Invoking a wonderfully foreboding air of mystery paired with a classic fairytale-like presentation, Kathryn Purdie’s The Forest Grimm is an interesting take on Grimms’ Fairy Tales. Attempting to give bigger context to a few classic fairy tales within an overarching original fantasy story, the novel is a creatively ambitious narrative full of great ideas and inspirations. While not all the ideas are executed to their full potential and I had some notable qualms with certain storytelling elements, The Forest Grimm is a distinctive and imaginative story, albeit one that’s far from perfect. With a premise centered around a dark fantasy forest with a recurring fanged creature imagery, the story is required to have the right tone for the whole book to work. Fortunately, the ambiance and dark fantasy feel is easily one of the book’s strongest elements. Forbidden forests are nothing new but from the get-go, The Forest Grimm sets the tone perfectly with its decaying village fittingly named Grimm’s Hollow. The folklore-flavored storytelling suits the story wonderfully and once Clara ventures into the Forest Grimm, the general feel of the narrative is great. Obviously inspired by Little Red Riding Hood’s red cape and journey into the woods, the atmosphere…
