Beautiful photo by @_athenas.archive_
Hello fairy friends!
Happy Monday and welcome to day 1 of our readalong of The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie. I’m so excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you all love it!
Before we get into the book, how are we all doing today? I hope you all had a wonderful weekend full of great books and relaxing vibes!
Since today is day 1, we’ll be reading from the beginning to the end of Chapter 7. It’s time to get comfy and cosy with our book and get started!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie from the beginning to Chapter 7. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
!SPOILERS!
Wow, what an opening line in the prologue. I was instantly hooked. Anyone else?
We start with finding out that our main character Clara has been told of her ill-timed death many times by her future seeing Grandmere. And the Forest Grimm is a gift from the forest; a bound-up book that holds the power to grant wishes and make dreams come true.
As we begin chapter one we find out that Clara’s mother – who shared her same fate – disappeared after embarking on a journey into the forest, whose magic has since turned on the village. Sixty-six other people also went missing after going into the forest and are referred to as the ‘the lost ones’. I don’t think I’d want to venture into this forest then…
Two years before Clara turned sixteen, the Forest Grimm cursed the village and the book went missing after someone used their one wish to commit a murder through the magic of the book. But the plot thickens… the identity of the murderer remains unknown. Ooooo I love a mystery and have a feeling this will play a big part later on in the story!
So I already like the sort of banter between Clara and Axel, as if they are constantly teasing each other. There also seems to be a competitiveness between them which I think is fun.
Who is this ‘Bren Zimmer’ who was murdered by someone using their wish? Why him? I am so eager to find out! I also have a feeling that it will all tie back to Clara somehow… Is it simply a coincidence that her father disappeared not long after? Was he involved somehow? Soooo many questions!
Clara adds her name to the lottery draw multiple times to increase her chances of being chosen to enter the forest. Axel catches her doing it but does not tell anyone. Despite her efforts, she isn’t successful and Axel’s name is chosen from the pieces of paper. Even though Clara is devastated she gives Axel a map she has made of the forest from all the information she has gathered from other villagers, hoping it will help him not only find his lost fiance Ella, but also her mother.
Axel enters the forest and makes it further than both he and Clara did last time. My nerves can’t take it!
Suddenly the twin trees awaken and strike at Axel, narrowly missing him. Then they wrap around his waist and hoist him from the ground. Without thinking Clara bolts across the threshold and into the forest, breaking all rules. She begs the twin trees to stop and they drop him next to her.
They manage to escape the forest and tumble back across the line just in time. The forest goes back to sleep and their hope seems futile. Why won’t the forest let anyone pass through? Why is it so reluctant to let anyone try to break the curse whilst also taking ‘lost ones’?
Cara and her friend Henni look for some red flowers to make paint with when Cara discovers some red star flowers she knows she has seen before; not realising she has stepped over the line of ashes and into the forest. However, the forest does not attack her and she tests this theory, realising that these star flowers somehow protect her from the forest.
She and her friend then race back to her cottage where she finds the red cloak that her mother made just before she became lost, that her Grandmother hid from her many years ago. Cara realises it was made using the same red star flowers and believes her mother made it for her to be able to find her in the forest.
We also learn that Grandmere has somewhat of a mysterious past as she was the sole survivor of her family who were brutally killed in their native country. Why where they all killed and why did her Grandmere end up living by a magical wood? Is this a coincidence? I wonder…
Cara tricks her grandmother into reading her fortune again and this time two new cards are drawn; the Red Card and the Pierced Swans Card. The latter card foretells true or star-crossed love – could this potentially have to do with Axel? I secretly hope so… sorry Ella!
Now that the Red Card has been drawn Cara believes she can change her fate and save her mother. That night whilst wearing the red cloak she decides to embark on the journey to save her mother. She interprets the Paired Swans card to be about Axel and Ella and that they must be connected to changing her fate. Axel decides to join her and she gives him a scarf made out of her cloak so he will be able to enter the forest unharmed too.
