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The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers: And Other Gruesome Tales
In this collection, fourteen of fairy tales from around the world are retold for young readers, restored to their original, grisly versions. Do you dare read this collection of terrifyingly gruesome tales? In this gripping volume, author Jen Campbell offers young readers an edgy, contemporary, and inclusive take on classic fairy tales, taking them back to their gory beginnings while updating them for a modern audience with queer and disabled characters and positive representation of disfigurement. Featuring fourteen short stories from China, India, Ireland, and across the globe, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is an international collection of the creepiest folk tales. Illustrated with Adam de Souza’s brooding art, this book’s style is a totally original blend of nineteenth-century Gothic engravings meets moody film noir graphic novels. Headlined by the Korean tale of a carnivorous child, The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers is a truly thrilling gift for brave young readers. Illustrated in color throughout
120 pages, Hardcover
First published November 23, 2021
25 people are currently reading
4398 people want to read
About the author
Jen Campbell
37 books12k followersJen Campbell is a bestselling author and award-winning poet. Her short story collection The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is published by Two Roads, her children's picture books, Franklin's Flying Bookshop, Franklin and Luna go to the Moon, and Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales are published by Thames & Hudson. Her poetry collection The Girl Aquarium is published by Bloodaxe.
Jen is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series, and The Bookshop Book. Her poetry pamphlet The Hungry Ghost Festival is published by The Rialto. She's a recipient of an Eric Gregory Award and won the Jane Martin Poetry Prize.
Jen worked as a bookseller for ten years and now has a Youtube channel, where she talks about all things books. She also runs a podcast called BOOKS WITH JEN, is Vlogger in Residence for the Poetry Book Society, offers writing workshops and editorial services, and runs a book club for TOAST.
She grew up in the north east of England and now lives in London. She is represented by Charlie Campbell at Kingsford Campbell.
Jen is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series, and The Bookshop Book. Her poetry pamphlet The Hungry Ghost Festival is published by The Rialto. She's a recipient of an Eric Gregory Award and won the Jane Martin Poetry Prize.
Jen worked as a bookseller for ten years and now has a Youtube channel, where she talks about all things books. She also runs a podcast called BOOKS WITH JEN, is Vlogger in Residence for the Poetry Book Society, offers writing workshops and editorial services, and runs a book club for TOAST.
She grew up in the north east of England and now lives in London. She is represented by Charlie Campbell at Kingsford Campbell.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 206 reviews
February 28, 2022
Some of these are incredibly dark and make you downright uncomfortable! Caution for reading this with younger kids. Beautiful illustrations. We loved it. Full review to follow.
5*****
5*****
November 6, 2021
Jen Campbell’s a remarkably versatile author, she’s written extensively about her experiences as a bookseller then branched out into poetry and children’s fiction but one of her greatest passions is the fairy tale, and for many years she’s run a YouTube channel dedicated to its history and origins. But Campbell goes back to the traditional forms, the gory, unsettling stories typified by the original Brothers Grimm collections not the sanitised Victorian retellings or muted Disneyfied kind. Here she brings together 14 examples of myth and fairy tale from across the world, presented in a direct, simple style and reflecting her commitment to diversity, queer themes and disability representation. All have an eerie, sinister or deliciously macabre dimension, among my favourites were ones featuring: a boy who outwits a foolish troll; a witch in El Salvador who devises an ingenious means of escape from her controlling husband; a girl in Nigeria who finds a novel way out of the kingdom of the dead; and a charming Japanese account of a haunted house, “The House That Was Filled with Ghosts”. The book’s a fitting tribute to Campbell’s awareness of the fairy or folk tale as something alive, constantly evolving across time and across cultures. Campbell’s marvellous, untamed stories are brought to life by a lavish array of illustrations from gothic, black-and-white engravings to subtle, yet vibrant, full-colour images, created by up-and-coming, Toronto-based, comic artist Adam de Souza. I’m not sure how contemporary children will respond to these but I do know I lapped up the gruesome Grimm variety as a child, and as Campbell reminds readers these kinds of account were once as much for adults as for children.
