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Grim

by Anna Waggener (Goodreads Author)

3.18 of 5 stars 3.18 · rating details · 66 ratings · 26 reviews

A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.

When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn’t want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she’s not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published June 1st 2012 by Scholastic Press

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

333rd out of 799 books — 4,582 voters

The Broken Destiny by Carlyle Labuschagne

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198th out of 424 books — 1,238 voters

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Jun 21, 2012 Natalia Belikov rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, received-won, young-adult

Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

When I received this novel for review, I was highly intrigued by the premise and the dark feelings this one gave me. However, and even though it was very hard for me to get into the story, Grim by Anna Waggener is a complex and rich story with a beautiful prose that kept me reading until I turned the last page.

Erica is the mother of three children who, after dying in a tragic car accident, finds herself in the afterlife. Here is where she meets Jeremiah,...more Read more of my reviews at Dazzling Reads

When I received this novel for review, I was highly intrigued by the premise and the dark feelings this one gave me. However, and even though it was very hard for me to get into the story, Grim by Anna Waggener is a complex and rich story with a beautiful prose that kept me reading until I turned the last page.

Erica is the mother of three children who, after dying in a tragic car accident, finds herself in the afterlife. Here is where she meets Jeremiah, the son of the King who decides to lead her through this unknown land. The story is told from two different perspective. One is Erica's and the other one is the children's she left behind (two of them are teens).

It took me a while to get into the story since it keeps switching from Erica's perspective to the Children's and there also these black pages where another and completely different story is narrated. For me, it was very hard to follow the pace of the story, but as I said before, it was the writing and exquisite world that kept me enthralled. So yes, it was a hard book to get into it but I am very glad I didn't give up because once I finished the book, I felt highly rewarded with the entire experience this story gave me as a reader.

I really admire Anna Waggener's creativity. The story feels very different and fresh due to the unique and very special world that Waggener created. However, there are certain things I enjoyed more than others. I was really intrigued about Erica's perspective and I really wanted to know more about Jeremiah. Unfortunately, and even though there is some information about him, I wished I had more of it. On the other hand, the children's perspective, for me, wasn't very intriguing and I just wanted to go back to Erica's side of the story.

The beautiful writing plus this unique world Waggener's created will certainly captivate many readers. And regardless the things I didn't like too much about this novel, Grim is a dark and complex and interesting tale that I certainly did enjoy. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Sophia Ireton added it

Absolutely Utterly Completely Entirely Thoroughly Absolutely TERRIBLE! Hate the ending, Hate the beginning, Hate the middle, and while we're at it, HATE The Book!!

1 like · like · see review

Dec 28, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-michelle

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: An intriguing tale that brings out some dark feelings.

Opening Sentence: I love my youngest child more than the other two, and God bless them but they all know it.

The Review:

Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity sp...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Reedz0r rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. the reasons i did not like this book are many.

mom's been dating the cop? you don't even find that out until she's dead. nice development.

mom falls in love with the "guardian" who kills her to piggyback his way into Limbo. fantastic.

mom starts out by telling her kids she'll come back. she talks to guardian, he's not sure this is possible and, without investigating at all, the mom decides she needs her kids with her. in limbo. great parenting.

guardian nearly kills kids to get them into limbo. o...more the reasons i did not like this book are many.

mom's been dating the cop? you don't even find that out until she's dead. nice development.

mom falls in love with the "guardian" who kills her to piggyback his way into Limbo. fantastic.

mom starts out by telling her kids she'll come back. she talks to guardian, he's not sure this is possible and, without investigating at all, the mom decides she needs her kids with her. in limbo. great parenting.

guardian nearly kills kids to get them into limbo. once there, mom makes zero attempt to find her children. she just takes the guardian at his word that he's working on it. she doesn't fight to see them, go crazy looking for them, instead focuses on how she's falling in love with the guardian, because, you know, he has actually told her he can't love her and eventually admits he used her for his own purposes.

