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 retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with other fairytales intertwined into the main story. This made the story feel quite choppy and not cohesive. While still enjoyable, the weird flow of the storytelling made it hard to be invested.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ✨… I am haunted by my mother… if haunting weren’t a mystery of the dead, but instead an echo of the living.

I am personally, a huge fan of fairytales and I love retellings. The series once upon a Time is one of my favorite shows to just have on in the background. This story reminded me a lot of the aspect of integrating multiple fairy tales into one. I enjoyed how the author gave it her own twist and it was fun trying to figure out who it was before the name was given for some of them. The forest itself is its own character and honestly my favorite of the bunch.
The stakes weren’t super high, and some parts were a little bit cringey but it is YA. All in all it was a fun read. I listened to it on audio as well and the narrator was superb. She really took the story further me.

I feel terrible for saying this, but this book unfortunately was not for me. If you know me, you know that I absolutely adore twisted fairytales. I was so certain I would enjoy this book. I honestly dreaded posting the review, as I was so disappointed, and this was my first Netgallery acceptance.. but here goes. Almost a DNF, but muscled through.

My biggest issue was how juvenile the writing was, and the lack of cohesion. Also, the word "rampion" was included an absurd number of times in the ARC. more than 40. IMO, the author tossing all these tales haphazardly into one realm wouldn't have been an issue if there was better worldbuilding. The characters had no depth, and by the end, it was all predictable. I was so relieved to be finished mucking through all of the chaos.

TL; DR. I will not be adding this to my at-home library. Appreciated the disability representation though, and Olli was my favorite character. Needed more agency, and the plot needs more development to prevent the soggy novel syndrome.

It was a good and intriguing story. If you liked Grimm's fairy tales growing up, you'll like this book. It's got a twist with the fairytale that you encounter, similar to how the fairytales were twisted in the movie The Brothers Grimm. There is a cliffhanger, so I look forward to reading the next book.

I feel like books that are inspired by fairy tales are always so full of potential. There are so many ways to take a story and twist it. The Forest Grimm took the bones of the tales we all know so well and created something new and completely unique. Every time I read a familiar term like “Rapunzel” or noticed the use of the original trope, I thought I knew what to expect. I was always wonderfully, happily wrong.

After the Forest Grimm turns its favor away from Clara’s village, friends and family members begin disappearing. Clara’s mother is one of the Lost, and Clara is desperate for the chance to go look for her. When she finally gets that chance, Clara and her childhood friend Axel rush into the dark forest. The question is if they can succeed where others have failed, and what will it cost them?

I liked Clara. She was determined, but also honest with how she was feeling. When she felt hopeless, she didn’t try to hide it. She was unapologetically herself. She wasn’t always right, but she learned from her mistakes. Clara also had an S-shaped spine and required a wedge in her shoe. I loved the way this was done. This affected her at different points in the story, yet it never stopped her.

Clara’s childhood friend Axel came along as well. As far as counterparts who are clearly there to be a potential love interest go, he was an interesting one. He was thoughtful and helpful, as opposed to being simply a pile of muscle and brooding. Their changing relationship was well handled and added to the storyline.

One more member rounded out the party. I won’t spoil their identity other than to say that I was surprised by how much I disliked her. I thought she was a sweet, loyal character when she was first introduced, but she ended up grating on me. That’s small potatoes, though, as the story itself was a lot of fun.

I loved the way the fairy tales were changed! The heroes weren’t necessarily all that good, and the shifts in story and tone were both a little creepy and extremely interesting. I think Briar Rose might have been my favorite, although there was a scene with hair earlier on that gave me the wiggins (I am completely grossed out by all hair other than my own, and even then, it has to actually be attached to my head). I have to give a round of applause to the author for the “blech” factor added to that part of the tale.

I found it interesting that each separate fairy tale was meant to blend into the next, making one cohesive story. I’m not sure it always succeeded, as I found the pacing to be choppy in some areas. However, there were some major standout moments for me. I thought the final confrontation was fantastic, eerie, and unlike any other fairy tale take I’ve seen. I do wonder if maybe this book would be better as a standalone, but it’s clear that the author planned for a duology from the get-go and has something particular in mind. I’m curious to see the direction the next book takes.

The Forest Grimm was an entertaining shift on familiar fairy tales, one worth reading if you enjoy the darker tone of pre-Disney versions.

Take a village under a curse, add in a daughter searching for her lost mother, stir in a star-crossed love and a sinister forest filled with howling wolves and you have the basis for The Forest Grimm. And let us not forget the lost book of fortunes! Clara Thurn manages to find a way to enter the Forest by wearing a cloak that her mother had died red. She went in with Alex who is searching for his missing bride and followed by the bride's sister. They meet twisted versions of several lost villagers who tried to kill them, but they escaped and finally managed to find the lost book and partially lift the curse. But the last chapter provides a clue that the forest is not done with Clara and her friends. A nicely done story weaving in a number of fairy tales into its narrative.

"This is my clock struck twelve. My Midnght. As was promised long ago, this is the styory of how I die."

If you always thought the Grimm's fairytales were a little unhinged - I mean the original versions, not the diluted Disney ones we read as kids - then this might be for you.

