lscheibal's review against another edition
3.0
I liked a decent amount of the stories, however I wished there hadn't been so many takes on re-telling Beauty and the Beast. You don't need 3 in one collection...
somarostam's review against another edition
4.0
When I found out that these talented and famous authors were publishing such an anothology, I was as excited as everyone else in the Paranormal and Fantasy genre. I love it when these two genres are mixed up, so I was very, very pleased with these short stories.
+ The Key by Rachel Hawkins: THREE STARS. I thought this would be a romantic love story from the start but it was anything but. This is a very interesting introduction to this anthology that is quite short, but the ending will put you off. I liked it.
+ Figment by Jeri Smith-Ready: THREE STARS. This one was really, really imaginative. I LOVED the idea of the Figments and how they are attached to people and how they thrive on imagination and belief in fantasies. You might not get what I am saying at this moment, but this book was really fun in a cute kind-of-way.
+ The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo: THREE STARS. This was really creepy with a paranormal vibe about it. It's the kind of story, that even when you finish, you don't really get what just happened, but you liked the mysterious part. I felt like that, even though the end was a bit of a stretch and there were things that irked me.
+ The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron: THREE STARS. This one started with a very twisted beginning and I thought it would take a dark path that I love. But it didn't. Actually, this one was really mild and didn't interest me a lot. I kind-of breezed through it without giving it much thought. This is a kind of quest journey that I am sure some people will adore.
+ Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell: FOUR STARS. This was the kind of story that has some moral aspects that are just wrong. Not cruel, not bad, just you know, deep inside, that this is as disgusting as it can be. So, I loved how our main heroine handled her relationship and all the things that came without. A gown made of sunlight? You will sure be interested in this.
+ Before The Rose Bloomed: A Retelling of the Snow Queen by Ellen Hopkins: TWO STARS. This is a star-crossed lovers story about a girl going on a journey to rescue her beloved. This was just boring and I really hate that. These kind of stories just can't interest me and i finished this as fast as I can. Moving On.
+ Beast/Beast by Tessa Gratton: FOUR STARS. I really liked this one. As a hopeless romantic I am, I am in love with the whole Beauty and the Beast theme and this really executed it well. Tessa Gratton expressed a ton of emotions in the span of such a short story and I fell in love with the Beast. The end was romantic and happy and just what I expected.
+ The Brothers Piggett by Julie Kagawa: TWO STARS. I expected a lot from this one. It's Julie Kagawa, after all. I really like her writing style but this story was just not the same and kind of stupid, really. I mean the characters. they're just silly and i didn't want to care for them, at all. This was a turn-off but the witch mythology was interesting.
+ Untethered by Sonia Gensler: FOUR STARS. This is one of my favorites in the anthology. The author used one of the most amazing techniques, that I LOVE in both movies and books. Don't really know what it's called, but it's when the author builds this whole world and this story and these characters, and in the end, she just turns everything upside down, the story ends, and you are left flabbergasted, mouth-wide-open, standing in awe of the author's talent. This is that kind of story.
+ Better by Shaun David Hutchinson: FOUR STARS. This was a really good science fiction story. it's the kind of story that can be turned into a series and will surely succeed. I liked the whole imaginative little world of the story and the characters and end, OMG! the end felt wrong and right at the same time, and I was really shocked.
+ Light It Up by Kimberly Derting: THREE STARS. Our lovely main characters in this story, Hansen and Greta, does their names ring a bell? Yape, Hansel and Gretel. But with a really modern twist and a really creepy old man instead of the witch. This is like the kind of movies that not just scare you, they make you feel disgusted. WHICH I just love.
+ Sharper Than a Serpent's Tounge by Christine Johnson: TWO STARS. This was a very weird story but with a very interesting twist and premise. I can't really tell since it will be counted as a spoiler but I asure you that it was interesting, just not my kind of story, or if longer, not my kind of book, at all.
