Welcome to The Forest Grimm, a world where fairytales have come to life, only they aren’t the sweet fairytales with happy ever afters, but the dark, gritty fairytales that bite.

Clara has always known she would die young. She’s resolved to her fate because she knows she will also save her mother. You see, Clara’s town isn’t normal; it has magic. Only someone used the magic for evil—to kill another person—and now the magic has cursed them all. Over the years, loved ones have gone into the Forest Grimm only to never return. Clara’s mother was the first to go missing. Now, Clara is ready to go into the forest to save her mother, break the curse, and accept whatever fate befalls her. However, nothing can prepare Clara for the people she will encounter in the forest and the challenges she will face.

The Forest Grimm was such a pleasant surprise! Kathryn Purdie’s prose was perfect for this story; decadent and lyrical, it felt as if I was reading a classic fairytale. Not only do we get hints and nods to fairytales, but we actually meet characters who believe they are fairytale characters. Purdie does a fantastic job weaving her spin on classic stories we all grew up loving. I had so much fun trying to figure out which fairytales would pop up and what they would mean for the story!

Rich in beautiful prose, a strong female lead with scoliosis rep, along with hints of romance, The Forest Grimm is a must-read fantasy this fall!

Also…Kathryn Purdie…that ending. WHEN CAN I GET BOOK 2???

3.5 stars, rated up


I’ll admit - when I read the synopsis with the first line in the book I rolled my eyes and decided to not read it. However, I had loved reading my dad’s old hardcover of the Grimm Brothers fairytales as a kid (and beyond) so time softened my stance and when I was invited to read an advance copy for the paperback pub date, I figured I’d give it a try.

I was up to chapter 13 before I realized how much time I had spent reading.

The Forest Grimm pulled me right in.

*dark fantasy
*the forest is alive
*atmospheric
*fresh take on fairy tale retelling
*slow burn friends to lovers, but low key


This was my first time reading Ms Purdie’s work - I’m looking forward to the second title so I’ll definitely be reading more 🙂




Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This was delightfully YA! While reading this book, I couldn't help but keep thinking about how much I wish this existed when I was a tween/teen. I think Clara is heroine young people can root for. She feels a little bit on the outside, but has a couple great friends who are by her side on a quest. The romantic subplot was a sweet and slow one, with Clara realizing her friend Axel loves her and she feels the same way about him.

With a title like The Forest Grimm, is should come as no surprise that characters from several fairy tales are in this story. Clara, Axel, and Henni (Clara's best friend) go into the enchanted forest to find townspeople (some of whom are family members) who disappeared over several years. They encounter Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Hensel & Gretel, Cinderella, and, oddly, Oliver Twist (I think?) along the way. It's a quest story with high stakes, as they don't know if the people they seek are alive or if they'll ever get home again. There's a point when they are literally starving when they run out of food.

The ending isn't an HEA for all characters, but it is one for most. I'll definitely be reading the sequel!

(Previously reviewed 2023):

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I had no expectations about this one, so was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed it.

Seventeen year old Clara takes off on an epic journey into the lethal Forest Grimm to save her mother, save the townspeople, who has been lost for years, and retrieve the Book of Fortunes that reveals the townspeople's greatest wish.

The Forest Grimm, however, is so deadly, that every time one of the townsfolk passes beyond its branches, they have yet to return.

Setting off into the Forest Grimm, a red cape in town and some friends, Clara comes across a retelling of some well known fairy tells that are told in much more enticing a realistic way.

Cannot wait to read the sequel.

TheForestGrimm:

“Not every bold deeds requires romance as its reason.”

Thank you @macmill for my gifted copy.

The Forest Grimm at first reminded me of The NeverEnding Story. It gave me the, “Tell me your favorite story” vibe. I want med to hear about it. It brought back the nostalgia of old school fairytales that we all grew up with once upon a time and requested an older parent grandparent or guardian to read to us. I felt like this got me hooked from the beginning, a rocky middle, but then hit the twist correctly in the end.

This gave all the creepy vibes for fairytales (almost a Thornhedge T.Kingfisher vibe, which you know I LOVED) While I felt it was a bit jumbled I do like how it was like “Let’s go on an adventure and save these people! Oh no! We just encountered a fairytale person who doesn’t know who TF they are! Ah!”

I’m very confused with the cover, I’ll be honest. I was expecting a romantasy based off of the 1996 cover. (Hard on the rom) I feel like that might be my only complaint. I’m always down for an alternate cover. This paperback?? Cover has been genius and I highly recommend this one. The audio was wonderful. Sarah Ovens was such a great reader. I felt she’s perfect for fairytales.

Overall, fantasy lovers will enjoy. It goes a bit off the rails/redundant in the middle but it pays off in the end.

What’s your favorite fairytale?

The Forest Grimm is a creative fairy tale filled with twisted secrets. Clara lives on the outskirts of the Forest Grimm, a magical forest that sealed itself off from her town after dark magic was used. People who enter the forest now become Lost and are unable to leave. Clara is determined to enter the forest and save her mother. With her friends Axel and Henni, Clara embarks on a quest to break the curse and save those who have been Lost. Once in the forest, she realizes that the time away has taken a terrible toll on the people who remained inside. Will Clara be able to rescue her mother or has the forest claimed her for good?

