dlberglund's review
3.0
I was underwhelmed. The premise of Jakob Grimm being an unsatisfied ghost, whispering to a young boy to try to keep him safe, was great. The execution was lacking for me. There was plenty of tension toward the end, but something was missing. There is much made of the dreaded Finder of Occasions, who is up to no good, but I never really understood the title or why he was elevated to such a title.
On the plus side, a high school student really liked it.
On the plus side, a high school student really liked it.
turrean's review
3.0
When I was reading, I was reminded of the works of quite a few other authors. The Brothers Grimm, of course; that one's obvious. The easy, clever banter among the well-drawn teenage characters puts me strongly in mind of novels by John Green. The small town, with its quirky name and colorful history of jolly bakers, magic cake, and wandering ghosts, reminds me of any number of recent YA novels.
As the novel progresses, though, it becomes obvious that the most apt comparison is to the novels of Stephen King, who also excels at small-town settings and quirky characters with a tragic past.
All in all? A fabulous story. I think the School Library Journal and Booklist reviewers recommend this for too young an audience. I think this is a high-school-and-up book because of the elements of horror.
As the novel progresses, though, it becomes obvious that the most apt comparison is to the novels of Stephen King, who also excels at small-town settings and quirky characters with a tragic past.
All in all? A fabulous story. I think the School Library Journal and Booklist reviewers recommend this for too young an audience. I think this is a high-school-and-up book because of the elements of horror.
l3nduhhh's review
I got this from the library for Bryelle and then picked it up myself! So good!
mb_booklady's review
1.0
I couldn't finish reading this book. It is not one that would normally call to me anyway, but the language will be a real put off for today's middle school students. It's not profanity, but complicated old English that students will not trouble themselves to understand. At one point, the ghost, Jacob, is telling the hero, Jeremy good night. To do so, he says "sweet repose." While those might truly reflect how Jacob Grimm would speak, I believe it will be lost on middle school readers.
Another problem I had with the story was the inability to tell the setting of the story. For the first 10% of the story, I wasn't sure if the village where Jeremy lives is in old Europe, America, or some place else. I was 15-20% into the book before there was a mention of cars, which at least gave me some clue as to the time frame, but it's not until 37% into the story that electric windows in a truck are mentioned to let me know the setting is after the mid-1980s or so. Somewhere before that, Omaha is mentioned, leading me to assume that the story takes place in Nebraska.
I just don't have the stamina to stick with this book, when I have so many others that seem more promising and are calling my name.
Another problem I had with the story was the inability to tell the setting of the story. For the first 10% of the story, I wasn't sure if the village where Jeremy lives is in old Europe, America, or some place else. I was 15-20% into the book before there was a mention of cars, which at least gave me some clue as to the time frame, but it's not until 37% into the story that electric windows in a truck are mentioned to let me know the setting is after the mid-1980s or so. Somewhere before that, Omaha is mentioned, leading me to assume that the story takes place in Nebraska.
I just don't have the stamina to stick with this book, when I have so many others that seem more promising and are calling my name.
mary_r_m's review
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley.com and Random House Children's books for allowing me access to this title.
Sadly I wasn't able to finish this title in full before my time ran out, however, what I did get to was fantastic.
I will definitely be tracking down a hard copy so I can find out what happens. Will update full review when I do!
Sadly I wasn't able to finish this title in full before my time ran out, however, what I did get to was fantastic.
I will definitely be tracking down a hard copy so I can find out what happens. Will update full review when I do!
glendaleereads's review
5.0
I did not dislike one thing about this novel. It was beautiful in every way, yet so dark. I did not expect it to take the turn that it did, but the twist made for a good story. The prose is just beautiful and the character development is wonderful. This has made it to my list of favorites.
lookingtoheaven's review
3.0
Engaging characters having a hard time. But the ending is happy and the relationships develop well. I don't know if the end is worth the suffering but I'm glad it was so sweet.
kytwins's review
5.0
I fell in love with this story, but I admit it took me several chapters to feel that way. The characters grew on me, and I even overlooked the quirky name, Jeremy Johnson Johnson, once I found out why he had the "double" last name. I listened to the audiobook version and was not a fan of the narrator at first. I didn't like his depiction of Ginger nor Jeremy for a while. However, like so many other things in this book, I grew to enjoy his voice, which I think helped set the darkness of this fairytale-esque story. I liked that there was romantic interest but not mushiness to take away from the focus of the story. I thought Ginger was an intriguing character and I never quite knew what she would do next or, at least at first, what her motives were. Throw in a few other odd characters--Conk Crinklaw, the dwarf police officer, the depressed father who won't leave his bed, the "friendly" baker--and you have a curious mix of personalities to fill the story. I loved Jacob Grimm as not only the ghost companion of Jeremy but also the narrator. I tend to agree with other reviewers who were unsure as to who the exact audience is for such a tale, but I think there are certainly teens out there who would enjoy it.