A Tale Dark & Grimm

     "Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome."  I love the first line of A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.  It is a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel.  It is dark, funny, and just scary enough for older kids to squirm with fear but still sleep well at night.
     Like most fairy tales, Hansel and Gretel go through many scary events to find their happily-ever-after.  Interestingly, all of the adults in the book harm or endanger the children, but together the brother and sister survive with grace and dignity.
     This book can be read as a fun fairy tale or as a symbolic view of life.  "The land of Grimm can be a harrowing place.  But it is worth exploring.  For, in life, it is the darkest zones one finds the brightest beauty and the most luminous wisdom.  And, of course, the most blood."
     A great read for the young or old at heart, especially in October when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest.