| Title | : | The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0810959259 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780810959255 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 284 |
| Publication | : | First published August 1, 2005 |
The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, #1) Reviews
-
a fun fact about me as a child is that i read at least six of the books in this series, and i managed to do so ONLY when i was extremely sick.
these were so boring to me in childhood that i had to be on forced bedrest, with no other books and not allowed to watch TV (because when we stayed home sick we were not permitted screen time, to discourage truancy-based crimes and deceit), in order to get through them.
it is for this reason that these books make me think of the following:
- being dead tired but unable to fall asleep
- feeling feverish
- Trader Joe's Spiced Cider, which i also only drank when i was sick, due to the fact that it was disgusting but my mom made me
i do love fairytales, though. so. 3 stars.
this is part of a project i am doing where i ostensibly review books i read a long time ago, but mostly just share childhood memories to an uncaring crowd. -
“That's why crazy people are so dangerous. You think they're nice until they're chaining you up in the garage.”
How did I miss this book in life?!?!?! Why did I never even hear about it! Thankfully I have remedied this situation and read the book!
This is what I expect in a great middle-grade novel. This book was well-written, had wonderful characters, great adventure, lots of humor and just an overall good time. I have no clue why I have never heard of this book, but I'm sure glad I stumbled past it in my library and it caught my eye. I adore The Brothers Grimm so when I saw that name attached to this book it was a no-brainer for me. I knew this book was going to be made just for me.
I had no real expectations with this books, since I had never heard of, so it was a very pleasant surprise to read something so great. I was pretty surprised at the humor in this one, it was something that adults could enjoy just as much as kids. There was nothing inappropriate though. I know some children't movies and books have adult jokes in them that can kind of push the line - this wasn't like that. It's completely safe to let your kids read, in my opinion.
I'm a sucker for fairy tales and nursery rhyme characters and this had them in abundance. This book is what I was expecting from The Land of Stories but didn't get. I don't think there were any characters that I didn't like and the kids weren't annoying or whiny, which is a plus. They are sisters (hence the title) and their relationship with each other was very believable. Another huge plus for me with this book is that I LOVE that they included Puck in this story, for those who are familiar with that character I'm sure it will bring a smile to your face as well.
I would highly recommend this one. If there was a set for sale on the entire series, I would just go ahead and purchase it, that is how impressed I was with this first installment of the series. I will certainly continuing the series. Five stars all the way for me. -
Needing something a little shorter to fit into my reading schedule, I turned to this series debut by Michael Buckley, which takes readers behind the scenes and into the stories of the Brothers Grimm. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been shipped off from one foster home to another for many years. What they’re told that their paternal grandmother has agreed to take care of them, though Sabrina becomes very dubious, having heard that the woman died many years ago. However, after meeting the slightly eccentric woman and seeing family photographs, the girls are more apt to believe these tall tales. The transition from NYC to Ferryport Landing is a shock, though not as much as the truth behind their ancestry. Grimms have long been around to ensure that Everafters are protected, but also abide by all the rules, keeping humans from locking them away. That being said, the form of protection offered is isolating them in their current township and not permitting any further exploration. Surely a factor in all the resentment. Grandma Grimm explained further that she is a form of detective, working to puzzle together some of the odd happenings around Ferryport Landing while also battling the sinister ways of Mayor Charming, once an English prince and now a power-hungry fool. With Sabrina and Daphne on board to help, they come across a house that’s been flattened by what one can only presume is a large boot, beanstalk leaves surrounding the property. The girls watch their grandmother in action as she opens up the investigation and begins positing what might have happened. However, as luck would have it, a giant returns to the scene—large boot and all—where he scoops up Grandmother Grimm, leaving the girls in a sense of panic. A new mystery on their hands—how to retrieve their grandmother—the girls seek the assistance of other Everafters, while dodging some of the more nefarious characters who cross their paths. One can only hope that this will have a happy ending for all. Buckley uses some strong fairytale references, sure to entertain the young adult or teen reader, surely the target audience for this book.
