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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
I loved this follow up to A Tale Dark and Grimm, nearly as much as the first one. Gross and creepy and terrifically paced, giving all of the agency to its young protagonists
I would give this a 3.5, I liked it and thought it had a good message but I don't know how original it was necessarily....
Hilarious and gruesome. Not two things that normally come packaged together, but Gidwitz has done it again. Just as entertaining as the first book!
So many reviewers have given this 5 stars that I feel like Jill when she doesn't see the weaver's silk. I adored A Tale Dark and Grimm and thought this companion was disappointing. It lacked the humor, heart, and dramatic tension of Gidwitz's first book.
Rating 4* out of 5. I don't know why I've had this on my kindle for almost a year without reading it - it's a true gem and I loved the first book, "A Tale Dark and Grimm". One of the things I particularly enjoyed is the voice of the author commenting certain events or actions. Normally I cringe at such a thing, but here it fits. This is, after all, a fairy tale and commentary is occasionally warranted.
It's a short book, I read it in one evening and there was no question of going to sleep before I had finished. I needed to know what happened to Frog, Jack and Jill, who need to find a seeing glass or they will die. Along the way they encounter a mermaid, goblins and a giant lizard. There is obvious moral in this tale, without it being moralizing for that reason. It also happens to be one of the things I've learned myself: "the older I get, the less I care about what other people think of me and the happier I become".
This is a highly readable little book. The story is good, there is insight into human nature, complete with some bloodcurdling horror. I was about to say it isn't a children's book - but this is certainly no worse than an average Grimm fairytale!
It's a short book, I read it in one evening and there was no question of going to sleep before I had finished. I needed to know what happened to Frog, Jack and Jill, who need to find a seeing glass or they will die. Along the way they encounter a mermaid, goblins and a giant lizard. There is obvious moral in this tale, without it being moralizing for that reason. It also happens to be one of the things I've learned myself: "the older I get, the less I care about what other people think of me and the happier I become".
This is a highly readable little book. The story is good, there is insight into human nature, complete with some bloodcurdling horror. I was about to say it isn't a children's book - but this is certainly no worse than an average Grimm fairytale!
This second book in the series works as a standalone, too. Hansel & Gretel's story was finished in book 1, and now we've moved on the the story of cousins Jack & Jill. Tying in versions of the frog prince, the emperor's new clothes, Jack & the beanstalk, and quite a few others, Gidwitz strays from his original focus on the Grimm fairy tales into Hans Christian Andersen, Mother Goose, and various other fairy tales and legends. He takes even more creative liberties (than he did in A Tale Dark & Grimm) in weaving these "awesome" stories into one cohesive storyline.
My 9-year-old loved this whole series, but he has a fondness for scary stories and a high tolerance for gore. (My more sensitive 11-year-old has no interest.) In general this series is suitable for upper elementary or middle school readers.
My 9-year-old loved this whole series, but he has a fondness for scary stories and a high tolerance for gore. (My more sensitive 11-year-old has no interest.) In general this series is suitable for upper elementary or middle school readers.
This book was much better written than book one. I’m actually really glad we picked it up, because the poor writing of the first had me leery.
I would say that this second installment is even Grimmer (pun intended) than the first, so get ready for some nausea inducing moments. These books are not for the weak-stomached, that’s for sure. Vomit, blood, the bones of children... you know. The usual kid-book fare. Parents be warned.
I would say that this second installment is even Grimmer (pun intended) than the first, so get ready for some nausea inducing moments. These books are not for the weak-stomached, that’s for sure. Vomit, blood, the bones of children... you know. The usual kid-book fare. Parents be warned.
I find the retellings in this story to be amusing. I like the twisty dark way these stories are told and linked together. They maintain being interesting and dark without going to far and being damaging to a child reading the story. I liked Jack and Jill and how they figured out the moral of this tale. It was cute and fun.
I really liked the first book in this trilogy, but this one felt quite different. Not as much snarky, interjecting narration and lesser known stories. I really enjoy retellings of old stories so when it moves into something completely new with old characters I lost a little interest. It was still a quick read and I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the first.