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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
There are more originals in this than the first one, though you can still see the inspiration from a variety of sources. (Gidwitz also offers an exhaustive note of inspiration/sources at the end.) The narrator is less prominent in the middle, which works especially because the stories are so absorbing.
There is still some blood, guts and gruesomeness but it doesn't overwhelm, I loved the talking frog, though I wish there had been some discussion of how he lived so long.
There is still some blood, guts and gruesomeness but it doesn't overwhelm, I loved the talking frog, though I wish there had been some discussion of how he lived so long.
This second book of the series is just as much fun as the first. Following a new set of characters, but still having the same tone and feel of the first book. There’s no chance to get bored in this story. I actually love teaching this book to teens. It’s definitely not for your little ones, but it is an amazing story with the gore and dark bits that classic Grimm readers will love!
A companion novel to A Tale Dark & Grimm, this book continues to celebrate the darkness and horror that is part of real fairy tales. This time the focus expands beyond The Brothers Grimm to also include Hans Christian Andersen and Christina Rossetti among others as inspiration. This is the story of Jack and Jill and their adventures. Yes, there is a broken crown and also a beanstalk to climb. There is also a talking frog to be kissed, a goblin market to explore, and monsters to either battle or befriend. There is plenty of blood, anger, misery, hunger and torment too. Sound like the sort of book you’d enjoy? I thought so!
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
Read the rest of my review on my blog, Waking Brain Cells.
Jack and Jill wander through several different fairy tales, some of which you will recognize, and some you might not. And they learn a lot about themselves along the way. It's a fun read, and also very gory and violent for those of you who are tired of reading sugary cute fairy tales. If you read A Tale Dark and Grimm and you liked it you will definitely want to read this book also. And if you haven't read that, give this a try anyway. You can go back to the other one if you enjoy this one. And I really think you will enjoy it.
I personally found the first edition to be better than this one, but I, nevertheless, enjoyed this. I decided to really read it during the power outage that happened recently with hurricane Irma. In a lot of ways, I didn't really connect with anything in particular, but I do enjoy reading story tale retellings. There's something nice about seeing how people do their own spin on the subjects that they present.
Oh, and I adore the little inserts he does to break the fourth wall in the novels. I always thought it to be playful and witty rather than annoying or something that breaks the atmosphere of the novel. It's consistent, but I'm just not that fond of the adventures themselves. The only part that I really liked was with the mermaid. Now, that I felt a sting to my heart. I think it's because it's relevant in my life right now - that sense of someone telling you nice things only to bestow harm onto you later. I felt so warm inside with a candle lit in the corner of my room as I kept reading "beautiful girl" over and over from the mermaid. Then I just felt slightly unsettled when the mermaid doesn't have its own twist, and it's still as cruel as the fisherman proposed the situation to be.
Ah, well, this book wasn't a waste of time, and god, finally I get to say I finished a goddamn book for once after so many months!
Oh, and I adore the little inserts he does to break the fourth wall in the novels. I always thought it to be playful and witty rather than annoying or something that breaks the atmosphere of the novel. It's consistent, but I'm just not that fond of the adventures themselves. The only part that I really liked was with the mermaid. Now, that I felt a sting to my heart. I think it's because it's relevant in my life right now - that sense of someone telling you nice things only to bestow harm onto you later. I felt so warm inside with a candle lit in the corner of my room as I kept reading "beautiful girl" over and over from the mermaid. Then I just felt slightly unsettled when the mermaid doesn't have its own twist, and it's still as cruel as the fisherman proposed the situation to be.
Ah, well, this book wasn't a waste of time, and god, finally I get to say I finished a goddamn book for once after so many months!
I had high expectations for the Gidwitz's follow-up to A Tale Dark & Grimm, and I was not let down. He does a remarkable job primarily working with "original" fairy-tales, such as told by Hans Christian Andersen, Christina Rossetti, and Joseph Jacobs. Here he runs a little more fast and loose tying the classic tales together and filling in the gaps. For Grimm and Mother Goose fans, he includes plenty of references and tales as well. I love his tone, style, voice, and storytelling so I was particularly thrilled to see that four chapters are original Gidwitz creations peppered with plenty of classic references throughout.
I'm really looking forward to [b:The Grimm Conclusion|17465447|The Grimm Conclusion (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #3)|Adam Gidwitz|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369240971s/17465447.jpg|24362188] and by the sound of it I don't have long to wait!
I'm really looking forward to [b:The Grimm Conclusion|17465447|The Grimm Conclusion (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #3)|Adam Gidwitz|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1369240971s/17465447.jpg|24362188] and by the sound of it I don't have long to wait!
I adored A Tale Dark and Grimm and when I saw this at BEA, I dove headfirst into the crowd and secured myself an ARC. Absolutely. Hilarious. Read this series, folks.