+ A Real Boy by Claudia Gray: FIVE STARS. Officially, my favorite story in the whole series. I loved Claudia Gray's writing and I loved her characters. Rowan is such an amazing character and i wanted to feel her stretched out in a whole series, not just a short story. The beginning, I really liked and the love story it contained I really loved, but the end was the best of all. This was the most memorable one.
+ Skin Trade by Mira McEntire: THREE STARS. This reminded me of the typical paranormal romance. The likes of Twilight and the others. It doesn't really have anything in common with Twilight, but it has become a habit that whenever I read something with a damsel in distress and a guy who wants to hide his feelings for her while hiding his true cruel nature, it just screams TWILIGHT at me. The ending was very interesting, if not a bit chilly and gross.
+ Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan: TWO STARS. This was just silly and weird and something that I just didn't get. So, our beast here is a guy from the modern world who has been trapped in the castle and he was plain annoying. I hated him and he kind-of destroyed the story, for me.
+ The Pink: A Grimm Story by Amanda Hocking: THREE STARS. This was a really cute short story with a touch of romance in the fantasy world. I really liked the characters and hated the bad ones, as I always do. It was a really great story, just not AMAZING.
+ Sell Out by Jackson Pearse: THREE STARS. The whole concept of this story interested me a lot but the execution was not perfect. And it was just too short. I wanted more from the characters which I didn't get. But I'm not complaining and kissing people back to life is really intriguing concept to behold.
+ The Key by Rachel Hawkins: THREE STARS. I thought this would be a romantic love story from the start but it was anything but. This is a very interesting introduction to this anthology that is quite short, but the ending will put you off. I liked it.
+ Figment by Jeri Smith-Ready: THREE STARS. This one was really, really imaginative. I LOVED the idea of the Figments and how they are attached to people and how they thrive on imagination and belief in fantasies. You might not get what I am saying at this moment, but this book was really fun in a cute kind-of-way.
+ The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo: THREE STARS. This was really creepy with a paranormal vibe about it. It's the kind of story, that even when you finish, you don't really get what just happened, but you liked the mysterious part. I felt like that, even though the end was a bit of a stretch and there were things that irked me.
+ The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron: THREE STARS. This one started with a very twisted beginning and I thought it would take a dark path that I love. But it didn't. Actually, this one was really mild and didn't interest me a lot. I kind-of breezed through it without giving it much thought. This is a kind of quest journey that I am sure some people will adore.
+ Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell: FOUR STARS. This was the kind of story that has some moral aspects that are just wrong. Not cruel, not bad, just you know, deep inside, that this is as disgusting as it can be. So, I loved how our main heroine handled her relationship and all the things that came without. A gown made of sunlight? You will sure be interested in this.
+ Before The Rose Bloomed: A Retelling of the Snow Queen by Ellen Hopkins: TWO STARS. This is a star-crossed lovers story about a girl going on a journey to rescue her beloved. This was just boring and I really hate that. These kind of stories just can't interest me and i finished this as fast as I can. Moving On.
+ Beast/Beast by Tessa Gratton: FOUR STARS. I really liked this one. As a hopeless romantic I am, I am in love with the whole Beauty and the Beast theme and this really executed it well. Tessa Gratton expressed a ton of emotions in the span of such a short story and I fell in love with the Beast. The end was romantic and happy and just what I expected.
+ The Brothers Piggett by Julie Kagawa: TWO STARS. I expected a lot from this one. It's Julie Kagawa, after all. I really like her writing style but this story was just not the same and kind of stupid, really. I mean the characters. they're just silly and i didn't want to care for them, at all. This was a turn-off but the witch mythology was interesting.
+ Untethered by Sonia Gensler: FOUR STARS. This is one of my favorites in the anthology. The author used one of the most amazing techniques, that I LOVE in both movies and books. Don't really know what it's called, but it's when the author builds this whole world and this story and these characters, and in the end, she just turns everything upside down, the story ends, and you are left flabbergasted, mouth-wide-open, standing in awe of the author's talent. This is that kind of story.
+ Better by Shaun David Hutchinson: FOUR STARS. This was a really good science fiction story. it's the kind of story that can be turned into a series and will surely succeed. I liked the whole imaginative little world of the story and the characters and end, OMG! the end felt wrong and right at the same time, and I was really shocked.
+ Light It Up by Kimberly Derting: THREE STARS. Our lovely main characters in this story, Hansen and Greta, does their names ring a bell? Yape, Hansel and Gretel. But with a really modern twist and a really creepy old man instead of the witch. This is like the kind of movies that not just scare you, they make you feel disgusted. WHICH I just love.
+ Sharper Than a Serpent's Tounge by Christine Johnson: TWO STARS. This was a very weird story but with a very interesting twist and premise. I can't really tell since it will be counted as a spoiler but I asure you that it was interesting, just not my kind of story, or if longer, not my kind of book, at all.
+ A Real Boy by Claudia Gray: FIVE STARS. Officially, my favorite story in the whole series. I loved Claudia Gray's writing and I loved her characters. Rowan is such an amazing character and i wanted to feel her stretched out in a whole series, not just a short story. The beginning, I really liked and the love story it contained I really loved, but the end was the best of all. This was the most memorable one.
+ Skin Trade by Mira McEntire: THREE STARS. This reminded me of the typical paranormal romance. The likes of Twilight and the others. It doesn't really have anything in common with Twilight, but it has become a habit that whenever I read something with a damsel in distress and a guy who wants to hide his feelings for her while hiding his true cruel nature, it just screams TWILIGHT at me. The ending was very interesting, if not a bit chilly and gross.
+ Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan: TWO STARS. This was just silly and weird and something that I just didn't get. So, our beast here is a guy from the modern world who has been trapped in the castle and he was plain annoying. I hated him and he kind-of destroyed the story, for me.
+ The Pink: A Grimm Story by Amanda Hocking: THREE STARS. This was a really cute short story with a touch of romance in the fantasy world. I really liked the characters and hated the bad ones, as I always do. It was a really great story, just not AMAZING.
+ Sell Out by Jackson Pearse: THREE STARS. The whole concept of this story interested me a lot but the execution was not perfect. And it was just too short. I wanted more from the characters which I didn't get. But I'm not complaining and kissing people back to life is really intriguing concept to behold.
autumnleeves's review against another edition
3.0
Better than many short story anthologies because there was less of a disparity between the ones I liked and the ones I didn't. There were a couple I didn't get, but none I hated. For some of them I wish it said somewhere what fairy tale it was based on.
sadiecass's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's always harder to review anthologies, and this one had so many stories in it, that made it even harder. I liked some, didn't like others, but overall the good outweighed the bad.
Some standouts for me:
Figment. I loved this take, absolutely loved it. It was clever and fun and endearing, with a bit of sadness mixed in.
Beast/Beast. It was the same story, but vastly different and deeper. I loved watching the two grow closer and the bond form. I also really enjoyed the organic, natural horror of the beast.
Better. It was just magnificent.
The Twelfth Girl. I've read other retellings of this, longer retellings, that I didn't enjoy as much as this one. It really had me hooked and I didn't set aside my Kindle until I'd finished.
Some others I enjoyed, but felt something was lacking were: Light It Up, Beauty & the Chad, & Sell Out. I also really enjoyed Thinner Than Water for its utter darkness (although it made me utterly squicky. ~shudder~)
The rest either didn't stand out to me or I flat out didn't enjoy them (or skimmed due to my lack of enjoyment).
*I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It's always harder to review anthologies, and this one had so many stories in it, that made it even harder. I liked some, didn't like others, but overall the good outweighed the bad.
Some standouts for me:
Figment. I loved this take, absolutely loved it. It was clever and fun and endearing, with a bit of sadness mixed in.
Beast/Beast. It was the same story, but vastly different and deeper. I loved watching the two grow closer and the bond form. I also really enjoyed the organic, natural horror of the beast.