Thanks to Edelweiss and to publisher Thames & Hudson for an arc
Rating: 4.5
Thanks to Edelweiss and to publisher Thames & Hudson for an arc
Rating: 4.5
November 4, 2021
Fun, dark and entirely delightful. My favourite stories were The House That Was Filled with Ghosts and The Woman and the Glass Mountain.
November 10, 2021
I've always loved fairytales, and I maintain a fondness for the gentler versions I read in my childhood, but like many others, at some point I realised there was a lot more to fairytales than the Disney versions or the comforting but sometimes dull adaptations from Bedtime Stories books. Reading earlier versions of stories, with their gore and oddness, was wonderfully refreshing. It's an area of reading that I want to devote more time too as there is so much I haven't read (this also applies to Mythology, which I adore and want to know more about) and I have found Jen Campbell's videos on Fairytales fascinating viewing (I'd recommend them to anyone interested in the subject) so when I saw this book was being published I pre-ordered immediately.
It's a wonderful book --the tales are indeed rather gruesome though still appropriate for children --- in my opinion at least! I loved all fourteen stories, and that they were sourced from all over the world meant I discovered some I was unfamiliar with, which was lovely. My favourites were:
- The House That Was Filled With Ghosts (Japan)
- The Princess Who Ruled the Sea (Inuit)
- The Girl With the Horse's Head (China)
- The Woman and the Glass Mountain (Spain)
Adam de Souza's art was excellent, well-suited to each story. I will be on the lookout for more by him.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fairytales!
It's a wonderful book --the tales are indeed rather gruesome though still appropriate for children --- in my opinion at least! I loved all fourteen stories, and that they were sourced from all over the world meant I discovered some I was unfamiliar with, which was lovely. My favourites were:
- The House That Was Filled With Ghosts (Japan)
- The Princess Who Ruled the Sea (Inuit)
- The Girl With the Horse's Head (China)
- The Woman and the Glass Mountain (Spain)
Adam de Souza's art was excellent, well-suited to each story. I will be on the lookout for more by him.
Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys fairytales!
October 24, 2023
Fourteen fairy tales from around the world are collected here and presented in a slightly changed version to do away woth old stereotypes such as bad people being disfigured (or all disfigured people being bad, whichever way you want to look at it) or princesses only ever being pretty/beautiful but never brave or smart.
We thus get stories from Germany, Spain, Japan, China, Ireland, Korea, Nigeria, Norway, Egypt, Russia, the Innuit people, El Salvador, South Africa, and India.
This, as you can imgine, made for a nice array of very different elements, which also nicely emphasized the difference in cultures where the stories originate from. In the Afterword, the author did mention her fascination not only with fairy tales per se but their origins and evolution - a fascination I share.
I adored that the author deliberately put the gore back into these stories. For the past 200 years or so, we made fairy tales squeaky clean and I just hate it. The actual message is getting lost not least because the dire circumstances of the people in the tales are completely changed. I always hated that. So I'm all the more pleased that Jen Campbell put the gore back in.
Moreover, this book was nicely illustrated by Adam de Souza.
Some of his illustrations were really cool, most were almost too cutesy for me. I especially enjoyed the little illustrations framing the text though.
Really cool book that might make you shudder on a rainy afternoon when it's dreary and maybe even already dark outside. ;)
We thus get stories from Germany, Spain, Japan, China, Ireland, Korea, Nigeria, Norway, Egypt, Russia, the Innuit people, El Salvador, South Africa, and India.
This, as you can imgine, made for a nice array of very different elements, which also nicely emphasized the difference in cultures where the stories originate from. In the Afterword, the author did mention her fascination not only with fairy tales per se but their origins and evolution - a fascination I share.
I adored that the author deliberately put the gore back into these stories. For the past 200 years or so, we made fairy tales squeaky clean and I just hate it. The actual message is getting lost not least because the dire circumstances of the people in the tales are completely changed. I always hated that. So I'm all the more pleased that Jen Campbell put the gore back in.
Moreover, this book was nicely illustrated by Adam de Souza.
