An intriguing fairytale retelling with a wonderfully creepy forest and some excellent worldbuilding. The foretelling of Clara’s death, the book that grants wishes, and the sentient forest that took that book away and cursed the town when a wish was misused were all fascinating.

Though the characters were likable, they never fully won me over. I didn’t feel like the main trio had much chemistry. I do appreciate the inclusion of a protagonist with scoliosis—since I have scoliosis myself—but the constant “S curve” mentions grew a little heavy-handed at times. There also were several moments where behavior drifted into idiot plot territory (not tightening a slipping protective cape, eating something a ghost had warned not to, taunting cannibals when playing dead would’ve been more effective, etc.).

Be forewarned that this is the first book in a duology, so it ends on a cliffhanger that sets up the second book. I haven’t decided whether I’ll read the next installment, since I’m 99% certain I’ve figured out the selfless wish that needs to be made to break the curse, and I’m kind of surprised it hasn’t occurred to any of the other characters.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “The Forest Grimm” by Kathryn Purdie. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the Bone Grace duology so I was excited to pick this book up. I was intrigued by the fairytale elements and they definitely ended up being my favorite part of the book.

Right off the bat, it felt like the story was starting in the wrong spot. It was a lot of prologue that I feel like I would have rather had later in the story. I also didn’t really like the vague France language as world building.

I liked the friendship between Clara and Hennie. I almost would have preferred they be the focus of this book. But Hennie is the younger sister of Axel’s fiancé, Ella. He’s in love with Clara but was going to marry Ella until she disappeared in the forest. This led to a sort of love triangle that was really off-putting. I kept wishing Axel hadn’t been included or had a different backstory without the fiancé part as it made him really unlikeable. All his and Clara’s angst about how they couldn’t be together was annoying. I really didn’t like him plus there was a bit of an age gap that didn’t help the situation.

I was hoping the sequel would be from Hennie’s POV since she wants to save her sister but for some reason we have to have another book with Clara as the narrator? I might pick up the sequel but I wish it was going to be from Hennie’s POV. I would be curious so see what other fairytale elements appear in the sequel but I don’t want a repeat book with the Clara/Axel angst.

Ugh I really did not like Axel. I think the book would have been stronger without the romance and I say this as a fan of romance books.

3/5 stars

It had potential with the intricate weaving of the classic Grimm fairytales but it didn't feel like they fit together - it was as if the author missed a few stitches. I think with further development and added depth of the main characters it would have helped guide the story to a higher level.

Where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists!! The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is a new take on Grimm's fairytales and a new novel to add to your collection of twisted fairytales. There are a lot of dark fairy tales jam-packed into this winding story, and there’s also a little romance, a dark fairytale with cameos of beloved characters like Rapunzel, Hansel & Gretel, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood. I definitely would recommend this book, my first time reading from this author Kathryn Purdie and I enjoyed this book.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

This was in my top 10 reads for the year. Fun, tense, and magical. It was everything I wanted from a fantasy.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is a new take on Grimm's fairytales and a new novel to add to your collection of twisted fairytales.

Clara Thurn never anticipated to have a destined future of an untimely death. However, each and every time her grandmother reads her future, the Fanged Creature and the Midnight Forest always are overturned for her. Clara was determined to change her future. Not for herself but for her mother who she is destined to save.

Years ago her mother disappeared and was deemed as one of the Lost in the Forest Grimm. Since then the residents of Grimm's Hollow have lived their lives on the outskirts of the Forest Grimm. Once they had the Book of Fortunes which residents on their sixteenth birthday would write their one true wish. But when someone made a wish for an evil intent the book was snatched away by the Forest Grimm... and the Forest turned it's back on the residents of Grimm's Hollow.

Now the residents try to make amends by sending one of their own out into the forest. Sadly, each and every time someone crosses the border they are thrown out by the forest or never to return.

This isn't the case for Clara Thurn and her friend, Axel. Clara has discovered that there is a way for the Forest to not turn against her. Armed with red rampion and the drive to change her fate, Axel and Clara set off to find their lost loved ones. What the forest brings them is an entirely different story.

