A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

from goodreads

5 stars

How do you choose what book to read? Does the cover influence you in your choice? I don't necessarily consider myself to be a real visual person but, I must admit that, covers do play an important role in my books of choice. Or they do when, on those rare moments of mommy freedom, I am able to go up and down the stacks at the library and browse, hoping to find a new favourite.  Sometimes an intriguing cover does produce an intriguing story. Other times, well let's just say the old adage, you can't judge a book by it's cover applies, but in the opposite sense. Cover good, book bad.

Some of the books that I have chose purely by their cover and loved are The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz and this one that I am currently reviewing. I am not quite sure what it was about those covers that intrigued me, but I am glad they did. What books do you love because of the cover?

Synopsis

This is the story of Hansel and Gretel like you have never read before. Gidwitz weaves their characters through eight tales by the Brothers Grimm.

My Thoughts

I loved this book! I am so glad the cover caught my eye. I happened to be walking through the juniors section on the way out of and bam, I saw it and I was like, hey, that looks interesting. (I also got the second one out, not as good as this one though, but I think I will read the third one eventually.)

I love how the author seamlessly bridges the different tales together using the characters of Hansel and Gretel. If you didn't know you would think they really were the central characters in the real tales. The jump from tale to tale do not feel awkward at all and actually pushes the story along.

I like how he doesn't hide or sugarcoat the goriness of the original fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. If someone's head gets chopped off, that's just what happens. Gretel at one point cuts off one of her fingers. That's what happens in a Grimm fair tale.

While some might find the author's interjections throughout a bit annoying, I loved it and thought it really engaged the reader and made the gruesome parts a little less gruesome and shocking. Some people, and possibly children, get disturbed by vomiting and body mutilation. With the author warning about it, it helps prepare the reader, and with that preparation they are able to handle it a bit better.

This was just such a fun book. I read it in a day. I can't wait until my kids are a bit older so we can read it together. I think this book would appeal to a mature nine year-old and up. This would also be a great book for boys (if you are looking for something for your son to get into) as it has some pretty gross, yet cool things in it. I just loved this book!!!! I may even read the original Grimm stories. If the tales in here are any indication of their work their tales are pretty interesting.