The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
Publication Date: September 19, 2023

Clara enters the forest against her Grandmother’s advice to search for a missing grimoire to remove the curse on her village and hopefully bring back the missing townspeople, including her mother. There’s some obvious magic interwoven into the story but also some fairy tale reimaginings, if the gorgeous cover didn’t already give that away.

I’m always down for anything fairy tale and the promise of a dark, creepy forest and a romance had piqued my interest. In those aspects the book certainly delivered. The thing that kept this from being more than just a good book for me was that there was an absence of an overarching villain. The forest itself was a kind of villain I guess but then every other chapter they would encounter an individual and a situation would ensue. The encounter usually happened because of a failure of trust between the trio. It was a bit repetitive and also made the stakes unclear. I was approaching the end of the book and I still didn’t see a clear path forward for the characters to overcome their problem of locating the missing book. They also seemed to have their own individual goals counterproductive to the others. It felt kind of endless because of the lack of build-up in terms of stakes. 

It was filled with so many good YA tropes it ended up taking on the feeling of a good comfort read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

I jumped at the opportunity when I found this title on netgalley. I usually love fairytale retellings and I thought since I haven't read a little red riding hood one in a while this one might intrigue me. Sadly it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. There was a mash of other fairytales mixed in. It also felt very long.

A fun retelling of several fairy tales woven together. While the story is held together by the main characters' journey through the forest, it ends up feeling a bit muddled. I'm left wondering what the story is trying to say about fate and individual agency. I think 7th-10th grade students who like stories about magic would like this book.

The Forest Grimm reads like a fairytale in which the forest gifts a village a magical tome, but once someone uses that magic for harm to another, the forest curses the village with misfortune and residents of the village also disappear. 17 year old Clara has been fated an untimely death and in an attempt to rid herself of her fate and to also find her mother who disappeared, she and a friend decide to enter the forest and find the magical tome that was taken back by the forest itself which proves to be harder than she had imagined. This was an interesting story that had its twists and turns, and some very dark moments thrown in. Although this is a YA book, it did read a lot younger than I was expecting. Overall this story was very interesting and enjoyed following Clara on her quest to find a way to reverse the forests magic and change her fate.

I'm sorry but this book wasn't for me. The beginning felt a bit like an info dump and throughout the book I felt there was too much exposition and not enough action. The whole storyline with the cards felt unnecessary and like nothing needed to change about the story if it was taken out, besides giving Clara more agency. Another thing, the romance felt a bit too much like cheating for me to really care or root for them. The entire conflict with Ella and her lingering feelings for Axel as well as Axel's secret about their wedding day seemed too convenient and resolved too quickly. Finally, I thought the worldbuilding was lacking. The curse and why it happened and what it's function was could have explained more clearly. Why did Clara's mom turn into a vampire?

I think the best thing about this book is how it subverts all expectations.

When you see the cover you assume little red riding hood, and yet there's so much more woven into the meat of the story.

And what is woven in is twisty and dark and not what you'd expect.

A very good read for those with a love of fairy tales. I would give this one to Marissa Meyer fans for sure.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC.

If you like fairytales but a little more dark then this is the book for you. I found this book very enjoyable, fun and easy to read. It is definitely more on the younger side of YA not guitar middle grade but not quite YA just somewhere there in the middle.

Most of your childhood fairy tales but throw in an odd, dark twist and you have The Forest Grimm. You meet Clara, daughter of one of the first lost people and granddaughter of a fortune teller who is set to finding out what happened to her mother and other people who got lost in the forest.

For a while I was going back and forth on what to rate this book. I ended up settling with three stars. While I did enjoy it there were a couple of elements that bothered me throughout which is a shame bc the prose is good and so is the concept of this dark forest full of twisted fairy tales. For starters, the main character frankly was a little obnoxious. She kept emphasizing the meaning of the cards and why the curse existed which became repetitive and frankly annoying very quickly. Also the amount of times she mentions having an S Curved spine really got on my nerves. I know the author was probably trying to implement disability representation but as someone who has a form of scoliosis we don’t think like that. All of those mentions could have cut out the words “S curved spine” and left it at my spine twinged in pain or something.

The Forest Grimm is wonderful for those who love fairy tales! While I did enjoy it overall, I did struggle to like Clara (she comes off really immature and annoying at times) and found the pacing to be a bit all over the place.