when she finally sees her kids, who have been kidnapped by a malicious angel, btw, mom cares for like a second, but then snaps back into a routine of being concerned about her guardian. she rushes to save him even though one of her children is curled up and dying.

while mom rushes to help guardian, she actually does nothing because the guardian's attacker tells her to back off. her kids follow her in and the attacker takes the advantage and threatens to deal the final death blow to the dying kid, unless the guardian will sacrifice himself for her. at this point, mom finally jumps into maternal action and... wait, she does nothing. the attacker kills the child and then the guardian accidentally gets killed in the fray anyway. in the face of the death of her youngest and most beloved child and that of her "love," the mother's fury builds and she takes it upon herself to... do nothing again. wait, she might crumple to the floor. that's how much she loved her child. and that guy that killed her.

the attacker is overtaken by some other dude who has had absolutely no character development in the story up to that point. seriously, none. like five pages before all this goes down, this random dude has a conversation with the guardian and the guardian admits he hadn't even noticed this dude's absence because he's so inconsequential.

two of the kids get to go back to being alive, the youngest gets her soul back, but must remain in limbo with mom. mom admits, in the epilogue that she should totally accept the fact that she is dead and should coach her child to the same conclusion so they can move on, but she doesn't want to. awesome.

you know what might have been nice? seeing the real-life process of agony & acceptance the kids were faced with after the horrible accident that took their mother's life. if, even in limbo, she felt the need to always be with them, stopping at nothing to check on them, even when some guardian says she should stop she can't. she's their mother. but alas, they can't even know she is looking in on them, because she is dead and they are struggling to cope, struggling to share their grief with the man their mother was dating at the time of her death.

or something.(less)

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Jul 22, 2012 Jennifer Rayment rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Good Stuff

Truly unique storyline
Incredible world building -- in awe of author's creativity - actually kept me reading even though not my cup of tea
Some beautiful descriptive passages
I think this book will be one that either people will rave about and others will just strongly dislike
Relationship between siblings is very realistic and honest
Fast paced
Fantastic cover

The Not So Good Stuff

This kind of review is always hard for me to write. I didn't enjoy the book but it has nothing to d...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 10, 2012 Barbara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: families, fantasy, ncbla2013

While I liked the cover and was drawn in by the beginning of the story and even the fact that it shifted in time and place, ultimately it left me frustrated because there were so many places where I felt forced to read between the lines and make guesses about what exactly was going on. The basic premise is that Erika, a mother of three children, dies in a car crash. Once she awakens, she realizes that she has been brought to this afterlife because of Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the la...more

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May 30, 2012 Annette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Grim is an unexpectedly deep, dark fantasy about the afterlife that gently sucks you in.

The summary for this one is going to be difficult -- that's probably why the summary on the book isn't very good. Erika has died in a car accident. She's in the afterlife, being led to her final destination by Jeremiah. She has left behind three children (Rebecca, Shawn & Megan) and a boyfriend, Matt.

The story alternates between the children's perspective as they deal with her death, and Erica's perspecti...more Grim is an unexpectedly deep, dark fantasy about the afterlife that gently sucks you in.

The summary for this one is going to be difficult -- that's probably why the summary on the book isn't very good. Erika has died in a car accident. She's in the afterlife, being led to her final destination by Jeremiah. She has left behind three children (Rebecca, Shawn & Megan) and a boyfriend, Matt.

The story alternates between the children's perspective as they deal with her death, and Erica's perspective as she figures out where she is, what she is, and who Jeremiah is. And, there's some short sections, typed in white text on black (at least in the ARC) about a king and queen and their kingdom that really baffle, but will eventually make sense.

Erica and Jeremiah end up in Limbo, and it's bizarre. Waggener has created a unique world here, with dead people who can't accept their deaths, and a crazy royal family whose king rules over Limbo. The procedures for entry and exit are unclear. There's evil things living in the water, and a bird who lives with Jeremiah that seems to be important, but that's never really explained. Confusing? Yes. But the confusion is part of the experience.

Erica wants to see her kids, which causes all kinds of problems. Jeremiah is much more than he seems at first -- his back story is extraordinary (and adds more confusion.)

