3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The Forest Grimm is a YA fantasy that feels like the Grimm fairytales got dumped into an Alice in Wonderland forest.

Clara believes she is cursed and also believes that she needs to enter the Grimm Forest to save those who are lost.

This is a very plot driven book so you don’t get much character growth but the forest is dark, mysterious, and full of atmosphere. I really enjoyed the descriptions and feeling of the forest.

I did find the plot to move a little slow for me towards the 2nd half of the book and the main character’s best friend really irritated me.

If you are a fantasy lover, this is a nice quick read that was unique from any other books I have read recently.

It pretends to be mainly a Little Red Riding Hood story in which there's a creepy magic forest (totally my cuppa) but ends up being another haphazard pastiche of unrelated fairy tales (totally not my cuppa) set in a world where the main characters speak French but have names in other languages and France doesn't exist.

It shouldn't have been this long, and it shouldn't have ended in a cliffhanger that is clearly going to be a lead-in for a series either. There's not enough plot for it, it's aimless meandering for a story that doesn't know what it wants to be.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending an arc of this my way in exchange for review. This was my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. I loved the fairy tale aspect of it, the writing is beautiful and I’m definitely adding this to my To Buy List.

Highly reccomend!

3.5 stars

Sometimes I read a book and am thoroughly confused about how I felt about it. This is exactly what happened with The Forest Grimm. Although I had trouble connecting to the characters, I couldn’t put the book down because I had to see how it ended. I enjoyed the fairytale elements and the role of fate but wanted more in terms of character development and relationships. For me, ratings are mostly gut feelings and this book was fun to read but seemed to be missing the grounding factor that makes a book 4 or 5 stars. However, it was still an enjoyable read and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel since there are still unsolved mysteries. Definitely pick this up if you love ya fairytale retellings that are more plot-focused.

Thank you to Wednesday books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARc in exchange for my honest feedback. I was a big fan of the Bone Crier's moon and i love a fairy tale retelling so i was super excited to read this one. I loved how to story started out and came together, but the plot got a bit muddy in the middle. It wasn't totally clear to me what exactly happened to the Lost in the Forest Grimm and i found some of the fairy tale tie-ins confusing. It was also tricky to get on board with the romance. Eventually, it made sense but starting out it seemed the characters didn't have a genuine interest in each other and that one was already in love with someone else. Overall the story lacked the cohesiveness of her other series and i didn't feel a strong emotional connection to the characters or the resolution.

This book was so good, seriously...

Another one that I read in one day, it was engaging, and quick to read.

I love retellings and the brothers Grimm, so this was great and I can't wait for the sequel!

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for providing me an eARC of the book in exchange for my honest review!

I was excited to read this book because I love retellings and bonus, it was based more on the Grimm fairytales! The book did a great job with adding some twists to these and creating an interesting world and magic system, You didn't quite know what would come next or how the FMC and her friends would escape, so you wanted to read that next chapter to see what would happen next. The overall plot is fantastic!

That being said, there were some aspects of the book that I did not enjoy. The main characters where kinda dull and not vary fleshed out. So the areas between the plots points where the characters were interacting more, just fell flat and dragged. While the FMC had a set goal, it felt like that was her main personality trait and she did not grow at all. It also did not help how oblivious she was to the MMC, which is just a personal pet peeve of mine. Also, her friend just felt tedious and only there to create more issues for the main characters.

While the magic system and lore was easy to understand and was interesting, it felt like there were times where it was overexplained or explained two too many times. The most glaring to me was the FMC explaining why the townspeople pinch the wishers and then using the same exact explanation two chapters later. Some other examples are explaining the significance of the red flower or how the book works. Again, some of the explanations just felt like they were copy and pasted over and over again.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and did genuinely want to know what would happen next. And while I don't think this needs a sequel, there are a few loose ends that I hope will be tied up in it.

Yeah so the book is not allowed to end like that when it’s going to be over a year before I can get my hands on the sequel!

I love all things fairytale so of course I jumped for joy at the opportunity to read The Forest Grimm. As the name suggests it’s heavily influenced by the Brothers Grimm, incorporating their dark and twisted tales into one overarching plot.

I was immediately pulled into the story - fortune-telling and a girl fated to die. A magical book that grants wishes and a sentient forest. That’s exactly the recipe for a dark and enchanting fairytale. The setting is so unique - a magical forest has turned its back on the villagers it used to bless after its magic is used to harm. The villagers need to make amends in order to lift the curse that’s fallen over their land. I absolutely adored our cast of characters - Clara, Henni, and Axel all have their own strengths and weaknesses, but are bound together by their desire to bring their loved ones and the rest of the lost villagers home. The slow-burn romance was also a highlight of the story.