In the middle of the night, the two enter the Forest Grimm using Cara’s map to try and locate a nearby treehouse to start their search for the lost book of Sortes Fortunae. They find the rotted treehouse and decide to make camp for the night – Axel walks away to a different spot for the night.
Cara struggles to sleep, regretting letting Axel sleep elsewhere now that she is alone when suddenly sunlight shines in her eyes. She wakes abruptly only to realise that she is no longer near the treehouse and is somewhere completely different with no idea how she got there. Alone. Lost…
Well, that was quite the start wasn’t it?! I am desperate to know what happens next and can’t wait for tomorrows reading! I am loving the eerie forest setting.
What are your thoughts so far?
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
See you tomorrow for another day of reading!
Love,
Jodie
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First of all, I’ve been listening to the Mary Shelly score as recommended by the author and it gives it such a great atmosphere to he read.
Thoughts so far:
I love the vibes! I don’t know if the cloak was intended for Clara. Didn’t she mention her mother had made it to take into the forest but then left it? Maybe she got called into the forest like Ella was and that’s why the cloak was left behind.
Something I needed more of is a relationship with the mother. Clara is willing to sacrifice her life for her mom but all the relationship I have been shows is summarised in an acorn!
Axel of course has a thing for Ella, probably even before his engagement.
And this readalong schedule has left me on a terrible cliffhanger!
Can’t wait to get off work and read the next section!
Happy reading everyone!
That sounds like such a fun way to set the atmosphere! Oooo yes that’s a good point! Hopefully we learn a lot more about their relationship! So happy to hear you can’t wait to read more! Happy Reading! 💜
What are your thoughts so far?
Love it! I didn’t want to stop reading! I’m reading 4 books at the moment (readalongs always seem to be at the end of the month!) so I was worried I’d struggle to keep picking this one up but I’m not going to have that problem!
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
No, I think she made it for herself to go and find Clara’s father. From what I can tell people who get lost are in a kind of trance, maybe she had planned to take it with her but then forgot.
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
Either the family is cursed or they have terrible luck!
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
Definitely! I get the impression that his relationship with Ella (loving all the references so far to fairy tales!) started off as an infatuation – he’s the boy in town that every girl wants to be with and she’s very beautiful. She kissed him first so maybe he felt like he owed it to her and wanted to maintain his reputation as “out of reach” (I think he’s more aware of what the other girls think of him than he lets on!). There’s also the fact that he has no family and her family treat him as their own – it’s not a reason to spend the rest of his life with Ella but I can see how that complicates things! I think he does love Ella and wants her home safe but perhaps her absence has made him realise he doesn’t want to be with her as much as he originally thought, and has had feelings for his friend Clara for a while now.
Yay! So happy to hear that you’re loving it so far! 💜
I wonder one thing, how did Cara’s mom knew the red cloak would allow her to enter the forest? No one else in the village can enter after the lost ones, so obviously they don’t know. Clara assumes her mom made it for her to go after her mom, but how did mom know the colour would protect her? I hope to find out soon i guess. So far really enjoying it, i love Grimm fairytales and retellings, especially those bit more on a darker side :).
Really enjoying this one so far which is a relief as I’ve sadly not liked the last two readalong books.
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak? – No I don’t think Clara’s mother left it for Clara. Even though Clara found it in her mother’s bed maybe the mother didn’t put it there maybe Grandma did for some reason?
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
– I’m definitely intrigued but no theories as yet
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara? – I do I think they’ll grow together as part of their journey but they will find Ella and he will have a choice to make.
Looking forward to tomorrows section ☺️
What are your thoughts so far?
So far it’s pretty interesting, I was worried about not liking it because of some of the reviews but it’s actually pretty good so far.
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
No, I think if she intended for Clara to have it she wouldn’t have sewed it into her mattress.
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
I don’t have too many feelings about this right now, I feel like it’s just mysterious because she doesn’t want to relive what happened to her. As far as Clara’s parents, everyone seems to have lost someone at some point before the curse.
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
I think he might, my thoughts are that he knew that Clara wasn’t interested in any kind of relationship so he settled on Ella. I think the swan card has to do with him and Clara not him and Ella.
