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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
Another fascinating book that follows the idea of the series. Gidwitz has a truly unique voice that is constantly known throughout. I liked the stories that he adapted as well as the stories that he didn't adapt, but create. Have to admit that I liked the first story more because of the fact that Hansel and Gretel's adventures were more unified, but that's not to say that Jack and Jill's stories weren't fantastic. The ending was also a bit miffy but loved it all the same.
Spoiler
they lived in the woods...seriously?
I liked this book but I liked the first one just slightly more. I think the main reason is that I had been reading The original Brothers Grimm when I read it and he sticks to the original stories a little more faithfully in the first book (which I noticed but he also tells you in a little excerpt at the end of this book). He took more liberties in this book which made the story flow a little more. It would be harder to take the chapters out of this book and have them stand on their own whereas in the first book each chapter could have been it's own tale (if memory serves) and oddly I liked that method a little better. It made it even more miraculous that the stories were somehow fitted together to make one cohesive story. I also felt that there were more layers to the first book. Don't get me wrong, lessons were learned in this book, maybe it was just a case of this is book two so I've already made the rounds.
3.5 stars! A funny and quick retelling about Jack and Jill! I’m surprised this book is recommended to ages 9 and up. It has a lot of gory scenes but it adds to the Grimm aspect.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
very Grimm, for those who enjoyed it I recommend the podcast Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest
A satisfying follow-up to A Tale Dark & Grimm, which has a dedicated fan club of young boys (and girls, too, but the boys are especially avid) in our town, since one of our middle school teachers read it to all of his classes. ATD&G had a lot of recovering-from-REALLY-horrible-parenting (cutting-off- heads-horrible--remember, these are the GRIMM fairy tales we're talking about). In a Glass... goes on to the next logical issue--when your parents have failed you, how do you go on and find out who you really are? How do your choices bring you closer to whomever you are meant to be? As in ATD&G, Gidwitz weaves probably-(hopefully!) familiar tales together with his own new bits, and helpfully explains the origins of the pieces in an afterword. Some are folktales, some are literary (e.g. Hans Christian Andersen). The mostly-helpful narrator is back, warning of the particularly scary or gross bits, of which there are many; it's usually beforehand, but occasionally after ("Jeez! My bad! Sorry!"). These stories and images get into your head and stay there, in a good way.
Young fans will be ecstatic.
Young fans will be ecstatic.
Unlike almost everyone I know, I wasn't a huge fan of Gidwitz's first. Consequently, I went into this one with seriously lowered expectations and was pretty happy to find that I actually quite enjoyed this one. The intrusive narrator thing was much more scaled back here (and less-grating when it was employed) and I likws Jack and Jill so much more as our protagonists. In some ways, this book can be summed up as "more of the same," which I know will delight the legions of Gidwitz fans. But the thing that strikes me most is how tweaking a few key points makes one thing so much more enjoyable than the other, for me as a reader, when they are basically working the same vein.
My Summary: Jack is a dreamer whose father wants him to grow up and be a man. Jill is a princess whose mother is only concerned with how beautiful they are. Both children are disappointments to their parents. But they are cousins who are also best friends and set out on an epic journey together that will change who they are and what they believe is important. They will outsmart giants, befriend an enormous salamander, run away from goblins, and face terrible power-hungry witches. But will they be able to find the most valuable hidden treasure all are seeking and the key to true happiness? Jack and Jill go on an incredible journey that will take them far from home and teach them some very important lessons.
My Likes: I loved reading about Jack and Jill and all of the other fairy tale creatures we've known since childhood but haven't known the true stories. This is a perfect combination of dark and intense but also sweet. We get a taste of the fairy tales we know growing up alongside the twisted tales Gidwitz has created for us. We don't miss out on the friendships of the Disney-type tales nor the dark, sometimes gruesome, always twisted tales that were full of morals like the originals. I really love the transformations that both Jack and Jill go through during the book. If you want to read a book about two kids who grow up and learn how to be happy with themselves, this is it!
My Dislikes: Nothing. This book was perfect for me. But I will say that this book does have some intense moments and its fair share of gore, so if your child is sensitive to that, I would either read the book first yourself to judge its appropriateness or skip it for now all together. I would not recommend it to kids under the age of ten, either way.
Overall Feeling: I loved this book. And I absolutely love the cover. They are beautiful. This is how fairy tales were meant to be, dark, not always happily ever after, with important messages to learn. I also loved the writing style for the younger audience. Almost every gross, violent, or emotional part was preceded by some sort of warning or funny commentary from the author. It broke up the tension a little while still keeping the stories dark. My son is six and still a little young for this book, but I hope this'll be one we can read out-loud together when he gets a little older.
I also want to mention that I haven't yet read A Tale Dark and Grim. In a Glass Grimmly is only a companion novel, not a sequel. So while I assume the style is similar, I don't actually know. All I know is that you can absolutely read In a Glass Grimmly without having read the previous book. Although, A Tale Dark and Grimm is definitely much higher up in my TBR pile now! I gave In a Glass Grimmly five stars.
My Likes: I loved reading about Jack and Jill and all of the other fairy tale creatures we've known since childhood but haven't known the true stories. This is a perfect combination of dark and intense but also sweet. We get a taste of the fairy tales we know growing up alongside the twisted tales Gidwitz has created for us. We don't miss out on the friendships of the Disney-type tales nor the dark, sometimes gruesome, always twisted tales that were full of morals like the originals. I really love the transformations that both Jack and Jill go through during the book. If you want to read a book about two kids who grow up and learn how to be happy with themselves, this is it!
My Dislikes: Nothing. This book was perfect for me. But I will say that this book does have some intense moments and its fair share of gore, so if your child is sensitive to that, I would either read the book first yourself to judge its appropriateness or skip it for now all together. I would not recommend it to kids under the age of ten, either way.
Overall Feeling: I loved this book. And I absolutely love the cover. They are beautiful. This is how fairy tales were meant to be, dark, not always happily ever after, with important messages to learn. I also loved the writing style for the younger audience. Almost every gross, violent, or emotional part was preceded by some sort of warning or funny commentary from the author. It broke up the tension a little while still keeping the stories dark. My son is six and still a little young for this book, but I hope this'll be one we can read out-loud together when he gets a little older.
I also want to mention that I haven't yet read A Tale Dark and Grim. In a Glass Grimmly is only a companion novel, not a sequel. So while I assume the style is similar, I don't actually know. All I know is that you can absolutely read In a Glass Grimmly without having read the previous book. Although, A Tale Dark and Grimm is definitely much higher up in my TBR pile now! I gave In a Glass Grimmly five stars.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not as good as the first, but not bad.
dark
fast-paced