Sometimes you need a reading break, but are not fully prepared to turn to the newspaper funny pages. In those cases (or when I need something shorter), I turn to YA books, where I can usually suspend my belief system and yet still be entertained. Buckley provides that here with this first novel in what looks to be a fairly developed series all about the Sisters Grimm and their detective capabilities. Mixing the story of two humans in a community full of Everafters (read: characters from fairytales), Buckley is able not only to provide the reader with some semblance of a connection to previous well-known stories, but also twist the character to suit the story, such as the sheriff who was once one of the three pigs but has since become a corrupted and hoofed authority figure. Buckley seeks not to create fully believed scenarios, but at least entertain with the characters who pepper the pages of this story. The plot is decent for what it is and I was impressed with the flow, keeping the story moving without getting too bogged down in silly humour (though what might be right in line with the age range for the piece). It served its purpose for me and I will try to use the age-appropriate filter here, seeing Neo return to these books in a few years when he is a strong individual reader and criticising my review for being off the mark.
Kudos, Mr. Buckley, for such a wonderful debut piece. I think I may return for more in the future, as there is something fun about these stories.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... -
This was a playful and fun book, with a few flaws.
Sabrina and Daphne's parents disapear one day out of the blue, and the police can't find them. They bounce from one horrible foster home to another, until an old lady comes forward claiming to be their Grandmother. This is weird, because their parents told them their Grandmother was dead. When they meet her, she tells them that they are descended from The Brother's Grimm, who wrote down true events that occured with real creatures. All of these creatures have now moved to America, and live in the town that they are now in. It is the Grimm's family job to keep these fairy tale creatures in line, which is a big job.
One thing that really bugged me was that the story is told through Sabrina's pov, and she spends the first 100 pages doubting everything and being a brat. I think the story would have been a lot more enjoyable if it had been told through Daphne's pov. She's a sweet girl, and it would have made it a much better story. There are also several flaws. The most glaring one is that the Grimm's, generations ago, bonded the fairy tale creatures to the one town, but the catch was that they bonded themselves there too. If the Grimm's can't leave that town, how did Sabrina and Daphne's father move to NYC, and how did they live there themselves? It's never explained. Another flaw is how many story creatures this town has. Okay, there are the Grimm creatures, and Hans Christian Anderson, and the Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland, and Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, but then later on in the story, King Arthur shows up. At some point the author has to draw a line, before it becomes every creature from every story, and not just fairy tale creatures.
Overall it was a fun, original, fractured take on the fairy tales. There were jokes that rewarded you for having read the fairy tales, and also from these creatures having to interact with the modern world. The kind of humor you would find in Jasper Fforde's stories, and that I particularly like. It also has a good plot, with a twist at the end that I really didn't expect, which I find very rarely in books on the junior side of the library. On top of that, it's a cute little book, with pages about the size of my hand:) It's a shame that the flaws were so glaring and detracted from an otherwise really cute book. There's a second in the series, and I'm definitely going to read it. I bet it will be a lot more enjoyable now that Sabrina is not doubting everything around her! -
Magic in the wrong hands only leads to chaos.
Two orphaned girls discover that they're actually related to the Brothers Grimm, and that that famous book of fairy tales is really a true account of past events. They're also surprised to learn that their grandmother is a fairy tale detective, and she expects them to join her in the crime-solving biz. So, what's their first case? Well, it's a doozy:
"I hear they're already trying to rescue their grandmother. Can you believe it?" said the White Rabbit. "Two kids taking on a giant! The whole family will be pushing up daisies by morning."
That's right - there's a giant on the loose! Sounds like a job for Jack the Giant-Killer, but first . . . the girls will need to bust him out of prison.
This was loads of fun, IF you don't think about it too much. The characters in this enchanted tale come not just from fairy tales, but from all walks of literature. I half expected to run into Pippi Longstocking and Huck Finn. Who know? Maybe they'll show up in some later volumes. There are eight more to go, and I think I'll probably try to read every one of them.
