Member Reviews
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
I requested this book because I grew up with Grimm stories and I was always fascinated by them. They were a little darker than Disney and the other fairy tales and I liked that about them. This was a book about four Grimm sisters who grew up in another world...and at the age of 13 they go to Earth and have no memories of their first years. They don't even remember each other but every now and then a sliver of a memory or a dream will flash in their heads. They have no idea it was an actual place and that they have been there before. The reader gets to meet each of the sisters separately and learn to love them in their own rite. It might seem kind of slow at first but once the plot thickens a little, you will get hooked and want to find out what is next. My only issue was that, at times, it seemed a little long. I swear when I had been reading an hour, I would look at my percentage read and it would have gone up by only 5%. But all in all, this was a very good book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
This book was not what I thought it was going to be. It took me awhile to get thru, because I had a hard time getting into it. It was told in so many POVs that it got pretty confusing a lot of the time. The story just didn't do anything for me either. Though it had a lot of promise, it was not executed very well.
I read about 30% into it. It took me days to get to this point and unfortunately I don't think I can make it through this. I was initially pretty excited by the synopsis.
Four powerful girls, are sisters of Grimm, but unbeknownst to them, they have forgotten who they are and the powers they possess. And from I can tell of the plot they will undergo a transition of either consciousness or power upon their 18th birthday.
The pov constantly changes, almost like diary entries, they aren't even the length of chapters between 5 characters.
Each of them seem to be in a predicament or situation of crisis. One has a sexually abusive boss, one has an aunt who gambled everything away and instead of downsizing want her to marry to solve the problem. I find these all kind of weird.
The constant switching didn't give me a whole lot of info to formulate what's really going on.
Everywhere wasn't that clearly explained.
I found most of it both confusing a frustrating.
This book was not what I expected and I'm still feeling unsure of how I actually feel about it. The concept and general plot was really interesting and that is what really made this book for me and I wish the rest of the book had been as successful in execution. The format of this book made it difficult to get into and I found the switches confusing. The world-building was also promising, but there just wasn't enough time for it to fully develop. Overall, though, this was really enjoyable and had a great concept!
**Full review to be posted closer to publication!*
I enjoyed the story but the way it is written was very distracting.
It took a lot to continue to read this due to the story going back and forth and also having the study being told in so many different POVs.
No just no. I read dark books a lot. Books about sexual assault and abuse, but this ... this was a different kind of messed up. I was thinking things would go how they did, and that the harassment would be so blatantly ignored! Not for me.
This book may not release until 2020 but it’s one of my top reads of 2019!
It is told in the point of view of 5 of the main characters. The four sisters who’ve forgotten their childhood together have approximately a month to remember all so they can save their lives on their 18th birthday. Each of them are going through tough times already and as the story progresses you learn about their past together and their current difficulties.
The book kept me interested from the very beginning. There was just the right amount of time spent with each point of view before moving on to the next. I loved the way the story was written and how it all came together. It also had a great message about choosing between good and evil, which I liked because I feel like the best of us have a little devil in us and even the worst of us can do a little good.
I’d like to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
"Stepping through a gate, you’ll first be met by trees. They’ll greet you with white leaves falling like rain, dusting a crisp confetti across your path that crunches under your feet as you begin to find your way. Step carefully over the slick stones, or you may slip." ~ "The Sisters Grimm"
A lush epic adventure told across several time periods. The my of family and sisterhood is powerfully written. However, it's too much worldbuilding with not enough time. I'm thoroughly disappointed with the dry plot, sterotypical female characters, unremarkable villain, loose plot structure and sparse character development. There's enough magic in here to fill three books! The main problem is that the author tries to fit the plot of three stories into one book. This causes the plot to be unnecessarily hurried and not much character depth to appear. The main characters didn't even meet until they faced the villain!
What was frustrating were the multiple points of view. Every chapter rotated between the sisters Bea, Ana, Scarlet and Goldie. Just when I was starting to follow the plot, the action would shift to a new setting with no transition. Sometimes a single chapter would have two perspectives! With the amount of backstory for each sister, it couldn't have fit in just this one book. As a result, I couldn't develop a passion for any of the sisters. I went into this book hoping for amazing Grimm sisters set in a fairytale plot twist world, but it was impossible to keep the timeline of their lives straight. Think "The Time Traveler's Wife" meets "Lord of the Rings."
