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Showing posts with label Christine Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christine Johnson. Show all posts
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!
“Every part of her felt right—her silky fur that caught the wind, the pads of her feet against the soft dirt –it was perfect. The feeling of release was so great that Claire couldn’t hold back the cry that rose through her. She threw back her head and howled. Around her, she could hear the others join in, calling out to the moon above them, the ground below, and the forest that circled them tight.” –Book Cover
Claire has never really lived a normal life. Missing dad and a mom always away for work or locked in her dark room, Claire has pretty much been raised by her housemaid Lisbeth. Her weird life got from bad to worst thought, on her 16th birthday, when a werewolf sighting crashed her party.
My review will be a little vague because I really don’t want to give away the plot. Christine built a very unique lore in her book, some twists to the traditional werewolves myths I’ve never read elsewhere before. And it made discovering Claire de Lune’s world that much more interesting. One of the sub plot was turning around a rogue werewolf killing humans and putting the pack at exposure risk. Christine made a good effort trying to mystify the reader, but I didn’t catch the lure. I think it was somewhat too obvious she was throwing a bone, but I’m confident she will develop more subtlety in her next books.
I loved the characters and I really believed Claire’s emotions. She was scared and lost and had no one to confide into. Worst, she had to hide and lie to her bestfriend and her crush. Her emotions were raw and true, and she fought for what she think is right. Claire’s crush, Matthew, is a very nice boy. Caught between a rock and a hard place because his convictions are different from his father, he will do his best to stand up to him.
I thought the plot was slow to develop but once you’re caught up in the action you can’t put the book down. I really liked the end, and I think Christine wrapped-up everything nicely while leaving a opened door for a sequel!
I must also mention that I LOVE the French title. I love how they used the main character’s name and the werewolf reference to create a fantastic title, that fits perfectly to the story. For those of you not familiar with French, Claire de lune means Moonlight. Kudos to the brilliant spirit who came up with it!
Claire de Lune is a great story about being true to yourself wrapped-up in an original werewolf lore. Fast read with a cute forbidden love story, this book will win over many young adult (book) lovers. You don’t want to miss out!
Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.
That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.
I’m really happy that S&S offered copies of this book for giveaway!
What first attracted me to this book, ok other then being about werewolf dah!, is the French title.
I love how they used the main character’s name and the werewolf reference to create a fantastic title. For those of you not familiar with French, Claire de lune means Moonlight.