It's probably only a three-and-a-half star read, but I'll round up since the author did go to some darker places that I was not expecting. -
Michael Buckley begins this children's series with a compelling premise: The stories of the brothers Grimm and other fairy tale originators (Hans Christian Andersen, etc.) are all true. In a Tolkien-style spin, fairy tale creatures (called "Everafters") used to coexist with humans, but since then they have been exiled to a small town near the suburbs of NYC. The Grimm family is still around, monitoring the Everafters and suspicious crimes in the area.
Unfortunately, this premise offers little compensation for having to deal with Sabrina Grimm during the first half of the novel. Recently orphaned under odd circumstances, Sabrina (age 11) and her younger sister are sent to their mysterious grandmother whom the girls were told had died years ago. This all occurs in the first chapter. From there to the halfway point, readers are privy to Sabrina's numerous railings against Granny Grimm proclaiming her as a fraud and a lunatic.
After the halfway point, when the author finally lets Sabrina be an effective character instead of her previous killjoy self, the story picks up. Sabrina also becomes tolerable to read about. At times Buckley seems to forget that he is writing a children's novel--perhaps hoping to imitate Jasper Fforde's more effective integration of fictional-characters-as-real-people into his popular Thursday Next novels. This creates scenes that seem incongruously gory, some characters even seeming vicious, especially when, at other points, Buckley seems to be at pains to avoid writing about violence (particularly with the circumstances of the girls' being orphaned). Buckley seems uncertain of his audience and his own style--which changes throughout the narrative.
Overall, the story reads more like a setup for future books rather than an actual story that can stand alone. Hopefully, now that Sabrina is out of her funk and the premise is in place, the sisters' future adventures will be more enjoyable to follow.
You can find this review and more on my blog
Miss Print -
Sabrina Grimm has a few problems:
1. Her parents have disappered.
2. She's the oldest sibling, and we all know what that means.
3. She may or may not have Grandmother, who may or may not be crazy.
4. She isn't a teenager yet, which means she only gets until 9 o'clock.
5. She can't open windows.
6. She had foster parents who were way too partial to lima beans.
7. She knows fashion impaired people.
8. Some boy wants to drown her.
While for children, this book will be enjoyed by adults. The premise is somewhat similar to
Fables: Legends in Exile thought without the heavy symbolism and adult themes. It's true, as some of the reviews have pointed out, that Buckley seems to use a very loose form of fairy tales (and is inspired perhaps by Jasper Fforde and Into the Woods), but the book is amusing and easily accesible by both adults and children.
What I like best, however, is Buckley's use of two girls as the "chosen" ones. Too often the chosen one is a boy, and it is nice to see a book where it is two sisters who work together and love each her. As an aside, why do male authors tend to use the female chosen one more than female authors? At least on the children's book level?
Terry Pratchett and
China Miéville, for instance have books where the lead character is a young girl. Okay, true Pratchett had the Johnny Maxwell series, but before that he had
Equal Rites. When Rowling set up the next generation of Harry Potter in the epilogue, it was another boy. I find it very intersting.
This book as a nice sense of humor, is not too scary, and moves very quickly. Additionally, I was quite impressed by the material at the end (what would be a reading group guide in an adult book). Not only does it include a brief letter from the author, but a brief overview of fairy tales (ie as in terms of literary), suggestions for writing and constructing your own fairy tale, further reading in the form of books and websites, and a brief quiz. All done to teach without looking like they are teaching. -
“The night is young, and by the grace of magic, so are we.”
2 stars, even 2.5 stars at best.
Unfortunately this didn't make me feel as young as I should be. In fact, I felt bored and felt like reading this was a bit of a chore, which is sad. Again it might have something to do with reading my previous book at the same time so I pretty much could say, out of the both of them--this one was the lesser. :/
Daphne and several characters were the saving graces for me, whereas Sabrina merely dominated the narrative and killed a far bit of the enjoyment for me. Therefore I've dubbed her Sabrina the Joy Killer, much to my distaste. But both sisters were extreme opposites--either one is too engrossed with everything (Daphne <3) or they're so darn septic that they ruin the fun for others (this was Sabrina for me).
