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castronovoc's review
4.0
Really, really great story but the characters somewhat bothered me a bit that's why I rated it a 4 instead of a 5.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Gidwitz's first book, and I love how once again he draws upon the old stories and ties them together in a new way. I think this one is a bit darker than the first one, so heads up for more sensitive upper elementary kids. Middle school - just fine.
leskit's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this one as much as the first one. Adam Gidwitz is a terrific writer.
fangirl76's review against another edition
5.0
These are not for children, but they are fascinating mashups of the stories we think we know.
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
Who doesn’t love fairy tale retellings? They have that air of familiarity with just a splash of extra creativity that at once makes us feel both homey and adventurous.
In a Glass Grimmly is no exception to the above description. Following the adventures of Jack and his cousin Jill, Adam Gidtwitz approaches a number of familiar tales, like Jack and the Beanstalk, The Emperor’s New Clothes and the Frog Prince and spins them in a way that is both humorous and kid friendly. When I started reading this collection I had assumed it was a grouping of separate stories but I was pleased to find that Gidwitz had combined the stories, making each one a stop on Jack and Jill’s over-arching quest.
I think the big selling factor of this book is Adam Gidwitz’s fabulous sense of humour. It’s dark, and a little gruesome, but always hilarious. It reminded me of the humour in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Jokes about turning back, about the next part being so gruesome, so horrible that you might want to skip over it (or go do something pleasant) – they made me want to keep reading. And I was always eager to see what remarks he would come up with next.
My favourite character by far, however, was not Jack or Jill or even the humorous narrator. It was The Frog. You meet him first, in a very upsetting and tragic rendition of The Frog Prince and he sticks with you for the entire adventure. He gets mistreated and is often ignored, but he’s funny, intelligent and is often a much needed voice of reason. I thought he was a neat addition to the regular old Jack and Jill.
In a Glass Grimmly, despite its dark tales and gruesome humour has a lovely ending. A nice mixture of different fairy tale morals and being yourself rather than trying to only impress others. It left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling afterwards and I couldn’t wait to share this book with the children in my life.
Recommendation: Great for young, reluctant readers. It’s especially fun to read together!
Who doesn’t love fairy tale retellings? They have that air of familiarity with just a splash of extra creativity that at once makes us feel both homey and adventurous.
In a Glass Grimmly is no exception to the above description. Following the adventures of Jack and his cousin Jill, Adam Gidtwitz approaches a number of familiar tales, like Jack and the Beanstalk, The Emperor’s New Clothes and the Frog Prince and spins them in a way that is both humorous and kid friendly. When I started reading this collection I had assumed it was a grouping of separate stories but I was pleased to find that Gidwitz had combined the stories, making each one a stop on Jack and Jill’s over-arching quest.
I think the big selling factor of this book is Adam Gidwitz’s fabulous sense of humour. It’s dark, and a little gruesome, but always hilarious. It reminded me of the humour in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Jokes about turning back, about the next part being so gruesome, so horrible that you might want to skip over it (or go do something pleasant) – they made me want to keep reading. And I was always eager to see what remarks he would come up with next.
My favourite character by far, however, was not Jack or Jill or even the humorous narrator. It was The Frog. You meet him first, in a very upsetting and tragic rendition of The Frog Prince and he sticks with you for the entire adventure. He gets mistreated and is often ignored, but he’s funny, intelligent and is often a much needed voice of reason. I thought he was a neat addition to the regular old Jack and Jill.
In a Glass Grimmly, despite its dark tales and gruesome humour has a lovely ending. A nice mixture of different fairy tale morals and being yourself rather than trying to only impress others. It left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling afterwards and I couldn’t wait to share this book with the children in my life.
Recommendation: Great for young, reluctant readers. It’s especially fun to read together!
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this one more than I did [b:A Tale Dark & Grimm|7825557|A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #1)|Adam Gidwitz|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1345696603s/7825557.jpg|10874302]. Jack and Jill are likable heroes and I enjoyed following them on their journey. I positively loved Frog, best fairy tale sidekick talking animal ever. I just think Gidwitz isn't a good fit for me as a reader. I hate narrators who talk to me and interject commentary, and for some reason this narrator annoys me even more than usual. I also feel like there isn't so much of dark element of the fairy tales being shown as the gross element. Fairy tales are meant to be dark, but the darkness serves a purpose greater than raising the ick factor in the reading experience. I feel like Gidwitz misses this for the sake of trying to add as much blood, guts, and vomit as possible. Kids, I'm sure, won't have such qualms with it though.
glitchingash's review against another edition
2.0
Most of it was a solid 3 stars, but I thought the ending was pretty disappointing.
aderonkea's review
4.0
I love fairy tales and Adam Gidwitz's way of retelling them so I obviously loved this book. Full of adventure, and all things Grimm.
sngick's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful companion novel to A Tale Dark & Grimm. I especially loved the author's notes at the end where he clarifies the sources of the stories he's modified and added his personal twist to. These days, not everyone has a daddy like mine who read fairy tales to me nightly from his Book of Grimm, so it is an excellent way to link the stories for students!
Readers will love the twists on old favorites and will delight in new to them stories.
Readers will love the twists on old favorites and will delight in new to them stories.
kristi_starr35's review against another edition
4.0
Like A Tale Dark and Grimm, it's a mashup of fairy tales and Lemony Snicket. The story seemed to move faster than ATD&G, and the lesson learned (that's the whole point of Märchen, right?) seems more obvious and less forced than in the first. Also like the original Märchen - dark humor and wonderful German (both a plus). Perhaps fewer asides by the narrator in IAGG. A quick read, plenty of gross-out scenes for middle-grade readers, and a trip through several well-known (and other not-so-well-known) Kindermärchen. Would also make a great read-aloud. And you'll never think of salamanders in the same way again.