The Grimm Conclusion

Those who have been following Adam Gidwitz’s take on the Grimms’ tales will know what to expect – mayhem, madness and a great deal of blood. Nor will they be disappointed by the conclusion to the trilogy. New readers may want to start at the beginning, but it is not necessary. Though all three are linked, each can stand alone. The secret is that each takes a different tale for its starting point; in this case it is the tale of Jorinda and Joringel – not one that will be very familiar to young readers brought up on Disney. However, it provides the author very neatly with two main protagonists and allows him to follow different paths to his conclusion, introducing a whole range of stories. The storytelling is brisk, the characters unreal but, like their originals, providing templates for the child to inhabit. Set in a world where anything can happen, Gidwitz invites his audience to believe in the extraordinary as a way to make sense of the ordinary. As with the two previous volumes, it is the author’s own voice that makes the narrative work, as he interpolates remarks, addressing his readers directly, demanding their attention, challenging their imaginations. This will delight the young – and horrify their parents. Excellent.