"The Midnight Forest" is a page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to uncover the secrets of the forest and the fate of its characters. The writing is vivid and descriptive, creating a brilliant picture of the eerie and magical world within the Forest Grimm. The pacing is excellent, with just the right balance of action, suspense, and character development.

Well that was interesting. So it’s very fitting to its name. It follows the dark side like the original Grimm fairytales. But it was lacking for me.

I decided to read this book because of the cover. I really was looking for a good retelling with a bit of found love. The twists and turns in the story were definitely intriguing but it didn’t give me enough to pull me back when I wasn’t reading it. I just didn’t feel connected. The story felt off. Like it was missing something.

It’s a YA fairytale retelling for sure. I asked my daughter to try and it she didn’t finish it. So for me it was just lacking some sort of lure to pull me back.

In short:
Did I like it? Not enough to make it worth it.
Would I recommend it? To a ya reader sure.
Would I read more by this author? Nope.

Clara was excited for her 16th birthday and the coming-of-age rite in which she would make a secret wish on the Book of Fortunes, just like every person in Grimm’s Hollow. However when she was 14, someone used their wish to commit murder, now the Book of Fortunes is missing, and a curse plagues the village. Clara’s mother was among the 67 Lost Ones who have since disappeared in the forest. It is a dark and sentient forest. Now the villagers have a lottery: The chosen person must enter the forest in search of the Lost and the missing book. Clara hopes to be chosen in the lottery so she can save her mother. Instead Axel Furst, whose fiancee became Lost, is selected. Clara has created a map of the forest based on information from those who entered it before the curse. takes off in pursuit. Clara is a strong and capable protagonist who has lost both her parents and is in chronic pain from scoliosis.

The journey written by the author is an original take on Western European fairy tales. The characters’ rich and detailed backstories and the ominous, atmospheric prose are well written. It is a story that pays attention to the dark narratives of fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Unfortunately, this book was very "just okay" for me. The writing style is very cliché YA, which reads as very generic to me. There were so many fairy tales included in this, slapped together haphazardly, which made the story feel very disjointed and forced. I didn't mind the ending, actually, and I think Purdie did a decent job tying things together, but by that point I was already pretty frustrated with the book. There wasn't much in the way of setting, and what there was felt very generic. The Forest Grimm never really came to life for me. I did love how Clara had scoliosis, and that it was something she dealt with in her daily life but didn't define her. I don't think I've ever read a book with a heroine with scoliosis, so that was really great to read. This was certainly an easy book to read, and maybe younger YA audiences would like it more than I did. It was very clean, no spice at all, which also leads me to think it's aimed a little younger. If it sounds interesting to you, or you've enjoyed Purdie's previous books, give this a try. It just didn't work for me.

If you like YA fantasy with a hint of survival and twists, pick up Katheryn Purdie’s The Forest Grimm. Especially if you enjoy fractured fairy-tales!

If you love twisted fairytales, it's likely that you will enjoy Kathryn Purdie's THE FOREST GRIMM. Various Grimm's fairytales come alive throughout the novel in different ways. You'll anticipate the basics of how things unfold based on knowledge of the original source material, but you will be surprise by how things actually unfold. Clara, as a heroine, is sympathetic. I wasn't super attached to her, but I did root for her and wanted her to succeed and figure everything out. Axel is likeable enough. The pacing and overall development of the story is quite good, and everything is resolved in the ending quite well. The epilogue definitely leaves things open for a sequel. While I enjoyed the read, I'm not convinced this story necessarily needed a sequel, but considering how much I was unable to predict how everything would unfold in THE FOREST GRIMM, I anticipate that a potential sequel would also keep readers guessing.

This is a fairytale retelling of many fairytales with a twist. It had lots of adventure, action and interesting characters with a bit of romance mixed in. I also enjoyed the magical aspects of the story and that the forest has a mind of its own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I typically enjoy fairytale retellings. This book had a lot of different stories all rolled up into one storyline. It was almost a little too much spread over the course of the tale. It felt a little disconnected and didn't always flow into a natural storyline. There was a creepy atmosphere, mystery, and ghoulish creatures living in the forest all trying to fit into the fairytale narrative. There was a bit of romance which I appreciated. I'm assuming there will be another book after this because if ends on a cliffhanger...

