Grimworld by Avery Moray - Book Tour & Review + Giveaway
This is my stop during the blog tour for Grimworld by Avery Moray. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 26 October till 8 November. See the tour schedule here.
Grimworld
By Avery Moray
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: 1 November 2019
Blurb:Every day, thirteen year old Henry Bats has his usual bowl of Sugar Slugs, helps tend Cobalt Sidewinders at Frank’s Peculiar Pets, and keeps to himself with his comic book collection. Just your typical day in Grimworld, where the sky is always dark and shadows lurk in the streets. What’s not typical is a suspicious Nightspook luring Henry into a cemetery in the middle of the night with the promise of a prized comic book. The Nightspook steals part of Henry's lifespan with a pocket watch, which begins counting down to his death. Henry is running out of time, and the pocket watch won't stop ticking...
You can find Grimworld on Goodreads
You can buy Grimworld here:
- Amazon
- Audible
- Indigo
My Review
Grimworld is a fun, unique middle-grade fantasy novel that will have kids (and adults) hooked from the very first page.
We, the readers, follow thirteen year old Henry Bats as he lives his normal, every-day life. He enjoys eating sugary cereal, watching cartoons, and being annoyed by his sister. But one fateful night, everything changes. Now Henry is fighting for his life (and his friend's). But will he succeed in saving them both?
Grimworld has a very Tim Burton-esque vibe to it. I could totally see this being adapted into a movie by Mr. Burton, and I would totally go see it in theaters. It kind of reminded me a little of Frankenweenie meets Coraline meets The Addams Family. It's creepy. It's dark. It's full of thrills and chills.
The characters are likable enough, and I enjoyed the friendship between Henry and Lang. I will admit that the Worm Lady intrigued me most of all. What's her deal? Why's she so obsessed with worms? She fascinated me.
The world building is nicely done. You can imagine yourself in Grimworld, with mists and fogs swirling about, and creatures lurking in the dark shadows. I would have liked a little more exploration of the other regions mentioned, though. The book takes place in only one specific area, but others are mentioned, and knowing there was more to the world piqued my interest.
The plot is paced nicely, although it is a quick read. It doesn't drag, and readers will stay engaged throughout the entire story.
Overall, I have to say Grimworld fascinated me, and I almost wanted to live there. And I'd love to see a movie version one day. That would be awesome!
I'm rating Grimworld 4.5 stars!
We, the readers, follow thirteen year old Henry Bats as he lives his normal, every-day life. He enjoys eating sugary cereal, watching cartoons, and being annoyed by his sister. But one fateful night, everything changes. Now Henry is fighting for his life (and his friend's). But will he succeed in saving them both?
Grimworld has a very Tim Burton-esque vibe to it. I could totally see this being adapted into a movie by Mr. Burton, and I would totally go see it in theaters. It kind of reminded me a little of Frankenweenie meets Coraline meets The Addams Family. It's creepy. It's dark. It's full of thrills and chills.
The characters are likable enough, and I enjoyed the friendship between Henry and Lang. I will admit that the Worm Lady intrigued me most of all. What's her deal? Why's she so obsessed with worms? She fascinated me.
The world building is nicely done. You can imagine yourself in Grimworld, with mists and fogs swirling about, and creatures lurking in the dark shadows. I would have liked a little more exploration of the other regions mentioned, though. The book takes place in only one specific area, but others are mentioned, and knowing there was more to the world piqued my interest.
The plot is paced nicely, although it is a quick read. It doesn't drag, and readers will stay engaged throughout the entire story.
Overall, I have to say Grimworld fascinated me, and I almost wanted to live there. And I'd love to see a movie version one day. That would be awesome!
I'm rating Grimworld 4.5 stars!
Top Ten List
Top Ten Spooky Books and Films for Kids
1.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman: Of course, I
have to include this book on this list. It’s in my top favorites of all time
and an inspiration for Grimworld. Plus, the film is just as enjoyable as the
book!
2.
Corpse Bride: Stop motion animation and
spooky go together so well. This is a must-watch film for every Halloween with
great songs, a whimsical yet macabre story, and everyone’s favorite dead bride.
3.
The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by
Claire Legrand: Give me a creepy orphanage, and I’m there! This is a
delightfully dark book with a great premise.
4.
Hoodoo by Ronald L. Smith: A middle grade
read set in Alabama with southern folk magic scariness and a great, spooky
atmosphere.
5.
Hocus Pocus: This is the quintessential
Halloween film for kids. Witches, black magic, and who could forget Binx! I
also listen to the Sanderson Sisters sing I’ll Put a Spell on You even
when it’s not Halloween.
6.
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier: A
Victorian tale that weaves together magic and horror. I’ll never tire of
spine-chilling stories that involve a mansion or have a haunted house sort of
vibe.
7.
Monster House: Speaking of haunted
houses, this film takes it to the next level with a house that’s actually
alive. Even now, I still find the plot disturbing.
8.
Scary stories to tell in the Dark by Alvin
Schwartz: A collection of stories retold from folklore. I remember reading
this all the way back in elementary school. While the stories don’t scare me as
much now, the illustrations are straight nightmare fuel.
9.
The Witches by Roald Dahl: “A REAL WITCH
hates children with a red-hot sizzling hatred that is more sizzling and red-hot
than any hatred you could possibly imagine.” Enough said.
10.
ParaNorman: Zombies! Stop-motion! Witches
and ghosts! I was so excited when this came out, I went to see it alone in the
movie theater. A fun, moody film that encapsulates everything I love about
horror for children.
About the Author:
Avery Moray is a storyteller who specializes in middle grade and young adult fantasy. She lives in a land with tall mountains and wide plains with her two furry sidekicks and one non-furry accomplice. She likes sweets, cats, Halloween, and loves creating all kind of things, stories being one of them.
You can find and contact Avery Moray here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Youtube
Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Grimworld. All prizes are US Only. These are the prizes you can win:
- Signed copy of Grimworld
- Signed copy of Grimworld + bookmark, notepad, and pin
- Signed copy of Grimworld + bookmark, notepad, and pin + unreleased chapter art print
For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
1 Comments
Love that this book has a Tim Burton vibe to it---sounds deliciously creepy!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Please try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.