Title: A Tale Dark & Grimm
Author: Adam Gidwitz
Series: Grimm #1
Edition: Paperback
Blurb: In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.
Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.
This book was absolutely delightful and I read it in one day. Of course, you could say that was because it’s a middle grade book, and as such, not quite as heavy as some of the stuff I read, but still. This series is one of my daughter’s favorites and since she knows how much I enjoy fairy tale retellings, she said I had to read this. And she was right.
It was also cool that we both got to meet the author at YallFest this year.
The kiddo with Adam Gidwitz. She was so excited!
This book primarily tells the story of Hansel and Gretel and how they became the kids we know from their story about witches living in a house made of candy. They also move through several other stories, each told with the same feeling as the original Grimm tales. Gidwitz doesn’t shy away from keeping these tales as bloody as original fairy tales tend to be, but what makes this book so much fun is the constant interjections by the author. At several points, the author steps in to either tell the audience that the story is about to get more sinister and violent (or more awesome) and at times to tell the “little kids” that they should probably go to bed.
All the books in this series are stand alone, which is good since I’m not immediately moving on to the next book just yet, although I plan to read all of them soon. The next two books include stories from Jack and Jill, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, and a bunch of others. It sounds like a blast and I can’t wait to read them.
GoodReads Rating: 4 stars
Categories: Books I've Read
Life With No Plot 
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