I usually don't enjoy anthologies because they almost always consist of a few notable short stories and the rest are filler. There are just so many entertaining stories in Grim, thanks to the large ensemble of talented authors that contributed to this anthology. The 17 co-authors of Grim should be applauded for compiling such superb short stories and for retelling fairy-tales in unique, unconventional ways. As much I would love to discuss each short story, I have decided to review the most memorable short stories:
- The Key by Rachel Hawkins is the first story in the Grim anthology and it sets a wonderfully creepy atmosphere for this anthology. I loved Hawkins's trademark humor and it was a delight to read a short story by one of my favorite authors. I really wished this story was a bit longer because it was so good and by the end, I was practically begging for more!
- Figment by Jeri-Smith Ready - I wasn't sure what to expect from Ready because I've never read anything by her before. After reading Figment, I've added Shades to my "to-read" list because I really want to check out more of Jeri Smith-Ready's books. Figment was unexpectedly haunting and creepy with an unexpected twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all!
- The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo - I loved the way Lo executed this story and it was absolutely thrilling! The LBQT romance angle was a nice touch to an incredible short story, I truly can't believe that I haven't read any of Lo's novels yet.
- The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron - There's nothing I love more than a fairy-tale that has a classic feel to it. The Raven Princess is based off of a Grimm fairy tale called The Raven and it captures all of the delightfully strange spirit of a Grimm fairytale. I believe that this was one of the more lengthy short stories, but I really devoured The Raven Princess hastily.
- Beast / Beast by Tessa Gratton - At first, Tessa Gratton's Beast / Beast appeared to be just another regurgitation of the classic love story, but the more I read, it became obvious that I was completely mistaken. For starters, Tessa Gratton has an absolutely lovely writing style that is both lyrical and simply beautiful. I was completely caught off guard and intrigued by the shocking plot twist towards the ending, not to mention the fact that I quickly start to root for this unlikely couple.
- Light It Up by Kimberly Derting - Imagine a modern interpretation of Hansel and Gretel where Greta is a teenager who is obsessed with smoking... I loved the way Derting recreated such an iconic story for a modern audience, without losing any of the terror and tension associated with the tale. This story was wonderful and my only qualm is that there wasn't any Gingerbread / Candy House.
- A Real Boy by Claudia Gray - This story was wonderfully bizarre and it involved a human-robot romance, which I surprisingly was a huge fan of. Even though, A Real Boy was sci-fi, it still filed me with child-like wonder that I normally associate with fairytales.
- Beauty And The Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan - Initially when I started this short story, I was a bit annoyed with the fact that there was another B+B retelling in this anthology because there are just so many fairy tales out there that deserve to be retold. I loved the GLBT romance angle of this story and it was an extremely interesting technique. Brennan's dialogue is extremely witty and this is one of the most intelligent retellings I've ever read. Period.
Grim is a beautiful, gothic anthology filled with so many lovely fairy tale retellings! I can't wait to get Grim in hardcover and it's a perfect addition to any fairy-tale lover's bookshelf!
Glad this one lived up to expectation! I cannot wait to read it either. One of my favorite things to read is retold fairy tales.
ReplyDeleteOooh nice review! I did not know of this one but as I love fairy tales and see a few authors I enjoy in this anthology, I just might have to buy yet another book!
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