3 stars

A big thanks to Netgalley and MacMillian for providing an eARC and advance audio book in exchange for an honest review.

The book had me at the mere name drop of the Brothers Grimm, but lost me at that cover.

The Forest of Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is a YA fantasy novel that follows the ill fated life of Clara, who must embark on a journey into the Forest Grimm to retrieve a magic book. Which is capable of lifting the curse of her village and saving her missing mother. With the help of her friend Axel, who is destined to never be with Clara, must face countless trials and tribulations straight out of the Grimm Brothers tales.

I REALLY wanted to love this book, given it's rich callback to plenty of Brother Grimm tales. But it was so thrown together, and haphazard I couldn't keep up. Subvert your expectations, because this book will not let you meet them.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of The Forest Grimm! I was excited to save this story for when fall began and the setting and atmosphere deliver well.
I am definitely one who favors fairytale retellings, which is exactly what this novel provides to the reader. At times, it felt like the author wanted to mesh and weave too many stories together. This becomes a little overwhelming and bogs down the pacing of the novel. The plot also did not have a "drive" to it that made me keep wanting to read. At times, I became bored and wanted to take multiple breaks.
As far as style goes, I feel like this novel was on par with Purdie's previous works! While there were some slow moments, I did not have many grievances with the novel in its entirety; however, this definitely could have been tweaked and improved for reading experience.

Love a good retelling of fairytales. This one seems to be of Little Red Riding Hood and Alice and Wonderland. Some of the plot seemed thrown together in a way that was haphazard, but it was enjoyable. I would read more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a dark mash up of a few of the Grimm Brothers tales. It started a bit slow for me, it was hard to get into it. I started enjoying it at about 49% of the book. I felt like that’s when it picked up the pace. After that I just wanted to keep on reading to find out what would happen to Clara and the other MC. It seemed a bit repetitive at times, and I would get annoyed at how many times Clara would bring up her “fate” we knew that’s now how it would end for her. The romance between the two MC was a slow burn, but cute, it developed perfectly considering they were both teens. If you’re into our beloved classic fairytales, in the Grimm’s classic dark style, you will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this advance copy!

3.5 stars
Having read Kathryn Purdie's Bone Crier Saga and not loved it, I was nervous to go into this novel. However from the moment I started it I knew I would enjoy it more. I love the premise of this novel and the first few chapters really drew me in. The combination of dark fantasy elements and intermeshed classic fairy tales works really well. That being said, once the main characters entered the forest a few chapters in, although interesting in theory, the plot felt quite predictable, which made it difficult to be immersed in it. While I did really like the plot of this book on paper, when I was actually reading it I felt like, even if I could appreciate the plot twists, I knew exactly what they would be. Still, I appreciate this novel for what it is and what it does with some classic stories.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

*I received an e-arc via Netgalley and Wednesday Books for review. Thank you! All thoughts are my own*

The Forest Grimm is a YA Fantasy/Fairytale retelling with a dark and mysterious sentient forest, fairytale characters with a twist, romance, strong friendships, family and more. I really enjoyed how Kathryn Purdie turned characters we know and love into something really different and creepy. I will definitely not think of Rapunzel or Cinderella in the same way again!

Clara Thurn is a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in the village of Grimm’s Hollow with her fortune telling Grand’Mere. Clara knows her cards, The Midnight Forest and The Fanged Creature, which spell her untimely death. Despite her grandmother’s warning, Clara heads into the deadly Forest Grimm on a quest to find Sortes Fortunae, The Book of Fortunes, to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Before the curse, the pages of Sortes Fortunae would reveal to the villagers how to obtain their deepest desires. All was well, until someone used the book for an evil purpose, to kill another. As punishment, the branches of The Forest Grimm took the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops began to die from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but anytime someone crossed the border, they were never seen or heard from again.

Now, Clara and her closest friend Axel, who she is fated never to be with, are determined to get into the forest, rescue the villagers, and find Sortes Fortunae. The forest has a mind of its own though and the lost are not the same, and Clara and Axel will face more than they bargained for.

