The Forest Grimm by Katherine Perdie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A spellbinding story of star-crossed lovers, fate, a curse, danger, adventure, and magic. The small village of Grimm's Hollow once blessed by the Grimm Forest is now cursed by the actions of one selfish villager. Every year they loose more people to the forest, becoming Lost. The town is slowly dying and time is running out. Clara embarks on a quest to save her mother, the first Lost, and village. She enlists the help of Axel who stirs feelings she has long buried. Within the forest they come upon an unlikely She is destined to die on. This quest is more than worth her life if everyone else is free, or is it? Everything these three intrepid journies will be questioned and tensions run high. Can they do what they came to do or give up hope when the journey gets too hard?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Even though at times the pacing felt a little off, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I loved the twists on the classic fairy tales and the foreshadowing. I am looking forward to the next part of the story.

This book is perfect for lovers of Grimm’s Fairytales. I loved the way the fairytales were intertwined throughout the story, even subtle details. The romance was sweet and a nice addition to the overall storyline. The ending is also set up for a potential sequel so I will definitely read it if there’s more.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC for my honest review.

Forest Grimm is about a village who becomes cursed and several village people become lost to the nearby magical forest. Clara loses her mother and decides she is going to quest to find her along with her long time friend who lost his fiancé.

The book is very cute and creative. The author takes the fairy tales we all know and produces a dark story for close to the Grimm version. The way the author connects the lost to the fairy tales was so fun to read along the way. I thought I could guess how the story was going but was pleasently suprised several times.

The book has elements that are more on the young side of the YA and the main characters friend Henno (while the same age as Clara) comes off quite young compared to Clara.

I really enjoyed the book and the creativity of it. It was a quick read that kept my attention. I am looking forward to the next book.

"Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die."

Clara lives with her fortune-teller grandmother in Grimm’s Hollow, a small town nestled at the edge of The Forest Grimm. The Forest has always sustained the town with magic and granting wishes, until a heinous crime turned the Forest away from the villagers. Now, the villagers are disappearing into the Forest, including Clara’s mother. Her grandmother read her fortune, and she knows she is destined for an early death, the same as her mother. But, if Clara can change her fate, perhaps with the help of her friend Axel, she can enter the Forest Grimm and rescue those who are Lost, before the fortune reading comes true.

The Forest Grimm weaves in classic fairytales like Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel with this unique tale of a young girl, Clara, and her search to rescue her mother from the Forest Grimm. Clara has always known since her grandmother first read her cards that her fate was to die in the forest. But she hopes that after finally drawing the Red Card that she can change her fate. We follow Clara and her friends as they travel the forest, trying to find the Lost ones and break the curse to bring peace back to the forest and Grimm’s Hollow.

I enjoyed this book, though at times it felt a little repetitive. Clara and her friends encounter multiple people who have been lost in the forest and who now resemble characters from classic fairy tales, though they are twisted and not quite like the fairy tales we know and love. By trying to weave in multiple characters and adventures with each new person they meet, the story can feel a little like it is losing sight of the main narrative. At times I felt as lost in the forest as Clara, and perhaps that is intentional. But towards the end, things come together in a unique and somewhat unexpected way. This book felt to me to be on the younger end of YA, and we see how Clara is learning about herself and how the journey into the forest is a moment of growth and acceptance for her. In order to change her fate, she needs to accept the past and focus on the future, and not forget to live in the moment. We also have a little romance blossoming between two characters, which adds a nice bit of tension to the story. The ending at first seems like things have wrapped up, but then leaves us a nice opening to continue the story in a second book.

Overall, I enjoyed the unique take on classic fairytales, and I liked Clara’s growth and strength as a character. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an electronic advanced copy of this book.

This was quite the atmospheric read! I loved being in the world of Grimm’s Hollow and the Forest. I went in without too many preconceptions and I think that worked to my advantage. I liked the fairy tale hints and vibes a whole lot. I thought they were done in a subtle and fresh way, especially the darker tone. I did feel like this was equally plot and character driven, which is always a plus in my book. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Clara and the story itself was really compelling and interesting. This book is YA, but it definitely felt a little younger at times. It wasn’t a bad thing, but just something to note for readers who prefer older YA. I did also think that this could have been a standalone if the author wanted it to be. There was certainly enough room to wrap things up, but at the same time, I’m not complaining about getting more time in this world and with these characters. Overall, a fun fairy tale-esque read perfect for fall!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Take all your classic fairytales, grind them to a pulp, make everyone the cliche “opposite” to who they emotionally were, wander aimlessly through an incomplete and jumbled plot, and end on a cliffhanger.

