Thank you netgalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this mix of brand new story and fairytale retelling. I LIVE for retellings, and this was chock full of well known (and crazy) characters from many of Grimm’s tales. The world building was fantastic and I enjoyed the plot, which was fast moving and easy to get into. The Grimm’s dark atmosphere mixed with whimsical can be felt in this book, which is *chef’s kiss* for me.

Actual rating- 3.5 stars
“the forest doesn’t allow anyone to enter anymore, not unless they’re destined to be Lost- and no one willfully chooses that”
Reading this book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. The premise is based around a magical cursed forest and how seventeen year old Clara went into that forest to save her mother among other “Lost” people. Little did they realize that they were a lot more lost than they had originally assumed.
I quite enjoyed the story, the magic system, the beliefs, the jumble of different fairy tales. I really loved how the author took inspiration from the original Brothers Grimm fairy tales, it made the book that much more spooky and the perfect fall read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an eARC of this book

This is a wonderful retelling of fairytales and enjoyed the dark plot that came with it. It had a good pacing, story plot, and a unique world building set in the dark forest.

Highly recommended if you into YA fantasy and a good classic retelling stories.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
SPOILERS AHEAD

Overall The Forest Grimm by Katherine Purdy is enjoyable with a lovely message regarding fate. The only con I would attribute would a a smidge of predictability. The Forest Grimm is an easy read revolving around a girl named Clara and her two friends, Axel and Henni. The cadre enter The Forest Grimm at great risk to themselves to save their family and fellow villagers who previously entered and became “Lost.” Clara and Axel in particular grip with their not so unrequited love for each other while trying to save and defend themselves from their fates, the forest, and their lost friends.
Particularly, I enjoyed how Purdue played on classic fairytales, rendering both Clara, her friends, and the Lost both the heroes and villains of their own respective stories, without the plot seeming overused.
Tropes: star-crossed lovers, fairytale retelling

Clara and her childhood friend, Axel venture into the treacherous Forest Grimm to procure a magical book with the power to break the curse that plagues her village. There wasn't anything particularly captivating about the plot description but this is exactly my type of book so I decided to give it a chance. And I'm glad I did! This was a very solid fairy-tale retelling that would appeal to fans of The Hazel Wood and The Bone Spindle. The pacing was spot on. The characters were multi-dimensional. The romance was sweet. All in all, I highly recommend.

The Forest Grimm is a creative fairy tale filled with twisted secrets. Clara lives on the outskirts of the Forest Grimm, a magical forest that sealed itself off from her town after dark magic was used. People who enter the forest now become Lost and are unable to leave. Clara is determined to enter the forest and save her mother. With her friends Axel and Henni, Clara embarks on a quest to break the curse and save those who have been Lost. Once in the forest, she realizes that the time away has taken a terrible toll on the people who remained inside. Will Clara be able to rescue her mother or has the forest claimed her for good?

The Forest Grimm is influenced by several fairy tales, but especially by Little Red Riding Hood. I really liked how Kathryn Purdie experimented with darker interpretations of classic fairy tales. Clara is a very determined and caring character. The forest has many dangers and traps that require Clara and her friends to work together to survive. Clara also has a physical disability, which makes her journey into the forest more difficult and requires her to wear a shoe with a special lift in it. Axel and Clara have a very sweet romance, which I’m excited to see explored more! The ending of the book made it seem like there’s more stories to be told in this world. I’m looking forward to returning to the Forest Grimm! Readers who enjoy Isabel Ibañez, Elizabeth Lim, and Rebecca Ross should check this book out!

Thank you to Kathryn Purdie, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

I really enjoy fairy tale retellings, so I liked this story. Clara is a likable protagonist for the most part, with her intrepid chums Axel (who turns out to be in love with her) and her best friend Henni (who honestly doesn't seem to be that great of a friend). The dark journey through the Forest Grimm to save Clara's mother and Henni's sister. Ella, Axel's former beloved makes sense, but the character arcs aren't fully fleshed out. You get some backstory about Axel and Ella falling out/Axel being love with Clara, but the romance doesn't really follow through the threads of the story. The fairy tales were sprinkled throughout, however, it was kind of unclear why certain members of the Lost became possessed fairy tale characters. Obviously, magic exists (Clara's grandmother reads tarot cards, and, surprise, turns out to be able to shape shift into a wolf!, the Book of Fortunes, etc.), but the magic system isn't fully explained? And Clara, with her red cape, is clearly intended to be Little Red Riding Hood, but...why? And what does her having a limp have to do with it? And the red rampion-what exactly was the significance? And Hansel and Gretel were 6 but like older and then wanted to eat Clara and her friends but were Fiona's (Rapunzel's?) children. The story threads were a little convoluted and I didn't think it was wrapped up in the end, but perhaps it's more fully fleshed out in the next book? The story itself wasn't bad, there were just a lot of details that didn't necessarily further the plot. So, I would recommend to those who like fairy tales and aren't put off by a bit of inconsistency.

