The Sisters Grimm: The Problem Child - #3 [Paperback]

 

 

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The Problem Child

Magic, suspense, friendship and bravery...this book has it all. The Problem Child is the 3rd book out of a series called the "Sisters Grimm." I suggest that you read the first two before you start on this one so you'll understand what's going on. The Problem Child will pull you so into it, that you just won't be able to put it down. It includes monsters, curses and a lot of action!

Sabrina and Daphne have faced many obstacles in the past years. In The Problem Child they continue their journey as fairy tale detectives, but this time it's very confusing. As you may know, Daphne and Sabrina grew up in New York with their parents, until one day they came home and their parents had disappeared and the only evidence was a single red hand print marked on the wall that symbolized the scarlet hand. After using a pair of magic matches that took Sabrina anywhere she wanted to go, she wound up right beside Henry and Veronica (Sabrina and Daphne's parents.) The only problem was...they were unconscious. With the help of Puck they're able to escape the kidnappers just in time. When they return home Sabrina is determined to find where the leader of the scarlet hand is hiding her parents and bring them back where they belong. Luckily, Uncle Jake is here to help by supplying Sabrina with magic. Sabrina, Daphne and Uncle Jake go to the bottom of the sea, to a whole other world to find Henry and Veronica. Sabrina knows exactly where her parents are hid, but doesn't know how to get them. Henry and Veronica are guarded by an everafter that has "problems" and her pet that is not afraid to bight. Sabrina can't figure out why the kidnapper wants her parents, is she looking for friends, or lunch? Sabrina discovers a weapon that will make her undefeatable. The only problem is she's starting to care about power and magic more than she does about her family.

Sabrina, Daphne, Puck, Uncle Jake, and Little Red Riding Hood...I know what you're thinking, who are these people? These are the main characters in this book. Sabrina is a brave teenage girl. Monsters, cannibals and even evil mermaids won't stop her from doing whatever she needs to do. Sabrina is taught how to use magic and goes a bit too far; she gets so caught up in it she can't control herself. She thinks that her life will be so easy now but she soon realizes that everything comes with a price. Sabrina has a little sister named Daphne; Daphne is a lot different than Sabrina though. First of all, Daphne cares more about family than she does magic. She'd be happy with just a normal, happy family...and A LOT of food! She doesn't always understand what's going on and won't be happy if you don't include her. One thing that her and her sister have in common is they'll both do anything to get there parents back. The next main character is Puck. He looks like a little boy but don't be fooled, he's over 200 years old! He likes to call himself the "Trickster King." It doesn't matter how old you are, what time it is or how bad you're injured he's coming for you with a new evil prank. If you wondered where and why Sabrina got all of her magic supplies...the answer is her Uncle Jake. Sabrina and Daphne's uncle thinks a lot like Sabrina. They're both very stubborn and brave. They both think that if they have magic their life will be perfect. Not only does Sabrina learn the consequences, but Uncle Jake too. This story wouldn't be happening if there wasn't the one and only... Little Red Riding Hood. This Little Red Riding Hood isn't the sweet little girl you think she is; she has "problems." She thinks that Sabrina's family is hers, but why?

This book has many, many themes. The main themes of this book are...magic, detectives and bravery. Sabrina used to be banned from using too much magic until her uncle came to town. She learns how to use shoes that take you anywhere, a stick that can make anything appear, etc. She thinks everything is going well, until she discovers a very important lesson... everything has a catch. You probably already figured out why "detectives" is a theme, of course Sabrina and Daphne are detectives but there's more to it. You have to deal with monsters, disappearing suspects, magic weapons and so much more. Good thing, Sabrina, Daphne and Uncle Jake are the best detectives on the planet!!!! For me the main theme of the whole book is...bravery! Every single character in this book is brave, even the bad guys. The Grimm's traveled to the bottom of the sea to meet the evil Little Mermaid, Arielle. They tumble through the woods to steal something from a very hungry cannibal. If they don't watch their backs, they'll end up as lunch. Sabrina, Daphne and Uncle Jake somehow find the courage to take on the Jabberwocky, only 1 person in the world dared to fight it, an old relative of the Sabrina, Spaulding Grimm.

If you're wondering if this book is appropriate for you, I can almost promise it is. There's not really any gruesome or anything like that. It has a lot of suspense; it feels as if every page is a cliff hanger. Don't be fooled by all of the magic and fantasy. This book is like no other fairytale, not everything ends in a happy ending, especially not in this book. You may have thought that all fairytale characters such as the Little Mermaid and Little Red Riding Hood are good, but you will soon realize their dark sides. Unless you think that you get easily scared by mysteries, you will absolutely love this book.

You can look, and look, you'll never find it. The Problem Child takes place in a whole other world called "Fairy Port Landing" It's no normal town like Vancouver, this town contains everafters. Everafters are fairytale characters. You will hear about Little Red Riding Hood, Prince Charming, Snow White, The Big Bad Wolf, The Little Mermaid and lots more. You can search the whole globe but you will never find a place like this one. I don't know which world it's in but I know that it's a make-belief town. If you ever go there be prepared for very strange things. For an example you might see animals talking, people disappearing into thin air, giants stomping around in your backyard or monsters roaming around looking for breakfast. There's no point telling yourself that this is your imagination because eventually you're going to realize this is real life.

The Problem Child is one of the best books you'll ever read in a life time of good books. But every book could use some improvements. A recommendation I have is that Michael Buckley should have made it a little bit more realistic. I know it's a fantasy but some things are so fictional it's a bit hard to follow. I would also change the beginning. It goes straight into the book without telling you any information about the characters or the setting. That makes it very hard to understand if you haven't read the first two. Overall, these problems don't compare to all of the suspense this book contains. From the age you learn how to read to the age you die, you will love this book

Perfect for read aloud and extremely inventive. I highly recommend this series, although it might be a little scarey for very young children. My 8 and 10 year old children adore them and beg me to read them aloud every night.

Fantastic series. I cannot say enough about these books.

Clever plots, great characters, lots of humour that kids usually get, but parents will enjoy. And it is very, very fun guessing which 'fairy tale' character is which in the books.

We would give 10 stars if we could!!!

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