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Grim
A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn’t want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she’s not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She’s not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she’s desperate to get back to her children.
Shawn’s never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they’re headed.
With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn’t want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she’s not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She’s not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she’s desperate to get back to her children.
Shawn’s never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they’re headed.
With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2012
7 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Anna Waggener
1 book23 followersAnna Waggener was born in Thailand and has spent many summers eating ripe-to-bursting mangoes. At college in Minnesota she spends her winters buried under the snow, studying English and human rights, and happily writing YA fantasy. She was the 2008 winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel writing category, and Grim is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 3, 2023
I have read books depicting heaven and I have read books alluding to depictions of hell. I had never read a book written about Limbo…….until now.
Grim presents Limbo as a kingdom. The current ruler wishes to relinquish the throne; however, his six sons are completely absorbed in their own spat, ignoring the king and his desires. Through no fault of his own, the youngest son risks exile from his father’s predecessor; but that is only a small problem, as his main concern is eluding the brother that means to erase his existence.
Meanwhile, back on Earth proper, a harried, over-worked and exhausted single-mom of three, makes a fateful stop for caffeine. Alert, Erika mentally prepares to finish the drive home through the dark, damp night. A head-on collision immediately changes her life as she knows it.
The story unfolds as our lady in Limbo valiantly attempts to reach her three children. The youngest prince, Jeremiah tries to serve as her guide from Limbo to the proper here-after; however, his true focus is on saving himself, thus Erika is able to persuade him to do something that has never been done. She asks that he bring her children to her, in Limbo, without causing their demise. Will the reunited family be able to return home? Must a sacrifice be made? What will become of Jeremiah? There are plenty of unanswered questions to keep the reader turning page after page well past bedtime.
I loved the idea of something as unique and intriguing as Limbo, and I found the plot to be plausible and entertaining. Despite the detailed and individual personification of each character, none knocked my socks off. On the contrary, I wasn’t able to make myself like any of them. Without the character admiration, I was not empathetic, and I really didn’t care what happened to whom. I was curious enough to finish the book, and I’m glad that I did.
Grim presents Limbo as a kingdom. The current ruler wishes to relinquish the throne; however, his six sons are completely absorbed in their own spat, ignoring the king and his desires. Through no fault of his own, the youngest son risks exile from his father’s predecessor; but that is only a small problem, as his main concern is eluding the brother that means to erase his existence.
Meanwhile, back on Earth proper, a harried, over-worked and exhausted single-mom of three, makes a fateful stop for caffeine. Alert, Erika mentally prepares to finish the drive home through the dark, damp night. A head-on collision immediately changes her life as she knows it.
The story unfolds as our lady in Limbo valiantly attempts to reach her three children. The youngest prince, Jeremiah tries to serve as her guide from Limbo to the proper here-after; however, his true focus is on saving himself, thus Erika is able to persuade him to do something that has never been done. She asks that he bring her children to her, in Limbo, without causing their demise. Will the reunited family be able to return home? Must a sacrifice be made? What will become of Jeremiah? There are plenty of unanswered questions to keep the reader turning page after page well past bedtime.
I loved the idea of something as unique and intriguing as Limbo, and I found the plot to be plausible and entertaining. Despite the detailed and individual personification of each character, none knocked my socks off. On the contrary, I wasn’t able to make myself like any of them. Without the character admiration, I was not empathetic, and I really didn’t care what happened to whom. I was curious enough to finish the book, and I’m glad that I did.
February 21, 2022
This is another case where I found the concepts to be intriguing but was not a huge fan of the overall product.
June 21, 2012
Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads
When I received this novel for review, I was highly intrigued by the premise and the dark feelings this one gave me. However, and even though it was very hard for me to get into the story, Grim by Anna Waggener is a complex and rich story with a beautiful prose that kept me reading until I turned the last page.
Erica is the mother of three children who, after dying in a tragic car accident, finds herself in the afterlife. Here is where she meets Jeremiah, the son of the King who decides to lead her through this unknown land. The story is told from two different perspective. One is Erica's and the other one is the children's she left behind (two of them are teens).
It took me a while to get into the story since it keeps switching from Erica's perspective to the Children's and there also these black pages where another and completely different story is narrated. For me, it was very hard to follow the pace of the story, but as I said before, it was the writing and exquisite world that kept me enthralled. So yes, it was a hard book to get into it but I am very glad I didn't give up because once I finished the book, I felt highly rewarded with the entire experience this story gave me as a reader.
I really admire Anna Waggener's creativity. The story feels very different and fresh due to the unique and very special world that Waggener created. However, there are certain things I enjoyed more than others. I was really intrigued about Erica's perspective and I really wanted to know more about Jeremiah. Unfortunately, and even though there is some information about him, I wished I had more of it. On the other hand, the children's perspective, for me, wasn't very intriguing and I just wanted to go back to Erica's side of the story.
The beautiful writing plus this unique world Waggener's created will certainly captivate many readers. And regardless the things I didn't like too much about this novel, Grim is a dark and complex and interesting tale that I certainly did enjoy.
When I received this novel for review, I was highly intrigued by the premise and the dark feelings this one gave me. However, and even though it was very hard for me to get into the story, Grim by Anna Waggener is a complex and rich story with a beautiful prose that kept me reading until I turned the last page.
Erica is the mother of three children who, after dying in a tragic car accident, finds herself in the afterlife. Here is where she meets Jeremiah, the son of the King who decides to lead her through this unknown land. The story is told from two different perspective. One is Erica's and the other one is the children's she left behind (two of them are teens).
It took me a while to get into the story since it keeps switching from Erica's perspective to the Children's and there also these black pages where another and completely different story is narrated. For me, it was very hard to follow the pace of the story, but as I said before, it was the writing and exquisite world that kept me enthralled. So yes, it was a hard book to get into it but I am very glad I didn't give up because once I finished the book, I felt highly rewarded with the entire experience this story gave me as a reader.
I really admire Anna Waggener's creativity. The story feels very different and fresh due to the unique and very special world that Waggener created. However, there are certain things I enjoyed more than others. I was really intrigued about Erica's perspective and I really wanted to know more about Jeremiah. Unfortunately, and even though there is some information about him, I wished I had more of it. On the other hand, the children's perspective, for me, wasn't very intriguing and I just wanted to go back to Erica's side of the story.
The beautiful writing plus this unique world Waggener's created will certainly captivate many readers. And regardless the things I didn't like too much about this novel, Grim is a dark and complex and interesting tale that I certainly did enjoy.
