A review by rachelsread
The Grimmer by Naben Ruthnum

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I feel that I have to first give a disclaimer and say that I am very likely not the intended audience for this book, which probably contributed to my low, 2-star rating. In saying that, I'm not entirely sure who the intended audience of this book is considering how self-indulgent and cringy it reads (or sounds, in this case). It was very very obvious that this was a "young adult" debut novel (although personally, I think it's far better suited for children) because it was a struggle to get through and I found myself getting second-hand embarrassment on more than one occasion. It's set in the 1990s for no apparent reason at all, yet the author refuses to let you forget it, and in fact seems to be on a mission to fit in as many useless "cool" facts about the '90s as they can, from what the characters are wearing to what obscure music that they're listening to. The premise of this book looked very promising, as well as the blurb which stated that it would address topics such as racism and addiction (which the book 110% did not) so I was severely disappointed by it. It reads like the first draft that you burn after writing, full of useless descriptions that don't advance the story as well as major plot holes that weren't even given a cursory mention by the end of the last page. The only reason I gave it two stars and not one was because it's fundamental, stripped-down basic idea was quite intriguing. The final product, however, is most certainly not something I'll ever be reading/listening to again.