To be completely honest, I did not love this story. The author seemed to sacrifice character development and relatable emotion in favor of a fast-paced plot. Despite the intriguing take on Grimm's fairytales, I was unable to connect in any way with the story and ended up skimming large chunks. The Forest Grimm was not my cup of tea.

It's dark, it's broody and the retellings weave into a beautiful story set in the Grimm Forest in a way you will not expect. This was beautiful in how it was told and refreshing for a Grimm take.

People have been slowly becoming the Lost from a small village in the Grimm Forest including our main characters mother. The magic of the forest takes them over and they disappear into the forest never to be seen again. Not long ago the forest had gifted the village a book that gave you one wish. As long as you never told anyone what that wish was, it would happen but when someone misuses that wish the forest takes the book back and turns on the village.

Our main character wants to go in and find her mother along with the other missing villagers, but the forest refuses anyone entry. When the cards show a shift in her future from an early death to a possible change she decides she will do whatever it takes to save her mother.

I really liked the writing in this. It was dramatic, dark, and plot-driven. I'd recommend to anyone who liked fairytale retellings.

This was an interesting fairytale retelling. Mostly following along Little Red Riding Hood, but several others are mixed in there. The story went on a little bit longer than I think was necessary but it kept my attention throughout, even during the longer traveling parts. Overall a fun YA romantasy!

Kathryn Purdie weaves together a clever, gothic retelling of several fairytales - closer to the original Grimm versions than the Disney ones - in this atmospheric and haunting story about a young woman trying to find her mother and break the curse of her village.

I honestly couldn't put this book down - it was phenomenal! Brilliantly written and totally gripping, I would recommend it over and over again.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

This was interesting. Lots of fairy tales mashed together or referenced in different ways. I think it’ll appeal to young people who enjoy a quest/adventure story with friendship and a dash of romance.

I received a copy of this book from Wednesday Books.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the chance to read The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie before publishing.
All thoughts spoken are my own.

GR rating: 4 ⭐'s
My rating: 4 ⭐'s

Creepy Fairytales, and horror. A winning combo in my books. I really enjoyed this read. It weaved in numerous different Fairytales with that traditional darkness of The Brother's Grimm.

It was such an adventurous ride throughout, and just when you think you know how something will turn out, it completely derails and goes into another direction.

All in all a fun, and easy fantasy read that I will be recommending!

Releasing September 19th, 2023

I really wanted to love this book, but I had a hard time staying engaged. I felt like every time it started getting good, it took a left turn and got sidetracked with redundant content. It kept beating down a repetitive plot line that got old.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Woow! What an adventurous rollercoaster!

It takes those classic fairytales and twists them in a haunting and horrifying way. I love seeing stories bring a unique take on a classic, and that is what this story did. This book definitely has some witchy elements so I think it would be a great book to read who deal with tarot cards.

The reason I did not give this more than three stars is I would have liked to be more connected a little more with the characters. Sometimes the story fast going but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy in exchange for my early and honest review of The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie.

