| Title | : | Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0810993589 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780810993587 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published December 1, 2007 |
Magic and Other Misdemeanors (The Sisters Grimm, #5) Reviews
-
Well this concept is just darling! Great great granddaughters of the Brothers Grimm investigating fairy tale crimes-sign me up! I HAVE to read this entire series! I'm thoroughly engrossed, but I am a HUGE fairy tale fan. I must remember these books for my nieces.
2017 Reading Challenge: mythical creatures (I consider fairy tale characters to fit this category) -
As a kid, I read these books as they were being written and published. Now, I’m reading them to my 6-year-old son. Sharing these stories with him enhances the experience. This series has a soft spot in my heart. Are they perfect? No. Are there plot holes? Yes. Are there other children’s book series that are more exciting and better executed? Yes, there are. But sometimes, a five star rating can simply be given to a book for the journey it takes you on, the feelings it gives you, and the memories you make with it. These books provide me quality time with my son, bonding over shared interests and a story he finds fully compelling. So, those five stars are well-deserved.
-
I always enjoy reading The Sisters Grimm stories!!! The ending leaves you on a huge cliff hanger though!
-
This had the best mystery yet! Though I remembered who the “bad guy” was right at the beginning, since I read these as a child, I was still enthralled with the mystery & the crazy time traveling things that occurred!
This book also made me love the characters even more! Definitely one of my favorites thus far in the series. -
2.5 stars
Before I start being picky again, I'll give credit where it's due. I actually laughed at what Buckley did with Mordred. He's so clearly taking a stab at this character but somehow I can actually believe that the Mordred interpretations I've seen could end up as . The scene of Frau Pfefferkuchenhaus as the dentist was funny too, as well as Puck's reaction to the whole thing.
There is nothing horrible about Magic and Other Misdemeanors, the main issue I have with it is just how glaring the book-to-book repetitions are becoming. The fast-forward prologue at the start of each book and the overuse of explaining what happened in previous books are parts I started skipping over from Book 2 onwards. Every time they step into the mirror, it's accompanied by "then they did something most people would have thought impossible". And every magical attack is delivered via blue/red/green/purple "energy". I mentioned this in my review of Book 3, but I didn't expect it to still be used constantly.
I liked Daphne for the first couple of books, but now she seems to be less a personality than a collection of quirks. She seems to just stand in for young readers by asking for word definitions, and to register excitement by inserting her palm into her mouth and biting down hard(with almost that exact wording every time). She also has a new catchphrase in each book, which is believable enough for a little kid. But a cutesy pseudo-Spanish line in the midst of a climactic battle doesn't make for nail-biting tension.
I'm also finding that outside of Granny, Sabrina, Puck, and Charming, character depth is very limited. The main group of princesses have nothing personality-wise to set them apart from each other. A lot of one-off characters show up briefly and are entertaining for that time, but never do anything of note afterwards.
I'm so split on whether or not to continue my re-read of this series. Partly I feel like I may just as well finish it since I'm over halfway through now, and they are fast and funny reading. On the other hand the formulas are increasingly obvious and the relentlessly jokey dialogue makes it feel like an adventure-comedy movie script. Maybe Book 6 will make a turnaround for the better...
-
Still loving this series. Buckley is a master at transforming fairy tale characters into "real" folks with personalities, quirks, faults and, of course, the good & evil aspects. Always with a good Everyafter plot too! Keeping this BabyBoomer reading series until the end, I expect! (I am still just a Big Kid.)
-
I’m really enjoying this series. I think it’s YA fantasy but I think it’s well written and funny!
-
{the following review was written by my daughter who has decided to finish this series herself}
This book was very exiting and I found it very hard to put down. I did not see the twist coming at the end, like all the books in the series. The (recently elected) Mayor Heart (Queen of hearts) finally gets all the humans out of the town, that is except for the Grimms. Charming goes missing and Miss White is a wreak until Sabrina and Daphne stumble upon him in their next great adventure. Unfortunately, they were unable to tell Snow. Sabrina finds out a secrete about herself she would rather stay unknown. Daphne finds out she has to grow up sometime soon and the scarlet hand will take over the town if they don't change it soon. In my opinion this book has taken a slight dark turn but there is nothing that should not be read by people over the age of 6. This book is as thrilling as the rest and should be enjoyed by anyone who wishes to be entertained with a funny, adventure seeking, action filled, enjoyable and lovely book.
