| Title | : | The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0810993236 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780810993235 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 292 |
| Publication | : | First published October 1, 2005 |
The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, #2) Reviews
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Needing a short filler novel and wanting something lighter, I turned back to Michael Buckley and his Sisters Grimm collection. The stories pull on some of the characters that have emerged in the Grimm fairytales and place two modern sisters in the middle of the narrative, tasked with uncovering various criminal acts. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have been living with their grandmother for the better part of three weeks. While they have already uncovered a significant crime in Ferryport Landing, they have not been enrolled in school. With a threat to send them back to foster care in New York, the girls are marched to the local elementary school and placed in classes. While Daphne is sent to be taught by Ms. (Snow) White, Sabrina ends up with a crotchety old man who wants nothing more than to rid himself of the students in class. Sabrina has a rough first day of class and ends up staying after school, only to discover her teacher murdered and the classroom filled with odd webs. Working alongside their grandmother, the Sisters Grimm begin poking around and bring their friend/foe Puck along to offer his own insight. Drawing blanks, the sisters turn to the age-old clash of humans versus Everafters—the latter group being those who gained fame in a Grimm fairytale, but are not able to escape Ferryport Landing under any circumstances—which could account for this dastardly attack at the school. Sabrina forges ahead and sticks her neck out, not caring who she offends, to get to the bottom of it. What she discovers leaves everyone clueless and powerless to stop the plan that could wipe Ferryport Landing off the map once and for all. Full of wonderful fairytale characters and interesting banter, Buckley has fashioned this YA novel into something that readers of all ages can enjoy.
I read the series debut not long ago and enjoyed the premise that Buckley presents. While not my normal reading, the series has an entertaining aspect to it, particularly when I need something short to bridge me through. The premise of the Grimm sisters is interesting and while it is not explored completely here, there is a little character development to whet the appetite of the ever-curious reader. Sabrina is the sarcastic pre-teen who is not happy with the pat on the head, needing to know things and refusing to listen to authority. Her younger sister, Daphne, is still pie-eyed and wants to love everything, but the jaded views spewing from her sister leaves her beginning to question everyone. Peppering the narrative with fairytale characters, some of whom do not match their depiction in the stories we all know well, the reader is able to enjoy a flavourful story that keeps things interesting and provides twists at just the right spots. The story, a YA mystery, is decent and the plot paces itself effectively. There are moments I found myself more connected to the story than I might be with many adult thrillers that I regularly enjoy. Buckley has a way of mixing sarcasm with plot development to keep the narrative intriguing and allowing the reader the chance to chuckle between scenes. Lengthier chapters keeps the reader pushing forward, if only to reach the next benchmark before turning in for a while. Buckley has an entire collection of novels in this series that
I will have to discover before too long. A nice cliffhanger left me wanting to know a little more.
Kudos, Mr. Buckley, for another great addition to the series. I hope teens and adults alike discover this series and enjoy it as much as I have already.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... -
First of all, can I say how much I love MG books that actually make me laugh. Not just crack a smile, or get giddy in my soul like the Vulcan fangirl I am, but laugh out loud. Which is precisely what Sisters Grimm has managed to do.
And then there's Sabrina Grimm. Yass, I adore her ^^ Sure, she may get annoying at times, and sometimes the way she deals with Everafters makes me want to go "Dude, you go trust them. Please..." and then punch her. But she's got her good side too. She's got a strong mind, really really cares about Daphne and her parents. Enough to get into a whole lot of trouble about it. She's the perfect hero. Because in the end, aren't us humans flawed? I'm perfect though XD
If you haven't heard enough; it a retelling too. We have Snow who runs the self defence club called the "Bad Apples" and ends up saving Mayor Charming. A sadistic near crazy Red Riding Hood (who wouldn't walk out same when a wolf eats your grandma while you're watching. And one of the three little pigs as a police officer.
The mystery was good too. Good enough not to have me guessing the answer fifty pages before it's revealed too. Addicting. Really, I couldn't stop reading. The plot, the characterization, the mystery -- it had me reeling by the end.
And then that cliffhanger...
Also, can I say how adorable are Puck and Sabrina?
Faults?