Better. It was just magnificent.
The Twelfth Girl. I've read other retellings of this, longer retellings, that I didn't enjoy as much as this one. It really had me hooked and I didn't set aside my Kindle until I'd finished.
Some others I enjoyed, but felt something was lacking were: Light It Up, Beauty & the Chad, & Sell Out. I also really enjoyed Thinner Than Water for its utter darkness (although it made me utterly squicky. ~shudder~)
The rest either didn't stand out to me or I flat out didn't enjoy them (or skimmed due to my lack of enjoyment).
*I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
booknookghost's review
4.0
I know I’m not the only one thinking it, but what an incredible line-up.
GRIM is an anthology of re-imagined, fairytale-inspired short stories by an (amazing) array of YA authors. It includes 17 stories for all tastes—from strict re-tellings to complete overhauls of the stories, spreading themselves over romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc etc.
Basically, everything you could ever wish for all wrapped in an absolutely beautiful design. (I do mean the cover. Look at it.)
Not all the stories will be for everyone. I definitely liked some more than others, but I did enjoy reading all the stories and trying to figure out what fairytales they were based on.
(Fake) Spoiler Alert: I couldn’t.
It brings shame into my little fairytale-loving heart, but even having read a book dedicated to Grim fairytales, I still couldn’t figure out all of the stories in here. I know, I know, I am a disgrace.
As a side note to that, if anyone has read this and knows all the fairytales: message me.
Ok, so. Some of the stories I loved the most: (there’s only four of them listed, because I had to limit myself)
- Beauty and The Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan: Ok, yes, this doesn’t surprise anyone. This story is the entire reason I first bought GRIM and it was so. worth. it. BatC is a retelling of (GUESS!) Beauty and the Beast, but with SRB’s trademark awesome sprinkled everywhere. Here, Beauty disguises herself as a boy to go work for the Beast (the Chad), and, well, hilarity ensues. Serious hilarity. Yes. Nothing like cackling in the middle of the night while clutching your iPad to make your mom wonder if you’re well in the head. Trust me.
- A Real Boy by Claudia Gray: Oh, oh, how this tugged at my heartstrings. aRB is a sci-fi retelling of Pinocchio, revolving around Blue and the robot (Rowan) she helps to make. This was just… everything I wanted. Sweet and lovely and rich in character development. If this were a full-length book, I would buy it.
- Thinner than Water by Saundra Mitchell: Things I was thinking after I finished this short story: HELL YES and Well, damn. In the best way possible. TtW is a re-imagining of All-Kinds-Of-Fur with a twist at the end. I loved it. Loved. Loved. Unlike the other two I mentioned, this one is narrated as if it were an actual fairytale, with that slightly omnipresent narrator voice that follows a character, but is never quite fully the character. So, from now on, I’ll just pretend this is how the fairytale was actually written.
- Better by Shaun David Hutchinson: This is one of my favorites, but also one of the few I couldn’t match up to a fairytale. It follows Pip and Levi, an artificial being and a human living in a spaceship where the population (especially the young) have fallen prey to a degenerative disease that kills them. If there ever was a mix of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis and FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, this is it.
Basically, if you want something to do with fairytales but are not sure what to get: Buy this.
If you don’t want the commitment of a full length book: Buy this.
If you are interested in reading any of these authors but don’t know if you’ll like their style: Buy this (and then their actual books, because I’ve read most of them and they’re fabulous.)
.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN for providing an eGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
GRIM is an anthology of re-imagined, fairytale-inspired short stories by an (amazing) array of YA authors. It includes 17 stories for all tastes—from strict re-tellings to complete overhauls of the stories, spreading themselves over romance, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc etc.
Basically, everything you could ever wish for all wrapped in an absolutely beautiful design. (I do mean the cover. Look at it.)
Not all the stories will be for everyone. I definitely liked some more than others, but I did enjoy reading all the stories and trying to figure out what fairytales they were based on.