Final note: Major props for the illustrations at the end of the book. I loved getting to see if the sisters I pictured in my head matched with the artwork. It's stunning work and it reminds me of fanart for Sarah J. Maas's books.
I received an arc of this book through netgalley and from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Actual rating 3.75
I love Grimm stories, and a book about 4 sisters with a blood of a Grimm, discovering their powers and preparing for a battle sounded phenomenal!
This review may contain minor spoilers.
The story is told in 5 different POVs. 4 sisters (Goldie, Bea, Liyana and Scarlett) and one soldier - Leo.
All are so different, they didn't mix in my mind and I got really invested in their life stories, because, let me tell you, they don't live easy lives! They struggle with abuse, death, grief, paying bills, and on top of that all, they have all these strange things happening to them.
My favorite character was Bea, so fearless, she knows exactly what she wants and she gets it! She doesn't take shit from anyone.
Goldie was a weaker character in the beginning but she grew on me
Both Scarlet and Liyana were well written and developed characters
Leo's story was so interesting. With him not being entirely human, his struggle to follow rules and not his heart.
I liked the world! Although in my opinion, this is the weakest part of the story. It's a bit underdeveloped. No much back story, to how did father Grimm came to be, what is his motivation? Why is he evil? Who created these soldiers? Why do they need to consume light? Why do they hate Grimms? And the whole father Grimm story line was lost to me. I still don't get it. Because both daughters Grimm and soldiers call him father. So is Leo and Goldie siblings?
The story was also unnecessary long in my opinion. There was all this build up for them to get back to Everywhere for the battle and then the battle was over in one chapter...
The first half of the story was mainly focusing on their struggles in life. I guess I just wish it was more magical, I wanted them to use their powers more in our world, I was hoping for more fantasy, but this was more like a literary fiction with some magic.
Another thing that kind of bothered me, was the fact that the book was written in 1st person POV, in 3rd and 2nd. So I, she and you, and it was getting confusing. I don't know, I think it would've been better if it was one or the other but not all 3.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but it wasn't what I expected.
Trigger warning: sexual harassment at a work place, sexual abuse of a minor
I really like the style of writing that the author uses. The chapters are each headed with a different character's name along with the timeframe that way readers can track who is talking and at what point in time. This is important because not only does each chapter represent each of the four elements and the sister that has the forgotten affinity of that element, but there are also chapters for the younger version of the sisters as well as the character Leo (the one hunting the sisters) and his younger self. This adds a little bit of confusion to simply reading the book but certainly lends to the more entertaining aspect of reading and adds to the creative flair of the author.
There are several characters, the sisters all of which whom really do not know who they are or that they are indeed powerful women, whose power each focuses on an element (earth, air, water, and fire). The story follows each of these women as they start to learn more about themselves and where they came from, while we the readers seem to know a bit more than they do, the plot thickens as the women discover who they are and why they are being hunted.
In all, this is a great book and the title alone should draw in readers with the aspect that there will be some element of the brother's Grimm involved, but that seems to be where the comparison ends. This is a tale like no other, both in plot and in writing style which lends itself to reach a wide range of audiences. I give it four stars because at first it is a tough read to follow and because of this it may lose a lot of readers.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins Publications for lending me an advance readers copy, hopefully, my review will help readers to discover this author and be willing to see this book through as well as be hopeful for the next installment in the series.
What a story! I connected with this book on many levels. It shows the bonds of women and sisterhood. Every woman has all of these elemental features: earth, air, fire and water. It's very relatable. I could see a bit of myself in each sister. I found myself relating to Goldie the most. Bea was my least favorite and I had a difficult time with her storyline - her mother was detestable.
A beautifully written fantasy/magical inspired book. I felt the beginning was a little slow and that the wasn't a need for such strong language at time. The second half was wonderful. I couldn't put it down once I reached that portion. I love Ms. Von Praag's books. They bring a touch of whimsy and magic into a reader's life. If you enjoy Erin Morgenstein's novels, you'll love this one. I'd love to see this book develop into a series.
I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the dynamic between the four sisters, and I liked how each of them was a different ethnicity and had very different family structures. Each sister was very unique in her own way, and it was very easy for me to distinguish between which point of view I was reading, which is sometimes a challenge for me when there are so many points of view. I think Menna van Praag did an excellent job with giving each sister a very distinct voice.
Each sister had a quality I really admired, such as Goldie's general badassery and Bea's intelligence. I also liked the overarching plot of Wilhelm Grimm and his daughters and his soldiers. However, I wish that the background was a little more fleshed out and detailed; I was a little confused about Grimm's motivations, as well as the whole concept of his soldiers.
I loved this one! Four girls on the verge of their 18th birthday start to remember hidden things from the past. I like how the story jumped time frames - it made it easier to follow than if it was just written chronologically. All the girls and their backgrounds were interesting. I would love to see more of them!
Four another powerful heroines based, entertaining, magical, Grimm-y, surprising stars!
As a fan of Grimm Brothers’ dark, gory, depressing stories which affected my first impressions about real life when I was a child, I happily devour anything written or named with “Grimm”! So when I got my kindle into my hands and saw this book on my shelf, I sang “Thank you, next, next” from Ariana Grande for NetGalley team members and I made my Shirley Temple tap dance (my version of Shirley Temple dance is drinking a big glass of Shirley Temple cocktail and foot fighting without any rhythm to terrorize my neighbors who are spying on me behind their curtains!)
But don’t think this a retelling of one of the bleak, sad, vulgar Grimm Brothers stories or any other fairy tales you know! This book is original, brand new, unique, exhilarating, special and fresh contribute to the fantasy world.
The story is about four sisters who represent different elements and possess different powers, not estranged but they completely forgot each other, resume different life styles.
There are so much visionary ideas that author brought into this book such as binding dreams, creatively developed fantasies and fairytales. And don’t forget the astrological approach to help shaping the characteristic behaviors, weaknesses and strengths. Interestingly four sister always reminds me of March Sisters, with their different characters, different POVS and different life paths.
Goldie represents the earth element, working as a maid at a Cambridge hotel, stealing from the customers to buy her brother Teddy new clothes.
Liyana, colorful girl, immigrated to the UK from Ghana, represents water and the only queer character of the book, has a secret girlfriend. Her dreams to be an Olympic level athlete float after her tragic accident. Now she needs to deal with injured leg and her new life choices.
Scarlett represents fire, working at a family café and taking care of her grandmother who is suffering from dementia.
Finally Bea is an art student of Cambridge College, represents air, a real ambitious, hard worker, trying to get rid of her over controlling mother who forced her to make different life choices.
This book is not easy reading because of its too many POVS (not only four sisters, we actually have Leo, too!
And of course don’t forget the younger version of the characters’ narrations. So they turned into 10 POVS: Ten voices are blaring out in my head which makes me want to sing Zombie from Cranberries) and moving back and forth between two timelines story-telling and don’t forget all those combined magical, original but also confusing dream-binding elements.
One of the timeline is now: The girls’ birthday at the Halloween is coming closer and many eerie, mysterious things start to happen around them. And other timeline belongs to 8 years ago: The sisters have met for the first time.
Without having any knowledge, four girls dream Everywhere: an autumnal, magical place. But they don’t know the danger is waiting for them at this place. Lumen Latros, half falling star, half human soldiers chase them to end their lives.
Maybe because I have fire sign, I mostly related with Scarlet and also loved Goldie and her street smartness. Of course Goldie and Leo gave us romantic chemistry that we need. Nobody says no to enemies to lovers attraction.
When we come to the end we see that girls finally learn the truth and curse they have to fight against. Only 33 days left to meet their father. They need to fight for their lives and save each other.
Pros: It’s creative, capturing, entertaining, magical, different, original reading.
Cons: Too many POVS, time jumping, confusing way of story-telling and I truly disliked Bea as a character and wanted to skip her parts immediately.
As a summary: this is not my 5 stars reading but I found the story is promising, entertaining and riveting enough to be still curious to learn and read more about the characters’ journeys (instead of Bea!!!) So I’d love to read the sequels and enjoy more time with those sisters’ bounding.
Special thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers/ Harper Voyager to share this fantastic ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. And I’m so happy to read one of the works of Menna Van Praag. I cannot wait to read her previous and future works.
I must admit I had an immediate and visceral dislike for this book, based largely on early scenes of sexual harassment and near assault that were simply ignored and/or underplayed. The world is dark and cruel and I found little of interest or value within the story (despite the authors evidence effort to make meaning throughout)