I had none. If you like reading MG or retellings, this series is for you. *pokes* Now go and read it. -
Sabrina and Daphne are off to school. Daphne loves being in class with Snow White as a teacher, but Sabrina’s having a tougher time–she keeps getting teased and beat up. Things don’t get any better when Puck joins her class! But even Daphne can’t deny there are monsters loose in the school and they’re killing people. There are red handprints all over. Even Mayor Charming is turning to the Grimm Sisters for help solving the case!
But Sabrina's anger at not being able to find her parents is growing. Coupled with the increased activity of the Scarlet Hand and resentment towards the Grimm family by certain elements in the Everafter community, she expands this hatred to all Everafters in general and is hindering the investigation.
This is an action-packed follow up to The Fairy-Tale Detectives and the cliffhanger ending will have you waiting for the next installment. As Daphne would say, This book is so punk rock!
see all my reviews at
www.tushuguan.blogspot.com -
gosh this book was so unusually creepy and disturbing. mainly because of the way the entrance pictures for each chapter were drawn. that last scene with the pic of the creepy girl....and the way she talked....😫😰😳. yeah no thanks. i think i could've lived with just using my imagination to see something creepy. i didn't need the disturbing visual.
i didn't get why sabrina had to be so "ugh my parents are missing and you all are too stupid to find them, so i'll walk through this EXTREMELY creepy portal to i have no idea where and find them myself."
like, literally the WORST thing she could've done, but go for it i guess. at least puck will come to the rescue.
and that therapist. OMGJ. he really got me. but, i guess i can't be too surprised because therapists are really weird.
other that that....stuff....the books are really good and would recommend👍😊. -
I liked the first one better, as the mystery in this one only really started around 60%, but there was definitely a few more surprises in this one, what with And I wonder what's going to happen next!! That ending was so good. I love the twists to the fairy tales in this series. So awesome.
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4.5 STARS!
OMG I love this series so much. Even I had a hard time figuring out the mystery! These are full of adventures and antics and all the fairytale characters we love and hate.
This had a great lesson on prejudice and sexism, even though I was right alongside Granny in being mad at Sabrina for half the book. And that ending?! WOW
Excited to get into the next one as things are really starting to pick up in the mystery behind the disappearance of their parents. -
I wish they had these books around when I was growing up. They are a fun read with a protagonist that any hormonal tween can relate too. I appreciate that we see faults in Sabrina as she learns some hard truths about herself. Flawed heroes and heroines are always more interesting. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
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This series is just mindless fun. Sabrina and Daphne Grimm start school, but when Sabrina's teacher is murdered, the sisters and their grandma are asked by the (1 man) policeforce to help find out who did it.
This world is filled with normal people, but also fairy tale characters. Daphne's teacher for example is Ms (Snow) White (who also gives self-defense classes... this is the 21st century, she doesn't need Charming to save her). The pied piper is school head, and Charming is the mayor.
The book/series is just pure entertainment. But it also deals with missing parents, puberty and racism. And it has a great mystery plot. The characters are great as well. Daphne is brilliant and just loves everyone and everything. She hugs the mayor nobody likes and laughs the loudest when being a 'victim' of a prank. Sabrina on the other hand is frustrated with not finding her parents and takes it out on all Everafters. Yet they make a Perfect team of sisterly love.
I don't really know what else to say. The plot is great, the pacing spot on, the twists on the classics very clever, and all of it is just a Lot of fun. Also, that cliffhanger! This series is pretty huge, and I couldn't be happier. -
If you should be looking for a fun series to read aloud to some young people in your life, this is a pretty good series. Lots of fairy tale adventure with the characters not exactly like you remember from the originals. Throw in some life lessons for the youngsters and a good time will be had by all.
Having said that, the ending pissed me off...not to mention the 10 and 7 year olds to which I was reading this story. At the height of the action, just when everybody is in peril...I see the dreaded "To Be Continued". That can be frustrating enough on a TV show but not in a book aimed at youth! It's hard enough to get them to settle down for a good read and just when you've got them enthralled, hanging on every word, you can't tell them what happens next! Yikes, I almost thought I would have to make up my own ending. Now I have to either buy the next volume or wait for a couple of weeks to get it from the library. At least there should be some resolution to the plot without leaving everything hanging.