The Forest Grimm is influenced by several fairy tales, but especially by Little Red Riding Hood. I really liked how Kathryn Purdie experimented with darker interpretations of classic fairy tales. Clara is a very determined and caring character. The forest has many dangers and traps that require Clara and her friends to work together to survive. Clara also has a physical disability, which makes her journey into the forest more difficult and requires her to wear a shoe with a special lift in it. Axel and Clara have a very sweet romance, which I’m excited to see explored more! The ending of the book made it seem like there’s more stories to be told in this world. I’m looking forward to returning to the Forest Grimm! Readers who enjoy Isabel Ibañez, Elizabeth Lim, and Rebecca Ross should check this book out!

Thank you to Kathryn Purdie, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This was a fun story! It involves a spooky forest with a mind of its own, a cursed village, a wish granting book, tarot cards that truly read your fate, and a girl determined to change hers. I loved how it incorporated all of the different fairy tales with a darker edge. I thought Clara was great and I admired her determination to save her loved ones despite the cost to herself.

The romance was childhood friends to lovers, which was sweet but not really overly memorable. I thought the ending was going to be predictable but it actually wasn’t which was a nice surprise. Overall this was an enjoyable read and I would continue the series.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending over a copy in preparation for the next book!

Kathryn Purdie did it again!! I absolutely love this world. I read this in one sitting and I was completely enveloped with story and romance. Must read for fantasy readers.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Forest Grimm was the perfect combo of atmospheric storytelling and slow burn romance. I was totally here for the fairy tale nods with a twist.

The overarching plot line of a curse on their village was a great catalyst for this story! I loved that the forest was sentient and the almost mystery thriller element of trying to survive long enough to get to the bottom of what was happening and hopefully save everyone.

Each character has their own unique motivation for wanting to break the curse, and I really enjoyed the bonding moments between the characters.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

{3.5 stars}

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

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.

Venture through a dangerous forest to unweave the mysteries of a curse in “The Forest Grimm.” This darker fairytale retelling features an isolated village surrounded by woods with similar concepts to “The Hazel Wood” and “Small Favors.” Clara seeks to find her mother and break the curse that is bound to the town, expecting to fulfill her fated death along the way. The intrigue compelled me to continue reading each time a chapter ended. I’ll be anticipating the next book in the series for the conclusion of this story!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

.lI really liked the concept of this book. This enchanted Forest has swallowed up local villagers and turned them into grotesque versions of fairy tale characters. It will be interesting to see where the sequel goes next.

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.

A modern YA retelling of the Grimm fairy tales but twisted in a nightmare.

Grimm’s Hollow has been cursed and Clara Thurn ventures into the Midnight Forest to save her mother, find the book of fortunes and lift the curse plaguing the town. This is a dark and magical adventure with engaging characters and many gripping action scenes that kept me invested in the story.

The twists to classic Grimm fairy tales were layered and woven delightfully, you knew what to expect but also not! I enjoyed the friends to lovers plot but it wasn’t over the top, it’s more of a fantasy than romance. Our protagonist, Clara, has disabilities and while they are mentioned a few times, they certainly do not slow her down.

Wonderful world building and supporting characters - Henni and Axel, the trio had an easy going camaraderie and I just about died of cuteness when Henni took out a sewing kit for emergencies!

A bit of a slow burn novel but overall well written, quite enjoyable and unique!

I really wanted to love this... I loved the heart of this, the concept is strong and all of the things I love in a YA fairy tale. All the elements of a great YA are present but perhaps there was a little difficulty threading them together. The story starts slow and then feels pretty stilted throughout. It's interesting and I consistently wanted to know what was coming next, but it also slanted a little young. The concept was really cool, I love a forest that eats people, but where I was expecting the vibes of Uprooted or Crimson Bound, it's not quite there. There are moments of serious creepiness but they're fewer than you'd expect for a book that takes place entirely in a haunted forest.

Character wise, Clara is a super believable protagonist. She's impetuous and self-centered and definitely acts like a sixteen year old, which at times gets irritating but also makes sense. I haven't read many fantasies where a trio of teens are set to save the world but actually consistently act like teenagers. These three are consistently teenaged the entire time, though with the immaturity of a modern teenager which possibly doesn't make sense for the experiences they've lived? Her love interest and best friend are both pretty one-note.

This is definitely the start of a series but it does have the feel of a book that can be read standalone. I don't know if I'll read the next one and don't feel like I *have* to.

All this said, I'm certainly older than the target demographic. The things that annoyed me might be completely minor to an actual teenager who can see themself in the character!

Overall 3.5 rounded up for me.
If you enjoy fairytale retellings you will love this book. It does a great job of mixing the fairy tales into the adventure of finding their lost people in the forest.
If you are a 100% happy ending kind of person this may not be for you, I personally enjoyed that not everything played out in a predictable way and not everything was tied up with a pretty bow at the end.
overall the main character was likable if not a little naive (but that ok when you consider her age).