by Michael Buckley
ages: 9+
First sentence: “Sabrina Grimm’s life was a collection of odd events.”

It’s been a year since I’ve visited Ferryport Landing and the Grimms, and if I were brutally honest (which — shock — I can be sometimes), I would have to say that I didn’t really think about the series. It didn’t really matter to me that the next one was coming out, and I didn’t rush to the library to get the next copy for my girls.

Yet, a copy came our way, both M and C devoured it, and I found myself wondering: what happens next? What’s the next twist and turn that Buckley can throw at us? So, I caved and read it (if only so I could get the book back to our friends who lent it to us).

And… it’s much of the same as the other ones. Fun — I like Buckley’s interpretations of the fairy tales — with multiple twists and turns, and… well, vaguely annoying. I spent less time with the book this time around because I read it to myself rather than reading it out loud, and so I wasn’t as annoyed. Still, I think Buckley’s dialogue is awkward, and he spends too much time spinning his wheels instead of moving forward with the plot. That, and the whole “to be continued” still grates on me.

That said, M and C still really like this series, and the big reveal of the identity of the Master is, well, shocking. And yeah, I’ll probably read the next one when it comes out, even as I ask myself: when will this series end?