Some of his illustrations were really cool, most were almost too cutesy for me. I especially enjoyed the little illustrations framing the text though.
Really cool book that might make you shudder on a rainy afternoon when it's dreary and maybe even already dark outside. ;)
June 7, 2022
3.75 stars
For my fellow fans of the dark tales, the mythic, the folkloric, the uneasy things that creep in the night… ahhhh this was a lot of fun.
Full review to come!
For my fellow fans of the dark tales, the mythic, the folkloric, the uneasy things that creep in the night… ahhhh this was a lot of fun.
Full review to come!
August 23, 2023
This is very much an original grim dark Fairytale (which I know is what the author was aiming for and she 100% nailed it) mixed with Tim Burton vibes, short story collection.
I actually thoroughly enjoyed each and every story in this collection. And I can see this being fantastic to read a story a night leading up to Halloween. But honestly, this would be great anytime of the year when you're in the mood for something short, spooky and Fairytale like. This would also be good for anyone who is isn't into scaring themselves and just wants something spooky or eerie. This isn't scary. Just spooky!
However, I do want to mention a trigger warning for animal abuse. There is a few scenes in this book where something happens to an animal or two. The animals end up being fine and none of them die. But if you're sensitive like I am it may bother you a bit. It is akin to original Fairytales though so I feel like that's expected to come the package. Not a criticism though. Just a heads up.:)
The only reason I gave this a solid 4 ⭐ instead of 5 ⭐ is because I wasn't absolutely in love with every story in here. Which is to be expected with any short story collection. Again, as I said, I did thoroughly enjoy all of them though. (I just didn't absolutely LOVE every single one.) And I will be eventually be getting myself a copy and am looking forward to giving this a reread every Halloween.
A highly recommended short story collection! If you have read it or decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too.:)
I actually thoroughly enjoyed each and every story in this collection. And I can see this being fantastic to read a story a night leading up to Halloween. But honestly, this would be great anytime of the year when you're in the mood for something short, spooky and Fairytale like. This would also be good for anyone who is isn't into scaring themselves and just wants something spooky or eerie. This isn't scary. Just spooky!
However, I do want to mention a trigger warning for animal abuse. There is a few scenes in this book where something happens to an animal or two. The animals end up being fine and none of them die. But if you're sensitive like I am it may bother you a bit. It is akin to original Fairytales though so I feel like that's expected to come the package. Not a criticism though. Just a heads up.:)
The only reason I gave this a solid 4 ⭐ instead of 5 ⭐ is because I wasn't absolutely in love with every story in here. Which is to be expected with any short story collection. Again, as I said, I did thoroughly enjoy all of them though. (I just didn't absolutely LOVE every single one.) And I will be eventually be getting myself a copy and am looking forward to giving this a reread every Halloween.
A highly recommended short story collection! If you have read it or decide to give it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too.:)
June 21, 2024
Not a fan of all the stories, as tends to be the case with a short story collection, but some--like "The Sister Who Ate Her Brothers," "The Souls Trapped Under the Ocean," "The Son of Seven Mothers" and "The Woman and the Glass Mountain"--were great. I'm also a fan of this type of art for stories that are based on fairy tales--it gives them a whimsical quality that's twice as enjoyable.
October 16, 2021
Absolutely wonderful. When Campbell said she was going to put the gore back into the fairy tales, she wasn't kidding. I wasn't familiar with most of these tales, and as a fairy tale fan, I enjoyed them immensely. Some of these were very gruesome and some extremely sweet (The Woman in the Glass Mountain is my favourite). Usually, they were both.
This would make for a great Christmas present for daring children.
This would make for a great Christmas present for daring children.
November 1, 2021
This was such a dark and wonderful collection of fairytales - I love Campbell's writing and I especially loved the final story in the book. Such a treat to read this on Hallowe'en, too!
October 23, 2021
This was so captivating! I love the idea of fairytales and folklore, but have a hard time consuming them in written form. I would rather someone sat down with me and told me of the tales, painting vivid pictures in my mind as we go. This book was nearly that. Jen Campbell really managed to capture the stories from around the world and give them her own spin while still making them engaging and lovely to read. I enjoyed the variety of length and loved that Campbell made the tales gruesome, as tales originally were. The artwork was also amazing.
