An eerie forest, a wise grandmother character, a reluctant yet inquisitive heroine, and a quest for a mysterious book? It's literally all of my favorite things in one story! This book is fairytale escapism at its finest; perfect for fans of Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood." It's a coming of age story that's unafraid to be realistically dark. Think Grimm's fairytales with less gore. This is the perfect book for Disney adults, or any teens and adults that grew up obsessed with fairytales.

This YA dark fantasy hodgepodge was a wild ride and tons of fun! The Forest Grimm is not a strict retelling of any fairy tale, but rather takes inspiration from the entire Grimm anthology. It’s Little Red Riding hood meets everyone else, but Red be shroomin’. So is everyone else, I guess, but they are on a Very Bad Trip (TM). It doesn’t dig too deep under the surface and it speeds through each little fairy tale bit, but I didn’t mind that because this is YA and I was having fun.

This book leans younger YA imho. It wasn’t perfect for sure, but it also doesn’t promise to be. I think any critique I have come from the experience of being an older(ish) adult reading a younger(ish) YA. And, well, you can’t really blame YA for being YA, amiright?! I will say though that I think there was a missed opportunity making this book YA. This premise would be more devourable than a poisoned apple if it was explored in a more nuanced way. Maybe it’s spooky szn for me still because I would LOVE to read this as an adult horror.

In any event, this book sucked me right in and held my interest through to the end. I think it’ll fare even better with its intended audience— it’s a shame, purely for ratings, that THAT audience is most likely not sitting on Goodreads reviewing books. This was honestly probably more of a 4 star YA read for me, but it felt fair to round up after looking at some of the other reviews.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and the author for emailing me a complimentary arc of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of The Forest Grimm! I was really excited when I first read the synopsis for this book. I think the idea here was great, but the delivery was just not there for me. Grimm fairy tales have a very special place in my heart, which I think is a major reason this book intrigued me. What I liked about this book was the descriptive writing and the premise. I liked the setting of the village on the edge of this magical forest and a book that grants wishes and a curse that takes over. What fell short the most for me was the rest of the plot. And when I got to the end and saw the outcome of what the rest had been building up to? Disappointing. I found the characters to be lacking depth and just predictable. I can see why others might really enjoy this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75/5 stars

This was such an interesting story with some really interesting twists on well-know fairytales. It leans very heavily into the original versions by the Grimm Brothers (which makes sense based on the title) but still manages to find points of warmth and redemption. The thing I appreciated most, actually, was how deeply it goes into the dark and creepy of the Grimm Fairytales while still maintaining the integrity of the stories. What I find so often in dark retellings is they go way too far, or it's just underwhelming - Purdie strikes a good balance here.

I'll admit, I struggled at certain points because the pacing sometimes felt sluggish. We'd go from a really interesting revelation about flowers and fortune and curses.....to walking in a forest that changes and for me it struggled to hold my attention in the lulls. But by the end, I was invested and interested to see how it all connected. I guessed most of the twists but there were a few that really made sense but weren't obvious and I definitely appreciated the craftsmanship behind them.

Overall, I think if you really enjoy fairytales and retellings, especially when they're creepy, you'll really enjoy this. It's a great fall time read and it's well written (except for a few pacing complaints) - I think it will just come down to personal preference whether you love it or just like it.

Definitely work checking out!

So the way this story managed to interweave five drastically different fairy tales was superbly done.

However, this read more a a quest style, dungeons and dragon story than most fantasy books. Not inherently a bad thing, but it sometimes felt like the ultimate goal was lost in the weeds.

As for the characters, I didn’t really feel a connection to them.

But I did meet my first main character with scoliosis and that aspect was also well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Forest Grimm. I was expecting yet another retelling of a traditional fairytale but was pleasantly surprised with this unique, original story. Clara has known from birth that she is destined to die in the Midnight Forest. The Forest was once kind and granted wishes that were written carefully in a magical book. Things went well until someone tried to use the book for evil purposes, to kill someone. The Forest spirits the book away, the town of Grimm's Hollow is cursed, and Clara has no way to wish away her death. Clara's mother disappears after entering the Forest to search for the book. Her close friend, Axel, lost his bride-to-be to the Forest and many of the villagers are facing starvation and ruin. Clara, Axel, and her best friend Henni take fate in to their own hands and enter the deadly Forest in search of answers, and the book. Things are not what they seem and the Forest has it's own ideas of what should happen. There are references to classic fairytales but related in a new and twisted way. Please don't judge the book by it's cover, the Forest Grimm is nothing close to a torrid love story. Take a chance and read this excellent novel. It looks like Purdie is setting up for sequel, I hope she is - I will be first in line to read it!! Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

The plot, lore, world and the character build were just the right amount. The perfect beginnings of a gripping arc for them all.

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I am not sure exactly what it was I did not enjoy but something was missing for me.

I love how many fairy tales are incorporated into this story and how each of them is told with a different twist. I am excited to see what happens in the second book, which fairy tales are incorporated, and the twists the stories will take.

The Forest Grimm is a YA historical-ish fantasy retelling-ish of Little Red Riding Hood. I cannot express how much this is up my alley (except perhaps for the YA part) and I was very excited to read it!

I thought the setting and world were very cool. A lot of the book takes place in the Forest Grimm (surprising I know) and incorporated parts of classic fairytales in a dark and moody forest setting. I think that the world is loosely based off of the Black Forest in Germany in the medieval or early modern period. Which I loved! I liked the magical elements and the real world elements that kept the world grounded.

There is also scoliosis rep in this book!! The main character, Clara, has scoliosis, which I don't think I have ever seen in a book, let alone a historical fantasy world where a diagnosis like that wasn't a thing. I also have scoliosis and it made me happy to see it represented in this book!

Unfortunately, I thought that the rest of the book was just okay. I started out really liking the characters and going along with the plot but about halfway through the book I was like oooookay let's get moving!! And the plot kind of trundles along for a while longer before it picks up. I was expecting more of a clear cut ending and actually liked that it turned out more gray. I think that there was potential to be a really compelling story here, but it fell a bit short for me. I think that this is partially because of YA genre expectations, which usually aren't my cup of tea. If that is more your thing, I think you'll have a really good time with this book!

Overall, I thought this book was okay but had some really compelling parts that I enjoyed. I would recommend if you're into YA fairytale retellings. 3.5 stars from me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

When I saw this was a spin on Grimm’s fairytales I was RUNNING to hit the request button.

I loved the disability representation. The storytelling was whimsical enough to make me feel like I was between the pages in the story at times. However, as it all unfolded I felt like there was a little too much thrown into the plot. I wish there would’ve been a little more focus on a couple stories of folklore vs. a handful crammed into 325 pages. Definitely reads like young adult, very adventurous, dark, and tense. Normally I really enjoy YA, but this was a bit scattered for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC! This review is a voluntary and thoughts are my own <3

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I enjoyed this both in audio and ebook form! I liked the way all the different fairy tales were introduced. It wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable. The narrator did a good job, and I would read/listen to more if there is a sequel!

As much as I love most fairytale retellings, this was not for me.

My first indication of this was the immediate info dump on the first pages. And despite this info dump, the same information was repeated countless times. I was getting tired of being told the same thing over and over.

The logic of the plot didn't hold together, in my opinion, and the characters jumped to conclusions and realizations that they shouldn't have been able to so easily reach.

I also didn't appreciate how much each woman's worth was tied up in her looks and how that was never addressed in the story.

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

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

3.75 stars to 4 stars (torn but rounding up)

The beginning of the story, while it was laying the groundwork for everything, was very slow, and I am glad that we set off for the forest when we did, as I needed it to hold my attention. But when we entered the woods, it was great. The characters began almost to break away from themselves (in a good way) they faltered and gave into their desires or faults, which made for some great scenes.

The use of reinvention with Grimm fairytales and the portrayal of them in the forest was fricking entertaining. I loved that spin of Rapunzel, that was when I knew that this book was going to have some excellent twists on some tales.
Another interesting concept of this book was the connection between magic as a gift and magic taken for granted becoming a nightmare. I enjoyed a magical world with balance or cost, and this had this in a revenge-ish way.

I am genuinely invested in the characters and their stories with this wicked magic wood. I cannot wait for book 2!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! I absolutely love Kathryn Purdue’s writing and was so excited when I found out about this book! This book is totally up my alley. I love fairy tale retelling books. And this one did not disappoint. I really enjoyed the unique take that Kathryn took of this story. It felt reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village at time with the dark unpredictable forest. It was alive and constantly messing with our main characters. I loved Clara and her relationships with her family and friends. This was honestly such a great story and I can’t wait for the next one!

This one took me a little while to read. I started it back in March but didn’t finish it before my son was born so I put it down with the promise to return to it. I was also approved for the audiobook so in October, I switched to the audiobook and I really loved the narrator.

I found the story had a slower start and I feel like I’m always a little critical of younger MCs and making life altering decisions. This book definitely has historical vibes so I have to be mindful of the fact that societies used to be that way and younger people were making big life choices at 15-16.

Anyway, I’m done ranting 😂. I really liked the premise of this story and it reminded me of Cursed by Marissa Meyer and I’d enjoy reading a sequel. Trope that I liked were star crossed lovers, friends to lovers, and fairytale retelling.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the characters and the fairy tale characters aspects. I really loved the story. I cant wait to add this to my collection. I cant' wait for the next book in the series!

17-year-old Clara lives with her fortune-telling grandmother in a cursed village surrounded by the dangerous woods-- the Forest Grimm. When villagers try and leave through the forest, they become lost forever. Clara's mother is one of the forest's victims. Clara receives a reading from her grandmother that indicates an untimely death, but she'll be able to save her village and her mother by venturing out into the forest to retrieve the Book of Fortune, which has the power to reverse the curse on the village. Clara ventures out with her childhood friend, Axel, who also wants to venture into the forest to save his betrothed.

