GRIM is a brilliant collection of fairy tales re-imagined by some of the top young adult authors. The tales range from sweet to very dark, even gruesome at times but this adds to their unique flavor. I knew I couldn't resist an anthology that includes Jeri Smith-Ready, Julie Kagawa, Claudia Gray, and Jon Skovron!

Short stories are a great way to also sample some new authors so I dived right into the GRIM collection, hoping to find some new favorite authors. What a marvelous range of stories, from the modern to the mythical. Without a doubt, "The Raven Princess" by Jon Skovron is my favorite story as the lyrical writing and the surprising twists make it a memorable love story (although one scene still icks me out every time I remember it!). "Thinner than Water" by Saundra Mitchell also stands out as it is an edgier tale, tackling the themes of incest and power.

I like that GRIM has a variety of genres, despite the central theme of fairy tales. As a fan of science fiction, I am thrilled that GRIM includes a couple tales that tackle the fairy tales from a science fiction angle. "Better" by Shaun David Hutchinson is an unusual science fiction story and I'll definitely be sampling more of this author's work in the near future. "A Real Boy" by Claudia Gray is a great science fiction retelling of the Pinocchio story- but with robots- and reminds me of why I enjoy Ms. Gray's stories so well. And who couldn't help laughing out loud at the twist featured in Jackson Pearce's "Sell Out"?

GRIM is an eclectic collection of fairy tales that offers something for everyone. The authors do a spectacular job at taking the basic stories we all know and love and putting their own creative marks on the story. I can't mention all of the stories (GRIM contains 17 different tales) but all of them are enjoyable, an unusual feat in an anthology. GRIM is well worth reading, especially for fans of fairy tales!