~Lydia Jane
-
I read this with my twins and we really enjoyed it. I like stories that play with time and time travel (as long as it's done well), and this one had that element. I also liked some of the changes in a few of the characters. We're looking forward to the next book in the series.
4.5 stars, rounding up. -
Reread (November 17, 2021) : 5 stars
-
I thought that there was many betrayal at the end of the book because many of the everafters were a part of the scarlet hand. There were even everafters that were really nice to the Grimm's like Charming, who knew the family VERY VERY well. Also, Cinderella sorta broken trust with her helpers because they were ruining the world and it made so much chaos.
-
They’re so mean to bunny :(( she’s so iconic tho :(
-
*3.25
-
i think i liked this one a little less because it took me a long time to read it because of life craziness….. but i still enjoyed it!!
-
Mr. Buckley really went hard huh
-
Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley, published from 20015-2012 by Amulet Books and illustrated by Peter Ferguson.
The entire award-winning, New York Times Best-selling series:
The Fairy-Tale Detectives
The Unusual Suspects
The Problem Child
Once Upon a Crime
Magic and Other Misdemeanors
Tales From the Hood
The Everafter War
The Inside Story
The Council of Mirrors
My nine year old (since she was eight) is in love with these books. She is now reading Harry Potter, has enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia and American Girls, but these are by far her favorite. Now, looking back on my own childhood reading choices (among my love for Madeleine L’Engle and The Wheel on the School stood my imposing thirst for The Babysitters’ Club), I realize that children can be a terrible gauge for literature, unless you are measuring profitability or popularity. In that case, my daughter has fallen in to line. These books are both popular and profitable and she has both fingers crossed waiting for a movie deal.
And here is the caveat: not spectacular writing. For an adult looking at the series (or even a pretty smart kid), the similes are broken, the plot is often obvious, the style mediocre (and roughly borrowed from Lemony Snickett), the characters sometimes flat (not to mention cliche)… It’s just not great. It’s not terrible, either. From a nine-year-old girl’s perspective, though, I imagine it is the fun swirling of all the familiar fairy tales and stories together and also the (mostly) compelling plot. And I have to admit, the series bettered as it went, and Puck made me LOL. You’ve got romance, you’ve got danger, you’ve got family… All mashed together with this popular kids’ black humor thing.
And you’ve got a seven and twelve year old? The youngest, especially, was distractingly young for the plot. Every time Buckley reminded me of her pigtails and overalls I felt lost. It’s fantasy, I know. For me, their ages just didn’t work, especially since the older one is hit with a pretty complicated, extended romance. Even Rowling waited until Harry was something like fifteen. And it forced a delayed ending, too (you know, “12 Years Later”), which was just a tad less than satisfying.
Plus, I find the action and fight scenes (which are prolific) to be holey. It reminds me of the advice that when writing an action scene you pull your spouse and kids into the room and make them act it out. The Grimm series is fond of creating these mental chasms in the otherwise fast-moving action scenes, and I as a reader slipped a gear in my interest-traction. Now, how could she hit HIM if she was just over there?!? Careful, there, writers.
My only other negative thing to say: the series gets suddenly witchy in the last book. I mean, like flesh-eating and frog innards and covens and whatnot. (And these are the good guys.) I guess you might see it coming, but considering that it wasn’t there before book Nine makes me want to warn you especially. If you have issues with witches and the occult over that fine line of fantasy, you’re going to be really disturbed in the last book.
I would recommend these books, with the last caveat I gave above. Of course, for kids and preteens, especially girls, but also for adults who enjoy Middle Grades fiction and want an easy, enjoyable read. Like maybe for a trip, especially to the beach. Some of the characters do fill out more as the series continues. It grows up a little, becomes more complex. And what is at first slightly unimpressive becomes reader-candy, increasingly hard to put down.
*REVIEW WRITTEN FOR THE STARVING ARTIST BLOG. -
I am beside myself.