This is one of the first books I’ve ever read with scoliosis representation. I loved the simple mentions of Clara’s S-shaped curve and the modifications to her shoes to help take some of the pressure off her back. This is not something you often read about, especially not in fairytales, and as someone who has two minor curves of my own, I appreciated the inclusion.

Overall, The Forest Grimm is a beautifully written and fast-paced story. The author did an amazing job taking the tales we’re all familiar with and turning them into an enchanting story of her own. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Clara and her best friend/love Axel must venture into the midnight forest to breal a curse on her village. It's a bit dark but love the twists on the fairy tales. It's a fun read. The characters are great. Brave and smart and fun. A fun read overall.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

I received an email from the publisher with a link to read it, and so I did. Maybe I shouldn't have, given that I doubted I would like it. But one can dream that their first impression might be wrong. Unfortunately, my initial reaction was sound, and it was about what I feared – another average poorly written YA.

The writing is juvenile and frankly reminiscent of the average teenage fanfiction. The action scenes in particular are awful; they are clunkier than wooden clogs.

<blockquote><i>I take up the knife. Cut the last blades of grass. Clamber after Axel. Not fast enough. Roots whip my backside. I push to my feet. Axel darts back for me. He grabs my hand.”</blockquote></i>

There's some significant info-dumping in the beginning. Clara says she's got a plan, and then goes into an info dump for 8 (e-book) pages.

Clara and Axel (separately, together) are so bland. They have no spice, no seasoning, no flavor. Clara obsesses about fate, and Axel is a man-boy that smells like “air that is clean with green wood and sharp with mountain pine...subtler notes, honeyed and musky like beeswax, but also earthy like cedar oil rubbed into leather.” Their romance isn't compelling, and a kiss is described “a lengthy, heated gnawing on my lips”. That isn't sexy, I'm sorry.

Some of the fairytale aspects were interesting, but mostly it felt lacking. The red rampion and the Grimm wolf had the most nuance to them, but the other aspects felt like just fairytale hopping.

The whole premise of why the Forest took the Book of Fortunes away was weak. A villager wished for the murder of one of the other villagers, and the Book told them to...stab the man in the back? Why would they waste their ONE wish on that? So then the Forest whisked the Book away, but left a convenient note to tell them why it was taken and how to get it back* The murder aspect felt like a poorly constructed plot device that needed more work. At least make how the man died something unique! I'd even accept a strange poison. But a knife in the back?? No.

*Clara tells us the inscription/riddle for how to get the Book back. It's VERY simple prose, and she takes the time to explain the verses, like we're stupid or something.

This book should have been a standalone. I say that about a lot of books, but this one definitely deserves it. The ending could have sufficed for an ending with maybe a few tweaks, and it's not until the last 4 pages or something that you know there's a sequel planned.

In chapter 27, location 2868, Clara refers to the boy and girl as Hansel and Gretel, even though they don't find out their names until a page or two later.

I'm hoping that some of these issues, especially the action wording and the goof with Hansel and Gretel (since those are most easily fixed), will be addressed by the time this gets published.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars

I enjoyed this YA retelling of Grimm fairytales mixed with some changes. I also enjoyed the optimism that Clara had with changing her fate. I thought it was a good theme throughout the book of not giving up!

I enjoyed that the Grimm fairytales were more sinister and made up of the villagers that Clara knew. Made it slightly more personal. They each were twisted and I enjoyed seeing how Clara and her friends got out of it!

Clara and Axel were definitely a slow burn. I enjoyed that it wasn’t over the top in yearning. They each had their own story in a way before they got together.

The world building was great! I loved that the forest moved and the different areas they discovered. It was interesting to read about the forrest quirks. As well as the spin on little red riding hood!

My only complaint is that the characters seemed a little under developed. I wish we knew more about Henni and the other villagers they found.

Overall I really enjoyed the plot for this book! It made sense it didn’t wrap up so quickly and think how the author ended it was perfect. Looking forward to book 2!

*Thank you to Wednesday Books, Kathryn Purdie and Netgalley for giving me an e-arc of "The Forest Grim " in exchange for an honest review *

I love fairytale retellings and "The Forest Grim" was a treat to read. Even though fairytale have been retold over and over again , Kaththryn Purdie breathes new life into them with this book.

The Forest Grimm is book one in the The Forest Grimm series by Kathryn Purdie.

