Audiobook Review - The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) by Michael Buckley (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Release Date: September 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0810993594
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in The Sisters Grimm series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

This is the third book in the Sisters Grimm series by Buckley. It was a decent book in this series. If you liked the first two books you should enjoy this one as well. I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was decently done; the narrator isn't my favorite but he distinguishes between characters voices well.

Sabrina and Daphne are on the hunt for Little Red Riding Hood, who they believe is heading the Scarlet Hand, which is the group who stole their parents. Little Red Riding Hood has a kitty (the evil and dangerous Jabberwocky) that is causing trouble though. Sabrina and Daphne also discover they have an uncle who is full of magical surprises; their uncle is more than willing to help but will he cause more trouble than he's worth?

You learn more about the Grimm's past in this book than in any other book in this series so far. There was also more interesting magic in this book than in any of the previous books.

Sabrina's uncle is an interesting, but mostly obnoxious, addition to the characters. Her uncle acts like a child throughout the whole book, sulking, not listening, and throwing fits. I didn't enjoy him all that much as a character. In fact a lot of the adults in this book act like children; making for unbelievable characters that were hard for me to engage with. I hate it when kids book have adults who act like children; kids can understand more complexity than we give them credit for and adults should act like the role models they are in these books...or at least act in a more complex way that assume kids can understand some complexity.

Sabrina continues to be headstrong and bitter; I keep hoping she will grow as a character but she makes the same mistakes in every book and shows no sign of ever changing. To be honest I am quite sick of her and don't really enjoy reading about her. Daphne was busy giving Sabrina the silent treatment for large portions of the book. Little Red Riding Hood was as obnoxious as Sabrina and made for a luke-warm bad guy.

I did enjoy the mystery and finding out some background on the Grimms. I also enjoyed the nifty magical devices used throughout and I enjoyed the way the story is broadening and not just focused on one little mystery.

This story wraps up much nicer than the second book; no horrible cliffhangers../although things are definitely set up to start a new storyline for the next book.

Overall this was an okay addition to the Sisters Grimm series. I enjoyed the mystery and the magical devices; I also enjoyed learning more about the Grimm's past. I do not enjoy the characters in this book; I find the majority of them to be obnoxious. Many of the adults also act like children; which is annoying to read and also doesn't give kids or adults enough credit. All in all if you have been enjoying the series you will enjoy this book. If you have been finding some of the characters annoying (mainly Sabrina) then you will continue to be annoyed. I personally am not going to read more of this series; I guess it is just not my thing.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List

Audiobook Review - The Unusual Suspects (The Grimm Sisters, Book 2) by Michael Buckley (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy
Size:320 pages

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Release Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0810993235
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Sisters Grimm series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the second book in the Grimm Sisters series by Buckley.  I thought the first book was okay, but a bit weak in characterization and plot.  This book was much better than the first book and I enjoyed it a lot more.  I listened to this book on audiobook and the audiobook was well done.  This narrator isn't my favorite but he does a good job of giving the characters distinct voices.

Daphne and Sabrina finally have to start school; they've been putting it off for as long as they can but if they don't start school soon their granny with get in trouble with Child Services.  So off they go to school.  Their first day of school is off to a bad start when Sabrina finds her homeroom teacher dead in the classroom wrapped in a giant web.  Something is killing off members of the faculty and the kids at school are eternally sleepy.  Sabrina suspects foul play from the Ever Afters; Sabrina, Daphne, and Granny Grimm have to wrap up this case before anyone else gets hurt.

The characters were better developed in this book than in the first.  I felt like we got to see more depth to even the side characters like Prince Charming and Snow White.  I still am not a big Sabrina fan; she is an angry and, at times, mean girl that I just don't like.  It looks like Sabrina's bad attitude will be address in future books though.  I enjoyed learning more about the characters, I really like Puck and Daphne and have high hopes for Sabrina in future books.

The plot was excellent, it was very much a fairy tale mystery.  It is a twisty turny plot that is fun and keeps the reader engaged.  I enjoyed the various fairy tale characters that popped up throughout the book and also enjoyed watching Sabrina and Daphne unravel the mystery.

