A Tale Dark and Grimm (MG/YA)

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz. 2010. November 2010. Penguin. 192 pages.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.
I know, I know. You don't believe me. I don't blame you. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have believed it myself. Little girls in red caps skipping around the forest? Awesome? I don't think so.
But then I started to read them. The real ones. The ones from that dusty, clothbound book way off in a neglected corner of the library. Those are darker. Very few little girls in red caps in those.
Well, there's one. But she gets eaten.

I loved this book. I just loved, loved, loved this book. I loved the narrator. I loved the storytelling. It was so rich in detail. The atmosphere, the setting, was just right. I loved the connections. How Gidwitz bases some of his book on Grimm's original fairy tales. (The book begins with Faithful Johannes. You can read an online version here.) But he also expands upon the original. He connects these tales, these stories by making them the story--the complete story--of Hansel and Gretel. Instead of Hansel and Gretel being the children of a poor woodcutter and his wife, they are royalty. They are the prince and princess of the kingdom of Grimm. But. After a gory incident with their parents (the King and Queen), the two decide that they can find better parents. So they set out on a search for a good adult--a caring, compassionate, understanding adult. The journey will bring action, adventure, danger, and magic into their lives. They will never be the same.

What did I love best about this one? The writing. The storytelling. The narration. The characters. It was so compelling. I couldn't put this one down. I just loved everything about this one!

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews