This was a clever book with a twist on the classic Grimm fairy tales blended into the storyline. Main character, Clara is obsessed with finding her missing mother in the Forest Grimm. When the opportunity presents itself, she ventures into it along with her close childhood friend, Axel. But things definitely aren't always as they appear in the woods here and they are constantly rearranging themselves. You'll be lucky to find your way out when the time comes. Yet, Clara and Axel each have their own reasons for being there - - their own burdens so to speak. And then another friend finds her way to them as well and their search gets even more complicated. In addition to looking to rescue other people, Clara is desperately trying to resist the pull she feels to Axel. She tells herself that he isn't meant for her but for another. But is that really true? And how does Axel feel? Of course, you have a big wolf, a red cape, some other scary fairy tale characters and some that aren't supposed to be scary. It all blends together to be a twisty and fun read. Apparently this is the first book of a duology. I could have been very content with this being a standalone. I hope that the second book doesn't take away from the nice feeling of completion that I had when I wrapped up this first book.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I toggled back and forth between the audiobook and the ebook. I didn't mind the narrator's voices, but I did struggle to keep up with the storyline when I was listening to it as opposed to reading it. I'm not sure what made this book different from others for me, but I found myself reading it to finish because it was easier for me. 4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for ARC's of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to and review both of them.

This was a good book. Light and dark all at once, disability rep. Heroics and fairy tales and enchanted forest...the trifecta of awesomeness of course.
Some predictability but still creative and fun. Will definitely read the next one.

Clara's mother was one of the first to disappear into the Forest Grimm, but this year she plans to go into the depths of this cursed forest and get her back. There's only one problem, her bestie Axel has the same plan only he wants to get his fiance back. Clara doesn't care what happens to her since her death has been predicted. It doesn't matter if she dies as long as she can save her mother. As the two move deeper into the forest they find out just how horrific things really are in there.

This book was a hodgepodge of some well-known fairy tales, and though it wasn't perfect, I enjoyed it for the most part. The romance was a bit juvenile and I'm not sure what Henni was doing there. One good thing about this book is that Clara is disabled, and having that rep is important especially since it's not something usually seen in fantasy stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Sarah Ovens was a good narrator.

The Forest Grimm was amazing! There was so much amazing detail that really added to the story. This was also a story that was unpredictable and kept me guessing even though I was so sure I knew what was coming!

The Forest Grimm is a fantasy romance—with a twist on the Grimm’s fairytales. I thought the way the different tales were worked into the Little Red Riding Hood inspired main story was really clever and well done. The fantastical with an edge of creepy definitely lives up to the original Grimm’s vibe.

I liked the main characters and their interactions with each other and I found the writing style and world building really easy to get into which made for a quick, enjoyable read. I’m really looking forward to the next book after that cliffhanger epilogue!

The audiobook narration was great and made it so easy to get lost in the story!

**ARC provided by NetGalley (audio) and Goodreads (print galley) for honest review**

Fairy tale fans, this one's for YOU!!! The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie is a twisty, dark, fairy tale retelling about Clara, a young girl who lives on the edge of a cursed forest, who desperately wants to go in and save her mother who's been missing for three years. She stumbles across a way to enter the forest safely and, with the help of her friends, begins a perilous journey fraught with familiar, and yet not-so-familiar, characters.

This was great. This had everything from spooky forests that move in the night, to magical flowers, to a unique and swoony romance, even a mystery. The pacing was great, the characters were well rounded and fleshed out and interesting, the setting was #readinggoals. I got exactly what I wanted from this story, my only sadness is that I didn't realize it was a DUOLOGY!!! Luckily, the second and final book, The Deathly Grimm, is said to come out in January, so we shouldn't have too long to wait!

The start of the book with Clara’s story was a captivating story. Towards the middle of the book it got a little repetitive. I did like the different take on fairytales. The ended wrapped up all the stories really well.

Thanks NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the early audio book to review!

This book had everything I love in a good story: a magical world, friendship, family, newly discovered love, a problem to be solved. The Forest Grimm is not a simple task. It’s a magical forest that has reveled against the people of Grimm’s Hollow. Someone has used the special magic for ill purposes and the forest refuses to accept people, except for the few who go in and never come out.

The MC, Clara, is kind and selfless. She does anything she can to save her mother, the first of those lost. The family bonds were so heartwarming and pure. The romance was well balanced and untainted in the story. It was so refreshing!!!! I love seeing romantic relationships that show love and respect without needing to be graphic. Thanks you Kathryn Purdue for this amazing tale. And thank you to Sarah Ovens for a brilliant performance. I loved everything about the Forest Grimm and can’t wait for the next part of the story!

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.
The audiobook was enjoyable and overall the main character was likable if not a little naive (but that ok when you consider her age).

I loved the way Kathryn Purdie combines different fairy tales in this fantasy best suited for tweens and young teens. The author has done a great job creating a spooky atmosphere and a suspenseful plot that held my interest and kept me guessing. The story emphasizes the importance of family and friendship, while also featuring a very sweet, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance.

Our main character Clara can be frustrating with her stubbornness and sometimes-foolish decisions, but she means well and her actions are consistent with her personality and values. I liked the way her disability (scoliosis) was incorporated into the story. I loved Axel, and appreciated that all of the characters learn and grow over the course of the story.

