The Sisters Grimm – Menna Van Praag

If we’re being honest, I have an essay I need to be writing rather than blog posts, but oh, are they so much more fun to think about! I finished this twisted mash-up of fairy-tales and urban fantasy this morning and couldn’t resist writing about it immediately. Another one from NetGalley, with thanks to Transworld for the advance copy, and a disclaimer that all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 06/02/2019

STAR RATING: 3.5/5 ✶

SYNOPSIS:

There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of sisters Grimm on Earth.
You may well be one of them, though you might never know it.

This is the story of four sisters Grimm – daughters born to different mothers on the same day, each born out of bright-white wishing and black-edged desire.

They found each other at eight years-old, were separated at thirteen and now, at nearly eighteen, it is imperative that they find each other once again.

In thirty-three days they will meet their father in Everwhere. Only then will they discover who they truly are, and what they can truly do. Then they must fight to save their lives and the lives of the ones they love. Three will live, one will die.

You’ll have to read on to find out who and why . . .

OPINIONS:

This book had an incredibly unique concept and gave new life to the fairy-tales of the Brothers Grimm. Sadly, it was at times lacking in execution, and lost its momentum in tangents, posing more questions than it answered and leaving many strands unraveled. It is the story of four girls told in fragments, and two timelines – I read this as an eARC, so I’m not sure quite how fast the viewpoints change on paper, but I would estimate once every couple of pages on average. Therefore, it will likely confuse many readers, and take quite a bit of time to get into for most people. This is not something I mind too much, but in this case, it led to a loss of urgency.

Every time it felt like one of the girls was heading towards growth or confrontation, the PoV switched, and by the time it returned, the situation had changed. This also meant that it was hard to empathize with them, and choices that were made/things that were revealed towards the end had me scratching my head, as it felt rather clichéd.

Nevertheless, it was a very well-paced read that kept one glued to the page and provided a great and unique concept. It is worth picking up and making up your mind about yourself.

Add it on Goodreads, and pre-order it from Book Depository or your retailer of choice!