(Fake) Spoiler Alert: I couldn’t.
It brings shame into my little fairytale-loving heart, but even having read a book dedicated to Grim fairytales, I still couldn’t figure out all of the stories in here. I know, I know, I am a disgrace.
As a side note to that, if anyone has read this and knows all the fairytales: message me.
Ok, so. Some of the stories I loved the most: (there’s only four of them listed, because I had to limit myself)
- Beauty and The Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan: Ok, yes, this doesn’t surprise anyone. This story is the entire reason I first bought GRIM and it was so. worth. it. BatC is a retelling of (GUESS!) Beauty and the Beast, but with SRB’s trademark awesome sprinkled everywhere. Here, Beauty disguises herself as a boy to go work for the Beast (the Chad), and, well, hilarity ensues. Serious hilarity. Yes. Nothing like cackling in the middle of the night while clutching your iPad to make your mom wonder if you’re well in the head. Trust me.
- A Real Boy by Claudia Gray: Oh, oh, how this tugged at my heartstrings. aRB is a sci-fi retelling of Pinocchio, revolving around Blue and the robot (Rowan) she helps to make. This was just… everything I wanted. Sweet and lovely and rich in character development. If this were a full-length book, I would buy it.
- Thinner than Water by Saundra Mitchell: Things I was thinking after I finished this short story: HELL YES and Well, damn. In the best way possible. TtW is a re-imagining of All-Kinds-Of-Fur with a twist at the end. I loved it. Loved. Loved. Unlike the other two I mentioned, this one is narrated as if it were an actual fairytale, with that slightly omnipresent narrator voice that follows a character, but is never quite fully the character. So, from now on, I’ll just pretend this is how the fairytale was actually written.
- Better by Shaun David Hutchinson: This is one of my favorites, but also one of the few I couldn’t match up to a fairytale. It follows Pip and Levi, an artificial being and a human living in a spaceship where the population (especially the young) have fallen prey to a degenerative disease that kills them. If there ever was a mix of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis and FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley, this is it.
Basically, if you want something to do with fairytales but are not sure what to get: Buy this.
If you don’t want the commitment of a full length book: Buy this.
If you are interested in reading any of these authors but don’t know if you’ll like their style: Buy this (and then their actual books, because I’ve read most of them and they’re fabulous.)
.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin TEEN for providing an eGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
tehani's review
3.0
I'm a fan of fairytale reworkings, especially when they subvert and play with the tropes, and there were quite a few in this collection that I thought were unusual and well done. However, there were also a good portion that felt like retellings rather than reworkings, and a couple that I was actively cross I had wasted my time reading them, which has dropped this book's star rating for me.
Those I particularly enjoyed were "Better" by Shaun David Hutchinson, "Thinner than Water" by Saundra Mitchell (though it's not a pleasant piece!), "Figment" by Jeri Smith-Ready and "Beast/Beast" by Tessa Gratton. I also quite liked "Before the rose bloomed…" by Ellen Hopkins, but my reading was a bit spoiled by the formatting of the verse in my Kindle-purchased version.
I think your mileage may vary on some of these, particularly in terms of how familiar you are with the source material of each work. Some are more obvious than others (and that wasn't necessarily a bad or good thing in different pieces!) and I liked there was some diversity of both authors and characters within the pieces. In all, not my favourite anthology of fairytales but certainly readable, with enough good stories to keep me engaged.
Those I particularly enjoyed were "Better" by Shaun David Hutchinson, "Thinner than Water" by Saundra Mitchell (though it's not a pleasant piece!), "Figment" by Jeri Smith-Ready and "Beast/Beast" by Tessa Gratton. I also quite liked "Before the rose bloomed…" by Ellen Hopkins, but my reading was a bit spoiled by the formatting of the verse in my Kindle-purchased version.