Other than that the fairytale aspect was really interesting, especially the twist at the end made me smile and laugh a bit. I just wish there was more for me there to enjoy--namely if Sabrina hadn't seemed so negative and whiny throughout the story. Again, I can understand Sabrina's character, it's just how she was presented to us, the readers, was a major turn-off for me on several grounds. x:
“You can't judge the many by the actions of the few.” -
The Fairy-Tale Detectives is a pleasant audiobook read that fans of fairy tales (young and those who are young at heart) will probably enjoy. I liked the idea that the Grimms were actually a real family of chroniclers whose legacy continues into the present. Sisters Sabrina and Daphne make for likeable, fun protagonists. I felt for them in that they had lost their parents and were adrift and lacking family and a home. Their grandmother is the kind of gramps you dream of. Although Sabrina was very argumentative and hard to deal with at first, it's understandable why. She's acting out because of what she's dealing with. She feels betrayed at her parents' disappearance, and a series of bad foster homes, not to mention the burden of having to protect her younger sister. Daphne was far more likable, but then, she is still in that stage where she's more resilient against the cold, cruel world. I liked Granny Relda and Mr. Canis and of course, their dog Elvis.
I liked the inside jokes of the fairy tale characters that are very familiar to those who enjoy the subject. Puck was a lot of fun, and so were the three piggies who are now the law enforcement in town. The author surprised me at the twist on the storyline. I did not expect the direction the story went. It's interesting that I had also read the first graphic novel in the Fables series:
Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile, so I saw some of the same characters with storylines that overlapped in interesting ways. While this is a kids series, I think it has enough nuances that an older reader can enjoy it.
Why didn't I rate it higher? I think the narrator and I didn't click very well. I also felt like the story took a while to develop and get interesting, and it never got to that "I have to hear what happens next" phase. Now that doesn't mean I won't continue this series. I'm definitely interested enough to keep going, but this isn't a series I have to read back to back. I'm happy to fill it in amongst other reading adventures. But still, The Fairy Tale Detectives has an interesting concept and appealing characters that do make me want to come back to revisit them in the future.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars. -
The best word for this (little) book is "cute" I think. I put it on a shelf I call "youth" as in many ways it's very young and if my kids were small I'd read it to them. On the other hand there are "jokes" or "humorous remarks" that older readers will appreciate.
We start with two "orphans" who have ended up in the care of a dried up lady who dislikes kids but somehow ended up running an orphanage. There have been a chain of....unfortunate foster parents (to use a Lemony Snicketism). Of course that may be a subjective view...do you consider say, psychopaths and such as poor choices for parents?????
Oh well.
Now the girls, oh did I tell you they were sisters, or their family name? Yes these are the Grimm sisters and they're off to live with their grandmother. The only snag is that the girls parents (before they disappeared of course) had told them their grandparents were dead...
Hummm....
Well anyway nice book, good story, lots of humor concerning characters you'll recognize. I'll probably read some more of these for light reads when I can use a vacation from reality, seriousness and so on. Enjoy.
Now...by the way, I just thought I "mention" that this book was published in 2005. It's about a family named Grimm whose members have to solve mysteries and crimes concerning fairytale creatures that the rest of humanity don't see. They live inStorybrookerrrr...."Ferryport Landing" or "Fairyport Landing" where all kinds of fairytale folk live. And can't leave.
Then there were a couple of TV shows that came into being in 2011. I'm beginning to wonder if a couple of TV networks might have gotten ideas from....somewhere?????? -
The best word for this (little) book is "cute" I think. I put it on a shelf I call "youth" as in many ways it's very young and if my kids were small I'd read it to them. On the other hand there are "jokes" or "humorous remarks" that older readers will appreciate.