I’m loving this one so much– the forest vibes are absolutely everything for me right now!
I actually don’t think Clara’s mother left her the cloak…it being sewn into the mattress indicates to me that it was meant to be hidden but perhaps sloppily. I can’t imagine that after her speech about the acorn and the oak that she would be excited to have her daughter risk everything to come rescue her.
I’m not sure about Axel’s feelings, but the description of Ella as the Grimm bride as she wandered into the forest and the streaks of black on the dress make me wonder if there wasn’t some kind of disagreement or tension right before the wedding that caused an issue and Axel has felt guilty ever since. That’s my working theory at least! But given that it’s a YA fantasy, it’s definitely a good guess haha.
I think that the ill fates of their parents before definitely speaks to the darker nature of the fairy tales being referenced here, which I love.
I might just creep on to chapter eight now 👀
1) I love this premise, with the fairytales all blended together!
2) Sort of…I don’t think she intended to become Lost. I wonder why she didn’t take it with her herself. But at this point, I think she would definitely tell Clara to take it.
3) Her parents’ fates just sound unfortunate to me, but I’d love to read her grandmother’s story.
4) Oh yeah. At first I thought maybe something had grown in Ella’s absence but after how he described Ella I’m wondering if it was there all along and he just lacked the opportunity before Ella got involved.
This was a really intriguing beginning! Lots of hints or possibilities of things to come. It seems like a murder mystery might come into play as well. The lottery draw gave me Hunger Games flashbacks haha.
It seems like her mother wanted her to have the cloak but I’m not sure on the intended timing.
Yes I think Axel already has feelings for her and they are headed firmly for friends to lovers 🙂.
I’m so hooked already! I don’t really have a clue where this is going to go at this point but I am thinking love triangle? Maybe they will both end up falling for each other and Ella will end up being a first love/heartbreak.
I’m not sure whether it was Claras mum that left the cloak for her or if there’s maybe some backstory involving the grandmother and the cloak… is it something to do with the murderer maybe? I’m getting bad vibes about the grandma, something about card reading gives me the creeps.
Can’t wait for the next section.
I am absolutely in love with this book so far. This is my first Fairy Loot book with my subscription and I’m already so hooked! I loved the Into The Woods vibes this gives and I’m so excited to see where it goes.
So far, I’m most interested in finding out more about Clara’s mother. I feel like she did not mean to give her the cloak. I think it was for herself to go into the forest, especially because her Grandmere so desperately didn’t want Clara to have it either, which to me felt like she didn’t want Clara to also go into the forest.
I definitely get the feeling that Axel and Ella aren’t as in love as Clara thinks. From the way Axel mentioned that Ella kissed him, I get the sense that he doesn’t feel as strongly any more but maybe feels attached cause of her family?
I’m really excited for more!
So happy you’re loving it! 🥰 And yes me too, there seems to be so much mystery surrounding her mother! 👀
What are your thoughts so far?
So, I think the prologue was written as a bit of an afterthought because honestly I read it and was like “Oh boy, this writing quality is not good” but then from actual chapter one onwards its been way, way better? So that’s strange, but I’m glad I’ve gotten into the story now.
Also I love the naked cover of the fairyloot edition being the book of fates. Its my favourite thing when you guys do that!
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
I think probably? Unless she didn’t leave for the forest of her own accord and that’s why it’s left behind.
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
I’m not sure. This question is the only reason occurred to me they might be linked but I guess it could be. It’d be interesting to know what made her grandma come somewhere this remote.
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
Yes, and i think it’ll be a romance and I’m actually pretty annoyed about it. After Clara saying “it’s ridiculous everyone thinks I can’t just like him as a friend” and the whole super aromantic-coded bit about her not being interested in boys or romance, it’s gonna hit soooooo hypocritical if Axel is her love interest. I’m literally never going to get my expectations up about representation, so I’m not getting my hopes up for a second here, but it still bugs me. Sure changing her mind is fine and normal but making such a big statement about it and then contradicting yourself later is different from that to me.
