natcommon's review against another edition
2.0
It’s like a 2.5 ish...
I don’t know who this is for. Middle graders may like this but the writing style seems more for a younger audience but it’s definitely not. There are better retellings/reimaginings than this.
I don’t know who this is for. Middle graders may like this but the writing style seems more for a younger audience but it’s definitely not. There are better retellings/reimaginings than this.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
If you want gruesome, bloody, morbid tales, this is the book for you. A retelling of some Grimm tales with even Grimmer happenings than the originals, this book cranks out the ickiness with cannibalism galore. Kids that love blood and gore will certainly enjoy the action here.
everthereader's review against another edition
5.0
This book was actually really popular when I was in elementary school but I never actually got the chance to read it. This was so funny and entertaining! Can't wait to read the next book!
decafplease's review against another edition
What a disappointment. It was filled with irksome interjections and digressions and innovations that felt contrived, exemplary of the kind of postmodernist young adult fiction that should be avoided.
mandyist's review against another edition
4.0
Published by Andersen Press, A Tale Dark and Grimm is just the sort of book to buy for children for Halloween. It is well-written and entertaining but carries a strong moral code throughout. It is sufficiently dark and grisly to make children squeal with glee and has the perfect mix of fantasy and irreverence to set their imaginations free.
I would wholeheartedly recommend A Tale Dark and Grimm and rate it four out of five stars.
Read my full review at Addicted to Media: Book Review: A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Read Adam Gidwitz's guest post on Addicted to Media: Featured: Adam Gidwitz's Origin Story
I would wholeheartedly recommend A Tale Dark and Grimm and rate it four out of five stars.
Read my full review at Addicted to Media: Book Review: A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Read Adam Gidwitz's guest post on Addicted to Media: Featured: Adam Gidwitz's Origin Story
finalgirlfall's review against another edition
5.0
adam gidwitz providing the Divorced Parent Rep in fairytales that i love... <3 also, i've been haunted by one chapter of this book since i first read it, but i can't remember many details. i may have to reach out to the author and see if he can tell me the source story.
agxxo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
marpesea's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise is unique-- Hansel and Gretel are in several classic fairy tales. The stories are told in a simple, engaging manner. Themes of familial relationships and under-standing/understanding are touched on (in some cases it's a bit heavy-handed, but not unpleasant).
However, this book has a narrator who likes to interject flippant comments. I usually enjoy footnotes, asides, etc, but in this case it only served to draw me out of the story. I don't really care to read the author daring the reader to read the next "scary" or "gory" bit and I definitely don't want to have this read page-long comments in the middle of a chapter that do nothing to further the story.
All in all it was a quick, pleasant read, made even more enjoyable once I started to skip the bold asides.
However, this book has a narrator who likes to interject flippant comments. I usually enjoy footnotes, asides, etc, but in this case it only served to draw me out of the story. I don't really care to read the author daring the reader to read the next "scary" or "gory" bit and I definitely don't want to have this read page-long comments in the middle of a chapter that do nothing to further the story.
All in all it was a quick, pleasant read, made even more enjoyable once I started to skip the bold asides.
lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was dark and gory with the perfect amount of humor. I love how snarky the author was and how he broke that wall between the reader and the book so often. His comments alone make this book stand out amount the thousands published every year.
This was a great little story that took typical fairy tales and turned them on end. I will say that because of the gore (even though there was plenty of humor to excuse it) this is probably best suited for upper elementary...just a warning. Some younger kids could handle it just fine, I just hesitate to recommend it unless I know the kid and their family really well and what the parent considers appropriate or not.
This was a great little story that took typical fairy tales and turned them on end. I will say that because of the gore (even though there was plenty of humor to excuse it) this is probably best suited for upper elementary...just a warning. Some younger kids could handle it just fine, I just hesitate to recommend it unless I know the kid and their family really well and what the parent considers appropriate or not.
babydragonmom7314's review against another edition
4.0
Second Read (October 25/26, 2012): 4 1/2 stars. I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking the first time, but I really, really loved this a lot the second time. Could be where I am in life right now: thinking about parents. Thinking about the importance of children. Thinking. I'm actually really struck by all of the adult themes that show up in his commentary that I didn't catch the first time around. And how deep they are. Really, Really enjoyed this.
First Read (July 21/22, 2011): It's really 3 1/2 stars. Loved his retelling and weaving together of all the Grimms . . .This is dark and bloody and not meant for a "kid" audience. Much older YA please.
First Read (July 21/22, 2011): It's really 3 1/2 stars. Loved his retelling and weaving together of all the Grimms . . .This is dark and bloody and not meant for a "kid" audience. Much older YA please.