sandraagee's review against another edition
4.0
You do not need to have read [b:A Tale Dark and Grimm|11974615|A Tale Dark and Grimm|Adam Gidwitz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1310058046s/11974615.jpg|10874302] to enjoy this book. But if you loved Gidwitz's first book, you'll like this one too! Both books do a great job of celebrating the dark, unpleasant aspects of fairy tales and turning them into a cohesive story.
More so than in A Tale Dark and Grimm, Gidwitz has a clear lesson inserted into this tale, though it never feels unpleasantly didactic. There's enough blood, vomit, and fire-burping giant salamanders to keep it from being preachy.
It was also interesting to see Gidwitz draw from non-Grimm sources, including John Jacobs, Hans Christen Anderson, and even Christina Rossetti. Some of these references will be a bit more obscure to the average child reader, but Gidwitz cites each and every one of his sources at the end.
More so than in A Tale Dark and Grimm, Gidwitz has a clear lesson inserted into this tale, though it never feels unpleasantly didactic. There's enough blood, vomit, and fire-burping giant salamanders to keep it from being preachy.
It was also interesting to see Gidwitz draw from non-Grimm sources, including John Jacobs, Hans Christen Anderson, and even Christina Rossetti. Some of these references will be a bit more obscure to the average child reader, but Gidwitz cites each and every one of his sources at the end.
sapphiremarie's review
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
2.75
wiseowl33's review
4.0
This is a gruesome, but wonderful series! Love the way the story moves from tale to tale but keeps the same characters. Loved the frog in this book! Great story!
cynthiak's review
4.0
Just a tad less impressed with this book (2nd in the series). The beginning is great, it gets a bit boring with the story around the giants and then it goes crescendo towards a great finale.
akookieforyou's review
3.0
Not quite as good as book one. I didn't find the stories to be as engaging in this one as I did in the last. But it wasn't bad, there were some pretty good moments too. Overall, pretty good.
impreader's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent. One can't go wrong with the depth and grotesque' of the unadulterated fairy tale, da? And Gidwitz threads it all through -- blood, guts, horror, wonder, injustice, true love. ...er, sounds Princess Bride now. But no. Gidwitz is a wonder for the wonder he weaves his own tales with, and writes the perfect yarn for a kid or young adult, drawing out the innate edge of faerie, updating only the narrator's voice, and only in interjections, and blending many small tales into a single, much the way pieces of a life blend to make one whole person.
clioreadsalot's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
aaliyah3315's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jozzy_hi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Murder, and Abandonment