The Inside Story

The Sisters Grimm: Book Eight: The Inside Story moves the story beyond the Everafter War as we left off with the Master having fled into the Book of Everafter. The Sisters Grimm realize they do not have time to wait for Granny Relda and the rest of the family and dive in after him.

The premise of this story was an interesting one. I was looking forward to seeing the kids chase the Master through the pages of children's literature to rescue their baby brother. Unfortunately, this story was not as well executed as previous efforts. Buckley's strength has been his ability to blend multiple characters from children's literature with humor and an integrated plot to hold the reader's interest. In this latest novel, it almost seemed as if Buckley was trying to cram as many character and story references into the story with little interest in plot or humor that was a strength of his previous novels.

The main source of humor in this book is Puck constantly teasing Sabrina about their future marriage after Sabrina finally tells him about her trip to the future. While this is cute, it is not nearly as amusing as the stories provided in previous novels.

The last two books in this series have turned darker. The resolution to the Master's plan leaves the girls with gaining one relative while losing another. The next novel is rumored to be released in May of 2012. I hope Buckley finds a way to advance his plot and return to the humor of his previous stories.

The Everafter War

The Sisters Grimm: Book Seven: The Everafter War takes a slightly different direction than the previous novels. Charming is determined to defeat the Red Hand's army and as the title states the book focuses on the war of the Everafters.

The previous novel ends with a cliffhanger. This novel picks up with the cliffhanger teasing readers with a revelation about the identity of the master only to hold off revealing the information until the very end.

While this book advances the plot of the series, the seriousness of the plot removes much of the humor found in the previous novels. The Everafters face losing one of their beloved characters close to the Grimms.

All is not easy for Sabrina and her parents. Her dream since the series began is to have her parents back. While her parents are back, they are not the parents she remembers and the children are not the children her parents left in New York. The conflicts only create more frustration for Sabrina with life in Ferryport landing.

I will admit to being surprised when the Master's identity was revealed. I had a different suspect in mind. It did create an interesting set up for The Sisters Grimm: Book Eight: The Inside Story. I am impressed that Buckley has managed to maintain the quality of the series over length of this series.

Tales from the Hood

The Sisters Grimm: Book Six: Tales from the Hood made me laugh right from the start. Mr. Canis is on trial for his crimes and Granny must find a lawyer to defend him. Michael Buckley brings in another character from classic literature by introducing the Sherwood Group. Yes, Robin Hood has become a civil attorney dedicated to attacking corporations. After some urging, he agrees to take on the Sherriff of Nottingham and takes the case.

As the book continues, we learn more of the background of Mr. Canis, the wolf and a woodcutter. We also learn that there is a connection between Red Riding Hood and Mr. Canis that the fairy tale does not hint as the future of Mr. Canis hangs in the balance. We learn more about what Charming has been up to while undercover at the Red Hand.

The story has a cliffhanger as the identity of the master is about to be announced as the story concludes.

I already have requests from adults and children to put this series on my Christmas purchase list.

Magic and Other Misdemeanors

Magic and Other Misdemeanors is the fifth book in Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series. This book is the first book I have read in a while that has made me want to run down to the library before my traditional Saturday outing to get the next book.

Buckley introduces a traditional science fiction and fantasy element the fifth book using time travel to create some interesting challenges for our characters. At the end of the previous novel, we learned that Prince Charming was missing. In this book, the children discover where Charming has been since the end of the previous book. They also discover the dark future that awaits Ferryport Landing if they do not solve the mystery that currently eludes them. Charming's experience in the future leads him to make some decisions about what needs to be done when he returns. He convinces the children not to tell anyone about where they have been or what they have learned. Sabrina is a bit unsure about her marital choice and Charming's willingness to expose it keeps her silent. Their inability to find a solution to Mr. Canis' future also keeps them quiet. They cannot face telling their friend about the horrors he faces.

Eventually the future meets the present and the girls realize that while they have changed the future, the future has not necessarily improved. As the Queen of Hearts and the Sheriff of Nottingham persecute the residents of Ferryport, the Grimms are the lone human holdouts left at the end of the novel. While Granny struggles to return an ancestor to the past to avoid being erased from the present, more evidence about the spread of the Scarlett Hand among the Ever After population is revealed. The cliffhanger regarding Charming left me wanting to make a trip to the library Wednesday. However, patience is a virtue. I will wait until Saturday to pick up the next two books and Monday to begin listening to them.