December 18, 2012
the reasons i did not like this book are many.
mom's been dating the cop? you don't even find that out until she's dead. nice development.
mom falls in love with the "guardian" who kills her to piggyback his way into Limbo. fantastic.
mom starts out by telling her kids she'll come back. she talks to guardian, he's not sure this is possible and, without investigating at all, the mom decides she needs her kids with her. in limbo. great parenting.
guardian nearly kills kids to get them into limbo. once there, mom makes zero attempt to find her children. she just takes the guardian at his word that he's working on it. she doesn't fight to see them, go crazy looking for them, instead focuses on how she's falling in love with the guardian, because, you know, he has actually told her he can't love her and eventually admits he used her for his own purposes.
when she finally sees her kids, who have been kidnapped by a malicious angel, btw, mom cares for like a second, but then snaps back into a routine of being concerned about her guardian. she rushes to save him even though one of her children is curled up and dying.
while mom rushes to help guardian, she actually does nothing because the guardian's attacker tells her to back off. her kids follow her in and the attacker takes the advantage and threatens to deal the final death blow to the dying kid, unless the guardian will sacrifice himself for her. at this point, mom finally jumps into maternal action and... wait, she does nothing. the attacker kills the child and then the guardian accidentally gets killed in the fray anyway. in the face of the death of her youngest and most beloved child and that of her "love," the mother's fury builds and she takes it upon herself to... do nothing again. wait, she might crumple to the floor. that's how much she loved her child. and that guy that killed her.
the attacker is overtaken by some other dude who has had absolutely no character development in the story up to that point. seriously, none. like five pages before all this goes down, this random dude has a conversation with the guardian and the guardian admits he hadn't even noticed this dude's absence because he's so inconsequential.
two of the kids get to go back to being alive, the youngest gets her soul back, but must remain in limbo with mom. mom admits, in the epilogue that she should totally accept the fact that she is dead and should coach her child to the same conclusion so they can move on, but she doesn't want to. awesome.
you know what might have been nice? seeing the real-life process of agony & acceptance the kids were faced with after the horrible accident that took their mother's life. if, even in limbo, she felt the need to always be with them, stopping at nothing to check on them, even when some guardian says she should stop she can't. she's their mother. but alas, they can't even know she is looking in on them, because she is dead and they are struggling to cope, struggling to share their grief with the man their mother was dating at the time of her death.
or something.
mom's been dating the cop? you don't even find that out until she's dead. nice development.
mom falls in love with the "guardian" who kills her to piggyback his way into Limbo. fantastic.
mom starts out by telling her kids she'll come back. she talks to guardian, he's not sure this is possible and, without investigating at all, the mom decides she needs her kids with her. in limbo. great parenting.
guardian nearly kills kids to get them into limbo. once there, mom makes zero attempt to find her children. she just takes the guardian at his word that he's working on it. she doesn't fight to see them, go crazy looking for them, instead focuses on how she's falling in love with the guardian, because, you know, he has actually told her he can't love her and eventually admits he used her for his own purposes.
when she finally sees her kids, who have been kidnapped by a malicious angel, btw, mom cares for like a second, but then snaps back into a routine of being concerned about her guardian. she rushes to save him even though one of her children is curled up and dying.
while mom rushes to help guardian, she actually does nothing because the guardian's attacker tells her to back off. her kids follow her in and the attacker takes the advantage and threatens to deal the final death blow to the dying kid, unless the guardian will sacrifice himself for her. at this point, mom finally jumps into maternal action and... wait, she does nothing. the attacker kills the child and then the guardian accidentally gets killed in the fray anyway. in the face of the death of her youngest and most beloved child and that of her "love," the mother's fury builds and she takes it upon herself to... do nothing again. wait, she might crumple to the floor. that's how much she loved her child. and that guy that killed her.
the attacker is overtaken by some other dude who has had absolutely no character development in the story up to that point. seriously, none. like five pages before all this goes down, this random dude has a conversation with the guardian and the guardian admits he hadn't even noticed this dude's absence because he's so inconsequential.
two of the kids get to go back to being alive, the youngest gets her soul back, but must remain in limbo with mom. mom admits, in the epilogue that she should totally accept the fact that she is dead and should coach her child to the same conclusion so they can move on, but she doesn't want to. awesome.
you know what might have been nice? seeing the real-life process of agony & acceptance the kids were faced with after the horrible accident that took their mother's life. if, even in limbo, she felt the need to always be with them, stopping at nothing to check on them, even when some guardian says she should stop she can't. she's their mother. but alas, they can't even know she is looking in on them, because she is dead and they are struggling to cope, struggling to share their grief with the man their mother was dating at the time of her death.
or something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2014
Ugh. I really hate it when adults act like stupid teenagers in romance books. But what makes it even worse is when their kids are involved and it becomes even more obvious that the adults are making terrible teenage-hormone fueled decisions that will affect their children.
Erika was just not a believable mother to me. She kept claiming that she loved her kids and wanted to see them, and wanted them to be happy and safe but she did nothing properly.
She meets Jeremiah and immediately decides to trust him. Even though for the first half of the book HE TELLS HER ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
"Uh Jeremiah, where are we going?"
"Never mind about that, Erika. Trust me. I'm dark and mysterious and handsome and I'll just take you to this place for no apparent reason, where I'll dress you up in fancy clothes."
"Ok Jeremiah. Can you bring my kids please?"
"Sure. I'll bring them and leave them in a dangerous place with some terrible, unclear directions, but you just wait here and trust me. Because you can't leave this place even though I really can't tell you why you can't leave."
"Ok Jeremiah. Just make sure I see my kids, ok?"
That was basically it. Jeremiah has some chip on his shoulders, does a bunch of stuff without any clear reason, argues with a bunch of people. And all the while Erika sits around waiting for a complete stranger she just met to bring her kids.
Meanwhile the kids were at least slightly less annoying. But only slightly. Rebecca always going on about how she's a screw-up and arguing with everyone, and Shawn sulking with an occasional outburst.
I think it may have been a little more bearable if I had a clue about anything that was going on the first half of the book, but I guess it was all for suspense.
And I still don't know what the high kingdom is, or the low kingdom,and why there have to be three kingdoms anyway. Altogether I was just thoroughly unsatisfied after reading this book.
Erika was just not a believable mother to me. She kept claiming that she loved her kids and wanted to see them, and wanted them to be happy and safe but she did nothing properly.
She meets Jeremiah and immediately decides to trust him. Even though for the first half of the book HE TELLS HER ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
"Uh Jeremiah, where are we going?"
"Never mind about that, Erika. Trust me. I'm dark and mysterious and handsome and I'll just take you to this place for no apparent reason, where I'll dress you up in fancy clothes."
"Ok Jeremiah. Can you bring my kids please?"
"Sure. I'll bring them and leave them in a dangerous place with some terrible, unclear directions, but you just wait here and trust me. Because you can't leave this place even though I really can't tell you why you can't leave."
"Ok Jeremiah. Just make sure I see my kids, ok?"
That was basically it. Jeremiah has some chip on his shoulders, does a bunch of stuff without any clear reason, argues with a bunch of people. And all the while Erika sits around waiting for a complete stranger she just met to bring her kids.
Meanwhile the kids were at least slightly less annoying. But only slightly. Rebecca always going on about how she's a screw-up and arguing with everyone, and Shawn sulking with an occasional outburst.
I think it may have been a little more bearable if I had a clue about anything that was going on the first half of the book, but I guess it was all for suspense.
And I still don't know what the high kingdom is, or the low kingdom,and why there have to be three kingdoms anyway. Altogether I was just thoroughly unsatisfied after reading this book.
May 30, 2012
Grim is an unexpectedly deep, dark fantasy about the afterlife that gently sucks you in.