OK, rant over. It's still an enjoyable series to read...just make sure you have the next volume on hand. -
I read this book on the plane back from the US, and it was terrific! The main character, Sabrina, was feisty and interesting, and the plot was just complex enough to hold my interest. The idea behind this series is that the Brothers Grimm and all the fairytale characters founded a town alongside humans with magical protection so they can live safely (they were chased out of Europe). The Sisters Grimm, modern day relatives of the brothers, live with their grandmother and solve local crimes while trying to figure out who kidnapped their parents. A must-read for fairy tale fanatics and people who like Shrek!
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Daphne and Sabrina are back in this latest installment of the Sisters Grimm series!
Ferryport Landing isn't all like it seems- fairytale creatures actually live there! And Sabrina and Daphne Grimm are Fairytale Detectives-helping their grandmother with solving the town's crime.
In this book, Sabrina and Daphne are heading back to school. But-they need someone to protect them. So while Daphne gets the most amazing teacher ever Ms White (aka Snow White-like with the seven dwarves) who may or may not still have feelings for a certain prince, Sabrina's stuck in the cruelties of sixth grade with the insanely gross and annoying Puck- incognito as Robin Goodfellow.
But things at school aren't all as they seem- Sabrina's classmates are like sleepless zombies- and she's having trouble controlling her temper even after visiting the school councilor Mr. Sheepshank. Things take a turn for the worst when Sabrina finds her grumpy homeroom teacher has been murdered!
It's up to Sabrina, Daphne, Granny Relda, and the occasional help of Puck to figure out what's going on in the town- or underneath it.
I enjoyed this book. There wasn't a crazy amount of time in between with the previous and didn't have you lost from lack of knowledge. I actually started with this book-and it was the reason I kept on reading. It's before the drama of the later books, but has everything developed unlike the first, so I really enjoyed learning about the crazy antics of this interesting and new take on fairytales. There was plenty of mystery that kept me reading through, and I loved the school setting, which none of the other books have. While it does have a TO BE CONTINUED ending, I thought it was okay and the third book will take up where this one left off. -
WOW!!! I actually enjoyed this book!!! # 1 was not the best but this one was AMAZING!! Great characters with a twist of magic. I LOVED reading this surprisingly even if I had to read it for school. Great read!!!!
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Ah! The ending of the book is so chilling and creepy. I remember being so terrified and intrigued as a little one reading this, and I feel the same as an adult! Can’t wait for book 3!
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This one becomes a bit darker than the first, but again very exciting and creative and feels like home when I read it. Sabrina is fun to read about because her personality is so different from my own. I have plenty of anger inside me, but the difference is she's always letting it out. I wonder if there's more to that anger than just her personality--whether she has some creature or magic inside of her. There are so many mysteries and surprises in these books. So far they are pretty "light" stories, but at the same time Sabrina in particular continues to learn and grow, and Charming is not just a plain jerk but a complex character.
SPOILER
I have trouble believing that Mr. Canis is gone. I bet he comes back later. -
The Grimm sisters must attend school, which leads straight into a new case. Bullies and boiler rooms. Dodge ball and detention. Hotties and harmonicas.
Good stuff! -
This is a solid book in the series. I've read this whole series, but oh my gosh I forgot how annoying Sabrina was. Like girl, pull yourself together. Honestly I just can't stand her as a character.
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Another fun installment to The Sisters Grimm series. Just like the first one this was cute, but things get a little serious as the Scarlet Hand ramps up their evil plot.
One of my issues in the first one was how Sabrina and Daphne were portrayed. There still is some one note-ness in the character development. However, I enjoyed the story more in this one so I was okay with it. It looks like their characters will develop a bit as they age though, so this maybe a slow progression throughout the 9 book series.
If I encounter the 3rd installment I may give it a whirl. These are good palate cleaners and the mystery is shaping up nicely. This one did end on a cliff hanger, so make sure if you have the 3rd one ready if you're invested in the series. -
(This was a collective class rating)
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This was quite boring, unfortunately, and very middle-grade but in a bad way. I'm not going to continue the series.
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I think it is a really good book if you like fairytales and mystery, to be honest, I like it. I like this book better than the first though. but maybe I will change my mind about it once I finish reading all the 8 books in the series.
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These books are still, in my eyes the best children's books out there. I wish they would get more popular because they're brilliantly written, creative and equal parts sweet fairy tale and dark story.