Set on breaking the curse holding her village captive since someone used their beloved Book of Fortunes for nefarious reasons, Clara embarks on a journey in the Midnight Forest. Armed with her red cape that seems to protect her and allow her to enter the forest, and with her friend/crush Axel, she confronts the dark magic living in the forest, ready to do anything to save her mom. She knows the journey might take her life, but if she can save her mom, then it would be worth it. Soon joined by her friend Henni, the trio stumble upon fairy tale inspired characters and must find a way to survive - and get back home - before the Fanged Creature gets to them.... or is it trying to protect them?

As a big lover of fairytales, I also love reading different takes on them. This book hit the mark with the darker aspects of them. Rapunzel who uses her hair as a weapon, Ella (or Cinderella) dead set on marrying her groom and will go to any lenghts not to lose anyone else, and the infamous spinning wheel wrecking havoc on all the Lost Ones. The atmosphere and world building was beautifully done, the background explanations just enough to get us going without being only about telling telling telling without any showing. And the fortune telling added such a nice dimension to the fated to die / changer of faith - i really hope we can get more into this in book 2.

Without giving away anything, i loved the dark undertones of the story. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Axel, a little less Henni, but everything was well woven together, and made me want to read the sequel. I felt compelled to see what Clara and her friends would encounter next, which fairytale would be next, what creatures would come next, and i wasnt disapointed. The only thing for me was that the end was kind rushed for me, there was quite a lot happning in little time, and some bits were a little disjointed, but nothing that stopped me from reading.

I would recommend if you enjoy a dark YA, fairytales and curses.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF at 50%. I would like to try again someday. As for now, this is a series and its not working . I could not connect to the storyline of to any of the characters.

I thought this book was okay. It didn’t really stand out to me for any reason. There wasn’t anything gut wrenching that took place. I liked the fairy tale character aspects.

I am a fan of living forests and the horror of nature. Seeing this done in a fairytale setting was something I was really interested in. The book started out strong but I think it started falling off near the end.

As much as I love a retelling this one definitely fell short for me. There was a lot of disconnect for me especially in the story overall. I do see what they were going for with it being a little read riding hood retelling but it just wasn't enough.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook. (This is actually my 2nd read, and there have been no changes with this new edition.)

The Forest Grimm pulls readers into a beautifully eerie and enchantingly dangerous world, where magic, curses, and twisted fairy tales live among the trees. Kathryn Purdie builds an atmosphere that is rich and immersive—lush with haunting magic and alive with danger at every turn. You can practically feel the forest breathing around you.

At the heart of the story is Clara, a 17-year-old determined to save her cursed village and her ailing mother by braving the infamous Forest Grimm in search of the legendary Book of Fortunes. Clara’s strength and resilience stand out, and her scoliosis diagnosis—something rarely seen in fantasy protagonists—was a refreshing surprise. It adds another layer to her character and makes her quiet grit even more admirable. I especially appreciated the detailed planning and physical preparation she goes through before entering the forest; it gave the journey more weight and realism.

The fairy tale elements are clever, and the idea of the forest twisting familiar stories into something sinister is super creative. However, I did feel like at times the story got a little too caught up in those fairy tale references. There were moments when the plot felt like it took a backseat to the aesthetic—like I was wading through too many stylized twists without much movement forward.

Still, for all that, the novel shines in its world-building, Clara's mindset, and its originality. The stakes feel high, the forest feels truly alive, and the themes of fate, choice, and sacrifice land well. The execution wasn’t perfect, but it’s definitely a story worth reading for fans of dark fairy tales and magical peril.

Thank you to Macmillian Publishing and Katherine Purdie for this ARC!!
I loved the concept of this book a lot, but it didn't vibe with me
I think this was YA, which is fine but the characters didn't have any substance or emotion for me, and I literally didn't care about anything until the book ended or from the beginning, where I thought the card readings were super cool
Also the writing style didn't work with me at all, it just felt super super bland
I also thought the wolf was the mom LOL, it was actually the grandmother which was kinda interesting
Overall, it just wasn't as enjoyable as I hoped :/

✨ Publication date: March 25, 2025✨

This is a refresh and republish of the YA dark fairytale retelling. This was released in advance of the launch of the second book in the series.

Clara Thurn has been waiting a long time to get her chance to enter the Forest Grimm in search of her lost mother. The people of Grimm’s Hallow have always benefited from the magic of the forest until someone broke the rules and the forest turned against them.

Clara’s mother was one of the fort who were lost and never returned from the forest. After a year of planning, Clara is ready to go in and bring her mother home.

Clara and her friends Axel and Henni work together to find their loved ones and run into many obstacles along the way.

This is an okay YA retelling. It took me a while to get into the world building and the characters. There are several fairytales woven into the story. There is a slow burn romance between two of the main characters which was well written. This is a 3 star read for me.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #kathrynpurdie #theforestgrimm

I love me a good fairytale retelling. And this one was so good! I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next!

This is a wonderful read if you enjoy dark fairytales in the YA space. The author did a great job keeping to the vibes of the Grimm stories without making it feel like you have read this before. The world building and character development were top notch!

I always enjoy a good fairy tale retelling especially when there are bits and pieces of the original stories that we all know and love. This took me a little bit to get into at first, but once I started reading it, I enjoyed the story being woven. The slow-burn romance was a nicely added touch, something I wasn’t quite expecting to enjoy as much as I did. I also enjoyed how many different aspects of classic fairy tales were intertwined within this story. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to others.

The Forest Grimm is an enjoyable fairytale retelling. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down. I am looking forward to reading the sequel!