The Forest Grimm

3/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: Where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists…

“Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die.”

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book – Sortes Fortunae , the Book of Fortunes – with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose―to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm’s Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel―who is fated never to be with her―have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest―alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales―has a mind of its own.

This book had so much promise. The premise was so cool and there were so many cool elements to it- the putting together of multiple fairy tales, the cursed forest, the fortune telling, the book- but it was written in such a one note, single level way. There were some things at the end that were supposed to be twists, but they didn’t feel like twists, so I wasn’t a huge fan of the way they were thrown in. Character wise, I liked Axel and the towns people of Grimm’s Hollow who were taken by forest. Clara was not my favorite character, but I could understand where she was coming from most of the time, so that made it easier to understand why she did things (even if I didn’t agree with them). Overall, I don’t know if I would tell y’all to read this one, but I’m going to read book 2, and if I really enjoy that one, then y’all should for sure read both of them.

Clara and her fortune telling grandmother live next to the Forest Grimm where their village lived peacefully for many years. Until not too long ago when the villagers abused the fortunes of the Forest and it turned against them. Now those who enter do not return and the Forest’s pull is sinister. When Clara’s mother is lost to Grimm she makes a decision to go in, as she is fated to an untimely death anyway according to her grandmother’s cards. With nothing to lose, she along with Axel, who has also lost someone to Grimm, venture into the forest where not all fairy tales have a happy ending.

This was an interesting remix of the classic Grimm fairy tales in a new darker light. The novel explores the uglier side of human nature and what our desires lead to when they go astray. It’s also a novel of Clara’s growth as she becomes her own woman and explores what the means for both her family and herself. A good read. 3 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

The eerie forest lore was hauntingly beautiful. I enjoyed it enough to pickup the second book.

I love a good story tale retelling. The dark incorporation of characters like Cinderella & and Repunzal was delightful. The readers who wanted more connected stories between all of the “lost” characters were setting themselves up for failure in reading this book. Grimm stories are not connected anyway. If you want a connected Grimm story retelling, go watch Hoodwinked.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook copy. I loved this book the mfc goes into the cursed woods that her mother has disappeared into year prior, but the Forrest slowly turns people into story book character and the forget who the were before. After going into the woods she runs into axel who is looking for his fiancé that has disappeared as well. They run into a variety of cursed character while on the search for her mother and trying to break the curse that is plaguing the woods.

This retelling was intriguing. There are a few more sprinkled in, but Little Red Riding Hood is the main inspiration. Even with the lengthy trip sections, the story held my interest the entire time, even though it went on a bit longer than I felt was required. All in all, an enjoyable YA romance!

ARC Copy...that was actually one of the more darker retellings of fairytales, I have read so far and interesting to see which tale (the protagonists has encountered) has been twisted by the forest's curse.

Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy. This book was fine. The main character is focused to the point of almost being annoying but she was pretty motivated to solve the issue. The epilogue hinted at a new adventure which may answer a huge plot hole in the story. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Clara has one wish, to find her mother who went missing after entering the Forest Grimm. Unfortunately, her mother was not the last person to go missing after entering the forest. Clara wants to save her mother even if it costs Clara her life. Clara and her friends, Axel and Henni, each enter the forest hoping to be able to save someone who has become one of the Lost, but the forest has a way of tricking them, making this more than a simple rescue. They must also save themselves. This novel is a combination of many classic Grimm's fairy tales with a dark edge.

I liked the premise and the inclusion of dark fairytales but didn’t connect to the characters. The plot didn’t flow seamlessly and wasn’t engaging.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was so creative and imaginative and such a fun way to reimagine fairytales. I loved intertwining the tales with this creepy and magical forest. I don’t think there was a single part that I didn’t like or thought it could be improved. I will absolutely be buying a physical copy. This is already a contender for book of the year for me. Thank you NetGalley for access!

The Forest Grimm is a dark and atmospheric read that captured my attention from the start. The eerie forest setting is so vivid and full of surprises, making the journey feel unpredictable and intense. I loved how classic fairy tales like Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel were twisted into something new and unsettling—it's a fun mix of nostalgia and fresh takes.

Clara’s determination to save her village and uncover the forest's secrets made her a compelling protagonist, and her relationship with Axel added an emotional layer without overshadowing the action. It's a solid YA fantasy with a great atmosphere, and I’m curious to see how the story unfolds in the next book.

This is a retelling of several of the Grimm fairytales like Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Red Riding Hood. When a curse is placed upon her village and her mother is lost in the Grimm forest, Clara is determined to find her mother and reverse the curse. She journeys with her friends, Axel and Henni into this dangerous place, and they encounter many dark versions of the fairytale characters.

I loved the creepy retelling of the fairytales. I thought the pacing was good and it kept me engaged from beginning to end. The dark twists with the fairytale characters was my favorite part. If you love creepy fairytale retellings you will love this one.

This wasn't anything that I was expecting at all! This is such a good thriller and kept you to the edge of your seat!

Oh my goodness, a book about Grimm! Sign me up! I lived in the world of the fairytales and never wanted to leave!

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. Boy oh boy did MaCMillian win me back with that new 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.

This book was well written. A fun fantasy adventure that takes on a twist to Grimm’s fairytales. I was intrigued by the idea that a forest would be the reason a town does or doesn’t do well and the most mother trope was an interesting choice.

I really enjoyed the tarot reading aspect and the fate cards. However, I just think this one tried to do too much in one book. It felt very disjointed once the book is set up and had too many fairytales. It also dragged for me to even get to the action.

But overall, I think this will work for a lot of people, especially if they’re new to grimm’s tales or want a fresh perspective.

I really loved reading this book! I think the author did a great job of creating an engaging fantasy book with it's own storyline while adding in some of the Grimm Fairy Tales in it's own unique way. I liked the way the story was written & enjoyed the characters. She used a lot of descriptive details which helped add to the story and set the scene. This was a great book for me as a adult but would also be good for the younger adult readers as well. This was a great book to read, it kept me engaged and wanting to read more! I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this type of story & can't wat to read the next one!

Kathryn Purdie takes the Grimm's Fairy Tales and twists portions of them into a new fantasy. The original Grimm's fairy tales were rather dark, although the later versions of them lost that dark edge. This trip into the Forest Grimm takes characters from those dark stories and gives a new twist.
As Clara has always known the destiny that her grandmother's cards predict for her, she is eager to use the life she has control over to save her mother and other villagers who have been drawn into the forest and captured by its magic. She has a plan and all the knowledge she could gather about the forest. In the past times, the villagers could happily venture into the forest and enjoy its wonders. But misuse of the magic that was given to the village is badly misused, the forest turned hostile.
Can Clara find a way to restore peace to her village? Or will the forest capture her forever in its snares?

The story will well written and the characters were relatable. There were a number of interesting twists and turns in the plot that kept it moving along. The open "ending" of the story left me a bit unsatisfied, so I hope to read the follow up to this story in the future.

Imaginative and adventurous journey through familiar tales that may be not so familiar. Grimm tales were indeed grim, although have been made lighter over time, so a return to the dark. Clever and entertaining.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

4⭐️
The Forest Grimm is everything you could want in a YA fantasy book. I liked that instead of this focusing on just one of the Brothers Grimm stories it incorporated multiple, though all were uniquely changed and told a completely different story than the ones we all know. Magic, fairy tales, star crossed lovers—definitely enjoyed this and look forward to more.