I'm not a big fan of high fantasy, and this one is pretty fantastical. I did enjoy the pace and the writing. Since this is such an unbelievable fantasy, I felt detached from the characters, reading the story to find out what was going to happen but without any real emotion. And, there's room for emotion -- don't expect everyone to live happily ever after. It's pretty dark.

I guess you could say I didn't love Grim, but I have a great appreciation for the creativity of Waggener. The world building and settings were vivid and very uniquely done. I would recommend Grim to fantasy fans who want a darker story involving death and the afterlife. While not for everyone, I'm certain I can find a teen audience for Grim.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Apr 26, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, arc, mythology, experimental

Actual rating: 4.5

I borrowed this arc from a friend of mine who also didn't know what to make of it: an adult narrator in a ya book?? what does that mean?

But I feel I should point out that there are also two teen narrators and a child narrator (whose voice is sometimes the clearest of them all) in the mix. It's a very ambitious project, which isn't really highlighted in the blurb.

Thematically, yes, there are mature elements that parents might want to be aware if if their younger teens are thinki...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 29, 2012 Bundles of rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sent-to-me, finished-copies, review-copies, own

Title: Grim
Author: Anna Waggener
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: 12 years
Hardcover: 320 pages
Buy This Book: B&N

Book Synopsis: A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn't want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she's not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, followin...more Title: Grim
Author: Anna Waggener
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Age Group: 12 years
Hardcover: 320 pages
Buy This Book: B&N

Book Synopsis: A fantastic debut from the winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel contest.
When Erika wakes up after a horrific car crash, she finds herself somewhere between earth and heaven, between life and death. She doesn't want to accept help from Jeremiah, who she's not sure she can trust, even as she finds herself drawn to him, following him into a grim city of souls. She's not sure who wants to help her and who wants to hurt her. And she's desperate to get back to her children.
Shawn's never thought about having to shoulder the responsibility of caring for his young sister Megan and his reckless older sister. And he never imagined that the three of them would find themselves in a haunted wood, sometimes chased, sometimes assisted, never sure where they're headed.
With Grim, the terrifically talented Anna Waggener delves into the place where myth becomes reality, where family can distort you as easily as it cares for you, where death and eternity meet.

About the Author: Anna Waggener was born in Thailand and has spent many summers eating ripe-to-bursting mangoes. At college in Minnesota she spends her winters buried under the snow, studying English and human rights, and writing. She was the 2008 winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel writing category, and Grim is her first novel.

Cover Art: I love this cover! The three statues, and their three different expressions really attracts me! And I love the use of the warm colors on the cover! I give props to Scholastic!

Pre-Thoughts: This was a debut for this year, which means I was obviously going to read it! I am always really interested in life after death stories, so this was a definite must read for me!

Post-Thoughts: This book was everything I expected and more! I loved how Erika described the place between Heaven and Earth and it gave me another idea of what life after death is like. Before Erika died, she had three kids but really only loved one. Meagan was the one she really adored because she thought she was special. This part of the story was a little turn off for me because I don't really like the thought of liking one of your kids more than the rest, but other than that, this book was amazing! (less)

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Feb 28, 2013 Laura (booksnob) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, young-adult

Erica is the mother of three and dies in a car accident on the road home. She wakes up confused and startled to find herself stuck in between, in limbo, a place between Heaven and Hell. She doesn't feel dead and she doesn't know what this strange place is. Her guide on the other side is named Jeremiah and it is his job to lead her to the city of souls. The city of Souls is a desolate place where the seraph angels rule the middle kingdom. Erica is a lowly human who looks like the Kings former mis...more

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Nov 15, 2012 jv poore rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: buried-under-books

I have read books depicting heaven and I have read books alluding to depictions of hell. I had never read a book written about Limbo…….until now.