We start with two "orphans" who have ended up in the care of a dried up lady who dislikes kids but somehow ended up running an orphanage. There have been a chain of....unfortunate foster parents (to use a Lemony Snicketism). Of course that may be a subjective view...do you consider say, psychopaths and such as poor choices for parents?????
Oh well.
Now the girls, oh did I tell you they were sisters, or their family name? Yes these are the Grimm sisters and they're off to live with their grandmother. The only snag is that the girls parents (before they disappeared of course) had told them their grandparents were dead...
Hummm....
Well anyway nice book, good story, lots of humor concerning characters you'll recognize. I'll probably read some more of these for light reads when I can use a vacation from reality, seriousness and so on. Enjoy.
Now...by the way, I just thought I "mention" that this book was published in 2005. It's about a family named Grimm whose members have to solve mysteries and crimes concerning fairytale creatures that the rest of humanity don't see. They live inStorybrookerrrr...."Ferryport Landing" or "Fairyport Landing" where all kinds of fairytale folk live. And can't leave.
Then there were a couple of TV shows that came into being in 2011. I'm beginning to wonder if a couple of TV networks might have gotten ideas from....somewhere?????? -
My daughter gave this to me and asked me to read it, so of course I did. I mean, even if I don't usually read MG, how do you say no to your super-excited 8 year old telling you she's found a fantastic new book? OBVIOUSLY you read it. She loved it. It was thrilling and exciting and had just the right fright level, and she consumed it about as fast as she's ever read anything. We immediately sought out Book 2 for her.
As for me, I enjoyed it--there were twists I didn't see coming, and a couple I did, and a lovely level of humor throughout. And now we have the pleasure of chatting about it together, which is special indeed. So there we go. Give it to your 8 year old, and prepare for a possible buddy read. ;) -
I had a review here. BLAST!!!
Ok. This book was so worth it. I kept finding myself grinning and smiling as I was reading it. It was funny and the characters were those that you could adore, while the story was a mystery you actually wanted to solve. They are detectives and it runs in the family. It’s a cool thing to me. These could definitely appeal to a wide range of ages and not just children. They are great.
I highlighted some of the things I thought were neat or that made me smile. Granny is great. Daphne is hilarious and Sabrina is growing into it. I might even get used to our resident trickster.
Lots of magic and more fun to be had.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, please keep my review from going AWOL. -
*** 4.35 ***
"...“How did you know that we could get him to do whatever we want if we pretend he’s in charge?” Sabrina asked Daphne.
“It’s what I do with you” the little girl replied. “You two are exactly the same”..."
Wonderful beginning of a series for children starting at around 8 years old:)
Two sisters try to adjust to life with their mom and dad missing... Grandma Grimm steps in and maihem ensues:) Fun and enjoyable!
"...“That woman is hiding something!” she said. “You think everyone’s hiding something.” “And you would hug the devil if he gave you cookies.”..." -
My ten-year-old sister reads all sorts of stuff, and I kind of feel a responsibility to make sure that what she's reading has some literary value. Hence, my discovery of "The Sisters Grimm" series.
My initial reaction was that the style of the writing didn't fit the heftiness of the book itself. Weighing in at almost two hundred pages, I was expecting a little more literary depth. The premise is fun; bringing "fairy tale" characters to life and using two ordinary girls as the protagonists definitely appeals to a lot of young readers. However, the dialogue was a little too cutesy for my taste and I didn't feel the Everafters (Buckley's lingo for "fairy tale" characters) were developed and utilized to their full potential. Maybe later installments in the series will delve more into the lives of the Everafters, but I would have loved to have sat in on a class taught by Snow White, or observed Jack selling his big and tall men's clothing. I think it would have given the one-note "fairy tale" characters more diversity and made the entire book exponentially more interesting.
