The Problem Child (The Sisters Grimm, #3) [March 1, 2023]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for The Problem Child by Michael Buckley starting March 1, 2023.

[Tonari no Emily]

Oh goodness, the 1st is coming already isn't it :D

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Started...

These always have the craziest In Medias Res openings, before we jump back to the start of the story...

Also, this trilogy (from the blurbs, it's an initial trilogy to save the parents, then 6 more books happen, that build to deal with the bigger villains of the series), has also had a crazy tight timeline... there was a month or 2 time jump between the first 2 books (since it became comical how much school had been skipped), but the 2nd & 3rd book have no gap, and span about 9 days total, 4+5?

And what do I even say about (view spoiler)[sticking 6+9 year old foster kids on a roof as roofers?... or Puck asking for 7 million dollars and 6 months desert to save Sabrina from the Jabberwocky... or turning into a walrus...

I hope Canus isn't dead...

I love that Daphne just grounded Sabrina, lol, for leaving her behind at the school with the wish... Daphne is the best... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

25%: (view spoiler)[New school already... mightly convenient...

Rip Van Winkle, taxicab driver, terrible idea... he basically has narcolepsy... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

85%: (view spoiler)[

I KNEW Canus was alive...

Not sure I trust Uncle Jake... maybe it's just that his name is so close to Jack... and the intro before the flashback...

Near the end already (story is pretty short), and it feels like the story has very little to do with Little Red Riding Hood & the Jabberwocky... that plotline is all in Sabrina's nightmares...

The main plot is all to do with Puck & the Vorpal Blade... altho I'm sure it'll connect in the end, since the Vorpal Blade can cut through the ward on the town, and is what released Red Riding Hood from the asylum... (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Finished: I was wrong: (view spoiler)["to be continued"... I could have sworn the parent plot was gonna wrap up here...

The ending was resolved pretty easily, but I kinda expected it for the target audience... a bit of a message-y resolution...

I kinda expected Jake to be limited in his ability to use the Blue Fairy's magic once he wished for it... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Started...

These always have the craziest In Medias Res openings, before we jump back to the start of the story...

Also, this trilogy (from the blurbs, it's an initial trilogy to save the parents..."

You know, I wonder if that "in Media Res" thing isn't actually more middle grade book? Though I feel like I see it in other places too, but especially middle grade books--usually a scene cut from the climax and pasted at the very front of the book as a teaser...

Just started! In Chapter 2. (view spoiler)[Walrus! LOL That's a great sledding idea.

I think Sabrina needs to get her priorities straight though. Toothbrushing with glue is way worse than moustaches. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Through Chapter 3 Agreeing with Iain--Daphne is still the best... (view spoiler)[I love how she talks through all her karate moves and has her "warrior face"... and their Uncle is Peter Pan? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5 (view spoiler)[....nope, just a magician.

I like how there's lots of options for who the "Problem Child" is... Puck, Red Riding Hood, (black sheep?) son/uncle Jacob, or even our Girls themselves.... (hide spoiler)]

Doing audio this time... there's lots of deep intake breaths and swallowing on the audio... it's a bit distracting... he does good narration & decent voices though.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Through Chapter 3 Agreeing with Iain--Daphne is still the best... [spoilers removed]

Chapter 5 ....nope, just a magician.

I like how there's lots of options for who the "Problem Child" is... Puck..."

Funny how I notice the narrator breathing more in some books and not others... I had lots of complaints about that with the last Constance Verity book, last year...

[Tonari no Emily]

Huh I didn't notice the sounds with this narrator... Now I'll be paying attention >< lol

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Huh I didn't notice the sounds with this narrator... Now I'll be paying attention >< lol"

Ack, sorry!

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "25%:..."

Yeah, I did a double-take on that... (view spoiler)[

Snow: "Oh no, we have no school! I guess I must teach Karate until we have a school again."
*5 minutes later.*
"Oh look! It's the new school dedication ceremony!" (hide spoiler)]

Chapter Seven (view spoiler)[Little Mermaid as a tyrant with an eating disorder... that's inventive.

Originally I was rather pleased with Sabrina's shortcut to getting the vorpal blade part--and then I was pleased that there were actually direct consequences that weren't as amorphous as losing "experience." (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Timelord Iain wrote: "85%:

(view spoiler)[I KNEW Canus was alive...

Not sure I trust Uncle Jake... maybe it's just that his name is so close to Jack... and the intro before the flashback...

Near the end already (story is pretty sh (hide spoiler)]..."

LOL (view spoiler)[Middle grade books can't kill off favorite characters so soon! Mr. Canis had to be still alive.

I hope I'm not the only one who rather ships him & Granny Relda?

Uncle Jake is definitely untrustworthy--but I don't think it's on purpose... he's a clear candidate for the main "Problem Child"...

It's funny, Iain, that you see the main storyline as having to deal with Puck & the Vorpal blade, and I'm looking at is as having to do with Sabrina learning the costs of magic... but I suppose that's more theme than story. Subplot Little RR.