I think your mileage may vary on some of these, particularly in terms of how familiar you are with the source material of each work. Some are more obvious than others (and that wasn't necessarily a bad or good thing in different pieces!) and I liked there was some diversity of both authors and characters within the pieces. In all, not my favourite anthology of fairytales but certainly readable, with enough good stories to keep me engaged.
htb2050's review
5.0
The theme was very unsettling but that was what the book "Grim" was all about. The writing and specially the world building was top notch.
Merged review:
There were a lot of stories in this book but only 2 or 3 were really grim. All other seemed like retellings of other tales but just changing a few characters. Those weren't even interesting.
Merged review:
There were a lot of stories in this book but only 2 or 3 were really grim. All other seemed like retellings of other tales but just changing a few characters. Those weren't even interesting.
ellieroth's review against another edition
3.0
Este libro lo leí hace un buen tiempo, no sé por qué no traje la reseña antes. Creo que es el hecho que sean varias historias cortas muy disparejas lo que me hace difícil darle una valoración y opinión global.
Algunas de las escritoras que aparecen en la lista ya había leído, caso de Julie Kagawa y Rachel Hawkins. Y luego otras que tenía pensado nunca leer como (y únicamente): Amanda Hocking. Ok, no sé por qué nunca me ha caído bien la señora Hocking, y sus libros no me han interesado mucho, se me hacen muy clichés. Y esta antología solo confirmó mis sospechas, la historia corta de Hocking es tan presuntuosa, no, en serio, me imagino al editor leyendo el material de los otros escritores y llegar al de Hocking...
Pero esa solo soy yo siendo un poco hater xD
Grim tiene muy buenas historias cortas. Mis favoritas:
• Beauty and The Chad de Sarah Rees-Brennan: me reí un montón, está sí es un buen retelling de La Bella y la Bestia. Buenísimo.
• Figment de Jeri Smith-Ready: #Crying
• Thinner than water de Saundra Mitchell: Una de las mejores del libro. Oscuro, retorcido. Justo lo que el libro buscaba. Quiero leer más de Saundra.
• The Brothers Piggett de Julie Kagawa: Me gustó mucho la adaptación que se hizo
• Untethered de Sonia Gensler: ♥
Les voy a ser sincera y estos son solo algunos que me acuerdo xD Mi cuaderno me está ayudando, pero fui muy tacaña con los comentarios ahí.
Grim me ha gustado, como les digo tiene algunas historias que no me engancharon a su lectora, otros como el de Sarah Ress supieron darme mucho en pocas páginas. Es una poco complicado reseñar una antología.
Algunas de las escritoras que aparecen en la lista ya había leído, caso de Julie Kagawa y Rachel Hawkins. Y luego otras que tenía pensado nunca leer como (y únicamente): Amanda Hocking. Ok, no sé por qué nunca me ha caído bien la señora Hocking, y sus libros no me han interesado mucho, se me hacen muy clichés. Y esta antología solo confirmó mis sospechas, la historia corta de Hocking es tan presuntuosa, no, en serio, me imagino al editor leyendo el material de los otros escritores y llegar al de Hocking...
Pero esa solo soy yo siendo un poco hater xD
Grim tiene muy buenas historias cortas. Mis favoritas:
• Beauty and The Chad de Sarah Rees-Brennan: me reí un montón, está sí es un buen retelling de La Bella y la Bestia. Buenísimo.
• Figment de Jeri Smith-Ready: #Crying
• Thinner than water de Saundra Mitchell: Una de las mejores del libro. Oscuro, retorcido. Justo lo que el libro buscaba. Quiero leer más de Saundra.
• The Brothers Piggett de Julie Kagawa: Me gustó mucho la adaptación que se hizo
• Untethered de Sonia Gensler: ♥
Les voy a ser sincera y estos son solo algunos que me acuerdo xD Mi cuaderno me está ayudando, pero fui muy tacaña con los comentarios ahí.
Grim me ha gustado, como les digo tiene algunas historias que no me engancharon a su lectora, otros como el de Sarah Ress supieron darme mucho en pocas páginas. Es una poco complicado reseñar una antología.