The summary for this one is going to be difficult -- that's probably why the summary on the book isn't very good. Erika has died in a car accident. She's in the afterlife, being led to her final destination by Jeremiah. She has left behind three children (Rebecca, Shawn & Megan) and a boyfriend, Matt.
The story alternates between the children's perspective as they deal with her death, and Erica's perspective as she figures out where she is, what she is, and who Jeremiah is. And, there's some short sections, typed in white text on black (at least in the ARC) about a king and queen and their kingdom that really baffle, but will eventually make sense.
Erica and Jeremiah end up in Limbo, and it's bizarre. Waggener has created a unique world here, with dead people who can't accept their deaths, and a crazy royal family whose king rules over Limbo. The procedures for entry and exit are unclear. There's evil things living in the water, and a bird who lives with Jeremiah that seems to be important, but that's never really explained. Confusing? Yes. But the confusion is part of the experience.
Erica wants to see her kids, which causes all kinds of problems. Jeremiah is much more than he seems at first -- his back story is extraordinary (and adds more confusion.)
I'm not a big fan of high fantasy, and this one is pretty fantastical. I did enjoy the pace and the writing. Since this is such an unbelievable fantasy, I felt detached from the characters, reading the story to find out what was going to happen but without any real emotion. And, there's room for emotion -- don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. It's pretty dark.
I guess you could say I didn't love Grim, but I have a great appreciation for the creativity of Waggener. The world building and settings were vivid and very uniquely done. I would recommend Grim to fantasy fans who want a darker story involving death and the afterlife. While not for everyone, I'm certain I can find a teen audience for Grim.
The summary for this one is going to be difficult -- that's probably why the summary on the book isn't very good. Erika has died in a car accident. She's in the afterlife, being led to her final destination by Jeremiah. She has left behind three children (Rebecca, Shawn & Megan) and a boyfriend, Matt.
The story alternates between the children's perspective as they deal with her death, and Erica's perspective as she figures out where she is, what she is, and who Jeremiah is. And, there's some short sections, typed in white text on black (at least in the ARC) about a king and queen and their kingdom that really baffle, but will eventually make sense.
Erica and Jeremiah end up in Limbo, and it's bizarre. Waggener has created a unique world here, with dead people who can't accept their deaths, and a crazy royal family whose king rules over Limbo. The procedures for entry and exit are unclear. There's evil things living in the water, and a bird who lives with Jeremiah that seems to be important, but that's never really explained. Confusing? Yes. But the confusion is part of the experience.
Erica wants to see her kids, which causes all kinds of problems. Jeremiah is much more than he seems at first -- his back story is extraordinary (and adds more confusion.)
I'm not a big fan of high fantasy, and this one is pretty fantastical. I did enjoy the pace and the writing. Since this is such an unbelievable fantasy, I felt detached from the characters, reading the story to find out what was going to happen but without any real emotion. And, there's room for emotion -- don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. It's pretty dark.
I guess you could say I didn't love Grim, but I have a great appreciation for the creativity of Waggener. The world building and settings were vivid and very uniquely done. I would recommend Grim to fantasy fans who want a darker story involving death and the afterlife. While not for everyone, I'm certain I can find a teen audience for Grim.
July 23, 2012
The Good Stuff
Truly unique storyline
Incredible world building -- in awe of author's creativity - actually kept me reading even though not my cup of tea
Some beautiful descriptive passages
I think this book will be one that either people will rave about and others will just strongly dislike
Relationship between siblings is very realistic and honest
Fast paced
Fantastic cover
The Not So Good Stuff
This kind of review is always hard for me to write. I didn't enjoy the book but it has nothing to do with the author's talents, its just not my cup of tea. Please do not be offended Miss Waggener if you read my review, its just based on my enjoyment of the book, not your ability (yes I have guilt issues, I'm a Canadian Mom -- its part of my genetic makeup)
I'm not the biggest fan of books that deal with angels -- didn't have much religious training growing up so I am often confused by the references. Also I have a huge problem when it comes to Angels being bad - not a big fan of the angry/vengeful god/angels idea - I'm more a believer of the benevolent caring god/angel image (Yes I am a dreamer - sue me)
Dark, depressing and not very hopeful
Mother is a selfish useless women
Jeremy is a selfish jerk
Meghan has no real personality so I have hard time understanding why her mother loves her best
Children die -- yes I know - it happens, but I don't like reading about it
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"Don't lie to a cop, Shawn"
"You're wrong again." Jeremiah said gently. "He did love you, Erika. He loved you very much. He just loved himself more."
"Rebecca gave him a weak smile and fought down the ache in her stomach. " If I hadn't just lost my eyes to a moving statute," she said "I'd kick your ass for that."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Would definitely say for the more mature intelligent YA reader
2.5 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review (Sorry guys wish I liked it better)
Truly unique storyline
Incredible world building -- in awe of author's creativity - actually kept me reading even though not my cup of tea
Some beautiful descriptive passages
I think this book will be one that either people will rave about and others will just strongly dislike
Relationship between siblings is very realistic and honest
Fast paced
Fantastic cover
The Not So Good Stuff
This kind of review is always hard for me to write. I didn't enjoy the book but it has nothing to do with the author's talents, its just not my cup of tea. Please do not be offended Miss Waggener if you read my review, its just based on my enjoyment of the book, not your ability (yes I have guilt issues, I'm a Canadian Mom -- its part of my genetic makeup)
I'm not the biggest fan of books that deal with angels -- didn't have much religious training growing up so I am often confused by the references. Also I have a huge problem when it comes to Angels being bad - not a big fan of the angry/vengeful god/angels idea - I'm more a believer of the benevolent caring god/angel image (Yes I am a dreamer - sue me)
Dark, depressing and not very hopeful
Mother is a selfish useless women
Jeremy is a selfish jerk
Meghan has no real personality so I have hard time understanding why her mother loves her best
Children die -- yes I know - it happens, but I don't like reading about it
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"Don't lie to a cop, Shawn"
"You're wrong again." Jeremiah said gently. "He did love you, Erika. He loved you very much. He just loved himself more."
"Rebecca gave him a weak smile and fought down the ache in her stomach. " If I hadn't just lost my eyes to a moving statute," she said "I'd kick your ass for that."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
Would definitely say for the more mature intelligent YA reader
2.5 Dewey's
I received this from Scholastic in exchange for an honest review (Sorry guys wish I liked it better)
June 10, 2012
While I liked the cover and was drawn in by the beginning of the story and even the fact that it shifted in time and place, ultimately it left me frustrated because there were so many places where I felt forced to read between the lines and make guesses about what exactly was going on. The basic premise is that Erika, a mother of three children, dies in a car crash. Once she awakens, she realizes that she has been brought to this afterlife because of Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. The plan is to bring her to his father's notice since she resembles Jeremiah's own mother so much. Jeremiah and some of his brothers are at war, leaving the reader--and Erika--unsure how much to trust him or the others. As Erika agrees to help Jeremiah, she also asks to see her children, and they, too, end up in the afterlife, wandering through the woods. The children, Shawn, Rebecca, and Megan, are well drawn at the beginning of the story, but once they end up in the afterlife, they weren't as compelling--at least in my eyes. Then, too, I found myself questioning what kind of mother would want to put her children through such a horrible experience and how she could fall so quickly for Jeremiah, given the fact that she was a pawn in his own game. My dislike for the characters was offset to some extent by the shift in narration as the story moved from Erika's perspective to a third person observation of the children, two of whom are teens, by the way, to brief vignettes from the past of the king and his wife or his lover, Jeremiah's mother. I might have enjoyed the book more if there had been more of those sections since they provide much-needed background, but ultimately, not enough.