The Unusual Suspects follows Sabrina and Daphne, set a few weeks after the first book, as they try to adapt to their new lives in Fairyport landing and balance going to school with doing research for their parents. A new mystery arises for them to solve when their teacher is suddenly found dead at the school.
I love this book, because not only does it tackle topics most other children's writers see as taboo, it really goes in depth with them. For example, Sabrina's prejudices against the EverAfters in this book is called 'bigotry' and has close comparisons to racism, sexism and homophobia grouping Everafters as a 'them' who are 'all untrustworthy'. I think these lessons are incredibly important to teach kids even from a young age, and Micheal Buckley handles it brilliantly, showing the consequences of bigotry and how it isn't acceptable in this society. I also think it's interesting he chose the main character for this story arc, showing that everyone can be prejudiced in their beliefs.
Overall, I have no comments for this book whatsoever. Everything about it is absolutely amazing and I recommend to everyone, young or old because this book is a bit like Shrek, there's plenty of content suited for adults and kids. -
This is my review for, The Unusual Suspect, the second book in the Sisters Grimm series written by Michael Buckley. This was a great book and this is the second time I have read this series, as it is my favorite series of all time and I have not taken any AR tests on it. I recommend this story for anyone who enjoys fairy tales, adventure, and mystery. The story revolves around an eleven year old girl named Sabrina Grimm and her younger sister Daphne Grimm, whose parents have been kidnapped. They now live in a small town called Fairyport landing with their Granny Relda, a thin old man named Mr. Canis, their Uncle Jake, and their friend Puck. Fairyport landing is surrounded with a barrier to keep disguised fairytale creatures away from the outside world and other humans. In the story Sabrina and Daphne go on an adventure to their first day of school at Fairyport Landing elementary, but something strange happens after school. One of their teachers is murdered. Leave it to the Grimms to solve the case. I don't want to give away too much of the story so I'll stop there,but I really enjoyed this book. It kept you sitting on the edge of your seat and wanting to read more.
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This is the second book in
The Sisters Grimm series by
Michael Buckley. It's a whimsical romp through the different fairy tales, with myriad characters coming into the story. Puck is completely obnoxious, but is also one of my favorites.
The members of the Grimm family are a diverse mix and I am becoming more vested in them and their story, even if Sabrina seems too whiny. I liked the book and will continue reading the series, especially since our oldest loves the tales.
interesting quote:
"It's a natural human emotion to get angry. So what are you supposed to do? Bottle it up? Well, we all know what happens when you shake up a bottle of soda. It explodes all over the place when you open it. I think feelings are the same way. You've got to let them out when you're having them or you're just going to explode later on." (pp. 60-61) -
When I originally started the sisters Grimm series, it was because a friend had recommended them to me.
I thought, ok, so I ordered the first four books from my library, and started to read them.
In book one, it took me quite awhile to get into the book, I just wasn't feeling it at all! My friend had said they were amazing! but, nothing really amazed me at first.
When I got to the middle of the book, something clicked, and I couldn't put the book down! I devoured the rest, and grabbed book two, and devoured that one in less than a day! I was hooked!
I read all nine books collectively in about 7-8 days, I loved them!! I am giving them a four star, because they are awesome! Why not 5 stars? well, there were a few parts that I didn't really like, or think was necessary. I would recommend this book from ages 8+ I am 16 and I know that some parts were a bit young for me, but I really enjoyed them, and I was sad when I finished the last book! :) -
Ughh I’m already on book three... WHY? I LITERALLY JUST STARTED THIS SERIES (At least there’s nine books.)
Favorite character: Mr. Canis/Puck
I can’t believe Puck already loves Sabrina omgeeeeeeee AHHHHH
I love these characters so much. When I’m done with book nine I know I’m going to burst into tears. I love each and every one of them.
I also love the humor. Michael Buckley is HILARIOUS. #favoritechildhoodbooks -
This series is pretty cool...I enjoy the twist to the Grimm stories and how the fantasy characters combine to have very interesting children. This book was interesting from the beginning all the way to the cliffhanger ending. I also enjoy the character Puck, he brings an amazingly funny comic relief into the book :)
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Original review: 4/5.
2023 review: 4/5. -
good book