The Blue Fairy was totally obvious, right? Only one other place with "Blue" in its title so far... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

I have to say, I'm doing the audiobook, but I also have the ebooks--and I have to stop and look at the pictures every chapter. They're so much fun, and great scene choices!! If you don't have an eye-copy, I really recommend looking up the pictures...

Finished! I rather liked how Sabrina wrapped things up--(view spoiler)[I always enjoy a good reset on clever wording. (hide spoiler)]

@Ian, re: you weren't wrong--(view spoiler)[They did get their parents back, LRR's solved, and the hanging bits are just Puck & the sleep spell... but I think each book is going to introduce a new hanger. Each book ends with a cliffhanger and "To Be Continued." I checked. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Nirkatze wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Huh I didn't notice the sounds with this narrator... Now I'll be paying attention >

Ack, sorry!"

I actually haven't noticed anything so far! :D

[Tonari no Emily]

Daphne is definitely the best :D

Maybe about 1/3 through I'm wondering what's going (view spoiler)[ with the uncle... Grandmama seems to have somewhat of a problem with the magic. (hide spoiler)]

[Tonari no Emily]

Finished as well! I think I liked this one a bit less than the first two.. (view spoiler)[ I appreciated Sabrina learning the consequences of magic and the fact that it was addictive. It makes more sense that Granny was so leery of it.

I was wondering why Jake was a bit of a pariah, but it definitely makes sense now. I wonder what the majority of the town would think about Granny erasing their minds. Even more mad at the Grims for sure!

Charming having to kiss Sabrina as a frog had me cackling a little xD (hide spoiler)]

@ Nirkatze (view spoiler)[ You're definitely not the only one! I've been thinking that since the last book. Am also glad Mr. Canis isn't dead, but not really surprised at all. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Nirkatze wrote: "Tonari no Emily wrote: "Huh I didn't notice the sounds with this narrator... Now I'll be paying attention >

Ack, sorry!"

I actually haven't noticed anything so far! :D"

Oh good! I wonder if maybe it's just I had the volume turned up a bit loud?

[Nirkatze]

Tonari no Emily wrote: "Finished as well! I think I liked this one a bit less than the first two..."

Definitely starting to wonder (view spoiler)[how often that memory dust has been used, and what the long-term effects will be... like the flash-thingies from Men In Black, or overabuse of memory charms in Harry Potter...

And poor Sabrina, having her first kiss stolen by Puck, then forced to subject her froggy self to an arrogant Prince Charming kiss... that was very LOL-worthy. (hide spoiler)]

#TeamDaphne! I feel like I need to design T-Shirts for some of these BRs... I want a shirt of Steris from Mistborn and something with Pawn from Wandering Inn...

[Choko]

After four days of extremely high fever and feeling like I was in a cloud and not having a coherent thought, I think I am feeling better and I am back:) So I got to the business of reading again this morning...

I actually got used to the crazy first paragraphs of these books and enjoy looking forward to them:)

The comment about them having been used as roofers was funny and horrifying at the same time!

Daphne is the best!!! And Puck's rates are!!!

[Choko]

The little Mermaid!!! That was an interesting take on that situation:)))

I finished and I enjoyed it just as much, if not even a bit more than the first two. It seemed better plotted. (view spoiler)[ I am totally shipping Mr. Canis & Granny Relda!

I am surprised how much this book dealt with addiction and knowing where your strengths lay, and how to ground yourself in your family for confidence.

I guess it had to do with the price of magic as well, but more as a metaphor for instant gratification and shortcuts for things that truly matter never really work, or then the rewards become detrimental to the rewarded in the long run...

I looked at the uncle as the dude that is well intentioned, but just doesn't get it quite right, so not a very good role model, since he has yet to figure things out for himself in life... I hope he learns, because he could be an asset. I was surprised that the author used the forget-me dust because of something he did. I would have used it as a back-up plan. Since the spell for the barrier of the town will be on as long as a Grimm is still alive, I would have kept him as an ace in the pocket, just in case something horrible happened to the rest of them...

Both "kissing" scenes were hilarious:) I am interested to see what happens now that Charming is no longer a mayor... (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Glad you're feeling better Choko!

[Tonari no Emily]

Yes very glad to hear that! Happy you liked this one too! I also thought the addiction part was well done.

[Nyssa]

I'm about 2/3 in.

I both like and distrust Jake. (view spoiler)[It is clear that he loves his family and its legacy, but I think he's being too flippant with his use of magic. I fear he hasn't learned from his mistakes, and the girls, specifically Sabrina, may be the ones to pay the price.
His mother having to have memories of him erased is incredibly sad. His regret about the situation is palatable (which also makes his disregarding her warnings so frustrating) (hide spoiler)].

I am both happy and relieved that (view spoiler)[ Mr. Canis is not dead. I hate that he is suffering, though. (hide spoiler)]

[Choko]

I think Jake has magic addiction problems... And Sabrina is predisposed to the same issues. But I hear you, it is very hard to trust him...

[Nyssa]

Yeah.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others.

[Nirkatze]

Can't disagree... Jake is definitely the "fun" uncle who you're not sure you really want to leave alone with the kids...