April 27, 2012
Actual rating: 4.5
I borrowed this arc from a friend of mine who also didn't know what to make of it: an adult narrator in a ya book?? what does that mean?
But I feel I should point out that there are also two teen narrators and a child narrator (whose voice is sometimes the clearest of them all) in the mix. It's a very ambitious project, which isn't really highlighted in the blurb.
Thematically, yes, there are mature elements that parents might want to be aware if if their younger teens are thinking about picking it up. And yet children's books often have important, even "main" adult characters (even the Hobbit!), and "adult" books often have important child characters. Why should ya miss out on all the fun?
This is certainly not your typical ya book, but I don't really see a problem with that. It's beautifully written (sometimes overly dramatic, but that's practically ya tradition) and set in an entirely new world with a different kind of plot and narration than has really been seen in the genre. The author is clearly talented and I'd say this experiment is a success, if not for everyone.
I borrowed this arc from a friend of mine who also didn't know what to make of it: an adult narrator in a ya book?? what does that mean?
But I feel I should point out that there are also two teen narrators and a child narrator (whose voice is sometimes the clearest of them all) in the mix. It's a very ambitious project, which isn't really highlighted in the blurb.
Thematically, yes, there are mature elements that parents might want to be aware if if their younger teens are thinking about picking it up. And yet children's books often have important, even "main" adult characters (even the Hobbit!), and "adult" books often have important child characters. Why should ya miss out on all the fun?
This is certainly not your typical ya book, but I don't really see a problem with that. It's beautifully written (sometimes overly dramatic, but that's practically ya tradition) and set in an entirely new world with a different kind of plot and narration than has really been seen in the genre. The author is clearly talented and I'd say this experiment is a success, if not for everyone.
April 3, 2012
Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Review to come later. This is one of those difficult-to-rate books that I both loved and hated.
February 25, 2019
Language - PG-13 (60 swears, 8 "f"), Sexual Content - PG-13; Violence - PG-13
Erika's family believes that she is dead. They saw her body, witnessed the burial, and are trying to move on. But Erika won't let go. Even in Limbo, Erika calls her children and begs for them to be brought to her. Is she ready to pay for her choice?
This is one story that I would've put back on the shelf and forgotten about in normal circumstances. Too many pages go by without clearing up the confusion that is brought up in the preceding pages. The book has chapters that jump between the past and present to show the readers the original cause for the whole ordeal. Those chapters explaining the past are the only ones that I could follow without getting confused for half the book, with thoroughly frustrated me.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Erika's family believes that she is dead. They saw her body, witnessed the burial, and are trying to move on. But Erika won't let go. Even in Limbo, Erika calls her children and begs for them to be brought to her. Is she ready to pay for her choice?
This is one story that I would've put back on the shelf and forgotten about in normal circumstances. Too many pages go by without clearing up the confusion that is brought up in the preceding pages. The book has chapters that jump between the past and present to show the readers the original cause for the whole ordeal. Those chapters explaining the past are the only ones that I could follow without getting confused for half the book, with thoroughly frustrated me.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
December 28, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: An intriguing tale that brings out some dark feelings.
Opening Sentence: I love my youngest child more than the other two, and God bless them but they all know it.
The Review:
Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.
Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that the tragic accident wasn’t the original cause for going to the afterlife. Here, Erika meets Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. There are many similarities between Erika and Jeremiah’s own mother. Within the war raging in the afterlife, Jeremiah and his brothers are at each other’s throats. Erika agrees to aid Jeremiah, but for a chance to see her children, but at what price.
Erika is a mother, through and through. She was very well written and it was evident that Erika was based on someone close to Waggener. There are many realistic characteristic traits that make Erika a believable character. Because Erika wanted to see her children in the afterlife, it created many problems, which caused an interesting story arc. But I also feel that this is where the story started to slow down a bit, trying to explain many threads at such an early stage of the book.
The other point of view in Grim is through the eyes of the children. A little bit confusing, but we found out a little bit about the personalities of Rebecca, Shawn, and Megan. The transitions between the children were a little hindering, causing some confusion for me. I thought their initial introduction was strong, but it felt muddled through after a while, like there were too many elements to keep up with.
Waggener’s world is different. The afterlife is a large vast place and Grim’s version was a little more attainable to the imagination than others. I found many elements to be refreshing, and others not so much. Erika’s perspective was the most interesting and the one that I connected with. I didn’t feel so connected with the other view points, which caused me to disconnect with the story.
Waggener’s writing style was unique. The voice of the story followed the thoughts of each character. There were a few pages, with a black background, with a mystery voice. It isn’t apparent until the end what part it plays, and in the beginning it was really confusing. But despite my personal preferences, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Jeremiah and his story. I didn’t think I got enough of him, and he could easily have been the most intriguing character in Grim.
Grim is dark and complex, at times confusing, but in the end, the threads of the story tied together nicely. Waggener still delivered a tale that I enjoyed, and I think you will too.
Notable Scene:
“He’s going to kill me, Gabriel. I hope you realize that. I hope you realize that it isn’t fun and games anymore, if it ever really was.”
Gabriel rose sharply to his feet, but Jeremiah had already put up a hand to calm him.
“That’s all, Brother,” he said. “That’s all. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
He pivoted on his heel and walked through the door before Gabriel could say anything else.
FTC Advisory: Scholastic provided me with a copy of Grim. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: An intriguing tale that brings out some dark feelings.
Opening Sentence: I love my youngest child more than the other two, and God bless them but they all know it.
The Review:
Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.
Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that the tragic accident wasn’t the original cause for going to the afterlife. Here, Erika meets Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. There are many similarities between Erika and Jeremiah’s own mother. Within the war raging in the afterlife, Jeremiah and his brothers are at each other’s throats. Erika agrees to aid Jeremiah, but for a chance to see her children, but at what price.
Erika is a mother, through and through. She was very well written and it was evident that Erika was based on someone close to Waggener. There are many realistic characteristic traits that make Erika a believable character. Because Erika wanted to see her children in the afterlife, it created many problems, which caused an interesting story arc. But I also feel that this is where the story started to slow down a bit, trying to explain many threads at such an early stage of the book.
The other point of view in Grim is through the eyes of the children. A little bit confusing, but we found out a little bit about the personalities of Rebecca, Shawn, and Megan. The transitions between the children were a little hindering, causing some confusion for me. I thought their initial introduction was strong, but it felt muddled through after a while, like there were too many elements to keep up with.
Waggener’s world is different. The afterlife is a large vast place and Grim’s version was a little more attainable to the imagination than others. I found many elements to be refreshing, and others not so much. Erika’s perspective was the most interesting and the one that I connected with. I didn’t feel so connected with the other view points, which caused me to disconnect with the story.