Grim presents Limbo as a kingdom. The current ruler wishes to relinquish the throne; however, his six sons are completely absorbed in their own spat, ignoring the king and his desires. Through no fault of his own, the youngest son risks exile from his father’s predecessor; but that is only a small problem, as his main concern is eluding the brother tha...more

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Oct 19, 2012 Ifahh rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish

Perhaps it was my busy schedule, or my ever-growing addiction to Skyrim, but I cannot finish this book. Here's some reasons why:

1) The transitions between the kids and the mother. In one chapter, there can be like 3-4 mini paragraphs about either Mom or the kids. It's kind of annoying, really. It's really not that consistent and it was frustrating for me.

2) Jeremy/Jeremiah, anyone? I HATE THIS GUY WITH ALL MY GUTS. It's like he's trying to be mysterious and subtle. Ooooooh... just, no. Please. I...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Crowinator rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, booklist-review, ya, paranormal, narrators-of-the-dead, 2012-reads

Actual rating: 2.5 stars. Review to come later. This is one of those difficult-to-rate books that I both loved and hated.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Don rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, fiction, paranormal

My utmost thanks to the Author, Ms. Waggener, the Publisher, and of course Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read and review this free first-read advance copy.

As per requested by the Author, I will read and post my review more closely to the novel's official release date of June 2012.

Started reading...

So far, I am impressed with the story line and the flow between the three plots inter-spaced having relevance to the complete tale.

Reminds me of other alter-realms novels concerning the af...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is one of a kind (in good and bad ways). The first 100 pages or so will be ridiculously confusing. You get the basic story of Erika and her three children, but the inclusion of Jeremiah and the black pages from another era are very hard to understand.

After you read more, and the black pages start to make sense, I thought the book was much more enjoyable. The "Middle Kingdom" is beautifully described and Waggener really does have a beautiful way with words.

I know it's hard, but if a r...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Daphne rated it 3 of 5 stars

GRIM by Anna Waggener, is an incredible book combining myths and legends to produce a truly vicious world where the dead live. Pulled in by its twists, turns, and unsaid truths, the reader will be driven to finish this book with bated breath. Waggener creates a vivid scenario with a cast of authentic characters, bewitching and readily identifiable. The novel weaves a haunting tale by interspersing intriguing nuggets of the past within an unfolding storyline. GRIM is both enchanting and horrifyi...more

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May 08, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

I am torn about this book - the ending was so good, but the whole thing felt so disjointed to me. I feel like it is a 3.5, maybe even a 3.9. Part of the problem could be that I am going through such personal emotional and mental turmoil that it was really hard to focus on this book or any book for that matter. It's been that bad. However, I could identify a lot with the main character in this book, Erika, and in many ways her story is mine right now. Hard choices, and the right to choose anythin...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dft, read-2012

Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.

Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that...more Posted on Dark Faerie Tales.

Anna Waggener’s Grim is an intriguing tale, one that brought out dark feelings (at least for me). The cover is a little eerie using somber tones. Waggener wrote this at a somewhat young age, and I was amazed at the level of talent she had already. Waggener’s creativity speaks volumes, and it is evident throughout the pages of Grim.

Erika is a mother of three children, who finds herself in the afterlife after a tragic accident. Upon awakening, she quickly realizes that the tragic accident wasn’t the original cause for going to the afterlife. Here, Erika meets Jeremiah, the sixth son of the king of the land. There are many similarities between Erika and Jeremiah’s own mother. Within the war raging in the afterlife, Jeremiah and his brothers are at each other’s throats. Erika agrees to aid Jeremiah, but for a chance to see her children, but at what price.

Erika is a mother, through and through. She was very well written and it was evident that Erika was based on someone close to Waggener. There are many realistic characteristic traits that make Erika a believable character. Because Erika wanted to see her children in the afterlife, it created many problems, which caused an interesting story arc. But I also feel that this is where the story started to slow down a bit, trying to explain many threads at such an early stage of the book.

The other point of view in Grim is through the eyes of the children. A little bit confusing, but we found out a little bit about the personalities of Rebecca, Shawn, and Megan. The transitions between the children were a little hindering, causing some confusing for me. I thought their initial introduction was strong, but it felt muddled through after a while, like there were too many elements to keep up with.

