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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This is one of those you-can't-put-it-down, i-can't-believe-this-is-happening kind of stories! The voice of the narrator is hilarious as he warns the reader of the impending story. Hansel & Gretel, the main characters walk through many other not as often read Grimm tales and it is a very Grimm tale re-told!
Loved this book and will definitely hand it out.
Loved this book and will definitely hand it out.
I loved, LOVE, loved this book. It brings the old tale new!
challenging
dark
funny
dark
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
tense
From his books to his podcast, Adam Gidwitz is a master at making the old new again. A Tale Dark and Grimm breathes strange and thrilling life into classic fairy tales, retold through a lens that’s just the right mix of dark, funny, and modern.
📚 Why It Worked for Me:
🧵 A Story Quilt for the Ages – Gidwitz stitches together multiple Grimm tales into one epic, forest-spanning adventure. Each chapter feels like a patch in a centuries-old quilt, full of eerie warnings, moral tests, and just enough gore to delight young readers who like things a little spooky.
🧙♀️ Irreverent but Smart – This isn’t your grandma’s Hansel and Gretel. The narrator breaks the fourth wall with snark and wisdom, guiding readers through a forest of lessons without ever talking down to them.
🌲 Fairy Tales that Feel Current – Somehow, “don’t go into the woods” hits differently these days. Gidwitz makes it feel relevant, more about courage, agency, and the monsters we carry inside.
💀 Respect for the Reader – I especially appreciated how Gidwitz trusts younger readers to wrestle with big, heavy tropes like death and gore. He doesn’t sanitize the stories, and in doing so, he honors the emotional intelligence of kids.
💬 Final Take:
If you like your fairy tales with a little bite (and your lessons served with humor) A Tale Dark and Grimm is a fun, thoughtful, and surprisingly deep middle-grade read. Perfect for kids who love Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and adults who still check the shadows.
📚 Why It Worked for Me:
🧵 A Story Quilt for the Ages – Gidwitz stitches together multiple Grimm tales into one epic, forest-spanning adventure. Each chapter feels like a patch in a centuries-old quilt, full of eerie warnings, moral tests, and just enough gore to delight young readers who like things a little spooky.
🧙♀️ Irreverent but Smart – This isn’t your grandma’s Hansel and Gretel. The narrator breaks the fourth wall with snark and wisdom, guiding readers through a forest of lessons without ever talking down to them.
🌲 Fairy Tales that Feel Current – Somehow, “don’t go into the woods” hits differently these days. Gidwitz makes it feel relevant, more about courage, agency, and the monsters we carry inside.
💀 Respect for the Reader – I especially appreciated how Gidwitz trusts younger readers to wrestle with big, heavy tropes like death and gore. He doesn’t sanitize the stories, and in doing so, he honors the emotional intelligence of kids.
💬 Final Take:
If you like your fairy tales with a little bite (and your lessons served with humor) A Tale Dark and Grimm is a fun, thoughtful, and surprisingly deep middle-grade read. Perfect for kids who love Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and adults who still check the shadows.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
Strong character development:
Yes
Another fairy tale of the best sort to read with my kids - with sorrow and growth and heartbreak and horror, and of course lots of humor. It sparked laughter and discussion and lots of gross-out expressions :)
Wow. Just wow. I love this book. At first it just seemed like a fun (and bloody) revisiting of fairy tales that I know and love (and a few I didn't know but now love). But the more I read, the more I loved it. The asides by the narrator were both funny and kind of deep, and I was struck with the urge to hug Hansel and Gretel at many points during the book. When I was a kid, I would have enjoyed the gruesomeness of it all, and now that I'm a grownup, I love it for being a great book about childhood.
Much more mature than I expected, and that is a pleasant surprise. The unknown narrator forewarning ill tidings is strongly reminiscent of Lemony Snicket. This book offers much to think about. Bravo, Mr. Gidwitz.
I personally like the old silhouette covers immeasurably better than the new cartoon style ones.
Anyway, regardless of the cover, this is a fantastic book. I’m surprised I got past all the blood and terror as a kid though. It was the hilarious narration and impeccable writing that did it. You’re just reading along—vaguely horrified and loving it—when Adam whacks you with a well-aimed and extremely out-of-nowhere punch of Feels. I think that’s what makes this book so good; Adam’s writing really connects with you as a reader.
Actually, the plot makes it good too. Because it’s just pure gold.
And the ravens.
Slap a raven and/or crow in any book and I’ll enjoy it just for that.
I’m such a sucker for my favorite things.
Anyway, regardless of the cover, this is a fantastic book. I’m surprised I got past all the blood and terror as a kid though. It was the hilarious narration and impeccable writing that did it. You’re just reading along—vaguely horrified and loving it—when Adam whacks you with a well-aimed and extremely out-of-nowhere punch of Feels. I think that’s what makes this book so good; Adam’s writing really connects with you as a reader.
Actually, the plot makes it good too. Because it’s just pure gold.
And the ravens.
Slap a raven and/or crow in any book and I’ll enjoy it just for that.
I’m such a sucker for my favorite things.