Waggener’s writing style was unique. The voice of the story followed the thoughts of each character. There were a few pages, with a black background, with a mystery voice. It isn’t apparent until the end what part it plays, and in the beginning it was really confusing. But despite my personal preferences, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Jeremiah and his story. I didn’t think I got enough of him, and he could easily have been the most intriguing character in Grim.
Grim is dark and complex, at times confusing, but in the end, the threads of the story tied together nicely. Waggener still delivered a tale that I enjoyed, and I think you will too.
Notable Scene:
“He’s going to kill me, Gabriel. I hope you realize that. I hope you realize that it isn’t fun and games anymore, if it ever really was.”
Gabriel rose sharply to his feet, but Jeremiah had already put up a hand to calm him.
“That’s all, Brother,” he said. “That’s all. I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”
He pivoted on his heel and walked through the door before Gabriel could say anything else.
FTC Advisory: Scholastic provided me with a copy of Grim. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 24, 2012
Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.
Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.
Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that the tragic accident wasn’t the original cause for going to the afterlife. Here, Erika meets Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. There are many similarities between Erika and Jeremiah’s own mother. Within the war raging in the afterlife, Jeremiah and his brothers are at each other’s throats. Erika agrees to aid Jeremiah, but for a chance to see her children, but at what price.
Erika is a mother, through and through. She was very well written and it was evident that Erika was based on someone close to Waggener. There are many realistic characteristic traits that make Erika a believable character. Because Erika wanted to see her children in the afterlife, it created many problems, which caused an interesting story arc. But I also feel that this is where the story started to slow down a bit, trying to explain many threads at such an early stage of the book.
The other point of view in Grim is through the eyes of the children. A little bit confusing, but we found out a little bit about the personalities of Rebecca, Shawn, and Megan. The transitions between the children were a little hindering, causing some confusing for me. I thought their initial introduction was strong, but it felt muddled through after a while, like there were too many elements to keep up with.
Waggener’s world is different. The afterlife is a large vast place and Grim’s version was a little more attainable to the imagination than others. I found many elements to be refreshing, and others not so much. Erika’s perspective was the most interesting and the one that I connected with. I didn’t feel so connected with the other view points, which caused me to disconnect with the story.
Waggener’s writing style was unique. The voice of the story followed the thoughts of each character. There were a few pages, with a black background, with a mystery voice. It isn’t apparent until the end what part it plays, and in the beginning it was really confusing. But despite my personal preferences, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Jeremiah and his story. I didn’t think I got enough of him, and he could easily have been the most intriguing character in Grim.
Grim is dark and complex, at times confusing, but in the end, the threads of the story tied together nicely. Waggener still delivered a tale that I enjoyed, and I think you will too.
Notable Scene:
“He’s going to kill me, Gabriel. I hope you realize that. I hope you realize that it isn’t fun and games anymore, if it ever really was.”
Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.
Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that the tragic accident wasn’t the original cause for going to the afterlife. Here, Erika meets Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. There are many similarities between Erika and Jeremiah’s own mother. Within the war raging in the afterlife, Jeremiah and his brothers are at each other’s throats. Erika agrees to aid Jeremiah, but for a chance to see her children, but at what price.
Erika is a mother, through and through. She was very well written and it was evident that Erika was based on someone close to Waggener. There are many realistic characteristic traits that make Erika a believable character. Because Erika wanted to see her children in the afterlife, it created many problems, which caused an interesting story arc. But I also feel that this is where the story started to slow down a bit, trying to explain many threads at such an early stage of the book.
The other point of view in Grim is through the eyes of the children. A little bit confusing, but we found out a little bit about the personalities of Rebecca, Shawn, and Megan. The transitions between the children were a little hindering, causing some confusing for me. I thought their initial introduction was strong, but it felt muddled through after a while, like there were too many elements to keep up with.
Waggener’s world is different. The afterlife is a large vast place and Grim’s version was a little more attainable to the imagination than others. I found many elements to be refreshing, and others not so much. Erika’s perspective was the most interesting and the one that I connected with. I didn’t feel so connected with the other view points, which caused me to disconnect with the story.
Waggener’s writing style was unique. The voice of the story followed the thoughts of each character. There were a few pages, with a black background, with a mystery voice. It isn’t apparent until the end what part it plays, and in the beginning it was really confusing. But despite my personal preferences, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Jeremiah and his story. I didn’t think I got enough of him, and he could easily have been the most intriguing character in Grim.
Grim is dark and complex, at times confusing, but in the end, the threads of the story tied together nicely. Waggener still delivered a tale that I enjoyed, and I think you will too.
Notable Scene:
“He’s going to kill me, Gabriel. I hope you realize that. I hope you realize that it isn’t fun and games anymore, if it ever really was.”
March 19, 2016
Grim, as my first book after a long semester of graduate school, was a particularly enthusiastic read for me. The author, Anna Waggener, was a classmate of mine in undergraduate school. Please, though, do not think my favorable comments about Grim are in any way the result of friendly support. I do not deny that I may lack the ability to offer deep criticism of the plot and writing style, because I am excited for Anna’s career as a writer and believe in supporting such a talented writer at the beginning.
Grim follows the meeting of Erika and Jeremiah and their death defying adventures in a city of souls. Erika struggles to understand her place in the limbo city – is she dead or can she return to Earth? She yearns to be reunited with her three children, but finds herself making decisions distorted by desire, love, and an inability to relinquish the past.
Anna creates a dark world that counters every dreamy conception of life after death. From the poverty stricken souls who cannot release their souls from their physical bodies to the cut-throat family politics of the underworld, the world of Grim captures the grittiness of life and death while illuminating the potential for peace and rest if only we could just let go. Anna explores the complexities of love, life, and death in a way many may see as overly mature for someone her age, but she handles the difficult material with graceful prose. Her writing style overflows with color and beauty as she relates the stories of lost souls in a grim world.
For a first novel, Anna finds the balance between providing the foundations for an imagined world and letting the reader fill in the blanks. She also established a voice in her dialogue that many writers struggle for their entire career. However, the back story behind Grim left me confused and frustrated many times. Anna leaves many questions about Jeremiah and the history of the Middle Kingdom’s royal family unanswered. She includes snip-its to keep the reader intrigued and engulfed in the mystery of this soap opera family, but does not illuminate enough of the past to fully explain the unfolding story. For some readers this mystery may not be an issue, but I found that the complexity and the meatiness (for a lack of a better term at the moment) of Grim could have reached the next level with a few more background questions answered.
Anna Waggener explores the meaning of true death in her first novel Grim. The book flows as if the reader is riding on the river Styx and carries one to some beautiful conclusions about the role of love and the existence of the soul in life after death. Grim offers an intriguing quick read in 320 pages that will leave you sitting in a moment of silence after reading the main characters closings reflections.
I enjoyed Anna’s first novel and look forward to the rest of her writing career.
Grim follows the meeting of Erika and Jeremiah and their death defying adventures in a city of souls. Erika struggles to understand her place in the limbo city – is she dead or can she return to Earth? She yearns to be reunited with her three children, but finds herself making decisions distorted by desire, love, and an inability to relinquish the past.