One thing I really did not like was the absolutely obnoxious cliffhanger ending.  The story in this book is very nicely wrapped up, but then another story is started and left in an absolutely horrible place with a "to be continued" added on.  People who read my reviews know I hate this.  I don't understand why an author can't draw readers just by writing a well-written book.  Doing silly cliffhangers with obnoxious 'to be continued' statements is gimmicky and tacky and just plain annoying.


Overall I enjoyed this story more than the first book.  I thought the character development was much better and loved all the fun fairy tale characters (Ever Afters) we bumped into throughout the story.  The plot was twisty turny, fun to read and really kept me engaged.  The fact that this book ends on an absolute cliffhanger annoyed me a lot.  I don't understand why writers have to do that.  I'll read the third book, The Problem Child

, because I already have it on audiobook...if that one ends on another really obnoxious cliffhanger than I probably won't keep reading this series.

This series goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List 

Audiobook Review - The Fairy Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1) by Michael Buckley (3/5 stars)

Reading level: Middle Grade

Genre: Fantasy
Size:  312 pages

Publisher:  Harry N. Abrams

Release Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0810993228
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Sisters Grimm series
Source: Audio book from Audible.com
Rating: 3/5 stars

I've been wanting to read this series for a while and finally got it on audiobook.  I loved the inclusion of all the fairy tale characters, although I was not completely sold on the characters. The story is just as much mystery as fantasy, and I think middle grade kids will really enjoy it.  I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was well done.

Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been abandoned by their parents and for the last year have been shuffled from foster home to foster home.  Suddenly they are told they are going to live with their grandmother, which is confusing because they thought she was dead.  Well ends up she isn't dead and Sabrina and Daphne are getting a lot more than a new home; they are getting a crash course in fairy tale creatures and mystery solving.

It was a bit weird to read this book after reading the first few books in the Fables series by Bill Willingham (not a series for anyone but adults).  Both series have a lot of similarities; even down to the real world positions they place the fairy tale characters in.  So it took a bit of work for me not to confuse the two storylines.  That being said, as with the Fables series, I really enjoyed the creative way that all fairy tale creatures/people were tied into the story.

The plot moves along at a good clip and is a mystery at heart.  The mystery is a good one, filled with a couple unpredictable twists and turns.  The plot wasn't all that complicated but was decent and engaging.  There are some neat ideas in here.  I also loved Granny Grimms crazy colorful food!

I wasn't really all that excited about the two main characters.  Sabrina is a sour and spiteful preteen for most of the book; she is prickly and doesn't have a lot of depth to her character outside of that.  Daphne is her polar opposite, cheerful and trusting, again not much to Daphne outside of that either.  Some of the side characters are much more interesting.  I loved Puck who helps out but insists he's a bad guy and Canus, the cantankerous old man who helps out Granny Grimm.  Granny herself was another wonderful character.  So there are some great characters in here, they just aren't the characters featured in the book.  

This book is very much an intro book.  The world is introduced but not explained in much depth.  We get to meet the characters, but much about them remains a mystery.  I think this series has a lot of potential and can't wait to see what happens in future books.

The book ends well but definitely sets up a storyline that will take many books to fully resolve; no cliffhangers though so that is nice.

Overall this was an okay read.  I enjoyed the inclusion of different fairy tales in the story but didn't find it especially creative.  The main characters were a bit simplistic, and Sabrina was entirely unlikable.  I am hoping they characters are filled out better in future books.  This book was very much an introduction book, nothing is explained in much depth.  There is a good mystery here and the magic is woven into the mystery well.  I think middle grade readers will enjoy this read, adults will find it to be a bit too simple and short.  I am planning on reading the next couple books in the series to see if they characters become more likable and the world more well filled out.  I would also recommend the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull as a wonderful book involving Fables as part of our current world and a great fantasy adventure for all ages.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

- 100+ Reading Challenge
- Fantasy Reading Challenge
- Audio Book Challenge List