If there were a rating above 5 stars, I would give it, but alas being the hyperbolic, extreme rater that I am find myself giving 5s out like they are candy, so I will give out yet another to a series that has received nothing but 5 stars from me, which is a slight disservice. I say that because now in the wake of this incredibly awesome book...I can only give it a 5 and there is nothing to differentiate it from the other books in the series.
So I will discuss what I can in my review instead.
Book 5 is called Magic and Other Misdemeanors which is not my favorite title, but I began it a full day or so after reading Book 4. I began applying my Harry Potter rule here in which I only begin books a full day after I read the last book. If this is the result, then I will keep that rule going.
I don't want to spoil any detail of the book, so I will speak in vague sweeping terms.
I've come to love these characters deeply. These wonderfully complicated characters. I worry about them, I laugh with them, I cry with them, and I go through some major ish with them. This book mostly falls into the last category. While Book 3 is my favorite book in the series so far, Book 5 is a vying for that position. Book 3 (Problem Child) was an emotional book for me. It was the resolution of a "To Be Continued" plot and we just found out quite a bit about many of the characters. I don't remember the nuances of plot development as much as the emotional journey with the characters.
Book 5 (Magic and Other Misdemeanors) however is just an explosion of PLOT!!!!!! In some ways, this reminds me of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" where all of a sudden the plot takes a dark turn and from here on out, everything has changed. (This moment comes in HP with the death of a certain character at the end of Book 4 which I won't spoil here in case you have not read it.)
I thought that I would not have a lot to write in this review as I tried to avoid spoilers, but I was wrong. Or long-winded. I can't decide. Michael Buckley has my esteem, respect, and heart. So much so that I believe I am going to write him an e-mail right now.
You however, should stop what you are doing and begin this wonderful amazing series!!! -
I really have difficulties rating this book because, while it was better than the first three installments in the series (I didn't like it as the fourth one) - the mystery aspects is interesting, the plot is more twisted and there are more Everafter charachters involved -, it is full of plot holes, not so good writing and superficiality overall. For example, when it's time for a list of Everafters, after two or three names there's 'etc.', so the reader basically gets to see always the usual characters and when a new one is introduced, that does not happen with fluidity... it's for a plot purpose only.
And then I can't believe such a small and boring town like Ferryport Landing (really corny name, let's be honest) is so full of facilities... I really don't know North American towns, but in Italy when a town is so unknown and anonymous, you don't find an international famous radio in it, mostly not found out after four months - or maybe that is because the two little girls protagonists are young, I don't know.
And the most important question of them all, because I really didn't found an answer: how is it possible for human fairy tale characters to be immortal? I could understand that for fairies, talking animals, ogres and fantastical creatures, but let's say Cinderella, she is just a normal princess! If these characters were taken from books I could get their fabulous nature, but since the human Everafters are, indeed, only human European people (mostly), how they manage to be immortal? How the Brothers Grimm (and why do we see Wilhelm only?) did manage to recruit them all for his ship if these real people Everafter are from all over the world?
What makes a person an Everafter?!
And why do many of them hate the Grimms in the modern time, but not at the town's origins, when they had plenty of time to experience their magic induced captivity? I don't get it.
And again, why do many of them hate the Grimms, but not all of them are part of the Scarlet Hand, or so it seems?
I keep to struggle to find complete sense in this series, but surely I'm going to keep reading! -
THESE BOOKS WILL BE FOREVER FAVORITES ARGHHHHHH❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
-
Plot 4 Stars
This is why mortals and immortals just shouldn't go together. SMH
Poor Cindy and Tom. He just didn't want to age without her. And honestly, how many times has that happened in books? So many. I'm not surprised, though I didn't suspect him.
But more importantly, the time travel! Or time tears! Or meeting their older selves! Or whatever we're calling it. I think my favorite of those interactions was the older and younger Puck's and when he tells him that he should be nice to Sabrina because she will be important to him later.
Who would have thought that Puck could be nice?
Or that they would last that long, but that's beside the point.
