The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Oxford University Press (paperback), 2012
342 pages
This is a library book borrowed from The Mitchell Library (http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries/the-mitchell-library/pages/home.aspx).
BLURB FROM THE COVER
Elizabeth’s new after-school job is very unusual. The building where she works might not look very interesting but behind this ordinary Manhattan façade lurks a very special place indeed. Because here you can borrow anything your heart desires…
And in the basement is something so special, so secret, that Elizabeth can’t believe her eyes – The Grimm Collection.
Powerful and mysterious items that must be kept safe and can’t be lent out to just anyone. So when these objects start disappearing Elizabeth must investigate. But who can she trust? One way or another she has to find out who is stealing from the Grimm Collection… and for what dark purpose.
EXTRACT
SNOW FELL HARD–big, sticky flakes that got under my coat collar where the top button was missing. The weather had held up my subway, and I was hoping I wouldn’t be late for class.
REVIEW
I really enjoyed The Grimm Legacy. Shulman offers something fun and very original. The Grimm Legacy held my interest from the first to closing page. There is a lot of drama and adventure in The Grimm Legacy and Shulman does a good job of pacing everything really well. However, The Grimm Legacy never quite lives up to its premise. I absolutely loved the idea behind The Grimm Legacy and this is the reason I wanted to read the novel. Shulman never quite reaches the potential of the novel. I did enjoy The Grimm Legacy but Shulman could have written something quite a bit better. As I read the novel I couldn’t help feeling Shulman held her imagination in check a little as if afraid to make The Grimm Legacy as good as it could be. I thought all of the characters except Elizabeth were quite badly written. I found the other characters quite irritating and one dimensional at times especially Marc. I know The Grimm Legacy is a YA novel but that doesn’t mean the characters need to be so flat. Overall, The Grimm Legacy was quite a mixed bag. The novel is enjoyable but could have been so much more.
RATING