October 9, 2022
B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!
As much as I enjoyed every single story in this book, I happened to enjoy the afterword even more. It just filled my heart with the happiness and joy of a child.
I just feel like my younger self again.
THANK YOU JEN CAMPBELL FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE AN EXCITED, AND AT TIMES SCARED, CHILD AGAIN.
P.s love love loveeeeee the artworks by Adam de Souza!
As much as I enjoyed every single story in this book, I happened to enjoy the afterword even more. It just filled my heart with the happiness and joy of a child.
I just feel like my younger self again.
THANK YOU JEN CAMPBELL FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE AN EXCITED, AND AT TIMES SCARED, CHILD AGAIN.
P.s love love loveeeeee the artworks by Adam de Souza!
January 25, 2023
3.75
A wonderful collection of fairy tales gathered from various cultures around the world. These read like true fairy tales and are not watered down: they are gruesome, queer, and of course provide lessons.
I love that these stories, while staying true to being authentic fairy tales, are also slightly modified to cater to the modern world. Campbell weaves in disfigurement, disability, and lgbtqia themes into several of these stories, and none of them are negative. The characters in here are lifted up for these traits rather than frowned upon. Being clever is favored over typical beauty like in older, traditional fairy tales.
This book is a delight not just for children, but anyone of any age. The tales are grim and gory but also have a childlike wonder to them. This is a perfect collection to snuggle up with by a fire, as it is sure to leave you with a chill. Above all, though, this should entertain and fulfill any yearning for classic storytelling.
My only critique is I wish a few of these stories were longer. There were a couple only a page or two long, and I would’ve loved to be in those worlds for a little more time.
A wonderful collection of fairy tales gathered from various cultures around the world. These read like true fairy tales and are not watered down: they are gruesome, queer, and of course provide lessons.
I love that these stories, while staying true to being authentic fairy tales, are also slightly modified to cater to the modern world. Campbell weaves in disfigurement, disability, and lgbtqia themes into several of these stories, and none of them are negative. The characters in here are lifted up for these traits rather than frowned upon. Being clever is favored over typical beauty like in older, traditional fairy tales.
This book is a delight not just for children, but anyone of any age. The tales are grim and gory but also have a childlike wonder to them. This is a perfect collection to snuggle up with by a fire, as it is sure to leave you with a chill. Above all, though, this should entertain and fulfill any yearning for classic storytelling.
My only critique is I wish a few of these stories were longer. There were a couple only a page or two long, and I would’ve loved to be in those worlds for a little more time.
October 17, 2022
Richtig gutes Buch und sympathischer Autir die Illustrationen waren mega süß und auch den persönlichen touch den der den ganzen Geschichten gegeben hat war super. Die ganzen stories aus unterschiedlichen Ländern waren richtig interessant weil ich die alle tatsächlich noch nicht kannte.
October 14, 2021
Beautiful 💜
From the stories to the illustrations, including the Foreword and Afterword.
From the stories to the illustrations, including the Foreword and Afterword.
November 1, 2021
Many of these stories were gruesome, and I remember reading similar stories decades ago when I was young. Then these stories were "cleaned up" to protect younger readers. Campbell has rewritten these stories to be more representative (a couple of same sex relationships), and updating female roles, as well as avoiding traditional offensive tropes about people who are disfigured or have disabilities.
The illustrations are wonderfully done. They add so much creepiness to the book. The book itself is beautiful with a lovely hard cover and ribbon bookmark. Congratulations to Jen Campbell. She is one of my favorite book vloggers.
I read this for the myths and legends prompt for Simon and Louise Savidge's Autumn 2021 book hibernation.
The illustrations are wonderfully done. They add so much creepiness to the book. The book itself is beautiful with a lovely hard cover and ribbon bookmark. Congratulations to Jen Campbell. She is one of my favorite book vloggers.
I read this for the myths and legends prompt for Simon and Louise Savidge's Autumn 2021 book hibernation.