And it’s quite the start to a atmospheric YA fantasy series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and feel like it’s an easy story to read in one sitting.
Not because it’s a simple story but because it’s addicting.
The world is unique and so is the magic system. I was blown away by the vivid details and storytelling.
I was pulled deep into Grimm’s Hollow and became fully invested in Clara and Axel’s journey. The characters are astoundingly well written.
Where fairy tales come to life with a dark, deadly twist!
The Forest Grimm is filled with action and adventure, magic, intrigue, fairy tales and a strong female character.
Easily five stars! Incredibly unputdownable!
I can't WAIT for the next book in this series!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was a really good YA retellings fantasy! It was easy to read and the plot moved along quickly from the start. There isa a lot of travel and adventure but it was simple enough to follow. Romance is slow burn and of course there's the drama and it was okay.
It goes without saying, I’m excited to see what happens in the rest of the series!

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press & Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great fantasy with fairy-tale elements that should satisfy younger YA readers. I haven’t read any books of Kathryn Purdie’s before, but the writing reminded me of Brigid Kemmerer’s. If you loved “A Curse So Dark and Lonely” or “Defy the Night,” you might enjoy “The Forest Grimm.”

The Forest Grimm was a pleasant read. This book gave me a spine-chilling experience. I was drawn in and my imagination was running wild. I have never thought that it could be that creepy. I really love the idea of the cursed town, the retelling of many great tales around it and the way the author ties and connects all those tales together. I was really surprised when I got to the real backgrounds of the retellings.

The only reason it doesn’t get five stars is because there are some tension-relief dialogues that bother me. When the scenes were building up to an ominous situation, suddenly random flirting dialogues were inserted and I completely lost that gripping tension. I think it would be more exciting if that certain scenes were kept away from any tension-relief moments.

Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman sets out to rescue her mother from an enchanted forest, but when the lost resurface without memories and wolves circle she will need to outwit the land of fairytales gone wrong before it's too late.

I hadn't read a non crossover YA in some time so it was interesting to come across a story actually meant for teenagers. I think young girls will enjoy this new take on an enchanted forest and fairytales. The plot isn't too predictable at all and the surprises are well meaning and add to the atmosphere.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was interesting! It takes those classic Grimm 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. I definitely got the creeps once or twice, in a good way! This book definitely has some witchy elements so I think it would be a great book to read during October.

Though this book is YA, it had a very young tone to it. I think people ages 12-14 is a great audience for this tale. Unfortunately, I am 25 so I felt this was a little young for me. I understand I am not the target audience, though.

The reason I did not give this 5 stars is I would have liked to see a little more characterization. This is a plot-driven story, but I wanted to get to know the characters more. I struggled to find an attachment to any of the characters in this book due to the blandess of their personalities.

I would definitely purchase this for a younger family member, though. A solid book, but nothing to write home about.

You know, I'll have to start off by saying sometimes getting an ARC can be a curse. This is one of those times.
Not because the book wasn't good. It is incredible. I was enraptured from the start. The action and story telling were fast paced. The slow burn love story mixed jnto the fantasy was perfect. Our cast of characters had their own strengths and weaknesses that were used and overcome.
The incorporation of certain tales from Grimm were on point. I love how an original story was weaved using them. Were Grimm's fairy tales already dark? Yes. But this took them on and made for a darker, more magical retelling of them. They pieced together quite nicely. Going from one into another in ways that make absolute sense.
No, it's a curse because the expected publication for this book isn't until September. So I'll have to wait that long to get my physical copy. And then will come the wait until the next one.

An ARC was provided from Wednesday publishing through netgalley in exchange for honest review. Thank you for the chance to read this book.

I absolutely loved the twist on the fairy-tales! It was a tiny bit slow in the beginning but quickly picked up once Clara and Axel entered the forest, then it was a mad dash through them trying to find and save everyone. I really enjoyed the slow burn relationship between Axel and Clara, I could see he cared for her before she noticed it. The ending was completely unexpected, I really thought there would be a happy ending where every lost villager came home but it was so much better! Clara never giving up on her mom despite her grandmother telling her it was a lost cause to try and save her, then realizing she had to take her mother's life really surprised me.

I did have 2 complaints about the book. 1. Henni felt very underdeveloped. It was a fast/ short read, so I get that you can only do so much but honestly felt like she needed more. She was very pouty after finding Ella and having to leave her, and since we didn't know much about her it felt hollow.
2. The amount of times we had to hear that Grandmere only drew those 2 cards during readings was so overdone. I swear it was mentioned almost every chapter.