Hey kids, don’t wander off into the woods by yourself! Everybody knows that, especially seventeen-year-old Clara Thurn, but that advice is not enough to keep her from seeking her mother and the other Lost Ones even it means sacrificing herself in the process.
But let’s back up. Clara and her family live in the magical village of Grimm Hollow where everyone over the age of sixteen has the option of making one heartfelt wish and the mysterious Book of Fortune that protects the town would reveal how to fulfill it. But as everyone knows, there are rules to magic and someone (we never find out who) has broken the rules, plunging the little town into despair. The magical book, Sortes Fortunae has disappeared in a huff and has taken the peoples’ good luck. Soon the wells turn rancid; the rains stop coming and crops won’t grow. As if the villagers hadn’t suffered enough, one by one or in pairs, villagers wander into the Grimm Woods in a trance never to return.
The first to enter and not return was Clara’s mother and now Clara is determined to enter the forbidden forest to rescue her. That’s the book’s basic premise. Now throw in a handsome village heartthrob, a scary grandma and a clueless female sidekick, and Clara’s off to meet the wizard!
Oh, wait, wrong story. That leads me to a bone I must pick with the author. I felt as if I was suffering from Deja vu the further I read. At every turn, I felt that the author had borrowed bits and pieces from other stories and movies. I found myself asking, “Wait, am I reading the Hunger Games?” and, “Isn’t that from such-and-such film?” But you know what, I’m ok with that as when you have a mishmash of fairy tales such as this, it’s going to seem familiar in certain spots. Regardless, I was still firmly invested in the characters by chapter three and could not put the book down. The story takes the readers down many dark paths with lots of twists and turns (almost as many as the ones in Clara’s back. Ugh, enough complaining Clara!). More than once I found myself saying, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”
Even though the end was somewhat rushed and left readers a bit unfulfilled, it’s clear that book two is in the works, and I can’t wait to grab it. Give this YA book a try yourself or pick it up for your favorite teen. It’s a fun read that you’ll really devour faster than the Big Bad Wolf at a pig roast!

I love a good retelling, and none more than a Grimm style one: the more horror and creepiness the better. So I was excited to be able to read a book from a familar face with a premise in that vein. I wasn't diappointed, By far my favorite elements were when Purdie leaned into the scary sides of the story, fairrytales, and the magical forest setting.

What I don't normally like in stories is a friends to lovers trope (maybe I've read too many of them), but here I think it was excecuted well, and I can appreciate the romance as a whole. The pining and slow burn isn't bad, but it's for sure written for a younger set of the YA age category. It's not for me, but I'm glad to see a true YA book that younger ages can read, and not an NA book in disguise.

The plot is what I would describe as an Into the Woods like-story, and it is certainly a plot heavy book. It was wasn't groundbreaking, but I liked that it was easy to follow and wasn't a battle to understand what was going on, especially in a fantasy. I will say that I wasn't a fan of the larger setting: I personally *loathe* the Serpant & Dove style of having a fantasy world use a real world language and yet that place is erased behind fantasy worldbuilding, but that's my own outlook.

It was a good read: I wasn't struggling through it, and I know people who would resonate with it in its target audience. The only elements I didn't like were a result of personal opinion or not being the right, younger audience, so I say judge for yourself! 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Loved how imaginative this story was and how it weaves in so many different fairy tales. Engaging and fast moving plot that kept my attention. I also loved the epilogue and definitely plan on reading the sequel I believe must be coming.

I did really enjoy this! I love fairytale retellings to begin with but pair that with the romantic longing written in YA Lit, and it’s just something kinda beautiful!

Loved this creative new take on Grimm’s fairytales. In this book, Grimm is the forest and the people that have wandered off within have seemingly become Grimm Fairytale characters. (Because they’ve all gone cuckoo.) And our protagonists go into the forest to try to save (mainly) their loved ones. However, being within close radius to each other has two of the three feeling special feelings for each other which they shouldn’t be having. They need to focus on their mission! (That whole feeling gives me flashbacks of my entire youth. Lol) But oh how I love the longing. 😍🥰🥰

Now, I hate cliff hangers. I’m far too curious a person to be okay with them. They drive me half crazy for a while until I forget about the book, the the next comes around and I have to reread to remember because emotionally, I’ve moved onto something else. BUT I’m glad to know there’s another book to come. Potentially. So people need to buy this book so we can get that next one, for my own sanity and that of the others who can’t deal with cliff hangers. Lol
-.5⭐️
And second, while the story is interesting and I did thoroughly enjoy it, I hate the cover art. I know that’s not a nice thing to say, but it’s my honest opinion. I wouldn’t grab this in a shop because it’s not an attention grabber for me, and I do judge a book my it’s cover. Unfortunately. If it wasn’t provided by NetGalley, I’d never have come to know this story because what grabbed my attention was the mention of “Grimm” and the author. (I did like Bone Crier’s Moon.)
-.5⭐️

So, I’m off to preorder because I want a copy for my home library.

If you like fairytale retellings, this is a great spin on those stories so make sure to check this book out!😊💜