The Sisters Grimm
The critically acclaimed author of The House at the End of Hope Street combines love, mystery, and magic with her first foray into bewitching fantasy with a dark edge evocative of V.E. Schwab and Neil Gaiman.
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.
Title: The Sisters Grimm
Author: Menna van Praag
Genre: YA
Pages: 448
Publishing Date: March 31, 2020
Publishing House: Harper Voyager
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062932462
ISBN-13: 978-0062932464
My Review
If you are hesitant about picking up this book, read the synopsis first. It is very much on par with the overall story line and guaranteed to garner your attention if you enjoy a YA novel infused with bewitching roots into a fairy tale world. Though it isn't specifically categorized this way, I would almost describe it as a contemporary YA novel with fantasy lore.
"Every daughter is born of an element, infused with its own particular powers. Some are born on earth: fertile as soil, strong as stone, steady as the ancient oak. Others of fire: explosive as gunpowder, seductive as light, fierce as an unbound flame. Others of water: calm as a lake relentless as a wave, unfathomable as an ocean. The Sisters Grimm are daughters of air, born of dreams and prayer, imagination and faith, bright white wishing and black-edged desire."
This is the glimpse at four sisters, their lives in our world and the deeply rooted calling from a place named Everwhere.
Goldie works at a hotel. She loves writing and has done so since childhood. Her home life growing up has been troublesome with an abusive stepfather and now she is raising her brother alone in an apartment in the city. To make ends meet, she has resolved to thievery from hotel guests...just those little extras that would not be noticed right away by any traveler. There are times when she slips into dreams of a place where she has sisters and plays outside under majestic willow trees.
Her eye for a boy named Leo from the hotel branch might know a thing or two about her and despite his biggest efforts of not falling for her, finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Goldie turns eighteen, the day on which she has to either accept all that is dark into her heart or all that is light and fight for her life.
Bea likes to soar the heavens with Dr. Finch teaching her how to fly in his glider. More reserved in person but none the less important later in the story, he is not the kind of man that Bea is attracted to. Despite that, she takes what she wants, when she wants it also from Finch. She is the one sister, with the earliest tie ins to Everwhere we will learn of.
Liyana loves the water. It's the place she is at peace. At the community swimming pool, she spends hours just gliding through the water and diving for minutes at a time. Due to financial difficulties, her aunt, who raised her, has suggested a proposal: Mary into money, that would guarantee her the college she wants to attend and give them more security. The only problem is, Liyana already is in a relationship with another girl and not interested in the boy that her aunt picked for her. A wobbly tug and pull are created in her intent on doing well for her aunt and assuring her girlfriend of her love.
Scarlet runs a coffee shop in the same building she lives in with her grandmother. There is a lot of history to the place since it was her grandparent's business and the place where her grandma remembers dances and romance with her grandfather. Unfortunately, the glimmers into the past are fading due to Alzheimer's and Scarlet has to use all her resources to keep the coffee shop running. It does not help that the ceiling in the shop is crumbling and a big whiz financier wants to put a Starbucks next door.
All of the girls have innate connections to the place Everwhere and experience some form of dream or deja vu in their conscience being of having played with sisters in meadows other than their real life. While the novel explores in detail each of the girls' current circumstances, it also is interspersed with flashbacks and another person in their life guiding them in some fashion towards their 18th birthday, the day when all of them are faced with a big decision.
This is a very character-driven narrative with several views and angles, rising ever so slowly to the climactic culmination of events. There is an overreaching figure they all have something in common with that makes them "Grimm" and a certain expectation that seals their fate if persuaded.
Menna Van Praag's writing is lyrical and stellar in places. If you have read The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, it is what I would possibly compare it too in a sense, yet very different by content. The writing is what actually raised the roof for me in this novel. I loved the essence of Everwhere, but actually wanted more of it. It's really more of a personal preference most likely, as I don't read much of contemporary nature and the rest of the novel had a very contemporary feel.
The characterization of the sisters was very well done. With each POV in the story, the tone and tempo changed accordingly and made it easy to learn what makes all of them tick. I found Scarlett's story to be very relatable, yet they all have their forte, strengths, and weaknesses. The elements of good and evil in each of them is explored while different measures are given to individual personalities and tendencies.
A novel to savor over 400+ pages for its beautiful writing and unique, subtle world-building with a pay-off of rather quick nature. You will know those sisters, feel for them and miss them by the time you turn that last page.
Enjoy
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
All opinions are my own, Thank you!