I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this one. I wanted to. SO bad. I thought the cover was cute and it’s style was unique.

But the story? 😭😭😭

Maybe it’s a me thing. But this one was nothing like I thought it would be. I was thinking a slightly sinister fairy tale but this was twisted and exaggerated.

𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝙈𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙮.

Honestly I'm disappointed. I like the weaving of the Grimm stories, truly I do. I hate that after the first everything was predictable. "Everything is going fine, we find a clue and it's a good omen, we find a Lost person they also seem fine, they go crazy and try to kill us and we get away practically unscathed." And it doesn't even only happen once, or twice, not even only 3 times but like 5. And the ending. Don't even get me started on that being the STUPIDEST ending I've ever heard of, ever. It's getting 2 stars because I am a sucker for the pierced swans and that's it, nothing else is even redeemable.

Title: The Forest Grimm
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

"Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die."

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book - Sortes Fortunae , the Book of Fortunes - with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose―to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel―who is fated never to be with her―have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest―alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales―has a mind of its own.

I enjoyed this read, although I felt like it could have used a bit more resolution or development in certain areas. I still had questions at the end, like, why, exactly, Axel was so enamored of Ella? I feel like she used her wish for that, but it was never said. The fairy tale characters were, of course, appropriately dark and evil—Hansel and Gretel especially—so that part made sense, but there were odd bits of things I found disjointed. I liked Clara, although her determination to die was slightly unsettling. This was a solid read, it just left me with some questions.

Kathryn Purdie is a bestselling author and lives in the Rocky Mountains. The Forest Grimm is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I loved all the characters, from our main ones Clara and her friends Axel and Henni, to the others living in the Forest Grimm. Those in the forest started off different and too much time living in an enchanted/cursed forest has changed them into fairytale characters that mimic who they were when they lived in the village. They are a bit twisted and definitely dangerous.
The story is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. The characters are all compelling and draw you in, and I loved the slow-burn romance! The author did a fantastic job with the world-building, and making me feel like I was in the story.
I enjoyed this story from the first page to the last and can't wait to read the next book!

Rating: 4/5

I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Would you travel into the deadly forest to save your loved one and to hopefully break the curse that befell upon the town? That is what Clara did, and she thought she would have to do it all alone but her closest friends Axel and Henni travel with her to see if they can bring home the ones that have gone missing in the forest and to break the curse.

I enjoyed this retelling of the Grimm fairy tales a lot, I found it to be close to what they were originally but at the same time different in a dark and beautiful way. I did find that at parts the plot would drag a little then it would speed up and a lot would happen. I think for me it was all the small things that were important to the ending of the story but maybe took a little too long explaining it or the reasons for feeling that way. However, even after all that I thought the book was well done.

I liked the characters in the book, even though at times I was a little confused by them. Clara, I liked that she was strong, determined and a little hard headed at times. I liked the fact that she thought of others but at the same time you can see how her thinking of helping everyone in the town by breaking the curse would be helpful until you see what she must do to break it. That would be hard for me to do if I was in her shoes, and then to find out all that work and you only break the curse a little bit would be hard to deal with but not for her. She is determined, with the help of her friends, to find a way to completely break the curse.

I thought Axel was nice to go out and help her on this mission until I started to understand more that he did because he loved her, however I felt the love connection was a little off for me. I know if it was because they were young or how they both figured out that they both care for each other. However, I did like that he was by her side through all of it even the parts that he might not have agreed with or understood. She has a real connection with Axel and that helps her to understand a lot of what she has to do for them, her town and herself.

Henni, at times I felt that she was a little younger than Clara, but she was close to her age, but then again who knows what might have happened to her friend with the loss of her sister in the woods. Henni is a great character to have in this book because she is mixing things up and making it really an adventure for this group of friends.

I need the next book soon though because I need those answers and I can’t wait to see what their next adventure will be in the forest.

