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idaho8's review against another edition
3.0
Quick, fun read. Abrupt ending, but it was a good twist on a fairy tale story.
nagyagi's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
3.0
Very slow start, but fun concept and definitely got better as the author got into the meat and away from introducing characters. I'm curious about the rest of the series and will probably seek it out but recommend this for only an avid reader or someone in love with YA fantasy.
shaila_m's review against another edition
5.0
Great take on the Grimm fairy tales and adapted to today's world.
nae_nae_deluxe's review against another edition
1.0
The plot was a great idea, but I think the book may have needed a few more drafts.
There were a couple of grammar issues (on the Kindle version, which may have been a medium-transfer error) that took me out of the story.
The POV character changed too often. Sometimes even during a paragraph. I felt like the omniscient narrative was trying to let us hear everyone's deep thoughts, and that felt false. It was forced and awkward. Like when the POV was Mina, and she kept thinking of her mother as Sara instead of Mom. Mina sat up and Sara said, "Mina, do such-and-such after school."
I felt like the author's fallback exposition was simply describing—in brand names—what every single teenager was wearing and how fantastic they looked while wearing the outfit. It didn't flesh out the plot or the curse, or even the characters. It made me, as the reader, very bored. Unless it really matters to the heart of the story, I don't agree with the word count being spent on wardrobe.
There were also a lot of moments where we were suddenly being told a character's past. Because why? No reason that I could see. These flashbacks of "I used to have nightmares about little red riding hood, and now my daughter is going to be eaten by a pack of wolves" didn't heighten any emotional connection for me. It just made the characters feel false and flat.
Only one or two characters felt genuine. Nan, when she spoke and did things, felt real. The main characters, however, were unbelievable. Maybe it was what they said, how they said it, or the things they did. Not sure, but the characters pulled me out of the story too often.
I liked the idea of the Grimm curse so I read the entire book. I was curious where the author was going with the plot, but I don't think I'll read the rest of the series. Like I said, I feel like the book could be even better than it is. Maybe I'm just a story snob. I'm not trying to be, but I am trying to learn what makes a story really good.
There were a couple of grammar issues (on the Kindle version, which may have been a medium-transfer error) that took me out of the story.
The POV character changed too often. Sometimes even during a paragraph. I felt like the omniscient narrative was trying to let us hear everyone's deep thoughts, and that felt false. It was forced and awkward. Like when the POV was Mina, and she kept thinking of her mother as Sara instead of Mom. Mina sat up and Sara said, "Mina, do such-and-such after school."
I felt like the author's fallback exposition was simply describing—in brand names—what every single teenager was wearing and how fantastic they looked while wearing the outfit. It didn't flesh out the plot or the curse, or even the characters. It made me, as the reader, very bored. Unless it really matters to the heart of the story, I don't agree with the word count being spent on wardrobe.
There were also a lot of moments where we were suddenly being told a character's past. Because why? No reason that I could see. These flashbacks of "I used to have nightmares about little red riding hood, and now my daughter is going to be eaten by a pack of wolves" didn't heighten any emotional connection for me. It just made the characters feel false and flat.
Only one or two characters felt genuine. Nan, when she spoke and did things, felt real. The main characters, however, were unbelievable. Maybe it was what they said, how they said it, or the things they did. Not sure, but the characters pulled me out of the story too often.
I liked the idea of the Grimm curse so I read the entire book. I was curious where the author was going with the plot, but I don't think I'll read the rest of the series. Like I said, I feel like the book could be even better than it is. Maybe I'm just a story snob. I'm not trying to be, but I am trying to learn what makes a story really good.
librarygirlreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
chelsfoust's review against another edition
5.0
The only reason this took me so long to read was because I kept getting other new books I had to read first since this one is on my kindle. I LOVED this story it was wonderful. I have ready many books trying to make the Grimm Fairy Tales into something a bit different and I haven't really liked any of them. This one however was very well done and kept me interested the entire time. Mina was a great Heroine to read and even though I am not entirely sure about Brody he was fun. I am still unsure of Jared also, though I am excited for the second book. I really liked the ending and how it was a wonderfully sad though quite good ending and that it sets up the second book and is intriguing enough that you really want to pick up the next book and dive back into the fairy tale! A must read!
canopy_'s review against another edition
3.0
To put it lightly, this book was lacking. In a very general sense, this book has a great plot line that was the only reason I continued to read it. However, the writing seemed to have almost no editing and the development of the characters was a bit off putting. It would probably be a great movie, though.