One of the best aspects of fairy tales is that they can be both universal and timeless as well as being adapted to the time they are being re- written for without losing heir essence and message. Although this is often a hard point to balance a story on, this edge is something that Kathryn Purdie has accomplished in the duology. I was also very appreciative that this book didn't rely on the darker shades of fairy tale to create tension. This was delightful PG fairy tale reimagining that would be perfect for a reader of any age. Keeping the essence and feelings of the Grimms Tales that we grew up with present, at all time, Purdie allows for something new, modern, and vibrant in this imaginative retelling while weaving together of her own storytelling and world building to create the most delightful framework for the characters I knew and loved.

I am reviewing only book one of the duology here.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, Kathryn Purdie and NetGalley for sharing this book with me!

This story had its moments, and I think I liked it enough to read the second book when it comes out, but while I love fairy tale retellings, this one was kind of a mashup of several fairy tales making things a bit muddled when it came to plot--like I couldn't understand why a character did something on one page, and then later did something else. Still, if I ignored inconsistencies or questions, it was interesting enough that I wanted to read until the end and I will probably check out the second book.

I think it also took me some time for the characters to warm up with me, and the romance was very predictable, though sweet. Without getting into details, I didn't like how Marra felt she had to lie to her grandmother in order to trick her into doing one final reading that would force a result that she wanted. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I didn't love the characters, but I also didn't dislike them. It just took longer than I wanted to root for them.

Perhaps it's unfair, but I read another fairy tale inspired story a couple weeks before this one, so I couldn't help but make comparisons. Moreover, the other story was written by an author whose works I love this particular one had such interesting characters, both the MC and the supporting characters. So that may have influenced my expectations/experience with this book.

Either way, I will say that this was a solid read, but it wasn't my favorite when it comes to fairy tale inspired stories.

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

Although I liked the first book, I found the pacing for this one a bit slow. I also found Clara and Axel's relationship in this one to be frustrating! I noticed he was mean to her and did not believe in or support her. The author does a good job mixing in magic, and mystery. romance, and fairytales so I recommend it to younger YA readers.

This was a great YA fantasy! It took a bunch of the Grimm’s fairytales and reimagined them in a completely new and unique way. It was dark, spooky, atmospheric, mysterious, a little unhinged, and so much fun. Clara lives in a small village on the edge of a magical forest that has turned against its inhabitants. People go into the forest and never come back. Clara decides to go into it to save them, and she’s accompanied by Axel, her best friend and the boy she’s secretly in love with. Once inside, they discover that the villagers have become twisted versions of themselves. Axel and Clara have to work together to break the curse on her village and rescue everyone. I loved the way to story played out and how all the fairytales were connected together. If you want a dark and eerie fantasy with fortune-telling cards, curses, adventure, and true love, I highly recommend this one!
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Read if you like:
▫️fairytale retellings
▫️enchanted forest and magic
▫️YA fantasy
▫️strong heroine
▫️childhood friends to lovers
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Thank you to Wednesday Books, Kathryn Purdie, and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I finished this a while ago and I guess I closed the tab on the computer before I submitted the review. This is really good. You absolutely want to read it.

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.

I have a soft spot for fairy tale retellings, and Forest Grimm delivers an intriguing, yet ultimately disappoint story. The story begins with a strong setup and quick introduction to the cast—Clara, Axel, Henni, and the various townsfolk. Unfortunately, the beginning was the best part. The middle and ending were not cohesive or as strong.

It is a solid YA book and thoughtfully explores themes of grief, friendship, and uncertainty.

The writing felt clunky, and the repetition—especially in how Clara’s scoliosis was described—became frustrating. As someone with scoliosis and corrective surgery, I appreciated the disability representation is a great thing. However, I found that it did not enrich Clara's character as it was one-dimensional.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE FOREST GRIMM, as in Grimm fairy tales....the real ones.....was an interesting retelling/mixed up version of many of the tales. It begins with Red Riding Hood who must find the way to break the curse on her home, family and community. The beginning sets the tone and then she travels.....to the forest. At this point, it seemed as if the writer had every intention of including a scene from as many of the tales as she could. It wasn't bad, just not necessary. The synopsis doesn't say so, but the ending paves the way for another book. This was a good, not great read but I'd read the next one to see if it gets better.

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 fantasy romance chock full of fairy tale magic. Clara's village has labored at the edge of the Forest Grimm for years - for so long life was good, until the forest's magic was offended by a selfish wish that ended in murder. Now their plants are dying, the livestock is sickly, and they themselves are starting to lose hope. Members of their community have slowly been coaxed into the forest, and no attempts to retrieve their Lost have succeeded. When Clara discovers a cape made by her mother, dyed red with rare rampion roots, its like the final piece of a puzzle. The rampion is the key to entering the forest safely. With her best friend Axle by her side, she is positive she can find the Lost - including her dear mother, and Axle's betrothed - and restore life to the way it was before. But even with the rampion to help her, a journey through the Forest Grimm was never going to be easy...