Anna creates a dark world that counters every dreamy conception of life after death. From the poverty stricken souls who cannot release their souls from their physical bodies to the cut-throat family politics of the underworld, the world of Grim captures the grittiness of life and death while illuminating the potential for peace and rest if only we could just let go. Anna explores the complexities of love, life, and death in a way many may see as overly mature for someone her age, but she handles the difficult material with graceful prose. Her writing style overflows with color and beauty as she relates the stories of lost souls in a grim world.
For a first novel, Anna finds the balance between providing the foundations for an imagined world and letting the reader fill in the blanks. She also established a voice in her dialogue that many writers struggle for their entire career. However, the back story behind Grim left me confused and frustrated many times. Anna leaves many questions about Jeremiah and the history of the Middle Kingdom’s royal family unanswered. She includes snip-its to keep the reader intrigued and engulfed in the mystery of this soap opera family, but does not illuminate enough of the past to fully explain the unfolding story. For some readers this mystery may not be an issue, but I found that the complexity and the meatiness (for a lack of a better term at the moment) of Grim could have reached the next level with a few more background questions answered.
Anna Waggener explores the meaning of true death in her first novel Grim. The book flows as if the reader is riding on the river Styx and carries one to some beautiful conclusions about the role of love and the existence of the soul in life after death. Grim offers an intriguing quick read in 320 pages that will leave you sitting in a moment of silence after reading the main characters closings reflections.
I enjoyed Anna’s first novel and look forward to the rest of her writing career.
June 29, 2012
Title: Grim
Author: Anna Waggener
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: 12 years
Hardcover: 320 pages
Buy This Book: B&N
Book Synopsis: A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn't want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she's not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She's not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she's desperate to get back to her children.
Shawn's never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they're headed.
With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.
About the Author: Anna Waggener was born in Thailand and has spent many summers eating ripe-to-bursting mangoes. At college in Minnesota she spends her winters buried under the snow, studying English and human rights, and writing. She was the 2008 winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel writing category, and Grim is her first novel.
Cover Art: I love this cover! The three statues, and their three different expressions really attracts me! And I love the use of the warm colors on the cover! I give props to Scholastic!
Pre-Thoughts: This was a debut for this year, which means I was obviously going to read it! I am always really interested in life after death stories, so this was a definite must read for me!
Post-Thoughts: This book was everything I expected and more! I loved how Erika described the place between Heaven and Earth and it gave me another idea of what life after death is like. Before Erika died, she had three kids but really only loved one. Meagan was the one she really adored because she thought she was special. This part of the story was a little turn off for me because I don't really like the thought of liking one of your kids more than the rest, but other than that, this book was amazing!
Author: Anna Waggener
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: 12 years
Hardcover: 320 pages
Buy This Book: B&N
Book Synopsis: A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn't want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she's not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She's not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she's desperate to get back to her children.
Shawn's never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they're headed.
With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.
About the Author: Anna Waggener was born in Thailand and has spent many summers eating ripe-to-bursting mangoes. At college in Minnesota she spends her winters buried under the snow, studying English and human rights, and writing. She was the 2008 winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel writing category, and Grim is her first novel.
Cover Art: I love this cover! The three statues, and their three different expressions really attracts me! And I love the use of the warm colors on the cover! I give props to Scholastic!
Pre-Thoughts: This was a debut for this year, which means I was obviously going to read it! I am always really interested in life after death stories, so this was a definite must read for me!
Post-Thoughts: This book was everything I expected and more! I loved how Erika described the place between Heaven and Earth and it gave me another idea of what life after death is like. Before Erika died, she had three kids but really only loved one. Meagan was the one she really adored because she thought she was special. This part of the story was a little turn off for me because I don't really like the thought of liking one of your kids more than the rest, but other than that, this book was amazing!
November 20, 2014
This book made a lot of promises it didn't keep. The worldbuilding was beautiful (though some details needed a little more explanation) as was the way the author weaves her words, but the story itself left much to be desired.
I definitely enjoyed the act of reading this book; I think Anna Waggener has a wonderful way with words that made the whole book seem a lot more effortless than it evidently was. My opinion is that this story was a bit underdeveloped and could have used another couple of drafts and more beta readers to give feedback on the plot and the book as a whole.
It started off really well, hooking me with the first page and building on the prologue wonderfully. About halfway through, I started to get the feeling that things weren't going to be resolved or explained as well as they could be. I kept faith though, and I didn't really give up on having a satisfying ending until I was almost done with the book.
I believe this book would have been a beautiful, engaging story to stick in the memory if it was fleshed out more. Some conversations between characters were misleading, hinting at deeper subplots that ended up not existing. Some of the character-building was oversimple and frankly not believable, but the way it was written had me convinced there were deeper explanations for some of the stupid teenage lovesick actions of two main characters. I also expected more from the emphasis on how special Megan was to Erika and her children. I have a baby brother who's 8 and he's definitely the most beloved of the family so I understand completely how it works, but Erika emphasized it so much I thought maybe there was something really special about Megan, something magical perhaps. That didn't happen to be the case, but there was so much left unsaid, so much to guess at and try to puzzle out, that I didn't really accept that until the very end.
At any rate, I would love to see something else written in the world Anna Waggener created, with more exploration into the finer workings of Limbo and more information about the other kingdoms. I think with some more planning and more careful execution a second novel by this author would be something truly special.
I definitely enjoyed the act of reading this book; I think Anna Waggener has a wonderful way with words that made the whole book seem a lot more effortless than it evidently was. My opinion is that this story was a bit underdeveloped and could have used another couple of drafts and more beta readers to give feedback on the plot and the book as a whole.
It started off really well, hooking me with the first page and building on the prologue wonderfully. About halfway through, I started to get the feeling that things weren't going to be resolved or explained as well as they could be. I kept faith though, and I didn't really give up on having a satisfying ending until I was almost done with the book.
I believe this book would have been a beautiful, engaging story to stick in the memory if it was fleshed out more. Some conversations between characters were misleading, hinting at deeper subplots that ended up not existing. Some of the character-building was oversimple and frankly not believable, but the way it was written had me convinced there were deeper explanations for some of the stupid teenage lovesick actions of two main characters. I also expected more from the emphasis on how special Megan was to Erika and her children. I have a baby brother who's 8 and he's definitely the most beloved of the family so I understand completely how it works, but Erika emphasized it so much I thought maybe there was something really special about Megan, something magical perhaps. That didn't happen to be the case, but there was so much left unsaid, so much to guess at and try to puzzle out, that I didn't really accept that until the very end.
At any rate, I would love to see something else written in the world Anna Waggener created, with more exploration into the finer workings of Limbo and more information about the other kingdoms. I think with some more planning and more careful execution a second novel by this author would be something truly special.
May 10, 2016
Reading this book is like being stuck in a room with people having a conversation you are not a part of.
The book has a wonderful premise, a beautiful cover, and an author with a good command of the English language. The problem with the novel is that you don't learn along with the characters what's happening and the events just leave you frustrated and wondering what is going on.
Any time there's a glimmer of clarification, when one character finally asks a straightforward question, that chance of being allowed into the story is slammed shut in the next paragraph.
Example, when the two male leads finally come face to face:
"Are you going to help us?"