From the true darkness of Fairytales, The Forest Grimm introduces Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, and Cinderella in ways readers could never imagine. These are not your Disney characters that's for sure.

The Forest Grimm is a must read for anyone that has a fondness for twisted fairytales and the Darker Side of Grimm. It has a heavy dose of the love between friends as well as mother's and daughters and the blossom of unacknowledged love.

Purdie manages to balance all of this beautifully and I was voraciously reading each and every page. When I finished I was so disappointed to see that I had to wait until next year for the second book. This is a book that will certainly be included in my collection. Until next time, Happy Reading folks.

The Forest Grimm is a delightful and enchanting fairytale retelling that weaves together a captivating tapestry of familiar stories with a refreshing twist. The narrative is like a magical forest, full of unexpected turns and surprises that keep the reader thoroughly engaged. The relationships between the characters are expertly crafted, adding depth and emotion to the tale. The characters themselves are endearing, and it's easy to become invested in their journeys. This remix of classic stories breathes new life into well-known narratives, creating a charming and memorable experience for those who appreciate the magic of fairytales.

For some reason, I always forget how much I love YA fantasy books. I was weary to start this one because of forgetting that very thing. I am soooo glad I made myself read this because I devoured it in less than 4 hours. When fairytales turn dark, count me in!

An eerie forest, a wise grandmother character, a reluctant yet inquisitive heroine, and a quest for a mysterious book? It's literally all of my favorite things in one story! This book is fairytale escapism at its finest; perfect for fans of Melissa Albert's "The Hazel Wood." It's a coming of age story that's unafraid to be realistically dark. Think Grimm's fairytales with less gore. This is the perfect book for Disney adults, or any teens and adults that grew up obsessed with fairytales.

This YA dark fantasy hodgepodge was a wild ride and tons of fun! The Forest Grimm is not a strict retelling of any fairy tale, but rather takes inspiration from the entire Grimm anthology. It’s Little Red Riding hood meets everyone else, but Red be shroomin’. So is everyone else, I guess, but they are on a Very Bad Trip (TM). It doesn’t dig too deep under the surface and it speeds through each little fairy tale bit, but I didn’t mind that because this is YA and I was having fun.

This book leans younger YA imho. It wasn’t perfect for sure, but it also doesn’t promise to be. I think any critique I have come from the experience of being an older(ish) adult reading a younger(ish) YA. And, well, you can’t really blame YA for being YA, amiright?! I will say though that I think there was a missed opportunity making this book YA. This premise would be more devourable than a poisoned apple if it was explored in a more nuanced way. Maybe it’s spooky szn for me still because I would LOVE to read this as an adult horror.

In any event, this book sucked me right in and held my interest through to the end. I think it’ll fare even better with its intended audience— it’s a shame, purely for ratings, that THAT audience is most likely not sitting on Goodreads reviewing books. This was honestly probably more of a 4 star YA read for me, but it felt fair to round up after looking at some of the other reviews.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and the author for emailing me a complimentary arc of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of The Forest Grimm! I was really excited when I first read the synopsis for this book. I think the idea here was great, but the delivery was just not there for me. Grimm fairy tales have a very special place in my heart, which I think is a major reason this book intrigued me. What I liked about this book was the descriptive writing and the premise. I liked the setting of the village on the edge of this magical forest and a book that grants wishes and a curse that takes over. What fell short the most for me was the rest of the plot. And when I got to the end and saw the outcome of what the rest had been building up to? Disappointing. I found the characters to be lacking depth and just predictable. I can see why others might really enjoy this one, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75/5 stars

This was such an interesting story with some really interesting twists on well-know fairytales. It leans very heavily into the original versions by the Grimm Brothers (which makes sense based on the title) but still manages to find points of warmth and redemption. The thing I appreciated most, actually, was how deeply it goes into the dark and creepy of the Grimm Fairytales while still maintaining the integrity of the stories. What I find so often in dark retellings is they go way too far, or it's just underwhelming - Purdie strikes a good balance here.