Slightly repetitive pacing and scenarios are the second half of this book's downfall. Where before the romance was enticing and a bit forbidden, and the magic of the forest was mysterious and frightening, the heroine is protesting too much, and the characters keep making the same mistakes. It began to feel as though we were trying to fit as many fairy tale tropes into the story as possible. The final climax felt a little rushed, as did the ending, so everything that happened feels as though it's glossed over by the characters.

The first half of the book is delightful however - getting our first glimpse of the forest and its dangers, getting hints of the attraction between Axle and Clara, and the mysterious tension between them and Henni was engaging. Any fans of fairy tale retellings may enjoy this, as well as fantasy romance fans. It should also be noted that Clara has a curvature of the spine, and her abilities are handled well throughout the story.

The Forest Grimm (The Forest Grimm #1) by Kathryn Purdie, 352 pages. Wednesday Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2025. $15.
Language: PG (3 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
Three years ago, Clara’s mother went missing in the Forest Grimm and became the first of the Lost. Clara (17yo) has known that she and her mother are fated to die young, but Clara is determined to be a changer of fate—to use her early death to save her mother from an early death. Armed with a red hooded cape her mother made and a map she’s spent years drawing, Clara enters the forest knowing she will not return home alive.
Purdie weaves together several fairy tales—some more subtly than others—that harken back to the Grimms’ versions of the fairy tales. Rather than princesses looking for happily ever after, they are monsters setting traps to regain what they have lost. The darker tales raise the stakes for Clara who tests whether fate can be changed and who must decide whether she is as willing to live as she is to die.
Clara is of implied French descent, and the majority of characters are implied White. The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, scary elements, kissing, and partial nudity. The violence rating is for corpses, blood and gore, mentions of cannibalism, assault, fantasy violence, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Gothic fairytale vibes, enchanted forests and gorgeous prose— this is a satisfying story with sweet romance and surprising twists. Be warned, this ends on a cliffhanger and content also mentions/ contains aspects of cannibalism.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books Netgalley and the author for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Unfortunately, this book could have used one more round of editing. The premise is amazing, genuinely, and I loved the plot. A mix of fairytales, this storyline had so much potential. But what really stalled out with this book was the execution. This book being YA does not effect whether it would be good or not. There is enough here for this book to have hit the mark, but it misses with the over description of things and the repetitive nature. It felt like we were being hit over the head with the story of the book over and over, when really we wanted to just get to the bottom of it all.

Overall, I could have been better, and I am willing to give it another try considering the second book is coming out soon.

DNF at 20%. Big thank you to the publisher for an early copy!

The Forest Grimm is the first book set in a new young adult romantasy series. We follow our 17-year-old main character, Clara as she embarks on a quest into the deadly and dangerous Forest Grimm to find a magical book called the Sortes Fortunae (aka the Book of Fortunes). Typically, no one ever makes it out of the forest out alive, but she will go to great lengths to break the curse that is placed on her village and to rescue her mother. What Clara does not know as she ventures through the forest, she and her friends that tag along will encounter some well-known fairytales.

I discovered Kathryn Purdie's books back in 2020 when Bone Crier's Moon came out and ever since I have been reading some of her books which I end up enjoying. When I saw The Forest Grimm go up on NetGalley, I instantly went to request it since I know Kathryn is an author I enjoy.

When The Forest Grimm first opens up with the villagers having their names drawn to see who would go into the forest to break the curse my first thought was: "is our main character going to yell-I volunteer as tribute?!" That part just made me think of The Hunger Games and no there was no one who yelled that they volunteered as tribute with those exact words.

Kathryn Purdie does such an amazing job setting up this world and the atmosphere. She really draws you in and makes you feel like you are in this dark, bleak forest with odd run ins with fairytale characters. I should note that these fairytale characters are not the Disney ones that a lot of us know but the darker ones that we encounter with the Brother Grimm Fairytales. You can expect Cinderella, Hansel + Gretel, Rapunzel, and a few other characters to appear in this book. With that being said I really enjoyed seeing the different characters and how they are portrayed as well interact with the main characters and the world.

When it comes to the characters, I for the most part enjoyed them but did find Henni and Clara to be aggravating at times. But I did love the friendship and the even more than friends' dynamic between Clara and Axel.

The pacing for the most part was great and fast but there were areas that felt like it dragged out. I was very engaged in this story and curious about what was going on and what would happen.

I've been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on The Forest Grimm about it feeling too young as well as other things. To put in perspective: I will be 28 this fall, and I did not find it juvenile or targeted for a younger range. To me this felt like a good, clean (no smut) romantasy retelling that I would have encountered when I was a teenager. Everyone does perceive things differently, so it is all good if people find this too young, but I just wanted to say for me it felt fine and I think many people who want a clean YA romantasy, a dark fantasy retelling, or to feel reminiscent of YA a decade ago then you'll enjoy this.