Kathryn Purdie takes a bunch of fairy tales and twists them into the Forest Grimm. Clara herself represents Little Red Riding Hood as she ventures into the forest with the protection of her magical Red Rampion cape. Within the forest she and Axel meet many other classic fairy tale characters, like Rapunzel and Cinderella, but are creepier or more sinister-- like Rapunzel's hair being somewhat spider-web-like, ensnaring victims. They were each done creatively, and I think will attract readers looking for classic fairy tale twists.

The plot and romance were very predictable. It's clear this book is meant for young adult readers, so I think the tension will be stronger if you more strongly relate to the age of the characters within this story. I was slightly hoping that the fact that Axel was betrothed to someone else would cause more tension in the romance, but it's mostly pushed aside.

I recommend it for young adult readers who want creepy fairy tale retellings and enjoy strong romance plotlines. The creepiness/horror factor isn't too scary, either, so I think it's a good steppingstone if you wanted to try dip your toes into horror to see what your tolerance is.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This story had the potential to be an amalgamation of a bunch of other, possibly better-written books, and yet it managed to be something new while pulling from some of the most retold stories in Western media. THE FOREST GRIMM takes the fairytale and twists it into something more reminiscent of the original while decidedly sinister in its own way. The romance is entirely cheesy and not quite my taste but it still has some classic romantasy vibes that I know are exactly other people’s vibe. A lot of the elements of the book remind me of other pieces of media (Ever After High and Once Upon a Time to name two), but the story itself is definitely distinct. And despite it all, I was compelled by the main character and appreciative of the way her scoliosis continues to show up within the narrative, both a traditional heroine and not at the same time. This wasn’t necessarily a favourite and the pacing of the plot is a little bit wonky at times, but if there happens to be a sequel I will be at the front of the line waiting to see where this story goes next.

If you like/love:
- romantasy
- friends to forbidden lovers
- twisted fairytale retellings
- slightly weird but fun magic systems
- trying to change fate
- and a little bit of a cliffhanger
Then I would definitely recommend picking this one up!

"A murderous wish
An end of peace
The curse is wrought
My blessings cease.

Falling water
Lost words found
A selfless wish
The curse unbound."

Young Clara lives in a village on the edge of a mysterious forest, called the Forest Grimm. Once, the village was blessed by the Forest with a book that granted each inhabitant one wish, called the Book of Fortunes. But then one village inhabitant used their wish to murder another. The book disappeared and the Forest turned against the village and its inhabitants, trapping them beyond the Forest and not allowing them to leave. And then, people from the village began wandering off into the woods and didn't return. They are called "the Lost". Clara's mother was the first person to do this. Clara has promised herself since it happened that she will go into the Forest and save her mother. When she finally finds the means to enter the woods and does so with the help of her best friend, Henni, and a village boy named Axel, Clara may find more than she bargained for is involved in locating and saving the Lost.

This book by Kathryn Purdie has an excellent setting. The way the Forest works as sort-of an antagonist and a guard in and of itself is very interesting, and the book's setting of the Germany/Austria area plays very well into this. I also enjoyed the way many well-known fairy tale characters had their stories updated to coincide with the tale being told. Murderous princesses will definitely always be a win in my book. For the original characters in the book, I grew very fond of Clara and Axel. Clara is a very human character with failings who makes mistakes, and she does have a disability with which I am very familiar, being a sufferer of scoliosis myself. Axel is the kind of boy I like to write myself - confident and charming with a touch of snark and a heart of gold. In my head, I can't help picturing him as a more handsome version of Kristoff from Frozen. I like the idea of Axel and Clara being thrown together and finding their way through these woods, trying to rescue the people they love, and finding a bit of romance along the way. As for the character of Henni, I found her to be a little bit of an annoying third wheel most of the time, and I wasn't quite sure why she was there, except to be a chaperone of the other two. I also felt like it was out of character for someone who is so timid and frightened of the woods, as established very early in the novel, to suddenly decide she wants to enter the woods to go after someone dear she has lost. It seems a bit too daring.

Other than these elements, I do have to mention that I'm not a fan of a lot of supernatural contrivances in a story. Yes, I realize this is a fairy tale and has magic in it. And I know that it might seem like supernatural elements shouldn't be much of a stretch in such a wold, but Clara's reliance on tarot-like cards and predictions seems excessive, and the sudden addition of ghosts midway through the story, seem to me like they really don't have a place in the setting . Since the book did end on a cliffhanger, I am curious enough to pick up the next book in the duology and see how everything ends. But ultimately, since this book had elements I wasn't crazy about, I probably wouldn't recommend it. Three out of five stars. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the free advanced reader copy. My review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.