Clara's grandmother reads fortunes using tarot cards, and every time she has read Clara's fortune, it has foretold Clara's premature death; Clara repeatedly asks for her fortune to be read, hoping for a different result. However, Clara is also resigned to the fact that she will have an early death. But before that happens, she hopes to save her mother, Rosamund, who shares the same fate. Grimm's Hollow, the village where they live, was blessed with the magic of the Forest Grimm, in the form of the Book of Fortunes. Once a villager was of age (16), they could call upon the magic of the book once in their lifetime, and their wish would come true. However, they had to keep their wish secret -- if they revealed their wish, it would be reversed.

Unfortunately, before Clara reached age sixteen and could make her wish to save her mother, the forest's magic turned on the village. An unknown villager used the Book of Fortune to commit murder. As a result, the Book of Fortune disappeared. Even worse, sixty-seven villagers, including Rosamund, have wandered into the forest, never to return. The village has created a monthly ritual called Devotion Day, where one villager is chosen to try to enter the Forest Grimm and find the lost villagers and the Book of Fortune and reverse the curse. When the Book disappeared, a single page remained with a riddle with a clue as to how to reverse the curse. However, the forest typically immediately rejects the chosen villager, including Clara when she was chosen.

But Clara is determined to enter the Forest Grimm, find the Book of Fortune, and find her mother. She will discover an unexpected way to enter the forest, with her friends Axel and Henni, and with the aid of a special red cape that her mother created (and which Clara's grandmother had hidden away). What they find in the forest is not what they expected. They will find some of the "Lost Ones", but these individuals have changed considerably, and give new meaning to some classic fairytales - Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel, etc. Clara with her red cape is an homage to Little Red Riding Hood. Clara will also discover that her fortune and her future is not as straightforward as she believed, with profound changes for her and her friends.

This book was a fun and easy read. An enjoyable YA fairytale retelling. The storyline was enjoyable and flowed well. The characters were interesting
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

2.5
The content of this book is a bit like the cover - you can see where she's going but it came out just a smidge off and vaguely embarrassing somehow.

I am a sucker for fairytale retellings of all kinds. So when I saw this one I was immediately intrigued by the cover and title. Which can we give a moment to the cover, on it's own it was phenomenal. Then the book itself did not disappoint at all!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

The Forest Grimm is a fun and unique read. I’d recommend it for fans of fairy tales and the Grimm brothers. I liked how the fairy tales interwove through the story. Parts of book were slow and others were fast paced, but overall it kept me engaged. I definitely felt the tone of the writing skewed toward younger YA, so I would say this is a great read for readers 12-16 especially.

Those who enter the Forest are never seen again.

Clara lives on the edge of the forest. Her once blessed town is now cursed and the villagers are paying the price for someone’s evil wish. Clara has already lost her mother to the woods and she determined to bring her home. When she discovers her bright red cloak is the key to traveling safely though the trees, she sets out to save the Lost (her mother included), even if it means fulfilling her destiny….. of dying in the woods.

What I liked:
-Fairytales and magical forests are my JAM

What I didn’t like:
- To me, I felt like the first part of this book was done really well. It was well detailed, fast paced, kept my interest. THEN all the travel king happens, and while I get that it’s a huge forest it took away from the pacing. This book could have been told in 3/4’s the length.
-Clara is also supposed to be 17, but she comes across In attitude and mentality as younger. The dialogue didn’t do it for me.

Overall, a solid 3 out of 5.

My thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

It's hard to resist a good twisted fairy tale, and this book was no exception. Clara grows up surrounded by the magical Grimm Forrest with a grandmother who accurately reads the future, so from a young age she knows she is going to die an early death. That's a lot for anyone to handle, and gets even more complicated when her mother and other villagers begin to go missing in the Forrest that has turned on it's people. Clara is willing to sacrifice her life to save her mother - especially because it's already been foretold - but she has to remember to live first.

I love the atmosphere in this book, the forest is like an additional character in the story that feels like it can turn on you at any moment. The main characters are interesting and believable, and I think Clara is strong and well-written. I like the slow burn romance throughout as well. What I really enjoy is how we are introduced to fairy tales that we already know, but they are so far from the expected versions that the reader has no idea what is going to happen. I do feel the cover makes it look a little like a bad romance novel, when to me that's not the focus of the story at all. I loved the Grimm Wolf in here, and my heart was also captured by Ollie.

I recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy and fairy tales. It is written as YA, but I think some adults will enjoy it as well as a quick read. The romance aspect is very PG, and while it is a little haunting at times I wouldn't call anything in here super scary. While this could have easily been a standalone book, I definitely plan on continuing the series and look forward to reading the next one. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin's Press for my opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
*NO SPOILERS*

Themes: Fate, love, living
Representation: N/A
Content Warnings: Death, violence, drug use

Premise: The book Sortes Fortunae is stolen. The forest is cursed. Clara’s mother disappeared. To bring her mother back, Clara must go into the Forest Grimm where the curse started. She must learn to defy fate and find the book. Thus, with her friends Axel and Henni, they venture into the forest.

Characters

The characters in this book are more stock-type of characters with a few twists. I think this makes sense for this type of book because The Forest Grimm is a fairy tale retelling and in fairy tales, every character is often a stock character.

Clara, I generally feel that makes a good protagonist. I admire her stubbornness and determination to find the book and bring her mother back. I admire how she cares for those she loves including Axel and Henni. She does go through character development as the book progresses and learns to “live” despite her fate. She even admits some of her secrets to the other characters and fosters closer relationships with them. However, I do wish that Clara would stop picking at her looks throughout the book. I know that is very Disney-princess-y, however, I do not think it is necessary to the plot nor the character development of Clara. And also, wouldn’t it be great to have a female protagonist who is confident or neutral with the way she looks?

As for Axel, he is the typical love interest. He is strong, caring, and kind. He clearly cares about Clara, making sure she feels comfortable and offering her consolation when she feels unconfident throughout the book. He also treats Clara’s friend, Henni, with respect, protecting her modesty when she requests it. Axel does have secrets like Clara and eventually, he trusts her and Henni enough to reveal them, fostering closer relationships with them.

As for Axel and Clara’s relationship, you can see that they care for each other from how they speak to each other. However, even though the relationship is cute and they fit each other, I wish there was a bit more chemistry between them.

Henni plays the role of the best friend. She is the innocent one and she cares a lot about her sister. She, too, does go through some character development. In the book, it is revealed why Henni acts the way she does. However, I wish there was a bit more depth to her character as an individual rather than just being focused on her relationships with others.

Finally, Grandma, Ollie, and the forest characters. I think those characters generally just serve to further the plot of the book. Although we get a glimpse into their internal turmoil and feelings, I wish we got more from them rather than just having these character’s there to serve the plot of the story.

Rating: 3.5/5

Plot

This book is pretty plot-heavy as there is a clear goal at the beginning of the book that the main character wants to achieve that isn’t self-actualization. At least, I consider it to be more plot heavy. However, I must say that the plot is pretty formulaic.

Also, although a lot of people may say that having a bunch of fairy tales in the book “ruined” the story, I actually thought it was a pretty cool concept. As you see, I am a sucker for fairy-tale retellings and remixed classics. However, I do wish that the author paid more homage to the original tales rather than changing them.

The book starts off with Clara’s fortune being read in the prologue. And obviously (from the blurb) you can insinuate that her cards are The Midnight Forest and The Hanged Creature.

In the exposition, it is revealed that Clara’s mother and the Forest Grimm are cursed and that the book, Sortes Fortunae is stolen. The book does a pretty good job of setting up the exposition with Clara realizing what she must do to save her mother and the village, triggering the rising action.

In the rising action, Clara and her friends basically “live through” a bunch of fairy tales. Since, after all, this book is a fairy tale retelling. Although the rising action is pretty formulaic with each sort of mini-conflict following a fairly similar start and resolution, the author does a pretty good job of revealing some clues that will help with Clara’s journey.

The climax occurs when Clara’s goal is met. I don’t have anything much to say about it as I didn’t find it wowing or disappointing. However, I’d say that it was pretty expected.

Finally, the book doesn’t do the best job in my opinion on the falling action and denouement. A lot of things are revealed at once in the end with not a lot of explanation. And it also ends on a cliffhanger. I know the author did this to set the reader up for a sequel. However, I think this book would’ve been better as a standalone.

