{3.5 stars}

This story features a dark haunted forest with a Hunger Games like selection to enter the forest to break the curse. Years ago Clara’s mother went into the forest and never returned. Many others in the village have done the same. Clara is determined to be chosen to enter the forest. When she is not but her love interest Axel is, she follows him anyway. What they encounter trying to save Axel’s betrothed and her mother is the horrors of many classic Grimm's characters including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel & Gretel, Briar Rose and Sleeping Beauty. These characters' fates are all weaved together and it's not clear if Clara can save them all.

I loved the dark vibes and the retelling aspect. Clara is smart and plucky and only a little lovestruck. I like a female main character that we don't have to roll our eyes at for following a boy. The way the various stories fit together was really cool, it reminded me of the TV show Once Upon a Time, albeit a YA version. Fair warning there is a bit of an open ending, I wouldn't call it a cliff hanger but it is clear that Clara's mission is not over.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

I am a big fan of reimagined fairy tales, and this was the perfect mix of the horror of the original Grimm tales, as well as having some of the fantastical elements of a princess, a castle, and a star-crossed romance. The forest itself was a character and it was hard to know who to trust. So many elements came together to make this such a wonderful tale of the love a daughter has for her mother, a son for his father, and a sister for her sibling. But the dark side of love can come back to haunt these relationships and sometimes one must make a sacrifice or do something unthinkable to sever the relationship.

This was so good on so many levels, and I hope to read more by Kathryn Purdie. It was fast-paced, swoonworthy, and scary which is a perfect combination for me! I highly recommend for all Teen librarians!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was a fun fairytale retelling, slightly slow, but overall enjoyable.

We get several fairytales mixed in and they both work and don't work at the same time. I was able to get lost in the story and the writing is good. This would be perfect during the fall when you want to relax with something easy to read

This was an entertaining tale rooted in classic fairytales. When the small town by the Forest Grimm gets cursed, the villagers try to break the curse. Clara, Axel and Henni have all been affected by the curse so they decide to take it into their hands to save their town. It's an adventurous and entertaining tale.

This was an interesting twist on the Red Riding hood story, ans I enjoyed how it had a lot of other fairytale characters mixed in.

I enjoyed how the author tied all the character stories in.. The characters were quirky and fun.

I don't think this was especially memorable, but I had a good time with it! The story itself was a hint predictable, but that didn't really ruin my enjoyment of it. The characters were good and the romance was as swoony as promised! The overall aesthetic was probably my favorite part of the entire thing though as it felt so inviting and perfect for this story

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie was such a unique read! It is inspired by Grimm's fairy tales and Little Red Riding Hood with a dark twist. It has everything you want in a YA book like romance, adventures, and a gorgeous setting. Keep in mind that this book does lean toward the darker fantasy side but it was still a great time! If the premise sounds good then definitely pick this one up!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review!

I read this at just the right time. I was looking for something a little bit spooky and fast paced, and The Forest Grimm delivered. I absolutely loved the way that Purdie inverted the fairy tales that we know to make them something other. I'm also a sucker for romance, I liked the hints we got of a potential pairing sprinkled throughout. Overall, I would definitely recommend this to any fans of fairy tale retellings.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book just wasn’t for me. I felt like the pacing was a little too slow and I never found myself eager to pick the book back up. It wasn’t the writing that I didn’t care for but the development of the story.

Pretty creative retelling of several Grimm fairy tales. Reminded me of Greymist Fair (which I definitely preferred), but this was good, too. Nothing really new, but I stayed engaged with the story. Overall, not my favorite Grimm's retellings, but I do enjoy a mysterious wood, classic fairy tales, and the like.

Great concept but a rushed set of words strung together with no compassion or intrigue. I had high hopes for this as I love the old fairy tales.

I was given this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Like a bulk of YA characters on a journey our MC knows better than all her peers and elders and as such need not take their advice which is annoying. She has this blind faith she is doing the right thing.

The author annoyingly points out the main character's flaw of scoliosis through the WHOLE book which I could totally do without. We remember this fact, please don't beat us to death with it.

If you can get past that then the fearsome fairytale characters in this book are fun to meet. They strike me as the truly horrific characters originally made and not the washed out Disney version. Though our MC is gullible as are her companions each time, they never learn.

The plot was good. The main character's growth was minimal. Overall I'd give it 3.5 ⭐

The enchanting world, lovable characters, and the heart-wrenching story left my heart yearning for more from the story! ✨ I would highly be recommending this story. Can’t wait to read the next book by the author.

I enjoyed the first half more than the second half. I agree with reviews that it felt like a bunch of fairytales were thrown in haphazardly. I also think it could have been a stand alone. I really liked the idea behind it, I just felt the execution was a bit off. Some of the characters were a bit whiney. That being said there were parts I did enjoy, and I will read the sequel.

I didn’t know what to expect with this one, but I ended up loving it! I decided to listen to the audio and oved the narrator. This was a great YA love story and I loved how the fairy tales were interwoven throughout the book. It got a little dark and twisted near the end, but I was still entertained by the whole thing. I highly recommend the audio!

Due to St. Martins Press refusal to address the remarks made by their employee regarding Palestine, I will not be reviewing this book.

This in no way has anything to do with the author. But I refuse to support anything from SMP because of their refusal to address a major issue at hand.

If you love retellings and the classic fairytales interwoven this is a great read. This retelling mixes all the classics together and comes up with some interesting combinations but they all work. It does end with a small cliffhanger but nothing that should keep you from picking it up even before the next book is out.

Not at all what I was expecting, but still a great read! The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is the first book in a duology about a magical forest and the people who are lured in. Clara has spent her entire life in her little village on the edge of the Forest Grimm, learning fairy tales and folk lore from her grandmother. Years earlier, the forest turned on the villagers and took its magical book, the Sortes Fortunae, back. The villagers would whisper their dreams to the book, and it would tell them how to reach those dreams. Now, the book is gone, their water rancid, and crops diseased. The village is dying, and every time they make an appeal to the forest, it takes another villager. Now, Clara and her best friend venture into the forest, defying fate in the hopes of saving those they love and have lost.

Clara is an interesting character, and the book is told from her perspective. Her grandmother is a fortune teller and has read Clara’s fate many times. It always ends the same: death. Clara isn’t necessarily afraid of her fate, but she wants to make sure everyone she loves is safe. So she plans to take fate into her own hands, entering the forest. She is brave, a little reckless, and a lot in love with her best friend. I adore Axel. He stands behind Clara always, and despite her constantly pushing him away, he’s always there when she needs him most.

This book is a good mix of character-driven and plot-driven. So much happens in this book! I was surprised when I reached the end and realized it was a duology. I expected it to be over. Clara’s story follows Grimm’s Little Red Riding Hood. There’s a forest and a large wolf hunting her, plus she has her huntsman in Axel. I liked how the author weaved in her story with the source material creating something new. We see several stories played out in this one including Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel. These make an interesting addition to the story by adding mythos to the Forest Grimm.

Overall, while it took me a while to read, I really enjoyed The Forest Grimm. It’s an exciting adventure with wonderful world building. Clara and Axel are easy to root for both as friends and the potential for more than friends. Highly recommend for fans of fantasy!

I went into this not quite sure what exactly I would be getting. I was just intrigued by the idea of the magical system in this book and the fairy tale tie ins. I felt the premise had potential but the execution was lacking.

I wanted to like the main character more than I did. The pacing was a bit uneven and some situations it was hard to suspend my disbelief and stay engaged in the story.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC. This is my honest review,