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— SYNOPSIS —
Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .
As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.
To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.
So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.
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— MY REVIEW —
The Sisters Grimm centers around four girls: Goldie, Bea, Liyana and Scarlet. They all have the ability to travel to Everwhere, and each have distinct powers that coincides with elements— e.g. earth, air, fire and water. But over time they forget ever having possession of these gifts and by the time they’re all thirteen, not only have they lost their abilities, they can no longer remember how to travel to the magical world either.
Whilst all the girls are now seemingly living mundane lives, there are boys who have been trained as soldiers all their lives. And they’re coming out of the woodwork with the aim of hunting down and killing these girls by their 18th birthdays.. unless the girls accept evil fates.
Each girl in this book has their own quirks, traits and attitudes. But right off the bat, Goldie was the character I was instantly drawn to since the first page she was introduced in. And the further her story developed the more I realised the reason why I was drawn to her was because we are similar in a lot ways— (in personality, mannerisms, and at times the life situations).
These girls all have haunting stories. Some I found disturbing to a point. They were put in situations that they were forced into, or didn’t have the means to get out of it themselves. It’s saddening, and there were moments whilst I was reading their stories unravel that I was surprisingly taken aback by what I was actually reading.
There are multiple POVs in this book. Whilst I usually love that type of format— I have to admit there was just too many in this one that I found it a little overwhelming at times. I initially had to jot down each characters name and a short description of them on a post-it just so I could keep track of whose POV I was reading at the time.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit it took a little while for me to sink into this fantasy. Whilst the world-building is exceptionally imaginative, detailed, and unique— I couldn’t get a grasp of it like I wanted to from the get-go because the beginning read as if it was already in the middle of the story. If that make sense. I was like Alice down the rabbit hole. The story also goes back and forth from past to present.
It’s almost as if I’m expected to have already known about Everwhere, and the key these young ladies play in it. It isn’t until you start getting further and further along into each of their lives does it start revealing what that world entails. There’s no doubt about it.. it’s complex.
One of the things I enjoyed and looked forward to throughout the book was Leo’s (one of the soldiers) POV because it was a refreshing break from the girls, and in my opinion a much needed contrast.
You just have to get past the initial hiccup at the beginning because the second half really gets action-packed once all is revealed and the girls come together. *Avengers Assemble!* 😛 But seriously.. It becomes fast-paced, effortless— and truly a fascinating read.
This story really highlights girl power, one’s fighting spirit, and sisterhood, wrapped up in a somewhat dark YA fantasy storyline.
RATING: ♥♥♥.5/ 5
Thank you to Menna van Praag, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press, and Papercharm Book Marketing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! 🙂
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If you like reading all things inspired by fairy tales and retellings, give this one a crack!
The Sisters Grimm releasing February 6, 2020
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Hope this was another helpful and interesting review for you. As always, catch you in my next one. Happy reading, guys! Xo
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