If you enjoy retellings of fairy tales, YA fantasy, YA romance, and magic; you should read this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & Wednesday books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

17 year old Clara embarks on a journey through the Forest Grimm in hopes of saving her mother, and removing the curse that is on her town.

This book is an abundance of fairytales all in one. But not the fairytales we know created by Disney, the more vicious ones like in the Brothers Grimm's tales. The characters that we meet are twisted and ruthless. The only issue with these characters though, is that we don't learn more about them other than the classic tale they represent.

The plot is very fast-paced and keeps you easily engaged.

Clara brings along her long-time best friend, Axel, who joins her to save his ex-fiance. The more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. I do love how it is a friends to lovers trope instead of the typical enemies to lovers that is usually seen in fantasy. The friends to lovers also fits this story better. There is already enough action and tragedy around them that they need to get through.

This book does have a young-tone (perfect for 12-14 y/o), which is suitable for a YA novel, but I am in my 20's so it was a bit too young for me. My review does not reflect this.

Things I would like to see in the next one:
1. Who the murderer was
2. More about Clara's powers
3. The little mermaid

Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Forest Grimm is the first book set in a new young adult romantasy series. We follow our 17-year-old main character, Clara as she embarks on a quest into the deadly and dangerous Forest Grimm to find a magical book called the Sortes Fortunae (aka the Book of Fortunes). Typically, no one ever makes it out of the forest out alive, but she will go to great lengths to break the curse that is placed on her village and to rescue her mother. What Clara does not know as she ventures through the forest, she and her friends that tag along will encounter some well-known fairytales.

I discovered Kathryn Purdie's books back in 2020 when Bone Crier's Moon came out and ever since I have been reading some of her books which I end up enjoying. When I saw The Forest Grimm go up on NetGalley, I instantly went to request it since I know Kathryn is an author I enjoy.

When The Forest Grimm first opens up with the villagers having their names drawn to see who would go into the forest to break the curse my first thought was: "is our main character going to yell-I volunteer as tribute?!" That part just made me think of The Hunger Games and no there was no one who yelled that they volunteered as tribute with those exact words.

Kathryn Purdie does such an amazing job setting up this world and the atmosphere. She really draws you in and makes you feel like you are in this dark, bleak forest with odd run ins with fairytale characters. I should note that these fairytale characters are not the Disney ones that a lot of us know but the darker ones that we encounter with the Brother Grimm Fairytales. You can expect Cinderella, Hansel + Gretel, Rapunzel, and a few other characters to appear in this book. With that being said I really enjoyed seeing the different characters and how they are portrayed as well interact with the main characters and the world.

When it comes to the characters, I for the most part enjoyed them but did find Henni and Clara to be aggravating at times. But I did love the friendship and the even more than friends' dynamic between Clara and Axel.

The pacing for the most part was great and fast but there were areas that felt like it dragged out. I was very engaged in this story and curious about what was going on and what would happen.

I've been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on The Forest Grimm about it feeling too young as well as other things. To put in perspective: I will be 28 this fall, and I did not find it juvenile or targeted for a younger range. To me this felt like a good, clean (no smut) romantasy retelling that I would have encountered when I was a teenager. Everyone does perceive things differently, so it is all good if people find this too young, but I just wanted to say for me it felt fine and I think many people who want a clean YA romantasy, a dark fantasy retelling, or to feel reminiscent of YA a decade ago then you'll enjoy this.

The Forest Grimm gave a dark twisted story of a small town that has been placed under a curse where the townspeople become lost in a dark forest whenever they enter. The story includes plays on the basic fairy tales in ways that are similar to the original Grimm Brother’s fairy tales, although they do not share the exact same story line. It keeps the reader guessing throughout the book as to which character will show up next and how they will play into the story. It ended with a great cliff hanger to make the reader want to read the next book to see who might be included in the next story to see what will happen to this small town.

