This is no fairytale... Grimm House by Karen McQuestion

Hi there!

Welcome back to the site that aims to bring you something bookishly delightful every day of the week...Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're embarking on a journey that will take us to the very edge of reality and belief.  It's a story that has us walking the line between what is and what might only be perceived with some VERY interesting characters along the way.  Come with me, if you dare, as we endeavor to explore a Children's Fiction selection that will leave you a bit unsettled, but in the best way possible.  Today's book of choice is...

Grimm House

by

Karen McQuestion

9780986416477

Night Sky Press

About the book...

"What is this place?" Hadley asked, looking around the dark paneled entryway.

"This is our home," Aunt Charmaine said. "Welcome to Grimm House."

When Hadley's parents leave on a cruise and then are reported lost at sea, her perfect world is turned upside down. In a flash she is whisked away to a new life of drudgery at Grimm House where she waits on not one but two persnickety old aunts. As she grudgingly fulfills their commands of cooking, cleaning, and even after-dinner-dancing, she comes to suspect the aunts are really witches who are scheming to take the thing she loves best.

With only her wits and the help of some unlikely new friends, Hadley makes a plan to escape Grimm House and find her way home before it's too late.

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A highly engaging, and creative story that reminds us just why we were taught to never talk to strangers.

When we first meet Hadley, she's in the care of a teenager that is severely lost in her own story instead of that of her charge.  She's swapping a week of her summer for a week of pay, not bad considering Hadley is a gem of a girl...but oh what a terrible plight she brings upon this young one when Hadley's "aunt" comes a calling.  Notice the quotation marks?  Yeah, I thought you might.  Color me skeptical but if she's related to Hadley, I must be the tooth fairy and since I have no wings, fairy outfit, nor desire to snatch discarded teeth in exchange for money from sleeping children, I'm pretty sure she's not who she says she is.  Despite all that points to the contrary, she packs her bags and sends the child on her way....to a nightmare that she'll have to find her way out of before it's too late.  Let's just say that there's some creepy chanting among the "aunts" about "her passion will be ours".  Ominous phrasing for certain, which means the outlook for Hadley isn't sunshine and roses if you catch my drift.

Aside from the obvious, the story itself is even MORE interesting than it at first seems.  I mean sure, we've a girl spirited away by supposed aunts, forced into servitude of a sort, that makes friends with cockroaches while seeking a way to escape a house that doesn't seem to really exist....but there's always room for more.  What more, you ask?  Well, how about what REALLY happens at the house, why the "aunts" have had children there before, and what happened to them all, for starters.  Yes, my friends, there is a backstory that is slowly revealed as well as a potential way out for our little heroine in training...but that doesn't mean all will end in happily-ever-after.  No, I'm sorry...I can't spoil it for you, but trust me when I say that there are a few surprises in store for all parties involved, from the living to the not-so-living, the girl size to those with glowing green eyes.

In the end, I suppose the best way to put it is that is was quite the curious read. It certainly does nothing in favor of debunking the creepiness of basements, nor of unknown relations that appear out of nowhere, but that's all for the betterment of the story within.  The magic employed, combined with the lessons of learning to trust in oneself, and never underestimate the little guy, echo loud and clear. Hadley does a wonderful job of illustrating these points while getting the one up (or should I say one million up considering her helpers.... ~shudders~) on two "aunts" that just didn't know when to quit or whom they were getting involved with. 

Recommended read for Children's Fiction fans of all ages though a slight warning regarding the shadowy nature of the story.  For those that easily frighten, it could prove a bit of a trial...but with a reading buddy or a strong nightlight, they'll be just fine.

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About the author...

Karen McQuestion is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the national NPR show, The Story with Dick Gordon. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her family in Hartland, Wisconsin.

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Special thanks to author Karen McQuestion for the SIGNED copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the author, and perhaps those works on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above.  This title is available now via Night Sky Press, so be on the lookout for it at an online retailer of your choosing.

Until next time...happy reading!