Frolic in Fairytales • In a Glass Grimmly

In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
Series: A Tale Dark & Grimm #2
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2012
Source: BEA 2012 || ARC

[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the contents of my review.]

More Grimm tales await in the harrowing, hilarious companion to a beloved new classic
Take caution ahead—
Oversize plant life, eerie amphibious royalty, and fear-inducing creatures abound.
Lest you enter with dread.
Follow Jack and Jill as they enter startling new landscapes that may (or may not) be scary, bloody, terrifying, and altogether true.
Step lively, dear reader . . .
Happily ever after isn’t cutting it anymore.

(This book is one of the books up for grabs as part of my birthday & Travel Tales giveaway!)

I always enjoy when an author cleverly manages to retell some of my favorite childhood fairytales. In a Glass Grimmly offers a story where the fairytales are not only retold - they are creatively reinvented in a fresh, slightly creepy and definitely fun manner by Adam Gidwitz. Though definitely directed towards a younger audience, I firmly believe that this book can be just as entertaining for the older crowd, especially those of you who are like me and love fairytales.

This book is extremely hilarious to me, mostly because of Adam's writing style. Adam writes with a sense of humor that’s both intelligent and relatable. I love how he would often step back from the actual events of the story to give a running commentary or a warning or even just his two cents – sometimes, those were the best parts on the page! Honestly, while reading In a Glass Grimmly, I was smiling or laughing at least 70% of the time.

And I love that he chose Jack and Jill to be his main characters. Because Jack and Jill are merely characters in an nursery rhyme that lasts for only a few lines, we only really get to hear about one incident in their lives (when they fall down the hill). I love how Adam’s ingenuity shown as he chose them to headline this story. It was an interesting choice, and I’d personally consider it the correct one – since we don’t know much about these two, there’s so much left open to interpretation and imagination and Adam definitely makes use of that space. He believably weaves them into stories based on other fairytales and allows them to meet and interact with other fairytale folk.

There’s so much fun to be had in this book, because Jack and Jill go an incredible adventure – they meet giants and mermaids and goblins and more! I felt like a kid while I was reading it, and I was completely entertained and enchanted by everything that went on (even if most of it was surprisingly not-so-happy-and-fluffy).

As with all fairytales, Jack’s story and Jill’s story is meant to teach the reader a lesson. In a Glass Grimmly effectively brings Jack and Jill, and all the other characters we meet, to the right resolution for them. When I reached the very end of the book, I felt like it was absolutely the right time to see “The End” grace the page.

In a Glass Grimmly is sassy, funny, intelligent and just a lot of fun. Adam Gidwitz sure knows how to tell a story! He’s crafted this one in the pattern of many other fairytales gone before it, while also putting his own spin on things. I think this is a book that younger readers will love, but older readers will definitely have fun reading it too! I highly recommend In a Glass Grimmly, especially if you’re looking for something amusing and clever.