📖Truly grim journey into enchantment🏞👀

Three village teens braving a dangerous enchanted forest searching for lost love ones and a magic book of wishes to break a curse? Suspense and unpredictability? Romantic & familial devotion? Friends risking themselves for each other? A smart, determined, brave and self-sacrificing young heroine? Familiar fairytale characters like Briar Rose, Rapunzel and Hansel & Gretel getting a totally new interpretation? It had them all, and their journey was one that might excite a fractured fairytales or Tolkien Hobbit or LOTR fan, but I just wasn't all that drawn into the story and, though I found the plot imaginative, can't say I enjoyed it. And the ending? Less joyful and more mournful than I'd hoped for. Plus, it's not a full ending. I think I liked the idea of this story more than the actual book. It turned into a more drawn out read than I expected and creepier, too.

I don't think I'll be reading The Deadly Grimm sequel. This just wasn't for me.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/20/25 with Waterstones, Google Play, Goodreads, Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble, kobo and BAM.

This was a fun little take on the Grimm fairytales. I love a creepy haunted gothic forrest vibe and this story definitely had a strong gothic Forrest vibe. I liked the spin on the fairytale characters and the relationships between everyone. I am excited to see what happens in this world next.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press | Wednesday Books for sending a copy of The Forest Grimm for review.

The final book in this duology is being released Mar 25. I’m anxious to see how this series wraps up. I enjoyed this 1st book with its twisted Grimm fairy tales woven into the story itself. Although it did become a bit repetitive, throughout the MCs journeys, to be surprised that each character they came across turned out to be evil. Maybe I was just ready to move the story along so I could get some answers. Overall I was intrigued by the storyline and thought it was well written.

Kathryn Purdie’s The Forest Grimm is an enchanting and atmospheric fantasy that masterfully blends fairy tale magic with eerie, high-stakes adventure. From the moment Clara steps into the cursed forest, the novel grips readers with its dark twists on familiar fairy tale lore, creating a world that is both haunting and mesmerizing.

Clara’s journey to retrieve the Sortes Fortunae is filled with danger, as the Forest Grimm itself seems to conspire against her. The living woods, twisted fairy tale creatures, and unpredictable magic make every step feel like a gamble. The romance between Clara and Axel adds emotional depth, especially as fate threatens to keep them apart. Their dynamic is compelling, balancing moments of longing with heart-pounding action.

Purdie’s writing is lush and evocative, bringing the eerie, sentient forest to life with vivid descriptions and immersive worldbuilding. The novel’s tension never wavers, making it impossible to put down. Fans of dark fairy tales and fate-defying heroines will be utterly captivated by The Forest Grimm—a spellbinding, unforgettable read.

Honestly this was just a very long fantasy novel that ends on a cliffhanger. If I hadn't gotten the second book in the series as an ARC, I would never have picked this one up.

"The Forest Grimm" follows 16 year old Clara who is hoping her name gets picked at her village's Lottery so that she can be picked to search in the Forest Grrimm for the Lost Ones that have disappeared over the past three years. Clara's mother went missing three years ago searching for her missing father. Now, she lives with her grandmother and does her best to ignore the warnings her grandmother's cards show about her and others futures.

Clara was not that exciting to follow. Neither was her love interest Axel and her best friend Henni. There's a lot of explaining about so much that the entire book just drags terribly once you get to the point that the three teens are searching for the Lost Ones.

The entire book is Clara, Axel, and Henni meeting dark perspectives of familiar Grimm fairy tales (Rapunzel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Red Riding Hood, etc.) and there's nothing new or interesting. As I said, the book drags. I was just bored throughout hoping that we would get to an ending quicker than we did.

The ending of the book left a lot to be desired. I didn't see a need for a second book, so will just finish that one as soon as I can.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press, and Wednesday Books for these free copies of "The Forest Grimm" and "The Deathly Grimm."

I'm so glad I was able to read the duology back-to-back since they flow seamlessly together.

I was pulled into "Forest" in the opening lines when Clara asks her Grandmere to tell her again the story of how she will die. Clara's grandmother has some magic to tell futures with tarot cards.

But Forest Grimm has the bigger magic and allowed each villager to make a wish and the Forest would tell them how to make their dream come true. Three years ago, that power was yanked from the villagers and their land was cursed since a wish was used for murder.

Clara yearns to enter the Forest to search for the Lost Ones (you'll learn about them) and to find a way to break the curse, although she expects to die in the Forest based on her tarot card reading. Her friend Axel goes with her to search for his lost fiancee Ella.

What's so fun (even though they're dark) about these books is the recasting of well-known Grimm fairy tale characters. Will they show up as villagers? Or are they Lost Ones?

You'll see Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretl, Briar Rose, Snow White, Beanstalk Jack among many others.