He opened his mouth and then shut it again. "Hardly," he said at last. "Not that I haven't been trying. I just needed to know... but I was wrong. So."
I can't provide context, because there isn't any. Almost all of the novel is like this.
So if you want to know, but can't bear trying to muck your way through, this is the novel:
*The king of the afterlife has an affair with a creature who can only exist to serve and conceives a child, a sixth son.
*The illegitimate 6th son, half-angel and half-servant, grows up only to get ousted into being a guide to souls while his older brothers hunt him down to kill him.
*He takes the life of a single mother with three children in the hopes that her precipitous death will save him from being killed by trying to make her marry his father (what now?)
*The mother is kept in the dark about what's happening and just wants to see her kids again and sleep with the 6th son. Eventually she gets him in a moment when his servant half is stronger.
*The 6th son arranges for the kids to come into the afterlife while still alive by using magic to seal all the doors and windows in their home and setting the place on fire.
*The three kids—a rebellious teenage daughter, a peacekeeping teenage son, and a young girl—wander the afterlife half-alive and with a vague idea that they're heading toward their mother.
*Everyone's captured. The second eldest prince kills the youngest girl. The eldest prince kills the 6th son.
*The mother learns to accept that she's dead and now has her favorite child with her.
*The older kids wake up in the hospital, survivors.
Ta-da.
The book has a wonderful premise, a beautiful cover, and an author with a good command of the English language. The problem with the novel is that you don't learn along with the characters what's happening and the events just leave you frustrated and wondering what is going on.
Any time there's a glimmer of clarification, when one character finally asks a straightforward question, that chance of being allowed into the story is slammed shut in the next paragraph.
Example, when the two male leads finally come face to face:
"Are you going to help us?"
He opened his mouth and then shut it again. "Hardly," he said at last. "Not that I haven't been trying. I just needed to know... but I was wrong. So."
I can't provide context, because there isn't any. Almost all of the novel is like this.
So if you want to know, but can't bear trying to muck your way through, this is the novel:
*The king of the afterlife has an affair with a creature who can only exist to serve and conceives a child, a sixth son.
*The illegitimate 6th son, half-angel and half-servant, grows up only to get ousted into being a guide to souls while his older brothers hunt him down to kill him.
*He takes the life of a single mother with three children in the hopes that her precipitous death will save him from being killed by trying to make her marry his father (what now?)
*The mother is kept in the dark about what's happening and just wants to see her kids again and sleep with the 6th son. Eventually she gets him in a moment when his servant half is stronger.
*The 6th son arranges for the kids to come into the afterlife while still alive by using magic to seal all the doors and windows in their home and setting the place on fire.
*The three kids—a rebellious teenage daughter, a peacekeeping teenage son, and a young girl—wander the afterlife half-alive and with a vague idea that they're heading toward their mother.
*Everyone's captured. The second eldest prince kills the youngest girl. The eldest prince kills the 6th son.
*The mother learns to accept that she's dead and now has her favorite child with her.
*The older kids wake up in the hospital, survivors.
Ta-da.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2013
Erica is the mother of three and dies in a car accident on the road home. She wakes up confused and startled to find herself stuck in between, in limbo, a place between Heaven and Hell. She doesn't feel dead and she doesn't know what this strange place is. Her guide on the other side is named Jeremiah and it is his job to lead her to the city of souls. The city of Souls is a desolate place where the seraph angels rule the middle kingdom. Erica is a lowly human who looks like the Kings former mistress and Jeremiah's mother.
Erica is desperate to see her three kids, Becca, Shawn and Megan. She tries to sneak into their dreams to see them. She eventually persuades Jeremiah to bring them to her except no living human has ever passed through middle kingdom before. What will be the consequences?
Anna Waggener takes the reader on a journey into a creative afterlife that is unique and imaginative. There are three story lines in Grim that converge into an unpredictable ending with many twists and turns along the way. Waggener keeps the reader guessing. Grim has many narrators but the story is easy to navigate as it is highlighted with breaks in the text and shaded pages. I really enjoyed the imaginative fantasy world that Waggener created in Grim and think that while this book is labeled YA, it is bound to be a book that adults read and enjoy too.
Grim is a dark look at the afterworld and it's mythical and mysterious qualities. It is complex and entertaining and has a very different feel to it than typical young adult novels. There is an adult narrator among the young voices competing for dialog in the text. The prose is lyrical and is well-written. Grim is an intelligent book that gives you a lot to think about.
Waggener wrote the first draft of Grim when she was in high school and completed the rewrites and editing during the time when she was in college. She is now working on her second book.
Erica is desperate to see her three kids, Becca, Shawn and Megan. She tries to sneak into their dreams to see them. She eventually persuades Jeremiah to bring them to her except no living human has ever passed through middle kingdom before. What will be the consequences?
Anna Waggener takes the reader on a journey into a creative afterlife that is unique and imaginative. There are three story lines in Grim that converge into an unpredictable ending with many twists and turns along the way. Waggener keeps the reader guessing. Grim has many narrators but the story is easy to navigate as it is highlighted with breaks in the text and shaded pages. I really enjoyed the imaginative fantasy world that Waggener created in Grim and think that while this book is labeled YA, it is bound to be a book that adults read and enjoy too.
Grim is a dark look at the afterworld and it's mythical and mysterious qualities. It is complex and entertaining and has a very different feel to it than typical young adult novels. There is an adult narrator among the young voices competing for dialog in the text. The prose is lyrical and is well-written. Grim is an intelligent book that gives you a lot to think about.
Waggener wrote the first draft of Grim when she was in high school and completed the rewrites and editing during the time when she was in college. She is now working on her second book.
July 4, 2012
So I confess, Grim is not a book I would have picked on my own had it not been for the fact that I was sent an unsolicited copy of this by Scholastic Canada (thanks!). But I am glad I read it because it is just so different from my usual choice in books. While it is true that the novel has paranormal elements to it, the main character is not a young adult but a mother who has been separated from her three children by a being (I can’t call him a man since he is not human) who causes her accident to fulfill his own need.
The physical novel is a beauty to behold. I must say that Scholastic books are all physically well crafted; the pages are well laid out, the fonts easy on the eyes and everything is just aesthetically pleasing. The novel itself is haunting, atmospheric and lyrical. At first I wasn’t too certain that the juxtaposition of what was so mundane and the paranormal would work for me but Waggener is gifted at portraying the grief of the children left behind and this grief bounces off the yearning of their mother who glimpses them every so often. It creates a bridge, slight though it may be, from the underworld to ours.
I did feel that the underworld that Erika exists in required a lot more explicit building than it got. I wanted to know more about it and I somehow wish that Waggener had spent more time on it than she did. It was just so fascinating reading about the hierarchy, the complicated relationships and the dynamics between the many different people present in that world.
The physical novel is a beauty to behold. I must say that Scholastic books are all physically well crafted; the pages are well laid out, the fonts easy on the eyes and everything is just aesthetically pleasing. The novel itself is haunting, atmospheric and lyrical. At first I wasn’t too certain that the juxtaposition of what was so mundane and the paranormal would work for me but Waggener is gifted at portraying the grief of the children left behind and this grief bounces off the yearning of their mother who glimpses them every so often. It creates a bridge, slight though it may be, from the underworld to ours.