I'll admit, I struggled at certain points because the pacing sometimes felt sluggish. We'd go from a really interesting revelation about flowers and fortune and curses.....to walking in a forest that changes and for me it struggled to hold my attention in the lulls. But by the end, I was invested and interested to see how it all connected. I guessed most of the twists but there were a few that really made sense but weren't obvious and I definitely appreciated the craftsmanship behind them.

Overall, I think if you really enjoy fairytales and retellings, especially when they're creepy, you'll really enjoy this. It's a great fall time read and it's well written (except for a few pacing complaints) - I think it will just come down to personal preference whether you love it or just like it.

Definitely work checking out!

So the way this story managed to interweave five drastically different fairy tales was superbly done.

However, this read more a a quest style, dungeons and dragon story than most fantasy books. Not inherently a bad thing, but it sometimes felt like the ultimate goal was lost in the weeds.

As for the characters, I didn’t really feel a connection to them.

But I did meet my first main character with scoliosis and that aspect was also well done.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Forest Grimm. I was expecting yet another retelling of a traditional fairytale but was pleasantly surprised with this unique, original story. Clara has known from birth that she is destined to die in the Midnight Forest. The Forest was once kind and granted wishes that were written carefully in a magical book. Things went well until someone tried to use the book for evil purposes, to kill someone. The Forest spirits the book away, the town of Grimm's Hollow is cursed, and Clara has no way to wish away her death. Clara's mother disappears after entering the Forest to search for the book. Her close friend, Axel, lost his bride-to-be to the Forest and many of the villagers are facing starvation and ruin. Clara, Axel, and her best friend Henni take fate in to their own hands and enter the deadly Forest in search of answers, and the book. Things are not what they seem and the Forest has it's own ideas of what should happen. There are references to classic fairytales but related in a new and twisted way. Please don't judge the book by it's cover, the Forest Grimm is nothing close to a torrid love story. Take a chance and read this excellent novel. It looks like Purdie is setting up for sequel, I hope she is - I will be first in line to read it!! Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read the ARC.

The plot, lore, world and the character build were just the right amount. The perfect beginnings of a gripping arc for them all.

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I am not sure exactly what it was I did not enjoy but something was missing for me.

I love how many fairy tales are incorporated into this story and how each of them is told with a different twist. I am excited to see what happens in the second book, which fairy tales are incorporated, and the twists the stories will take.

The Forest Grimm is a YA historical-ish fantasy retelling-ish of Little Red Riding Hood. I cannot express how much this is up my alley (except perhaps for the YA part) and I was very excited to read it!

I thought the setting and world were very cool. A lot of the book takes place in the Forest Grimm (surprising I know) and incorporated parts of classic fairytales in a dark and moody forest setting. I think that the world is loosely based off of the Black Forest in Germany in the medieval or early modern period. Which I loved! I liked the magical elements and the real world elements that kept the world grounded.

There is also scoliosis rep in this book!! The main character, Clara, has scoliosis, which I don't think I have ever seen in a book, let alone a historical fantasy world where a diagnosis like that wasn't a thing. I also have scoliosis and it made me happy to see it represented in this book!

Unfortunately, I thought that the rest of the book was just okay. I started out really liking the characters and going along with the plot but about halfway through the book I was like oooookay let's get moving!! And the plot kind of trundles along for a while longer before it picks up. I was expecting more of a clear cut ending and actually liked that it turned out more gray. I think that there was potential to be a really compelling story here, but it fell a bit short for me. I think that this is partially because of YA genre expectations, which usually aren't my cup of tea. If that is more your thing, I think you'll have a really good time with this book!

Overall, I thought this book was okay but had some really compelling parts that I enjoyed. I would recommend if you're into YA fairytale retellings. 3.5 stars from me. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book, my thoughts are my own!

When I saw this was a spin on Grimm’s fairytales I was RUNNING to hit the request button.

I loved the disability representation. The storytelling was whimsical enough to make me feel like I was between the pages in the story at times. However, as it all unfolded I felt like there was a little too much thrown into the plot. I wish there would’ve been a little more focus on a couple stories of folklore vs. a handful crammed into 325 pages. Definitely reads like young adult, very adventurous, dark, and tense. Normally I really enjoy YA, but this was a bit scattered for me.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC! This review is a voluntary and thoughts are my own <3