Admittedly, though, I must give the author props for not pandering to grown-ups. I think too many "children's" movies, books, magazines, etc., are geared towards keeping the parents captivated as well as their kids. This is not outstanding writing, and I think when my sister (who loves "The Sisters Grimm") grows up she will realize it...but, as a kid, I think she had every right to enjoy the book. -
I LOVED THIS!!!
I knew this was going to include fairytale characters, but this was like a Once Upon a Time for middle grade readers.
There is a town seemingly in the middle of nowhere where these fairytale creatures are stuck. It is up to the Grimm family to keep everyone in line and to solve the mysteries around town.
We meet so many well known characters but with twists on them. We have a glutinous Charming, and a good Big Bad Wolf. Gilda the Good Witch is pretty neutral and the Grimm family is full of spunk.
I couldn't get enough of this. I flew through it since it is pretty action packed. The fun part is solving the mystery but at times I was so caught up in the action, I forgot to consider the clues staring me right in the face. I even did a face palm halfway through this book (I'm not even kidding) because I was like "HOW did I miss THAT?" Great little plot twists thrown in.
I was incredibly impressed with the author's creativity and world building. I loved seeing old characters in new lights and loved the mini-feminists that are the Grimm sisters.
I immediately went and checked out the 2nd one in the series and can not wait to continue! -
Sabrina can’t believe that her grandmother thinks fairy tales are real. She really can’t believe that fairy tale characters live right in Ferryport. She really, really, really can’t believe that a local farm house didn’t blow up and was really stepped on by a giant. But then Mayor Charming and Glinda the Good Witch are involved in a cover-up and a giant kidnaps Granny Grimm! The Grimm sisters know they need to help and enlist the help of Shakespeare’s Puck, Jack the Giant Killer, and the Magic Mirror. But even then, can they figure out how to save Granny Grimm? Who let the giant out? Why? And is that a red handprint?
see all my reviews at
www.tushuguan.blogspot.com -
I have so much to do but I started this series when I was in primary school and since half the books weren't out then I never finished so I'm starting again from the beginning to the end. It's really nice when you read something again from your childhood and it's still just as good as you remembered and not completely basic like a lot of our fav kids books turn out to be
-
לאחר שההורים שלהם נעלמים האחיות גרים עוברות להתגורר אצל סבתן שמגלה להן שהן צאצאיות של האחים גרים והתפקיד שלהן הוא להגן מפני דמויות מהאגדות.
בתור ספר נוער הספר נחמד ועם כמה מהפכים לא צפויים. -
Really loved this. Reminds me of the show Once Upon A Time. 💕✨
4⭐ -
Love the originality to collect princes/princesses, heroes, fairies, giants and magicians from original works in the same place and make them LIVE. It changes and reinterprets these classical characters in a smart and interesting ways.
-
Probably would've given a higher rating if I were reading this younger. It was fun, cute, but didn't really grip me at all. Still, I can appreciate it, and I think I'll be recommending it to some friends with youngish kids. I also appreciate that while the story starts off with somewhat black-and-white perspectives, it moves into the gray, and that we get some nice hints at how these fairy-tale characters--erm, excuse me, Everafters--may have grown up and evolved during their lives in Ferryport.
Fellow BR folks compared it to Percy Jackson books and the Grimm TV series, A Series of Unfortunate Events and Once Upon a Time. Closest to me feels Percy Jackson--though aimed at a younger audience. The book does a similar thing with Fairy Tales as the Riordan books do with Myths, using the cultural knowledge to spark humor and inspire further learning. -
Oh my.
I’m not sure how this book found me, however I believe it was from a Little Free Library. Boy am I happy it found me.
I would not call this book a retelling exactly. But it does involve descendants of the Grimm Brothers and various characters from Fairy Tales.
It was such a fun read! Two little girls, after finally being placed with their Grandmother Grimm, reluctantly become fairytale detectives.
Really a fun entertaining read. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. -
This book was a great read. The main characters were likeable for the most part. The ending had a great polt twist.
-
This was so sweet and wholesome and who would have thought that I would love it.