November 1, 2023
Jen Campbell's collection of tales stands apart from the contemporary narratives that typically conclude with happy endings and punishments for villains. The author curated a selection of dark and unsettling folk stories from various cultures, reimagining them with a subtle modern twist that aligns with present-day sensibilities. However, Campbell did not try to soften these tales, but maintained their original gritty essence.
By adding elements such as queer romance and a deliberate avoidance of words like "beautiful" when talking about women, the tales have been modernized to be more inclusive and diverse. These subtle changes, while not altering the essence of the tales, offer a refreshing perspective to the narrative landscape and contribute to a more relevant storytelling experience.
All the tales in this collection have a pervasive, macabre essence, featuring tales that often incorporate elements of horror, such as children who eat their parents, people who cut off their body parts, witches, ghosts and many others. They might be too scary for very young children, though I think they could be suitable for a middle-grade audience. Some stories do not culminate in traditional happy endings, but others are actually heartwarming and delicate, despite the fantastical or grim elements. In fact, most of them have some kind of underlying warmth that aligns with the inherent charm found in classic fairy tales.
I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this collection of tales, with its delightful darkness and macabre charm. The accompanying illustrations added an extra layer of enjoyment, by creating a visually captivating journey.
By adding elements such as queer romance and a deliberate avoidance of words like "beautiful" when talking about women, the tales have been modernized to be more inclusive and diverse. These subtle changes, while not altering the essence of the tales, offer a refreshing perspective to the narrative landscape and contribute to a more relevant storytelling experience.
All the tales in this collection have a pervasive, macabre essence, featuring tales that often incorporate elements of horror, such as children who eat their parents, people who cut off their body parts, witches, ghosts and many others. They might be too scary for very young children, though I think they could be suitable for a middle-grade audience. Some stories do not culminate in traditional happy endings, but others are actually heartwarming and delicate, despite the fantastical or grim elements. In fact, most of them have some kind of underlying warmth that aligns with the inherent charm found in classic fairy tales.
I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this collection of tales, with its delightful darkness and macabre charm. The accompanying illustrations added an extra layer of enjoyment, by creating a visually captivating journey.
December 1, 2021
Thank you to the publisher, Thames & Hudson, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
As soon as I saw that this book existed, I wanted to pick it up. This is something I’ve seen recently more with short stories becoming more diverse and retellings changing aspects (Vampires Never Get Old comes to mind)! This one is aimed at a middle grade audience, which also made it interesting to read.
I loved a lot of aspects about this book. The illustrations were drop dead gorgeous and complemented the stories beautifully. The whole design and layout of the book was so beautiful, and I also love how this took the fairytales from all over the world.
As always with short story collections, there are ups and downs. I liked a lot of these stories, but most of them didn’t blow me away and I didn’t love them. My favourite was definitely The House That Was Filled With Ghosts and is the only one that really stood out for me as being really enjoyable. I don’t know if that was because it was the least gruesome story and therefore just suited me a little more, so if you feel like you’d enjoy more twisted and dark stories this one is definitely for you!
I read this one in one sitting and it was such a fun and interesting journey. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d definitely recommend it, just be aware it does live up to it’s name!
★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
As soon as I saw that this book existed, I wanted to pick it up. This is something I’ve seen recently more with short stories becoming more diverse and retellings changing aspects (Vampires Never Get Old comes to mind)! This one is aimed at a middle grade audience, which also made it interesting to read.
I loved a lot of aspects about this book. The illustrations were drop dead gorgeous and complemented the stories beautifully. The whole design and layout of the book was so beautiful, and I also love how this took the fairytales from all over the world.
As always with short story collections, there are ups and downs. I liked a lot of these stories, but most of them didn’t blow me away and I didn’t love them. My favourite was definitely The House That Was Filled With Ghosts and is the only one that really stood out for me as being really enjoyable. I don’t know if that was because it was the least gruesome story and therefore just suited me a little more, so if you feel like you’d enjoy more twisted and dark stories this one is definitely for you!
I read this one in one sitting and it was such a fun and interesting journey. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d definitely recommend it, just be aware it does live up to it’s name!