Will I read the sequel? Perhaps. But again, I think this book would’ve been better as a standalone.

Rating: 3.7/5

Style

My favourite part of this book is how it incorporated the notion of “fate” and “destiny.” I liked how the author included a lot of repetition in the book to draw the reader to the importance of fate in the book. For example, she repeats Clara’s cards over and over again, drawing the reader to the idea of Clara’s pre-determined fate. She also mentions a lot about “luck” and “omens” which I thought was fitting and unique for a fairy-tale retelling. Plus, it maintains a sort of whimsical air in this book, which is important for this type of book.

In terms of major themes, the only one I can think of is the idea of fate. It is explored throughout the book through Clara’s thoughts and actions. And I especially enjoyed how the author questions the idea of fate in the novel.

Finally, in terms of writing style, the author chooses to use third-person past tense in the prologue and epilogue to create the sort of distance that fairy tales maintain (most of them are told in third-person, past-tense). For the rest of the book, first-person present tense is used. (Probably to get more access to Clara’s thoughts.) I’m not too picky about tense and point-of-view so I do not hold an opinion on that.

As for diction in general, the author tries to use diction typical of a young adult book while trying to insert some of the more “flowery” writing of fantasy books. Again, I don’t hold too much opinion on that. The diction, to me, wasn’t particularly special nor did it hinder my ability to read the book.

Rating: 3.8/5

Final Rating

Characters: 3.5/5
Plot: 3.7/5
Formatting: 3.8/5
Final Rating: 3.7/5 (round to 4 stars)
Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Date Read: June 3rd, 2023
Date Reviewed: June 4th, 2023

The Forest Grim was a fun adventure quest through a cursed forest. I found it to be a good palate cleanser of a fantasy. I was never confused about the magic system and important details were repeated so I didn’t feel like I needed to be taking notes. It’s being marketed as YA and it definitely would be appropriate for middle grade readers as well. There weren’t any swear words that I noticed and the only “spice” between the romantic interests consists of a few kisses and some hand holding.
What made this so much fun was wondering which fairy tale character you might encounter around the next corner. Clara, the main character, doesn’t know the stories like we do. In her world, the haven’t been written yet. I am excited to see how the rest of the series plays out!

The Forest Grimm is a dark fairy tale mashup that I found rather disappointing.

There are two types of books that I will finish reading. The first is the enjoyable, fun to read type of books. The second is addictive, where I finish the book because I am so confused; these types of books generally leave me feeling the most grumpy. The Forest Grimm definitely fell into the latter category.

WHAT I LIKED
I found the cover pretty.

The idea of the story was intriguing. I love fairy tale retellings. Quests? Sign me up! I just wish the story had been executed better.

DISLIKES
See the content warnings.

It never really felt like the characters were getting anywhere. These were some of the most passive characters I have ever read. They were just roaming through the forest with no sense of direction, plan, or goal the entire time. While I realize that there might have been a bit of reality, it still was frustrating to see how much the characters weren’t even trying to come up with a plan.

This book was very dark. And it definitely did not have enough levity to balance it out. Reading this book was kinda like wading through Tolkien’s Dead Marshes without even getting the nice sense of melancholy or Howard Shore’s gorgeous music playing in the background.

THE NUMBER OF TIMES SHE MENTIONS HAVING AN S-CURVE IN HER SPINE IS RIDICULOUS. IT DIDN’T MATTER LIKE AT ALL FOR THE STORY. I have scoliosis, too, but I don’t think about it that much.

CONTENT
LANGUAGE: Three instances of d*** in quick succession. True, that was the only instance of profanity in this book, but it bothers me a lot more when many instances of vulgarity are used in quick succession.
VIOLENCE/GORE:
*Attempted strangulation
*Attempted cannibalism
*Murder
*Vampirism
*Stabbings
*Decomposing corpses
*Ghosts (I did not find them at all creepy, but they weren’t supposed to be)

SEX: Umm… I’m not exactly sure. There’s one scene where I think the characters might have had sex, but that scene was so confusing that I honestly have no idea. Granted, it was not graphic/descriptive enough for me to tell, so I guess it had that going for it. There are several kisses throughout the book.

DRUGS: Characters are drugged with psychedelic mushrooms.

OTHER: Fortune-telling is a major part of the story.

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