I definitely recommend this one, which is out now, and I look forward to the sequel!

I enjoyed the idea of this book, but had a hard time following it. My goal is to give it another chance down the road. Gave it a three because even though it’s not for me, I like the book and the idea the author had behind it.

Sadly, this book was not for me. It was a very ambitious endeavor, attempting to weave all these fairytales together, but the consequence is having a bunch of plot hooks that are impossible to get invested in. The Red Riding Hood elements were interesting at times but they get bogged down by clunky storytelling and repetitious prose that didn't seem to trust the reader to pay attention.

This is an excellent new twist on Grimm's Fairy Tales. The REAL Grimm's, not the Disney versions. A village cursed when someone uses a lifetime wish to murder another. Multiple Lost souls in the Forrest Grimm. A girl's quest to save her mother and accept her own fate at the mercy of the Fanged Creature.

I am always looking for good twists on fairy tales and this one definitely meets the mark. I was delighted to see it's marked as #1, which hopefully means there will be more to follow. I look forward to see what else the author can do with the rest of the material. Good show!

A fun reimagininh of some of the most popular Grimms fairytales!! A solid YA adventure that kept me on my toes. The romance was sweet, but I do wish there had been just a tad more of it

“This is the story of how I save my mother. And, as it has been from the beginning, this remains the story of how I die.”

3.5 stars

This was magical and woven with fairytale delight. I felt like I was in the forest with them at times, going through and experiencing the wonder and horror of it. I felt like I was falling through Wonderland, with illusions, masks, and madness making up the majority of the book. Clara was a relatable character, she had a disability similar to mine and it never stopped her from life.

All that said, I didn’t really enjoy the story the further into it I got. It was confusing and strange - and not a good strange. There were too many fairytales thrown in and it became muddled. While I appreciated Clara having a disability in the beginning, I didn’t find it was described well. We were TOLD she had a disability over and over (and over and over) but we never FELT it, you know?

I also didn’t like how a few things played out, like, at all. If I say anymore it’s going to get really negative, so, I’m going to stop here. I may or may not read the next book, when it comes out, since the story wasn’t wrapped up, but I honestly don’t know if I care enough.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the stories of characters like Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood are familiar to many readers. Occasionally someone comes along and brings us a new twist on these classics, and Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie does just that with a tale of a young woman destined to die to save those she loves.

The book follows a young woman named Clara who is trapped in a village that has been cursed by the magic of the forest that surrounds it. At one time the village thrived thanks to that magic, and each villager had been given a wish upon a magic book upon coming of age. However, after one villager uses it to murder another, the forest takes back this gift and the prosperity of the village ceases. In addition to this hardship, many of the villagers have wandered into the forest never to be seen again, including Clara’s mother who she sets out to save with the help of her two best friends, Axel and Henni.

The plot of this book was interesting, and it moved along at a good pace. Clara is a sympathetic main character and narrator, as she knows from the beginning of the book that the trip into the forest will result in her death and she is content to trade her life for that of her mother. I also really loved the dark twists on familiar fairy tales that were woven into the story as the trio ventures deeper into the woods. It also led to some truly fascinating twists that kept me invested in the book.

I loved the characters in this book. All of them from Clara and her friends to the supporting characters they find in the woods are so incredibly well developed. They have depth and range and at no time did I feel like they were just a two dimensional being with no real motivation. Each is believable, even those who have succumbed to the madness of the forest.

I think if I had any criticisms of the book it would be that I really wish that the romantic aspect of the story had started sooner. It is clear pretty early on that childhood best friends Clara and Axel are destined to be more, and it was a slow process to get to the point where they admitted their feelings. Together they have a very sweet romance built on a long standing friendship and I would have loved for there to be more of that in the book.

Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️

This book was a 4 out 5 stars for me. I really did like it, and I hope that there is a sequel to tie up some of the loose ends in this book (the epilogue hints at just that). The romance in it is sweet with little steam, so it is appropriate for most readers, and I would highly recommend checking this one out. It is a very interesting and well developed read with lots of twists on some of the classics.

(This will be posted on www.traceyreadsandrambles.com and on IG at @traceyreadsandrambles later today)