I have to say Naben Ruthnum’s The Grimmer took me on quite the unique adventure. When his father went away for rehab treatment, Vish was sent off to another school. Now back home after two years, Vish isn’t exactly sure how he fits in, with his family, with his old friends. As if re-acclimating isn’t hard enough, he suddenly finds himself drawn into a world of magic, the target of an ancient evil. I know this is listed as YA, and yet I definitely think it would appeal to adults as well. There is some seriously twisted imagery and body horror here. The scene with the teeth (won’t explain further for spoiler reasons but you’ll know it when you read it) is definitely disturbing. The Grimmer features a fascinating cast of characters, a truly intriguing storyline, and tackles some very real world issues along the way. At the moment I honestly can’t think of another book I could easily compare it to. I think if it clicks for you you’re in for a wild ride. Jacob Machin does a wonderful job with the narration, especially love the slight accents he incorporates. Very well done. I’d like to thank ECW Press Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of The Grimmer.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R4TAR5N88ZXIR/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Audiobook Review - Add this one to your YA horror shelves!! This book is perfect for fall and all year long. This is a great story featuring the occult and supernatural elements. Hand this to your teen horror fans!

This was a super creepy YA thriller set in a supernatural bookstore with great BIPOC rep and parental addiction rep. I was drawn to the fantastic cover and really enjoyed this on audio! Full of a great cast of characters this was a truly spine-tingling horror story.

Definitely recommended if you're looking for something good for #spookyseason reading! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This was my first book by Canadian author Naben Ruthnum and definitely won't be my last.

This book is for fans of the occult and strange, dark, and uncanny that is perfect for the young adult audience.
It was interesting seeing magic being represented as more scientific and based on alchemy.
The narrator did an amazing job and kept me even more interested in the story.
Over all I enjoyed this book..

It was so fun to read this YA book THE GRIMMER by Naben Ruthnum! This book endeared me right away from the first line - “Can I get a ride to the bookstore?” and it’s an indie bookstore! This story is about Vish, he’s fifteen years old, lives in Kelowna, loves reading and heavy metal and part of one of the only brown families in town and then gets involved in the occult and saving his town from destruction. I loved the Kelowna setting! I really enjoyed that there’s so many funny moments like ice cream banter and the image of the bad guy wearing a T-shirt and cargo shorts. The fantasy elements are really fun which involve magic, witches and cats. I also enjoyed the more serious moments that touch on addiction, mental health, anger, therapy and reconciling with friends and family. The audiobook narrator Jacob Machin was very good as he did all the different voices.

Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press Audio for gifting me this engaging audiobook!
I literally devoured it and the voice actor did an amazing job!

The Grimmer was the perfect beginning for my spooky season.

What happens when you enter a bookshop and you find a semi.drunk owner, a teenage girl with some sort of power and a weird old man with a strage vibe?

Vish is a 15 yo Indian-Canadian that just came back to his hometown after two years of boarding school.
He didn't want to leave, he had to when his two best friends spilled that his father, a well known therapist, fell into addition and send Vish family into a storm of gossip.

Spending two years away Vish didn't talk much and find confort in books and Rock music.
Therefore as soon as he comes back to his hometown his first stop is the bookstore, Greycat Books, owned by one of the other few Indian-Canadian of the city, Agastya.

The story has a nice spooky vibe that was perfect to set the mood for a rainy October.
The character were super interesting, mainly the conflict Vish had throughout the book, not just about imminent "end of the world has we know it" problem, but also about his being a kid to the eyes of the parent but adult enough to being aware of what is going on and having an opinion on the matter.

Vish is a kind soul, that suffered for actions made by the adults in his life, but he is also strong, much stronger than any other character in the book.
I loved all the relationships in between the character and I particularly appreciated Gisella overall vibe. She is a bad bitch and she knows it. You go girl!

The magic system was a little complicated, but I liked how Ruthnum attaches it to a more scientific approach.

Definitely recommended!!!

A boy isolated from his community after a family scandal wonders into a bookstore that disrupts his life and his reality.

This is a fun and not super gruesome tale that plays with and rewrites the tropes of horror. Combining time travel, the supernatural properties of cats, witches, body snatching and a scientific explanation of magic all swirling around a teen trying to be a teen.

This was so fun, exactly what I want from YA and horror, and with dashes of cultural commentary, racial tension, and friendship… and it’s set in the 1990s.

Great October read or listen!

This novel is a fantastic middle-grade/early YA horror that balances the awkwardness of being a teenager, the complicated ways families can be affected by addiction, and ultimately having a spooky, gothic atmosphere.

Vish is so determined that coming back from boarding school he isn't going to speak to anyone or get involved with anything, that the speed at which he is sucked into his local bookshop's macabre problems is all the more fun. We're introduced to a variety of characters who to me all seemed to be grieving someone or something in their own way - whether they felt that they'd lost a friend through betrayal or family through a tragic accident. This made the friendship and teamwork towards the end all the more sweet, and I couldn't help but be entirely enamoured with goth-girl Gisela and the way the three boys had a healthy amount of fear of her.

The ending also felt lime perhaps it was set up for a sequel which I would definitely be interested in reading, perhaps that would offer a slightly deeper look into the exciting magic systems and explanations we were introduced to throughout this story (I never tire of when magical characters are entirely dismissive of every other magic system that has come before, trope never gets old).

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Jacob Machin does an excellent job voicing all the characters in this story! His accents are spot on and he really makes the characters come to life! The story itself was interesting and well written, but just didn’t hold my attention the way I wanted it to. I really liked the plot and the journey the group takes but sometimes it just felt drawn out to me.

3.75 ⭐

I absolutely love this book cover!

I also enjoyed the book! It was interesting seeing magic being represented as more scientific and based on alchemy. I did like the characters, but I wish we could have seen more about the relationship between Vish and his father.

The setting was great, I loved that it was set in Canada, in a small independent book store.

the writing was really good, I really enjoyed the way the more creepy scenes were written!

looking forward to reading more from the author!

It's a great read for the upcoming spooky season!

Yikes! I have been looking for a good YA horror and this one definitely hit the mark. The Grimmer is perfect for someone looking for an edgy horror with a teenage main character. This was a fun and easy read with a lovely mix of angst and eerie vibes that kept me hooked from the first chapter. Vish was a really interesting main character she I really liked his inner thoughts. The plot wasn't very complicated or deep so it was really easy to figure out what was coming from early on but I still really enjoyed reading this one.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cool and entertaining tale, that I really enjoyed as an audio book. I found the premise intriguing, and the characters as well. The blend of books and outsiders and saving the world via found family was well managed, offering a complex plot that was engaging and fast-paced. The world-building was clever and original, building on mythology and taking it to another level of clever creepy fairy tale-like magic. This was a great read!