I was disappointed that we are left with so many unanswered questions. We never learn who committed the murder that triggered the curse in Grimm’s Hollow, nor why the Forest Grimm affects the villagers in the peculiar way it does. I can only hope that the answers will be provided in the sequel that is expected to be published in early 2024.

The audiobook production was excellent. I loved the narration by Sarah Ovens. She has a pleasant voice and accent, good pacing and pronunciation, distinctive voices and speech patterns to suit each character, and she is able to convey mood and emotion effectively. The story works very well as an audiobook.

I received a free advanced review copy of the ebook and audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

I love reading fairy tale retellings but a lot of times reimaginings don’t have that wonderful folktale feel I crave in this type of story. That is not the case with The Forest Grimm. This felt like I was reading a cozy, yet eerie tale that would not be out of place being told by a medieval hearth.

I appreciate how the author wove together various classic tales into one story, but not in a super obvious way. It never felt disjointed and I enjoyed trying to decipher which tale would be represented next. I quickly became invested in the characters and really liked how the author showcased many different types of relationships and how they each impacted the MCs throughout the book.

Read this if you enjoy fairy tale retellings or your cottagecore books a little on the dark side. If you loved the 2005 movie, The Brothers Grimm, starring Matt Damon and Heath Ledger you should add this book to your TBR ASAP!

This was a super cute book and I am not really into fantasy...and now I want to know what happens in the next book! This was my 1st book by Kathryn Purdie but it will def not be my last! I love that the bad ass in the book is the young girl and she is doing most of the rescuing and fixing!!

4.5 stars to an amazing new series. 17 year-old Clara just wants to save her mother from the dark Grimm Forest. The people of Grimm's Hollow were blessed w/ a Book of Fortunes and yet, somehow, someone still used it for a horrible purpose. Now Grimm's Hollow is being punished over and over again for the misuse of the book and anyone who tries to enter the Forest, disappears. Clara is determined to get her mother out. Together, with her best friends Axel and Henny, who also lost someone close to them to the Forest, she discovers a way in. But the Forest changes those who enter it. And there are more dangers than they know hidden in the Forest Grimm.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

3.5 stars!

While I liked all the fairytale elements of the story, I found myself getting lost as to what was going on or where the characters were. I like that the ending was kind of a cliffhanger and I would be curious to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5⭐️

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

We were promised a fairytale retelling and Purdie delivered with new twists on the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Hansel & Gretel and more. She has a very easy-to-read writing style which made the book easy to get through. Some of the imagery she invoked was also creepy as hell, which I ended up enjoying.

On the downside, I wasn't particularly compelled to know how it ended or to pick the book back up every reading session. I feel that fairytale retellings tend to all follow the same formula. Unfortunately, that's left me with nothing special to say about this one.

This is the kind of book that I'll likely forget next week and not be too upset about. Will not be picking up the sequel.

I would like to thank NetGalley for an audio arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great month for dark fairytale retellings. The Forest Grimm ended up being so much better than I thought it would, and I think it's why I hate the *spoiler alert* cliffhanger ending. I NEED BOOK 2!!

I didn't like Clara. At all. However, her and Axel worked well together and I loved watching them interact. The setting was intriguing, and between the cursed forest and the people they run into and their areas, it was absolutely intense. And that brings me to my favorite thing about this book: the fairytale characters. They were amazing. They were dark and gritty and absolutely terrifying. I couldn't get enough of it.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy your fairytale retellings with a bit of a bite.

4.5 ⭐️

Cozy fantasy fairytale! This was such a good book that combines a ton of fairytales into a surprising twist. I honestly thought I had it figured out about halfway and I’m pleasantly surprised that I didn’t and I really hope there’s a second book!

If you’re a big fan of the Grimm brothers but don’t expect the tales word for word this is a great book!

i am a sucker for a dark retelling of already familiar stories. i really enjoyed the narrator and thought they did a great job of bringing the story to life. Unfortunately for me this novel tended to fall a bit short in a few places. There were a few places there the story seemed to bog down and then take off to the point where i would get lost. Some of the characters had a tendency to also be a bit confusing but over all i liked them and thought that their development was well done. Over all this was a really interesting retelling that i think a lot of people will enjoy.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

•••Spoiler free review below•••

I went into this expecting a Little Red Riding Hood retelling (based on the cover) but this story was so much more. The town of Grimm's Hollow has been cursed for seven years due to someone wishing for murder from the Book of Fortunes. The villagers have tried to make amends with the forest and will the book to come back and bless the town with no luck. Seventeen year old Clara is finally old enough to venture into the Forest herself in search of her missing mother. With the help of her friend Axel who is also missing a loved one, they take off on an adventure but soon discover the forest is alive and the townspeople that have disappeared into the forest are no longer the same. They come face to face with Rapunzel, Cinderella, Briar Rose, and more as the struggle to break the curse, save the town, and get there happily ever after's.

Read this book if you like:
- fairytale retellings with a twist
- ya fantasy with a dark undertone
- friends to lovers
- sentient forests
- strong friendships

The Forest Grimm will be released September 19th and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
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Special thanks to Wednesday Books for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

An interesting approach to intertwining classic fairytales all in one read. The Forest Grimm reveals itself as an unpredictable, deceiving and secretive place. This read will entice readers with many fairytale references while also spinning a story filled with curses, missing loved ones, determining one’s fate and much more!

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC.