch between the characters quite a lot and I started to get the characters and storylines mixed up. I like short chapters, but there were a lot of characters to get used to at the beginning. I like that it was still fast paced though because I feel like sometimes fantasy books that follow multiple characters can begin a little slow and it makes it harder to get into the story. I was still really interested in the story right from the beginning and loved learning more about it and more about the characters as it developed.

Overall, this was a fantastic book with some beautiful feminist messages and themes. It has intriguing storylines, diverse characters, a strange magical world, a gorgeous cover, and so much more.

Goldie and her sisters have forgotten who they are. They have forgotten they are powerful; they have forgotten the years of shared dreams. As their 18th birthday approaches, they have to realise the truth behind their childhood fantasies, and fight to survive.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows two timelines - now, in the countdown to the four sisters' birthday on Halloween, as they all deal with their real-life problems, as well as the strange occurrences that start to happen around them.
Plus, ten years ago, when the eight-year-old girls meet for the first time. They are all half-sisters from very different walks of life, but they all have Grimm power over the elements.

Goldie is working in a Cambridge hotel, for a sleazy manager, stealing from tourists to provide for her little brother.
Liyana has her dreams of art school dashed when her aunt goes bankrupt, and has to choose between love and money.
Scarlet is working at the family bakery, trying to keep it afloat whilst caring for her grandmother with dementia.
Bea is at college, trying to get away from her insane mother, who keeps pushing her to make the wicked choices in life.

This is... such a hard book to review.
Menna van Praag has a lot of creative and original ideas fused together in this story. Binding dreams, fantasies and fairytales; letting them seep into the real world. Whilst running wild in the dreamscape of Everwhere.
There are moments of bloody brilliance; and huge chunks where it did not gel.
Possibly influenced by the original Grimm fairytales (rather than the fluffy Disney ones), the author isn't afraid to take it to dark places. The issues facing the girls are real and have real-life consequences.

I found it really hard to get into the story, because of how the narration and timelines were established. There is multi-POV - and not just switching per chapter; there are regular sections where it changes every paragraph. To be fair, the paragraphs (and chapters) are clearly headed, so I know who's story it is; but there are 5 narrators (the 4 sisters and Leo - a star-turned-soldier destined to kill them), so it was hard to connect with anyone.
I could even argue that there are 10 narrators, as the 8-year-old and nearly-18-years-old versions are very different characters. The older version of the sisters have no memory of Everwhere, so there was a lot of repetition as they learn the rules and the dangers.
The 18-year-old sisters don't actually meet until really late on in the book, which meant the story was going in four very different directions, and hard to follow in the chopped-up style of narrative.

By the end of the book, I was hooked, wanting to know the outcome of the four sisters, as they finally get to Everwhere and have to face their father. Unfortunately, bringing our main narrators together (plus all of them having their childhood memories reawakened) made the narrative a bit head-jumpy and did detract from what would have been a powerful finish.

Overall, I think this series has a lot of promise and I would be interested in seeing where it goes.

Unfortunately, I had to put this book down after just a few pages. The prologue, though evocative and beautifully written, sketches out a mythos that has no room for those of us who fall outside the gender binary. I'm used to that and could probably have gone on to enjoy the book, but the opening chapter sees the PoV character being groped against her will, with the heavy implication that she's experienced worse sexual assault in the past. We also very quickly learn that her abusive boss gave another girl a promotion in exchange for sexual favours. This in no way makes it a bad book, but these are subject matters that I personally am not able to deal with, and can't force my way through Goldie's perspective to get to the 'real' story that no doubt emerges a bit later. I hope other readers can give better feedback!