It was pretty funny and I had a lot of fun reading this. I love the inclusion of fairy-tales and I love how Sabrina and Daphne changed. It was sweet and I honestly loved all the characters even if they were a bit ridiculous lol
Overall, awesome, fun, and light read! -
2/2023 reread:
This was as entertaining as it was the first time. I can't help liking Charming despite his nastiness, and considering what I know about Mirror after my first reading of the series, I can analyze his dialogue and actions early on to see if there are hints about who he truly is. I did not notice any hints in this book, but maybe I'll find some in the next one. Canis is my favorite, as is Beorn in the Hobbit. Clearly I have a thing for shape shifters, particularly when they change into large, fierce animals. My only complaint (other than what I mention in my first review) is that Granny and Canis are absent through much of this book. I think the girls needed to solve the mystery mostly on their own to realize they really are Grimms, but I missed Granny and Canis.
***
11/20202:
Classic fairy tale characters are turned upside down in this book. The heroes are jerks and the villains are on the good side. I have to admit I felt a little pain at Beauty and Beast being a bit snotty and at Prince Charming being a royal jerk, but mostly I enjoyed seeing how famous characters would be portrayed--for instance, the Three Little Pigs, Snow White and the Magic Mirror (the storage room inside it is enchanting), and the Big Bad Wolf. As much as I love The Land of Stories Series, some of the beloved characters like Cinderella are a bit flat and boring, while the villains shine as complex, interesting characters. I think making villains dynamic can be much easier than doing the same with "good" characters.
Another thing that took off one star is, similarly to The Land of Stories, this book contains characters from stories that I don't consider fairy tales. Yes, Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland contain fairy tale elements, but I don't consider them the same category and I get irritated when authors bring them into books about fairy tales--it seems like a gimmicky move to make. Sticking with the Grimm stories alone would provide plenty of material and make some obscure fairy tales more well-known.
Overall, though, a fascinating adventure story full of creativity and surprises. I particularly enjoyed the contrasting personalities of the sisters and how the younger one is in many ways more mature, especially in being diplomatic and empathizing with people. -
I was first attracted to this series by the cover art which is beautifully illustrated by Peter Ferguson and really set the mood of the story with just the right amount of creepiness and gives an accurate image of the two sisters in the story. I loved that the story was dedicated to his grandparents Basil and Relda Gandee and he even used his grandmother’s name in the story. I enjoyed the dark silhouettes of children and fairy tale characters that appear at the beginning of each chapter. It gave the book a very vintage feel that really appealed to me. The design of the book with the size and typeface also brought some nice charm to the story. What is interesting about this series is the way in which the fairy tale characters from the stories of Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream all interact in the town of Ferryport Landing. Michael Buckley changes the way in which you look at classic fairy tales and instead presented a place where the characters are more deceptive. This series will certainly appeal to children who enjoy fairy tales, and mysteries as well as a good amount of adventure.
-
BLOG ⟫
INSTAGRAM ⟫
The Grimm sisters Sabrina and Daphne, get dumped into a town where fairy tale creatures hide and live in. To a grandma that they were told was dead. Also, she was claiming that fairytale creatures and giants are real. Sabrina refused to believe until Grandma Relda got snatched up by a giant. Upon further investigation, these fairytale creatures are cursed to live there as long as Grimms is alive.
So, in a mission to save Grandma Relda, they come across the three little pigs, Prince Charming (also the mayor), fairies and so much more. Proving that they are really that fairytales do exist.
This was nostalgia for me. A cute read of what if fairytale creatures were alive and living among us. Sabrina's attitude, in the beginning, did get on my nerves but I had to remind myself this is a middle school read. -
This is a fun book, a mystery set in a small town where all the fairy tale characters (actually, all characters from children't literature) have come to live quietly among humans. I had a hard time with the older of the two girls. She was mistrustful of grownups to the point of annoyance, but by the end I liked her as well as her sister. This is the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the others. I really loved the descriptions of the different characters, like the Queen of Hearts with her pale face and high-piled white hair.