Waggener’s world is different. The afterlife is a large vast place and Grim’s version was a little more attainable to the imagination than others. I found many elements to be refreshing, and others not so much. Erika’s perspective was the most interesting and the one that I connected with. I didn’t feel so connected with the other view points, which caused me to disconnect with the story.

Waggener’s writing style was unique. The voice of the story followed the thoughts of each character. There were a few pages, with a black background, with a mystery voice. It isn’t apparent until the end what part it plays, and in the beginning it was really confusing. But despite my personal preferences, I wanted more. I wanted to learn more about Jeremiah and his story. I didn’t think I got enough of him, and he could easily have been the most intriguing character in Grim.

Grim is dark and complex, at times confusing, but in the end, the threads of the story tied together nicely. Waggener still delivered a tale that I enjoyed, and I think you will too.

Notable Scene:

“He’s going to kill me, Gabriel. I hope you realize that. I hope you realize that it isn’t fun and games anymore, if it ever really was.”(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Nafiza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-for-review, 2012

So I confess, Grim is not a book I would have picked on my own had it not been for the fact that I was sent an unsolicited copy of this by Scholastic Canada (thanks!). But I am glad I read it because it is just so different from my usual choice in books. While it is true that the novel has paranormal elements to it, the main character is not a young adult but a mother who has been separated from her three children by a being (I can’t call him a man since he is not human) who causes her accident...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Holly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I found this to be a moody and muddled read. The author used preexisting legends, myths and stories in a confusing manner that leaves the reader questioning the purpose of the befuddled plot. I couldn't wait for the story to end and when it did I was left wholly unsatisfied.

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Jul 21, 2012 Marcia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Convoluted mix of Judeo-Christian and mythology that takes over 100 pages to get started... And ends suddenly and without purpose.

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Apr 02, 2012 Jillian -always aspiring- marked it as maybe-reads

The plot blurb does very little for me, but I do love the cover with its symbolism (of "speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil").

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Mar 10, 2013 Pandionhalatius37.6-WINGS rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: supernatural

i would have liked this book if someone else had written it. it felt confused, tangled up like wire, and rushed. the whole death thing didn't work, and then the author made it worse by adding in the prince brothers. was i the only one waiting for the children to die a horrible death?

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Apr 17, 2012 Jenn rated it 1 of 5 stars

I have had several people read this ARC and I have skimmed it. The loud and clear response to this book is that it is NOT a YA book. It is told from the point of view of the so called "ghost" of mom. Although the "main" characters in the book are her kids who are teens, it still feels and sounds like an adult book! Although the only thing it has going for it is a great title and cover.

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May 29, 2012 Kelly marked it as get-back-to-later

Unsolicited and I'm going to give it a shot. LOVE the cover.

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Jun 15, 2013 princess is currently reading it

Jun 15, 2013 Pam marked it as to-read

Jun 13, 2013 Oda Lyngstad oltedal marked it as to-read

Jun 05, 2013 Alie marked it as to-read

Jun 03, 2013 Erin marked it as to-read

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About Anna Waggener

Anna Waggener was born in Thailand and has spent many summers eating ripe-to-bursting mangoes. At college in Minnesota she spends her winters buried under the snow, studying English and human rights, and happily writing YA fantasy. She was the 2008 winner of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards novel writing category, and Grim is her first novel.

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Quotes from Grim

“You're reaching too far," Jegud said. "Looking for things that aren't there." He noticed Jeremiah's shoulders, slumped and beaten, and he felt sorry for him. "Your life isn't a storybook, Jeremy. Don't try to make it one just for a happily-ever-after.” — 2 people liked it

“I'm not having the best day, Becca."

"Really?" she scoffed. "Because mine has been spectacular. My family sees dead people in their sleep and my brother collapsed in church during a sermon about infidels. I'm surprised you didn't sizzle when you hit the ground.” — 1 person liked it

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avg rating	preview: Grim Goodreads rating: 3.18 (66 ratings)
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