Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published: May 29, 2018
Genre: Middle Grade Retelling
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Blurb:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Rump, comes the true story behind another unlikely hero: a grumpy dwarf who gets tangled up in Snow White's feud with the wicked queen.
Ever since he was a dwarfling, Borlen (nicknamed "Grump") has dreamed of visiting The Surface, so when opportunity knocks, he leaves his cavern home behind.
At first, life aboveground is a dream come true. Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L.) is the best friend Grump always wanted, feeding him all the rubies he can eat and allowing him to rule at her side in exchange for magic and information. But as time goes on, Grump starts to suspect that Queen E.V.I.L. may not be as nice as she seems. . . .
Ever since he was a dwarfling, Borlen (nicknamed "Grump") has dreamed of visiting The Surface, so when opportunity knocks, he leaves his cavern home behind.
At first, life aboveground is a dream come true. Queen Elfrieda Veronika Ingrid Lenore (E.V.I.L.) is the best friend Grump always wanted, feeding him all the rubies he can eat and allowing him to rule at her side in exchange for magic and information. But as time goes on, Grump starts to suspect that Queen E.V.I.L. may not be as nice as she seems. . . .
When the queen commands him to carry out a horrible task against her stepdaughter Snow White, Grump is in over his head. He's bound by magic to help the queen, but also to protect Snow White. As if that wasn't stressful enough, the queen keeps bugging him for updates through her magic mirror! He'll have to dig deep to find a way out of this pickle, and that's enough to make any dwarf Grumpy indeed.
“A thousand years he dug in the earth
Gathering crystals and gems of great worth
He had diamonds and rubies and emeralds galore
But he still felt empty, so he dug ten years more.”
This is probably one of the cutest books I’ve read this year. Grump is full of mischief, imagination, and the beautiful magic that comes with a story full of so much life! It’s a different take on the beloved story of Snow White—with the narrator being Borlen, aka Grumpy. All his life, since he was born, all he’s wanted to do was be on the Surface. Being so far underground made him sick with so much anxiety.
“We’ll bear no tyrant, suffer no fool
The fairest of all is the one who will rule”
I liked how they incorporated everyone from the Snow White and made them out to be so much different than you’d think. Grump was just misunderstood, couldn’t anyone see that? What so bad with wanting more in life than what you were given? Well, Grump sure showed them! When he’s sent to work as 7th in a team of other dwarves working as a digger. Finding any kind of gem, ruby, diamond, etc. to help fuel the community. He finds a way to get the top.
That’s when all the trouble starts! And that’s when I realized how much I adored Grump’s recklessness that I eventually realized was just him being brave. A young dwarf that took matters into his own hands and shaped his own destiny. I admire that. If you’re lookin for a book with all the qualities I just listed, then I think this is the perfect read for those of all ages.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
About the Author:
Liesl Shurtliff is the author of the New York Times Bestseller RUMP and other (Fairly) True Tales. She was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the mountains for her playground. Just like Rump, Liesl was shy about her name, growing up. Not only did it rhyme with weasel, she could never find it on any of those personalized key chains in gift shops. But over the years she’s grown to love having an unusual name—and today she wouldn’t change it for the world!
Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater. She now lives in Chicago with her husband and four children.
Before she became a writer, Liesl graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in music, dance, and theater. She now lives in Chicago with her husband and four children.
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