There are only eight books in print with the final book nine due out in the spring of 2012. Buckley is publishing The Sisters Grimm: A Very Grimm Guide a series summary in January of 2012. I am not as interested in the guide, but I will be waiting for that final book to come out to read the conclusion to the Grimm sisters' adventures.
This series is one I plan to introduce to younger family members this Christmas.

Once Upon A Crime

Once Upon a Crime is the fourth installment in the Sisters Grimm series. Buckley has not lost his talent in combining fairy tale and classic literature characters into an amusing mystery tale. My long held suspicions about the character of Oz have been fulfilled in Buckley's imaginative tale. The story moves outside of Ferryport Landing and arrives in New York City to bring Puck back to his family to get help in healing him. Along the journey, they encounter Sinbad the Sailor and a very interesting take on Scrooge and Tiny Tim. Not quite the character you remember from the Christmas Carol.

Thanks to the library reservation service I already have Magic and Other Misdemeanors ready to begin. This is a great series for teachers or parents who want to provide children with examples of using characters in different settings.

The Problem Child

The Problem Child is the third book in the Sister's Grimm Series. The story continues with the girls believing that they have lost their Grandmother's dear friend Mr. Canis. The children are introduced to a new family member who has intimate knowledge of the challenges they face and helps Sabrina understand her own personal issues.

Puck's entertaining character disappears early in this book and he and Sabrina's relationship will need to await the future books for progress.

Prince Charming is facing a tough political campaign from the Queen of Hearts. His reign as mayor is at risk because of his reluctant support of the Grimms. The outcome of the race will have an impact on the future of Ferryport Landing.

The Grimms learn more about Red Riding Hood's twisted involvement in the Red Hand and there is more to the story than they believed.

Buckley introduces the sisters to more interesting characters during their adventures. Daphne learns the Little Mermaid is nothing like the movie. The Jabberwocky terrorizes the children as they struggle to find a weapon that can defeat it. Sabrina realizes the danger of crossing Baba Yaga.

While some series lose their appeal and strength as the series continues, Buckley has to balance mystery and humor in his Sisters Grimm novels. I have the Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, Book 4) on reserve at the library. I am looking forward to continuing to review this series.

The Unusual Suspects

The Unusual Suspects is the second book in the Sister Grimm series.

Things are starting to heat up in Ferryport Landing. Sabrina and Daphne are forced to return to school despite the kidnapping of their parents and they are removed from their grandmother's care by a mysterious social worker. While settling into school the detectives are called to action when one of the teachers is killed.

The author set up a cast of characters that are expected to be a part of the Red Hand's plot. However as the plot unfolds there are more twists than expected. The detectives are not the only ones who will want to review their children's fairytales and literature to keep up with the plot twists.

We have mixtures of Wonderland, Hans Christian Anderson, along with the Grimm’s characters we have come to expect from Ferryport landing. Buckley ends the story with a cliffhanger leaving readers wanting to grab the next novel to discover the fate of the detectives, their friends, and family. I have The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, Book 3) on reserve at the library so I will have to wait until it comes in to discover their fate.

The Fairy Tale Detectives

The Fairy Tale Detectives is the first book in Michael Buckley's Sisters Grimm series. My library regional system had the first book available to borrow and review.

Daphne and Sabrina Grimm are no strangers to the foster care system. They have run away from more than one. They are very suspicious when a person claiming to be their grandmother comes forward to claim them and brings them to Ferryport Landing. Grandma Relda Grimm tells the children that they have an interesting family responsibility. They are the descendents of the Grimm brothers and there was more to their life than collecting and recording stories. Grandma Relda informs them that fairy tales are real.

Just as the girls are wrapping themselves around this idea Grandma is kidnapped by a giant and the girls must figure out how to rescue Grandma. They discover that all is not happy in the fairy tale world of Ferryport.

Without Grandma's advice, they must figure out who is responsible for bringing a giant to town. All is not as it seems and they discover there is a villain manipulating the situation in Ferryport.

As the children learn more about the problems in Ferryport Landing, they also find out more about their missing parents.
I love adapted fairy tale stories. This series is promising to be a fun and engaging one. My husband was laughing as he caught a portion of one of the audio CD’s I was listening to during my exercise session. It has great potential for a read aloud. The series has appeal for adults and children.

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