★★★★
3.5 out of 5 stars
-Beth
May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽
November 29, 2021
Hello reader.
I can see you hovering outside in the dark forest. Come inside, where it's warm. That's it. Just step over the threshold and close the door behind you. Now sit.
Do you remember (if you remember) fairy tales of your childhood, when there wasn't happy ending and villains got brutal punishments? We had these in Slovakia too. Then Disney happened and everything has been shiny and happy since.
Jen returned gruesome ending to some of those stories and Adam gave them beautiful face. There are stories with gender changes, more contemporary changes, and I love them all.
p.s. Egypt one was excellent.
p.s.2 don't read them while eating.
I can see you hovering outside in the dark forest. Come inside, where it's warm. That's it. Just step over the threshold and close the door behind you. Now sit.
Do you remember (if you remember) fairy tales of your childhood, when there wasn't happy ending and villains got brutal punishments? We had these in Slovakia too. Then Disney happened and everything has been shiny and happy since.
Jen returned gruesome ending to some of those stories and Adam gave them beautiful face. There are stories with gender changes, more contemporary changes, and I love them all.
p.s. Egypt one was excellent.
p.s.2 don't read them while eating.
March 15, 2023
I adore the following:
1. Fairy tales in general
2. Twisted, dark and gory fairy tales (the ones that are definitely not suited for children)
3. Retellings of classical fairytales
4. Jen Campbell
There is no real surprise then that this book that combined all of the aforementioned, was an absolute hit for me.
Cherry on top: Adam de Souza's incredible illustrations!
1. Fairy tales in general
2. Twisted, dark and gory fairy tales (the ones that are definitely not suited for children)
3. Retellings of classical fairytales
4. Jen Campbell
There is no real surprise then that this book that combined all of the aforementioned, was an absolute hit for me.
Cherry on top: Adam de Souza's incredible illustrations!
October 24, 2021
What a perfect read for spooky October! I was enjoying it enormously.
October 2, 2022
A great way to begin the spooky season!
December 23, 2024
So entertaining, I enjoyed these fairy tales. Some are disturbing. The Husband Who Cheated Death (Egypt) will definitely stay with me for a while 🫣
January 4, 2025
A great collection of fairytale retellings. I adore the combination of childlike illustrations of children's picture books and the sinister and twisted storytelling.
June 13, 2024
This may be a book I will reread during any thunderstorm or when the autumnal season returns. ✨️
October 14, 2021
Can I really only give this gorgeous book five stars!?!?
This book is incredible and both my husband and I adored it!
I read this out loud to him every evening over about a week or so. He is registered as partially sighted and has some difficulty reading physical books. He gets eye strain and really bad headaches if he tries to hard.
We both greatly enjoyed these gorgeously dark little fairy tales that come from all over the world but have been retold with lovely little twists.
The artwork is also beautiful to look at and the deliciously gothic feel of it fits perfectly with each and every story. Every single page had some sort of illustration included which really adds so much to the overall reading experience.
This book is a true work of art!
Beautifully written, visual and thought provoking too. Jen’s books can always be relied upon to be engaging, intelligent and her writing has the ability to make you want to read again the moment you’ve finished!
This book is incredible and both my husband and I adored it!
I read this out loud to him every evening over about a week or so. He is registered as partially sighted and has some difficulty reading physical books. He gets eye strain and really bad headaches if he tries to hard.
We both greatly enjoyed these gorgeously dark little fairy tales that come from all over the world but have been retold with lovely little twists.
The artwork is also beautiful to look at and the deliciously gothic feel of it fits perfectly with each and every story. Every single page had some sort of illustration included which really adds so much to the overall reading experience.
This book is a true work of art!
Beautifully written, visual and thought provoking too. Jen’s books can always be relied upon to be engaging, intelligent and her writing has the ability to make you want to read again the moment you’ve finished!
October 15, 2021
So delightfully creepy, I wish this existed when I was that weird kid growing up, always more interested in the macabre nature of original fairy tales.
But who says I can't enjoy it just as much as a weird adult.
But who says I can't enjoy it just as much as a weird adult.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 206 reviews