4.5 rounded up

I actually really enjoyed this fresh take on fairytales. We are following a village that has been blessed by the nearby forest and it's magic with a book that can grant a heart's true desires. However, one day when someone uses the book to murder a fellow villager, the forest turns on them and curses them - crops are dying, the book is gone, and people are going missing.

One of the lost people is Clara (our FMC's) mother. Clara is determined to enter the forest and find her mother no matter the cost. Mix in a little bit of star crossed lovers, fairy tale retellings, and tarot card magic and you've got The Forest Grimm.

I liked the way the fairytale retellings were redone, we often see them as straight retellings but I feel like this book did a good job on twisting in the Grimm Brother's side of things and used them as the obstacles of the story rather than the heroes. The Forest Grimm itself is also a really unique setting.

I also enjoyed our main characters, I wish we had gotten a bit more from Clara & Henni's friendship - it started off so well then somewhat faltered through out the book. I also enjoyed the romance aspect.

The ending was enough to make me want to read the sequel, so I call that a win!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the Once Upon a Time tv show or just enjoys a darker twist on their favorite fairytales.

The Forest Grimm is a moody, beautifully atmospheric YA fantasy that blends familiar Grimm motifs into a fresh, forest-based quest. It's perfect if you crave dark fairy-tale vibes and a slow-burn journey. Expect some exposition-heavy setup and character development that may not appeal to everyone-but if atmospheric adventure and fairytale homage are your thing, it's worth the plunge.

Another fairytale foray that only left me lukewarm. I just feel like the stakes of the plot did not hold up- nor did I care about the characters enough to be that invested in the outcome. Overall, somewhat disappointing.

Finally a book that acknowledges how completely unhinged Grimm's fairy tales are! And does it with romance, lush descriptions (it made me forget that wool is itchy!), adventure, and only the amount of cannibalism you could reasonably expect!

I was very excited about this book because I really enjoyed the authors previous Bone Crier duology. However, while the concept was good, the execution wasn’t there. The fairy tales weren’t well integrated and didn’t flow well into the storyline. I did appreciate that she leaned into the creepy parts of Grimm tales. I didn’t feel connected or attached to the characters, they lacked depth. This is also definitely a younger YA book which may have hindered my enjoyment. I am disappointed and will not be continuing the series.

I don’t know why, but I just could not get into this book despite multiple attempts. Sadly, I had to DNF. It just wasn’t for me.

This book was very enjoyable. I liked all the characters and the side characters.
The story did drag a little but all the twists on various fairytales were fun!

Thanks NetGalley and Wednesday books for the chance to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and Katheryn Purdie for an advanced copy of The Forest Grimm in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such an interesting, unique take on the fairytale retelling genre. It had so many of Grimm’s original tales woven together to create a phenomenal story of family and the lengths that some will go to to save the people they love. The writing was lush and atmospheric and twisted. I loved that the characters had flaws, but I still rooted for them to succeed on their journey. And the ending! I cannot wait to pick up the next book to find out what happens.

This YA fantasy is based on a magical forest where fairy tales come to life and lure the local townspeople in to play the characters. Clara's mother disappeared into the forest along with her best friend's sister, and they attempt to rescue their family members along with the sister's fiance. As the trio attempts to survive the forest, find their loved ones, and break the forest's curse, battling fire swamp levels of danger.

Great world-building and character development. I would say this has a bit of light horror, a la T. Kingfisher.

A dark and eerie mashup of fairy tales, this was more interesting in theory than on paper. It was a great premise and the mashup of such well-known fairytales was fun. I would read the sequel just to see what happens but I'm not rushing to find it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a really fun read with the mashup of fairytales! I really enjoy Kathryn Purdie's books. This was fast paced and a fun read. I enjoyed the small amount of romance (there is no spice). It was fun to read a YA book that focused on the wood's curse. I loved that on their adventure Henri, Axel and Clara run into familiar fairy tale characters. Loved the found family aspect and the world. I will def. read the second book soon! Thank you for the e-arc and so sorry for how late I am reading and reviewing.

This novel is a retelling of many fairytales! I love the twists in each of them! I did think that this story felt like many short stories combined into one but it was still a great read! I love how it ended with a cliffhanger! I can’t wait for a sequel! This novel is sure to please fans of Marissa Meyer!

Twisted fairytales!

Clara is determined to save her lost mother from the Forest Grimm where she wandered into three years ago. Her best friends Axel and Henni join Clara and they want to save Henni’s lost sister also. The Forest Grimm changed when a curse happened in Grimm Hollow and twisted the magic that used to be helpful to the villagers. The three are in danger of becoming lost themselves because the Forest moves and changes. They are surrounded by creatures who want to cause them harm. They can only trust each other and hope that trust is enough to save them.

Likes/dislikes: Axel’s gift for finding silver linings in any situation is charming. I enjoyed the story of the young ghost, Ollie. It adds a bit of spookiness and melancholy. The author wove a creepy tale of twisted magic.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 3 swears.
Violence: PG for death.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

Unfortunately time lapsed on this and I was unable to fit it into my reading schedule so I will have to refrain from commenting and reviewing on it.

Thank you to Wednesday books for the arc.

DNF 15% in.

I really enjoyed Kathryn Purdie's bone crier's moon duet so I was excited for this one but sadly this one didn't work as well for me. Part of the issue is I requested this when I still really enjoyed YA and I have become very pick about my YA and this one didn't work for me. I also just couldn't connect with the characters and didn't care for them which made me feel like I was just forcing myself through this one.

I am here for all of the retellings with fairy tales and "The Forest Grimm" was no different. I started drawn into this story with the cover and the title. Clara sets out to find a magical book that she hopes will reverse the curse on her village, but the one obstacle on this quest is the enchanted forest. The way Kathryn Purdie wove together a number of tales and components from the tales kept me on my toes as I read. I couldn't wait to see how the next detail was going to go. I also couldn't help but root for Clara and Axel throughout as they worked together to decipher what was real and how they were going to continue on their quest. Thank you to Wednesday Books for a copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

DNF at like 53% :( heartbreaking I was really excited for this I heard great things but ultimately not for me I guess.

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.

Whew. If I ever see or hear about the s curve of someone's spine again... I can't even remember how many times I read this. The further into the book I got, the less it appeared. Nevertheless, it was terribly irritating. Just gotta tell me about a curved back once, and I've got it.
The Forest Grimm was a bunch of fairy tale ideas haphazardly thrown together. It seemed like the point was to include as many as possible with little to tie them together. In the end, they were connected, but it just seemed very unorganized before then.
I enjoy fairy tales and fantasy, but this one fell a bit flat for me.
Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

This is not well written. It is cliche and dull. I was disappointed because it sounded like it would be but it is not interesting at all. I love the cover but still would not suggest a library purchase it.