Well, maybe I’m wrong. I’m way more down for her to meet some random forest dwelling hottie but based on the swoony included art I’m pretty sceptical lol
What are your thoughts so far?
I am really enjoying the book. I like the characters and it is different (in a good way) than I thought it would be.
Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
I’m not sure. Maybe it was meant for herself? It could have been left behind for Clara but why would her mom not say anything?
What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
I think it must be connected.
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
I do. I think they both like each other but don’t want to admit it.
What a fun start to a book! I am really excited to see where it goes, and I have lots of theories about all the Lost people, who I mostly feel are trapped in stories. Also, I feel like this town should try switching up their tactics, obviously, the whole throw the young people at the forest thing isn’t working.
I think that cloak was definitely just an accident, that Clara has decided belongs to her, with very little evidence to support the theory. Unless her mother knew about the curse before it hit?
I feel like Grandmere is from our world, from France and she fell into the story somehow, maybe she wished on the book for it. Also I think that the card reading that Clara keeps getting is just her mothers not hers, and it is so strong on her mother that it has started to bleed down.
Axel is in love with Clara no doubt.
Well, I’m a bit late to this readalong but it’s never too late, right?
Anyway, so far this book is intriguing. Not enough has happened for me to say whether I like it yet or not but the story is definitely captivating.
Even though Clara is sure that her mother intended her to have the cloak I am not so sure of this. There haven’t been any indications that it was made for her, I think that her mother used it herself before she became Lost and Clara was just lucky when she found it.
About Grandmere’s mysterious past and both of Clara’s parents having met ill fates… It is interesting, is their family cursed? Did Grandmere somehow cause the death of her entire family or was the reason for it? Can’t wait to learn more about them all. The accident with Clara’s father may have been just that, an accident but with everything else going on it seems unlikely.
I’m more than sure that Axel has feelings for Clara. But it makes me wonder why he was engaged with Ella because it seems that he’s liked Clara for some time already (before Ella went into the forest). Interesting indeed.
1. What are your thoughts so far?
I’m liking it! The prologue didn’t really grab me as much as it could’ve, but after three chapters I was invested!
2. Do you think Cara’s mother intended for her to have that cloak?
I don’t think so. I think she wanted to make one for herself, but after the father had disappeared, she didn’t want to wait any longer and forgot to bring the cloak with her.
3. What do we think about Grandmere’s mysterious past as well as the fact both of Cara’s parents met ill fates?
It seems a bit suspicious. Also how she hid the cloak, as if she knew that it could protect the wearer from the forest. If she knew, why did she never tell so those who are Lost could possibly be found?
4. Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?
I’d rather think the other way around, that Clara likes him. He is painted as very loyal to Ella, his fiance, so I don’t think I would support him and Clara together as it might come across as cheating, which I’m not a fan of.
I know I’m late to the party, but oh my this book is so good so far! I’m hooked already!
Okay, so first off, my theory is that the swans card is actually for her and Axel, not Ella. Secondly, I absolutely believe they will develop feelings for one another (gonna be awkward for Ella if they find her)
Secondly, I’m also thinking there is more to Granmeres past that will play a huge part in this story. I’m not sure how yet, but it seems too big not to be apart of the mystery.
Although I’m not sure about her dad, I think her mom will have a big role to play soon too. Perhaps there is more to her dads story too!
I’m excited to continue.
I’m liking it so far!! I’m really intrigued on the different fairytales. The forest vibes are absolutely perfect for ending fall! I think that cloak was definitely just an accident. I have a feeling that it was meant to be hidden but Cara discovered it. I don’t have too many feelings about this right now, I feel like it’s just mysterious because she doesn’t want to relive what happened to her. Another thought that I had is that maybe Cara’s family is cursed in way and that’s why her father had a terrible accident and her mom was lost in the forest. I’m super sure that Axel has feelings for Clara. But it makes me wonder why he was engaged with Ella
Do we think Axel might already be harbouring some kind of feelings for Clara?