Clara has grown up always knowing that her fate has been decided and that she will die young based on the card readings that her grandmother has given to her. She lives in a small village near the Forest Grimm where upon her 16th birthday, she will be able to wish upon a magic book for her deepest desire. Unfortunately, before she reaches this age, someone uses the book to commit a murder and the book and forest punish the village with a curse. Every month after that, someone's name is pulled from a bowl and that person tries to enter the forest to break the curse on the village.
Early on in the story, Clara and her friend Axel enters the forest to try to break the curse. At this point, it becomes clear that this story is incorporating many of the Grimm's fairy tails in the dark way in which they were originally written.
This story was really creative and clever and ended in a way that opened it up to be a series. I would definitely read another book in this series as it was fun and kept my attention.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a sweet, easy read with some twisted, dark fairytale elements that I really enjoyed. This is YA written for a younger YA audience. Some smooching, some yearning, and some violence but nothing gory or scarring for YA readers.

Clara, the FMC, is just a bit brash, definitely tough, and entirely self-sacrificing. She's headstrong and I loved how she fights against all expectations and even fate itself. Not with swords, or bows and arrows, but with pure willpower. She is a simple village girl, not a warrior, but that doesn't stop her from doing what's right, even if it means her own life. Because of this I related so much more to Clara than other famous heroines like Katniss, or Tris, Aelin, or Feyre. Clara is a girl in a fairytale, but she is so much more real.

Especially given the fact that Clara has scoliosis. Described in the book as an S-shaped curve that makes her hips uneven, this presents a unique problem for Clara as she's fleeing through the forest and fighting for her village. I thought the author represented Clara's chronic pain real enough that I truly emphasized with her.

As said before, the romance in this novel is chaste. Without giving too much away, I loved reading the connection between the characters come to life as they slowly realize what was there all along.

The fairytale aspect was fun to watch develop. The tales depicted are not of the Disney variety, these fairytales are darker and twisty. It was a lot of fun trying to guess who was who, although some were more obvious than others.

Overall, a great read for young adult readers, and those young at heart like myself!

Uh, wow, where do I start? ummm this book was not for me. I could not even make it past the third chapter. The writing style felt so choppy, having some sentences that consisted of only a few words, and then followed up by the same length sentences? It almost felt like I was reading bullet points. Additionally, there is random phrases in French that is supposed to be some "mythical language only her grandmother speaks" which the character says she only knows a few words of?? so if that's the case, at least in my opinion, it wouldn't be too hard to come up with a fictional little mini language, especially if only a few words are going to be mentioned? Rather than just adding in some French words and treating that like it's unique? meanwhile, referencing whortleberries (which I believe are Columbian?) and all of this comes about in the PROLOGUE? I found it all to be very confusing, choppy, and did nothing but pull me out of the stories enough that I didn't want to continue.
Additionally, this is VERY YA. There is always a grey area between YA and new adult - not this book. This FMC gives you everything you'd like out of a true YA read. So, I won't be reading more of this geographical and logistical nightmare. I want to say I did more fact checking for this Netgalley review than the author did for The Forest Grimm.

The Forest Grimm was a disappointing read. If it weren't for the fairytale retellings, I probably would have quit the book. I liked the premise of this story and the way the author weaved together the different fairytales. What I didn't care for was the main characters. The characters felt one dimensional and the chemistry between Clara and Axel felt forced. I also think the author could have expanded more on Clara's abilities. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

A pretty cool and interesting version of popular grim novels that are given that YA spark that makes them fit or flexible in the modern day.

The Forest Grimm takes us into a world of darkness, magic, and secrets. The Forest is magic, and it's been cursed by the wrongdoing of a villager in Clara's town. She's been trying for years to enter and save her mother, but this year she's been thrown a twist. Despite her well laid plans, Clara's help to Axel is unsuccessful. As they enter and go through the Forest, following clues of fortune and fate as they go, their plans aren't the only thing to unravel. Identities hidden are revealed, loyalties don't lie where they ought, and fate itself is tested by change in heart. Will Clara, Axel, and Hennie be able to survive and save their town? Find out in this clever retelling of Grimm's Fairytales.

This was quite an unexpected ride. I mean, I liked it, but it didn't exactly get me jumping with excitement. There were moments when it felt like the story was dragging because there were so many different elements. What I really dug, though, was how the book twisted up those classic Grimm fairy tales in a seriously dark and creepy way. It gave me chills a couple of times, in a good way. I felt that the characters felt a bit one-dimensional. I wish they had more depth, but it's a plot-driven story. Still, if you like YA dark fairy tales, this would be for you.