Characters 4 Stars
You know, until the end, I really thought that Charming was becoming a decent person. Or at least the right side of neutral. But no. Turns out he's just working with Heart now and the Scarlet Hand. Go figure. It just makes me feel sorry for Snow. I love when she was talking to all his wives. haha
Conversely, we had Tom and Cindy who are willing to age and un-age for each other. Cindy gave up her career as soon as it started (and immortality, of course) just to be with Tom. Really hope that works out.
Heart is even easier to hate in this one than the last. Poor Canis is just being carted off to jail. Or maybe the pound? Not sure what is going to happen to him. And what will happen the Granny Relda who is near and dear to my heart and the girls without him? The town will crucify them.
Quotes:
"I'm so excited I could barf!"
"THERE NOT DOLLS. THEY'RE ACTION FIGURES!" -
This book was absolutely hilarious i laughes for atleast a half hour straight when i read the 'my name is Sabrina Grimm this is my sister Daphne Grimm and my husband Puck' even though i saw it coming i just had to laugh and if youve read the others youll know what i mean
What do you get when you have magical items disappearing and taxes on mortals that are coming straight from the Mayor the Queen of Hearts? You have Ferryport Landing children home of Sabrina Daphne and Relda Grimm desendants of the Brothers Grimm. Sleeping parents are the least of their worries with thefts and time tears showing up everywhere. Time tears bring Sabrina and Daphne into 15 years in the future where the Scarlet Hand rules the world. And its their job to fix that and but a stop to it. But how can you do that when your grandmother is more worried about not being able to pay the taxes on humans and losig the house and place in Ferryport Landing for good? But along the way they find out that love comes in many different forms and if you think you have a mice problem you probably have a mice problem. -
To me this book deserves a 96/A+. This book deserves a 96/A+ because it has emotion, action, and mystery all wrapped up into the same book. When I started to read this book I could never put it down. Every time I would get one mystery solved another one came in. IT was just an amazing experience of being able to read reading this book.
In this book, Sabrina and Daphne decide to take on this big quest of trying to figure out, who is stealing the mystical possessions of different Everafters. Instead of them going by themselves, Puck decides to go with Sabrina and Daphne. Only the three of them are going because Granny Relda is caught up in business with Mayor Heart about the high taxes on the humans. Mr. Canis is still trying to hold on to the other side of him. This is the big bad wolf side. As Puck, Daphne, and Sabrina go deeper in their quest things start getting worst for the Grimm Family. Overall, this was a great read and I recommend this book to everyone. -
I absolutely adore this book. It's the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, action, and humor. Not to mention the romance between Sabrina and Puck.
In this book, Sabrina, Daphne, and long lost Prince Charming go through a tear in time. They are stuck 15 years into the future! Where Mr. Canis loses to the Big Bad Wolf, Baba Yaga is dead, Uncle Jacob was murdered, and the Scarlet hand has taken over the town. Not to mention that Sabrina and Puck get married! Can they find a way back? And will they be able to change the future? -
I think this was my favorite Grimm book so far. It had incredible details and what a neat story line. I also liked the rips in time and Sabrina and Daphne's encounter with their future selves. Buckley also opened up some doors as to the backgrounds of his characters, plus what a suspenseful ending and Prince Charming, who we thought was a friend to the Grimms turns out to join the Scarlet Hand. Actually, I suspect he's going to be a double agent. I look forward to reading the sixth book!
-
Oh God these books just keep getting better and better.
The plot was really good and Mr. Buckley has a way of keeping the reader on their toes.
Obviously Puck is still my favorite character he is such a cutie. I LOVE THAT HE’S FINALLY GROWING UP. But I’m a little worried about when Sabrina grows up because Puck is an Everafter and he’ll never grow up with her.
This is by far my favorite book in the series. -
Fun as always! This one felt a little rushed, with several storylines going at once - all of which came together, but it almost felt as if there wasn't enough time devoted to any of them.
The time travel was awesome (as was the insight into how the character's relationships will/could develop), while the mystery was pushed to the side. The twist at the end was excellent! -
2023 rating: 4/5.
Original review: Actual rating: 4.25/5 explosive stars. Oh, oh, OH!!!!! This is a series that just gets better with each installment. Oh that ending though! I'm shook and SO pumped for the next one! (If you can't tell I just finished this a few minutes ago and need some time to wrap my head around it. But go read this series if you haven't.)