I did feel that the underworld that Erika exists in required a lot more explicit building than it got. I wanted to know more about it and I somehow wish that Waggener had spent more time on it than she did. It was just so fascinating reading about the hierarchy, the complicated relationships and the dynamics between the many different people present in that world.
October 19, 2012
Perhaps it was my busy schedule, or my ever-growing addiction to Skyrim, but I cannot finish this book. Here's some reasons why:
1) The transitions between the kids and the mother. In one chapter, there can be like 3-4 mini paragraphs about either Mom or the kids. It's kind of annoying, really. It's really not that consistent and it was frustrating for me.
2) Jeremy/Jeremiah, anyone? I HATE THIS GUY WITH ALL MY GUTS. It's like he's trying to be mysterious and subtle. Ooooooh... just, no. Please. It's annoying. The way he answers back to people while trying to maintain that aura of mystery is just appallingly frustrating. I swear to God, if I hear one more 'I can't answer that question' coming out of his mouth again...
3) The Mom protagonist. Woke up to a gorgeous stranger and immediately trusts him. Hel-lo. You're DEAD. Did death kill your common sense, too? The way she trusts Jeremy/miah was kind of creepy. I mean, really... perhaps there's a back story to this later on in the book, but needless to say I did not finish it.
BUT ALL IN ALL... don't you think the cover is gorgeous, though?
1) The transitions between the kids and the mother. In one chapter, there can be like 3-4 mini paragraphs about either Mom or the kids. It's kind of annoying, really. It's really not that consistent and it was frustrating for me.
2) Jeremy/Jeremiah, anyone? I HATE THIS GUY WITH ALL MY GUTS. It's like he's trying to be mysterious and subtle. Ooooooh... just, no. Please. It's annoying. The way he answers back to people while trying to maintain that aura of mystery is just appallingly frustrating. I swear to God, if I hear one more 'I can't answer that question' coming out of his mouth again...
3) The Mom protagonist. Woke up to a gorgeous stranger and immediately trusts him. Hel-lo. You're DEAD. Did death kill your common sense, too? The way she trusts Jeremy/miah was kind of creepy. I mean, really... perhaps there's a back story to this later on in the book, but needless to say I did not finish it.
BUT ALL IN ALL... don't you think the cover is gorgeous, though?
May 8, 2012
I am torn about this book - the ending was so good, but the whole thing felt so disjointed to me. I feel like it is a 3.5, maybe even a 3.9. Part of the problem could be that I am going through such personal emotional and mental turmoil that it was really hard to focus on this book or any book for that matter. It's been that bad. However, I could identify a lot with the main character in this book, Erika, and in many ways her story is mine right now. Hard choices, and the right to choose anything at all...gone. At any rate, the mixture of this woman's story with the story of a family of angelic royalty seemed to be missing something. The characters for the most part were well developed, but I felt like Jeremiah's story deserved a lot more time - maybe its own book. The complicated relationship of this half rogue, half seraphim and his brothers really requires a lot of understanding, and with Erika's story mixed in, there is quite a lot to digest. So, I am largely undecided about this book. I am also largely undecided about my life right now. Go figure.
April 12, 2012
My utmost thanks to the Author, Ms. Waggener, the Publisher, and of course Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read and review this free first-read advance copy.
As per requested by the Author, I will read and post my review more closely to the novel's official release date of June 2012.
Started reading...
So far, I am impressed with the story line and the flow between the three plots inter-spaced having relevance to the complete tale.
Reminds me of other alter-realms novels concerning the afterlife utilizing a bit from a few of them in creating the death-land of Limbo; yet, Limbo populated by the characters within are unique to this novel alone.
Evil and Good are here, and written for the mature Young Adult market.
Even though the story did reach a conclusion, I feel there is more to this story as we did meet the Characters West and South, while both East and North are to make an appearance?
Decent 1st novel.
As per requested by the Author, I will read and post my review more closely to the novel's official release date of June 2012.
Started reading...
So far, I am impressed with the story line and the flow between the three plots inter-spaced having relevance to the complete tale.
Reminds me of other alter-realms novels concerning the afterlife utilizing a bit from a few of them in creating the death-land of Limbo; yet, Limbo populated by the characters within are unique to this novel alone.
Evil and Good are here, and written for the mature Young Adult market.
Even though the story did reach a conclusion, I feel there is more to this story as we did meet the Characters West and South, while both East and North are to make an appearance?
Decent 1st novel.
September 23, 2014
Maybe 2.5 stars. What can I say? When I began reading this book, I was intrigued by the sense of mystery and spookiness. Usually that sense of mystery is a good thing, because questions get answered little by little, making for a satisfying reading experience. But there was no satisfaction in this book. Even at the last page of the epilogue I found myself thinking, "What?" This book is riddled with holes that never get filled in. I read and read, seeing things happen, but never quite understanding why. Perhaps it was due in part to the rotating 3rd person omniscient POV. There were times when, in the same paragraph, the perspective shifted from one character to another. And lots of conversations which were hard to follow. All these little things added up to me always feeling like I was missing something. And that is not a good feeling to have at the end of a book.
October 22, 2012
This book is one of a kind (in good and bad ways). The first 100 pages or so will be ridiculously confusing. You get the basic story of Erika and her three children, but the inclusion of Jeremiah and the black pages from another era are very hard to understand.
After you read more, and the black pages start to make sense, I thought the book was much more enjoyable. The "Middle Kingdom" is beautifully described and Waggener really does have a beautiful way with words.
I know it's hard, but if a reader can make it through the confusion at the beginning, this book is actually pretty good. I'd definitely recommend it for a patient reader. :)
(I'd give it four stars if I the beginning third was more readable.)
After you read more, and the black pages start to make sense, I thought the book was much more enjoyable. The "Middle Kingdom" is beautifully described and Waggener really does have a beautiful way with words.
I know it's hard, but if a reader can make it through the confusion at the beginning, this book is actually pretty good. I'd definitely recommend it for a patient reader. :)
(I'd give it four stars if I the beginning third was more readable.)
April 17, 2012
I have had several people read this ARC and I have skimmed it. The loud and clear response to this book is that it is NOT a YA book. It is told from the point of view of the so called "ghost" of mom. Although the "main" characters in the book are her kids who are teens, it still feels and sounds like an adult book! Although the only thing it has going for it is a great title and cover.
June 16, 2012
I found this to be a moody and muddled read. The author used preexisting legends, myths and stories in a confusing manner that leaves the reader questioning the purpose of the befuddled plot. I couldn't wait for the story to end and when it did I was left wholly unsatisfied.
March 10, 2013
i would have liked this book if someone else had written it. it felt confused, tangled up like wire, and rushed. the whole death thing didn't work, and then the author made it worse by adding in the prince brothers. was i the only one waiting for the children to die a horrible death?
maybe-reads
August 27, 2016The plot blurb does very little for me, but I do love the cover with its symbolism (of "speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil").
get-back-to-later
May 30, 2012Unsolicited and I'm going to give it a shot. LOVE the cover.
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