The Forest Grimm

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.

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.

The Forest Grimm is a delightful book of fractured and mixed up fairytales. Clara, the seventeen year old main character had her grandmother read her fortune when she was a girl. The cards foretold an untimely death. Because of this, she had no problem donning a red riding hood and setting off into the crazy Forest Grimm with her best friend. As they looked for their lost loved ones, they ran into killer characters from stories we know as kind and good. Who knew that Rapunzel was part spider and that her hair wrapped up her victims like a web?! Many other characters are used in this thrilling tale. In the end, there is still more to do and a second book cannot get here fast enough for me to find out how it all ends. I am sure there will be even more fractured fairytales in book two.

This book is fine for middle grades and older. There are scenes of peril and death, closed door romance and mild language.

This was such a wonderfully entertaining and twisty fantasy book, I had a lot of fun reading it!

Based on the cover I had assumed that it was a Red Riding Hood retelling, which I guess it is, in a sort of way, but the book also includes a bunch of other retellings (which I'll refrain from naming since it'll be delightful if you discover it on your own). The different retellings were combined in such a cool way, and I'm really looking forward to more of those in the next book!

I also loved the development of characters and relationships in this book, it was really emotional and _real_. The ending was so cool, I'm excited for book 2 (and I hope we see a certain Oliver again 😭)

--- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book!

This tale is an adventure through different fractured fairy tales. Clara lives in a village that used to have a magic book that granted wishes, but when someone uses the book to commit murder, the book disappears, the village is cursed, and the nearby forest becomes a trap for villagers that enter including Clara's mother. After three years of her mother missing, Clara has a plan to get into the forest and rescue everyone. Will she be able to break the curse and save the villagers?

I absolutely loved the story and cannot wait to read book two! This book has some romance, but would be good for grades 7 and up.

I really enjoyed this series, both books are very well written. I can't wait to share with readers at our store.

The Forest Grimm

A YA novel filled with dark fairytale retellings and Into the Woods/Wish vibes, but better, in my opinion.

A village with a magic wish granting book that goes missing and a forest that turns on them. I love when things in nature become their own character and the forest in this novel really shined.

An intriguing storyline with lives on the line. Could be scary/too gory for younger audiences (I’d recommend 14+) but fit the vibes really well.

A fantastic creepy but not too dark fall read.